THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Rolls royce

Today against Warsaw was probably his best game for us so far. He was pulling all the strings. His vision and touch is first rate. Whoever he goes to next will be getting some player.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

One of the most technically gifted players I have seen play at SMK. I really enjoy watching him. If I am honest, he should be nowhere near this level. Fair play to him coming here, as he wouldn't have been short of suitors. If anyone has any doubt about our style, its a big pull for players like Bate for example, who know they can express themselves. He should count himself very unlucky with Leeds. Just seems like Farke doesn't fancy him, but you feel that it could have have gone the other way for him and he could have been given an opportunity there.

Do we stand a chance getting him? Probably not. Even if we do go up, it would be a struggle. If I am a Pompey for example, going up into the champ, Lewis Bate is probably one of the players I would be looking at. Yes hes a diminutive figure, but his positional sense and ability is that good, I have barely noticed. He could do a job in the champ for sure.

There were a few articles floating around about Leeds changing their mind and offering him a new contract after he has impressed here. I hope they don't - as I'd love him to stay here. If they offer a contract, we have to pay a fee too even if he turns it down.

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"you don't seem to understand much about football" - Zeberdee

Offering just to get compensation I suspect

We won't keep Bate but given he was struggling for opportunities, the positive spell he has had here might make bigger clubs more amenable to letting us have a little borrow of their good young players in future.

Just to capture it here for when this thread gets moved over to Dons Departures (is that how it works Sphere?).

Bate has signed a three year deal to join Stockport on League 1, following his release from Dirty Leeds. I think/hope he'll do really well there.

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"you don't seem to understand much about football" - Zeberdee

At times I really liked him, but I thought he made Payne worse.

A tidy player, probably a player like McEachran that when you are playing well looks like a world beater but when on the backfoot looks lost

I'd like him back. But I'd personally take Payne, despite the lack of resale value, over him if we get the chance. I wish him the best. Think he'll have a good career in upper L1, maybe into Championship.