Keeping McAtee

Will we? Better chance now that we’re up, but there must be a lot of interest in him.

Either way get that contract signed ASAP the best thing for all parties.

Yep!

Still got another year on his contract so unless a stupid offer comes in then he should be here again next season.

Was talking about this with MadeleyMariner yesterday during the game. We've got a much better chance of keeping hold of him, but we could both see someone like a Peterbourgh coming in for him and making a very interesting offer for him

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

Was talking about this with MadeleyMariner yesterday during the game. We've got a much better chance of keeping hold of him, but we could both see someone like a Peterbourgh coming in for him and making a very interesting offer for him

How much would an interesting offer be?

Quoted from DB

How much would an interesting offer be?

I'm trying to remember how much we got for Dembele, but I think a starting bid around there even with the new owners would be hard to just reject without at least considering it

100k and a load of mysterious add ons that no one will understand  

He’s worth more than 100k in this market alone, tie him down to another contract , better for both parties he’s worth 500k at least . Stay with town move them up a league now more chance of keeping him aswell .
See you all in the EFL ! UTM

don't forget he needs an operation, so I'd be amazed if anyone came in for him pre season

Sometimes it feels like we are Peterborough’s feeder club.

I’d honestly say, his performances in the play off games and the fact we’re in the league again his stock must be close to £750k/£1m.

I would think it more likely a club in the North West would be a better shout.
He has been a perfect signing this year, scored goals, assists, galvanised the support, general all round talisman.

Have a niggling feeling he will be off though. If...if he did ....then would leave an almost perfect legacy of memories for us.

He is still only 22.  He has excellent pedigree with his teenage brother at Man City.  Great that during the playoffs it was highlighted that he had scored 14 goals.  This under plays it.  Without 2 longish injury layoffs and a red card suspension, he might be on 25 goals.

If he is happy to stay then we should do everything to make it worthwhile.  His stock and value will only increase.  He has areas to improve on and is far from the finished article.

Ironic that he was subbed in all 3 playoff matches.  We scored in each game and then won. He might be “half the team” but the team had adapted to still win and succeed if he is not playing.

McAtee is the most talented player we have had at GTFC for a very long time. He has got everything; a brilliant thoroughbred of a footballer who we have got signed up for at least another year.

All the pundits covering the playoff games are raving about him. Other teams' fans are raving about him. I saw a podcast today where the presenter said he would take him in heartbeat to his team - Luton in the Championship.

We hold the aces; he is obviously very happy here but we need to be realistic and expect bids to come in for him, so I am sure Hurst will get him to sign a contract extension to give us greater muscle in any negotiations to sell him.

It would be nice for once if we do sell to get the going rate for a player of his ability, his potential and his age. McAtee and Hurst are obviously very close so I am hopeful whatever happens will be in the best interests of the player and the club.

I would add that whatever happens in the future, he has been a joy to watch and he will go on to really great things.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Still got another year on his contract so unless a stupid offer comes in then he should be here again next season.

If only it was as simple. Been thinking about this a lot. It needs a sit down honest conversation. Obviously it’s really helpful to us that we’ve been promoted. Staying in the NL would have made it so much more complicated.

I think the facts are these:


He’s 22 (great age)
He can play at a higher level
There’ll be interest in him from L1 and maybe even championship clubs, although he is unproven at that level.
He loves us, we love him.
He’s under contract for another year.
He is surely ambitious.

I’d ask him to extend his contract and increase his wages, and I’d explain that we really want him to stay with us and try to climb the leagues, but would absolutely not stand in his way if an offer comes in for him and he wants to go.
It’s about what’s fair to him and to us. If he’s got a year or 2/3 on his contract here, we’ll be in a stronger position to bargain for a fair price. We give him our word that we won’t stand in his way, but that we have to protect our own interests and the compromise is an improved deal.
Personally, I can see there being lots of interest, and I’d want 500K (at least) and add ons for him. I hope he stays another year and sees where we can go, but he’s class and we have to let him move on up if that’s what he wanted. I’m sure that Jason/Andrew/Hursty are on it with John. They understand business. It’s not as if it’s gonna be repeat of the Fenty/Amond f@ck up with penny pinching and a total lack of acumen.

It would be interesting if there is wide ranging interest in him and a bidding war ensues. If so, we need to be strong and I believe John would want to do right by the club because he genuinely loves us and wouldn’t want to go in a self interested way.

I hope he stays. I really do. He’s ace and we all love him, but we have to be pragmatic.

Priceless....

Unless I'm getting a 3sum with Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence he stays put.

Quoted from lukeo

Priceless....

Unless I'm getting a 3sum with Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence he stays put.

With your diplomacy skills Luke, I am sure you could navigate a 3sum with Meghan and Kate.

Enjoyed the genuine praise at work today
Even from some Gimps
But This Thread has Made me think of the 2016 promotion and the fact that PH let a lot of the squad go 🙂
Something from which I feel we never recovered and we saw what happened
Please don't do that again PH - “most”  of this team deserve a crack at Div 2
Hope He / They see this
Come on Town!!

Not sure it was 100% Paul Hursts decisions. Podge certainly wasn’t

Quoted from lukeo

Priceless....

Unless I'm getting a 3sum with Kate Middleton and Jennifer Lawrence he stays put.

Kate Middleton? She's had 3 kids so she'll have a cooch like a carrier bag.

Quoted from sydney

Enjoyed the genuine praise at work today
Even from some Gimps
But This Thread has Made me think of the 2016 promotion and the fact that PH let a lot of the squad go 🙂
Something from which I feel we never recovered and we saw what happened
Please don't do that again PH - “most”  of this team deserve a crack at Div 2
Hope He / They see this
Come on Town!!

I genuinely do not hold that against Hurst whatsoever. Yes he is the manager, but the board pay the wages. They refused to pay even identical wages to the season before to our top scorer in decades... They offered Shaun a one year contract so he went to Wrexham for 2. And they refused Paul the backing he deserved and the league demanded. So Paul was off at the 1st opportunity too.

There is no way we would be here without Paul Hurst and our current owners. So let's trust, and see what comes of this much more healthy relationship.

Keeping McAtee before the play offs, there was 18 other players above him in the scoring ranks at National League level. We will see if he can knock in the goals in League Two.

Genuine question - a number of you say he loves it here. Do we know that? Has he been quoted as saying that?

One difference with McAtee that wasn’t the case with a Bogle/Dembele is that he’s played a few games in League 2 (and one in L1) and for whatever reason, it didn’t quite click.

I’ve no doubt that it’s a completely different player here, but both McAtee and interested parties will take that into account.

It makes sense for him to have one more season with us, but he owes us one by signing a new contract to ensure we get money for him next summer IMO.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Genuine question - a number of you say he loves it here. Do we know that? Has he been quoted as saying that?

Have you got eyes and ears?

One thing that is clear is that Hurst likes him because he's given him 3 contracts at 3 clubs and seems to be able to get a tune out of him that other managers can't. He's a classic showman and loves playing in front of great crowds which is something we can give him.

But, he admitted live on BT in that great interview yesterday that he's been getting in trouble for cramping up due to drinking. Other managers might be much less forgiving than Hurst and as he goes higher in the pyramid, his lifestyle will come under even more scrutiny.

He knows he's adored here, he knows Hurst put a lot of faith in him and he plays when fit. All players want to be playing of course they do, but I think playing football somewhere he's adored ranks very highly for McAtee.

A lot of it boils down to his agent too. If McAtee gets it into his head that he wants to leave, it is best for everyone that he does. He's not an out and out striker so his 15 goal return is a very good one.

Quoted from chaos33

Have you got eyes and ears?

Many thanks for your passive/aggressive response to my question. Very helpful.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Sometimes it feels like we are Peterborough’s feeder club.

Can only think of 2 players we've sold them in the last 13 years?

Quoted from chaos33

If only it was as simple. Been thinking about this a lot. It needs a sit down honest conversation. Obviously it’s really helpful to us that we’ve been promoted. Staying in the NL would have made it so much more complicated.

I think the facts are these:


He’s 22 (great age)
He can play at a higher level
There’ll be interest in him from L1 and maybe even championship clubs, although he is unproven at that level.
He loves us, we love him.
He’s under contract for another year.
He is surely ambitious.

I’d ask him to extend his contract and increase his wages, and I’d explain that we really want him to stay with us and try to climb the leagues, but would absolutely not stand in his way if an offer comes in for him and he wants to go.
It’s about what’s fair to him and to us. If he’s got a year or 2/3 on his contract here, we’ll be in a stronger position to bargain for a fair price. We give him our word that we won’t stand in his way, but that we have to protect our own interests and the compromise is an improved deal.
Personally, I can see there being lots of interest, and I’d want 500K (at least) and add ons for him. I hope he stays another year and sees where we can go, but he’s class and we have to let him move on up if that’s what he wanted. I’m sure that Jason/Andrew/Hursty are on it with John. They understand business. It’s not as if it’s gonna be repeat of the Fenty/Amond f@ck up with penny pinching and a total lack of acumen.

It would be interesting if there is wide ranging interest in him and a bidding war ensues. If so, we need to be strong and I believe John would want to do right by the club because he genuinely loves us and wouldn’t want to go in a self interested way.

I hope he stays. I really do. He’s ace and we all love him, but we have to be pragmatic.

This 100%

I think we will as he clearly loves it and is loved but also the operation rules him out of pre-season and it’s a safer bet to stick here than to have to establish himself at a new club when not fully fit. I’d imagine Hurst will say give it one more year and see if we can challenges again for the play offs.

The thing is he hasn't proven himself at league level yet, so unlikely to go for a big initial fee this summer, but if he does well next season vultures will be circling at Christmas with a lot more money on offer.

I think the relationship between PH and JM will mean he signs a new contract for us. Looks like he loves playing in front of a crowd and how many clubs in L1/Champ have a better away following than Grimsby, His best bet is to move up to the Championship with us unlike the route Omar tried with Wigan.
Either way I trust PH will have a squad capable of pushing on by start of season.
So proud to be GTFC

The team is also set up for McAtee and to get the best out of him.

That was one of the problems during the two injury spells. It’s unlikely that McAtee would have that luxury elsewhere.

Hopefully McAtee trusts Hurst and I don’t think we would stand in McAtee’s way if the right club came in for him, for the right fee.

I would hope he wouldn’t go somewhat sideways to the likes of Salford or Bradford (at least in football terms, for short-term wage growth) and backs himself to get a bigger move further up the pyramid in the future.

Shows how much interest I have in them haha! Anyway, I'd love McAtee to stay for as long as possible. Love the way he plays.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Many thanks for your passive/aggressive response to my question. Very helpful.

It’s not passive aggressive. You’re being obtuse.
He absolutely clearly loves the club, and the supporters and it’s completely obvious in his actions, words, body language performances etc.

Of course there’s reality in football that money is a massive factor but….surely as a player you must take so much pleasure from playing for a club where supporters’love’ you. That is clearly the case with Mcatee right from the start of the season. The manager have put out teams set up to play to him. He’s not going to get that if he moves now.
I can’t remember any other player than Bonetti having such a relationship with town’s support, not even super Clive Mendonca and this is the 60th season since I first went to BP.
Being happy counts for a lot!!!
Here’s hoping……

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

The team is also set up for McAtee and to get the best out of him.

That was one of the problems during the two injury spells. It’s unlikely that McAtee would have that luxury elsewhere.

Hopefully McAtee trusts Hurst and I don’t think we would stand in McAtee’s way if the right club came in for him, for the right fee.

I would hope he wouldn’t go somewhat sideways to the likes of Salford or Bradford (at least in football terms, for short-term wage growth) and backs himself to get a bigger move further up the pyramid in the future.

From an economic standpoint I’d be matching those wages that any club like Salford can pay. Let’s say hypothetically he’s on 1.5k pw ish, 72k per year maybe? Double his wages, costs us 72k extra for the year then end up with 500k-1m for him next year as a result of him being in contract. Makes perfect sense IMO

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Kate Middleton? She's had 3 kids so she'll have a cooch like a carrier bag.

Love the irony that this pop-up ad was underneath your comment 😂😂🤣🤣

Quoted from mariners1

Of course there’s reality in football that money is a massive factor but….surely as a player you must take so much pleasure from playing for a club where supporters’love’ you. That is clearly the case with Mcatee right from the start of the season. The manager have put out teams set up to play to him. He’s not going to get that if he moves now.
I can’t remember any other player than Bonetti having such a relationship with town’s support, not even super Clive Mendonca and this is the 60th season since I first went to BP.
Being happy counts for a lot!!!
Here’s hoping……

There’s many footballers who don’t even like football, never mind the club they play for.

I don’t doubt that McAtee is enjoying his current role, learning and prospering under Hurst and his relationship with Hurst, his colleagues and the fans.

But remember McAtee is not a Town fan. He’s not like you or I. If the right club comes in for for him, he will be off and rightly so. Hopefully we’ll be Championship bound by the time it happens!!

Paul Hurst gets the best out of McAtee by his own admission, and after seeing the tv interview he did after yesterday’s game he said it was the best day of his life and just loves his connection with us fans, he admitted he sometimes gets involved in off field situations that aren’t his own making but he’s a young guy who has finally found his home and I think it would need to be a unbelievable offer to take him away from Town at the moment but in a couple of years, who knows.

A season-fit McAtee, and a game fit McAtee would have reached 25 goals this season.  He is the heart, soul and energy of the team,  never mind his goal yesterday.  Look at his stunning goal at Wrexham and perfect pass to a Taylor for his goal.

Had we lost yesterday I think he would have gone, we’ve got a much better chance of him wanting to stay now.

Offer a year or 2 extension to him this summer, and make it clear if a decent offer comes in next season it will be considered. Safeguards the club and player

I can only echo what lew said. He’s the best player we’ve had in years. When he ran towards goal in the 69th minute you knew he was going to score. Can’t think of a player in recent years who gave fans that confidence. Charisma too. Has the crowd in his hands every game. For 22 he’s a hell of a combination.

I do think he’s destined for bigger things, but I dearly hope he signs another contract and we keep him for another season.

Back in the league and the possibility of Mcatee staying , I’m in dreamland! UTM!

Quoted from chaos33

It’s not passive aggressive. You’re being obtuse.
He absolutely clearly loves the club, and the supporters and it’s completely obvious in his actions, words, body language performances etc.

Thank you again for mansplaining what I felt, how I think and what my intention was.

Quoted from mariners1

Of course there’s reality in football that money is a massive factor but….surely as a player you must take so much pleasure from playing for a club where supporters’love’ you. That is clearly the case with Mcatee right from the start of the season. The manager have put out teams set up to play to him. He’s not going to get that if he moves now.
I can’t remember any other player than Bonetti having such a relationship with town’s support, not even super Clive Mendonca and this is the 60th season since I first went to BP.
Being happy counts for a lot!!!


Here’s hoping……

Joe Waters - Town fans paid for him to come and he paid us back with interest - great signing

😂

Dearie me. Mansplaining….Passive aggressive…..
go check out their definitions again…

Do you have a chip on your shoulder about something?

You asked a question. I gave an answer - that it was absolutely self evident and obvious how McAtee feels about the club and supporters and us about him. Seems pretty much everyone agrees with me but you’re asking for ‘evidence’ and chucking labels and armchair psychologist terms at me that actually make you look a bit daft at best, and arguing a wrong point with an ad hominem at worst. I’d turn it in now if I were you.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

Kate Middleton? She's had 3 kids so she'll have a cooch like a carrier bag.

Nice bit of misogyny there Mr psychology label.

I saw something yesterday, well I think I saw it and that was after the game it looked like McAtee was filming the crowd on his phone, I like that as it felt like the support he gets means something to him. Will that keep him here is a good offer from a big club comes along? I doubt it.

I’d love to see him with us for a while longer but he’s been a revelation on the pitch and off it he’s just been genuine and down to earth, there loads of footage of him just being a nice lad with supporters especially with mascots and kids around asking for pics etc..

I’d be gutted to lose him for the start of next season but would wish him well if it was some form of karma for just being f*****g brilliant this season.

He's player of the year and you know what that usually means. He has massively put himself in the shop window in the play offs.

If he gets a move to a bigger club higher up the leagues, then good luck to him. We will have the memories and  league football as a parting gift.

This club needs to emulate the likes of Peterborough and Scunny when they were rising, in that we pluck players from obscurity and sell them on for a profit. Then go find the next one.

Hope he stays, but if he goes, then so be it.

Not everyone  rates him as highly as we do .Not picked in NL team of the year .I looked on chesterfield forum and in their discussions of who they would like to see come in McAtee wasn't mentioned .I really hope he stays, I cannot fathom how he's not in the NL team.And what do chesterfield fans know .McAtee is a fabulous player and will play higher level .Hopefully with us .

He’s probably been put in the bracket of striker and unless you watch him week in week out, his stats are no greater than many players. That said, we all know how he operates and what he brings to the table, I wouldn’t swap him for anyone in the conference, absolutely love him.

This. In droves coming from all town fans at the minute 🤣⚽️UTM

[url]https://twitter.com/jackkirwin2/status/1532646638669418496?s=21&t=8TOoKuzgN9BfSkIW0_Du1g[/url]

Firstly there is a one year option on him so he’s going nowhere unless it makes sense all round. That means a very decent offer, not a Fenty decent offer. Secondly, I’m pretty sure our new owners will want to make sure the mistakes of 2016 are not repeated and that means not allowing the promoted team to be ripped apart.
Be very surprised if he’s not here in August.

Quoted from Theimperialcoroner

Firstly there is a one year option on him so he’s going nowhere unless it makes sense all round. That means a very decent offer, not a Fenty decent offer. Secondly, I’m pretty sure our new owners will want to make sure the mistakes of 2016 are not repeated and that means not allowing the promoted team to be ripped apart.
Be very surprised if he’s not here in August.

Do u mean a further 1 Yr option on his original 2 Yr contract or are you just referring to him having another year already contracted to us?

Quoted from toontown

Do u mean a further 1 Yr option on his original 2 Yr contract or are you just referring to him having another year already contracted to us?

I understood him to be on a one year contract with the option of another year. I may be wrong but that was my take of the situation.

Quoted from sydney

Enjoyed the genuine praise at work today
Even from some Gimps
But This Thread has Made me think of the 2016 promotion and the fact that PH let a lot of the squad go 🙂
Something from which I feel we never recovered and we saw what happened
Please don't do that again PH - “most”  of this team deserve a crack at Div 2
Hope He / They see this
Come on Town!!

Hurst didn't "let a lot of the squad go" - we had a majority shareholder who wouldn't put the right contracts in place, so quite naturally some of them buggered off!

Think with the shoulder op and not having a pre season he will be here and see how next season pans out .Hopefully we get him on a new deal so we get money when he goes