Joe Ledley

Already on 25-28k, as is Broonie. If that's what it takes then I'm cool with that. He's a top player and I would hate to see him leave...especially for * all.

 

Broony is £30k apparently.

 

I'd rather we paid the 30k a week just now, then have the option to sell him on (if he wanted to) for a good price. Rather than lose him for nothing.

Regardless of that, I would rather he stayed. I find it hard to believe we could find someone just as good, especially seeing as we will not be splashing out £4m for a replacement.

 

Scott Brown was on 25-28k last time I heard. He will be on around 25-30k anyway. I think Joe Ledley is already on around 25k? * knows. These figures are rarely disclosed.

 

First off, I think professional athletes are, indeed, over-paid anyway, so with that outta the way ... is there a club as big as Celtic that pays their players as humbly, I guess, as we do, and gets away with it? I don't. It's amazing, really.

After a few years of Champions League football, at a wee, wee fraction the salary of his fellow competitors, can anyone really blame Ledley if he wants to bolt to the EPL for a few years before retirement? I don't. I'd do it. Maybe. I dunno ... that's why I don't'/won't fault him if he, and others, do.

I know Celtic is Celtic, but ... holy * we've done a good job keeping salaries low, after few years of them getting a wee bit outta control. How the players bought into it, knowing the money elsewhere, is beyond me. Maybe this time, they do, indeed, deserve credit, for not being *too* greedy.

 

The problem is surely that Ledley will be wanting a wage rise (he'll use winning back the title and reaching the CL group stages twice as his reasoning), and with his high wages already we're not going to be able to offer him a significant one.

 

Does no one think there will be another gem out their that can play Joe's role who will not be demanding 30k+ a week?

He is a good, effective player for us and I do like him. But I do not think he is worth that wage, I'm not slating him at all, that's my opinion. I don't think his absence has been that noticeable for us this season tbh.

 

It's doing it to the level that Joe does though, his performances in Europe for is have been some of the cleverest I've saw for us in the Champions League. We need to keep quality in our team, we can't let it all go and replace it with someone who can do a job.

 

True that, I mind his Barcelona performance last year. Hm maybe its because I haven't seen him play in a while and have been reading a lot of people on here recently giving the old "invisible Joe" remarks.

Like I said I do like him, and if he can start to perform like he did with us a few years ago I'd be all for giving him a new deal. But I just think 30k is a wee bit hefty, its not like he is on an appalling 5k week wage. Do you think he wants away?

 

Aye, funnily enough the 'Invisible Joe' stuff came back out the woodwork when he was out injured for a month or so. So people started saying "he's lost form", which is quite baffling. You only need to look at his performance at St Mirren to see how clever he is, he can play any role in midfield for us. That's a priceless ability to have.

I don't think he wants away, I'm actually quite confident he will sign, all the noises from the Ledley camp are that he wants to sign. I think the absolute maximum he will ask for is parity with Broony, he's not daft, he knows the structure we operate in. He wouldn't be making the wanting to stay noises if his wishes weren't within that.

Is that something we are willing to pay? I don't know. We should, despite us being a 'selling club', keep a solid core of the squad together. The likes of Ledley, Brown, Sammy, Stokes, Commons, Mulgrew. We need to keep some continuity of quality at the club.

 

He's not an irreplaceable player by any means but we shouldn't be losing any first team players for free.

Whether it Joe being greedy or the board being tight, I think the ultimate blame for losing Joe would lie with the board.

You sign early, or you get punted to the highest bidder. No exceptions.

 

He's been given a hard time from fans this season, but people need to remember he has been bothered with injuries this season and when any player is carrying an injury they don't play to the best of their ability.

Joe has been a massive signing for us, and I believe he's getting back to his best for us now following the County game.

For me, it's a must that we sign him on a new deal, we need that experience in the team, someone who has an understanding of the club and can play at a high level like the champions league.

 

We cannot afford to let this guy go on a free..

As his fellow countryman Bellamy says 'no chance'..

 

:smiley-laughing002:

 

I remember that, tremendous from the bold Bellamy. :smiley-laughing002:

 

Done the right thing made a clown of a clown..

 

I'd be fine with letting Ledley go if we were going to bring in some top quality.

But you can't trust the board to do that. Ledley is a good player and I'd rather have him than take a chance on a £750k signing we've never heard of.

 

Would be disappointing to just let him walk for nothing, but since he's done that at his boyhood club, there's not much doubt, he's more than willing to do it again, after all the financial benefits for a player leaving on a free are greater.

 

Good point, I forgot he done that, so maybe that is what is planned here as well hope not