Would be interested in the forum's view of the players we have allowed to leave for nominal fees or in some cases for nothing due to contracts having expired. Should players who are clearly a cut above, I'm thinking Christie, Watkins and Shinnie and to a lesser extent Meekings and Tansey have been tied up under longer term contracts so that we could negotiate larger transfer fees? We seem to have left contract extension negotiations to the last minute in the past when a players head has already been turned by another offer. As everyone will be aware, Christie is still on loan to Aberdeen which rather sticks in my throat, we could have done with him last season, he may have been the difference between relegation and staying up.

It's easy to say that we should've signed up our best players on longer term contracts but it isn't as simple as that.  You are assuming that the players would want a contact of that length in the first place - in a lot of cases players prefer two year deals as it gives them a lot more leverage and opportunity.  It also doesn't tie the club into deals that could end up costing a lot for a poor player.  Look what happened when we gave a manager a long contract, it ended up costing the club.  

 

the club has being playing at this for many many years and I really don't see it changing under the present stewardship 

Shinnie and Meekings - -at least - were offered the opportunity to extend their contracts, but chose not to. If we had cashed in on Shinnie when we could, I doubt we’d have won the cup.

I’m not sure if this is still the case, but players on a four year contract could leave for free at the end of year 3 - Andy Webster used that to leave Hearts. 

The key is to try and make sure younger players don’t have contracts that expire after the cut off point for development fees. 

All of this is easier said than done though. Players know the rules, and if they can move for nothing, that means there is more in the pot for signing on fees and wages. And if you sign a player to a longer contract, you may end up paying over the odds for a dud. 

The point I am trying to make is Caulker a better player than Christie, Watkins or Shinnie? we could certainly have done with £1.8M or Christie for a season rather than losing them on the cheap or for nothing. 

8 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

The point I am trying to make is Caulker a better player than Christie, Watkins or Shinnie? we could certainly have done with £1.8M or Christie for a season rather than losing them on the cheap or for nothing. 

If only we had a manager who didn't whore out players like Christie on the cheap for some inexplicable reason. Oh wait...

12 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

The point I am trying to make is Caulker a better player than Christie, Watkins or Shinnie? 

Yes, he probably is if he can get back to historical form. While I get the point you are making regarding signing top players to decent length deals to avoid them leaving on the cheap or free, it has to be remembered that ICT could not afford or match the wages offered to those who did leave and even signing them on a longer deal could have been financial suicide if they got injured or the club struggled - its about managing debts/costs.

The Caulker deal is most likely involving a salary which although good or high at Dundee is way less than his historical so can afford that drop with a likely contractual clause giving him a % of any future fee at an agreed level with the club. Its a similar deal we struck with OFW when the club got his Euro championship cash. Its not a bad deal for both parties if Caulker can find form he will be in a shop window for a move and gets the chance to rehabilitate and get his career going again at a decent level (watched by English clubs) and for Dundee they get a better player than they could ever normally afford and a transfer fee hopefully at the end which covers costs and even yields a profit.

Just need ICT to find a willing player in a similar position with off-field or injury issues. Sturridge or Wiltshire perhaps (jk). 

Probably worth remembering that this Caulker story was completely made up much like Morelos to "unnamed Chinese club".