Two minds. want to keep as many teams below us as possible, but also we only need one team ultimately. Is it better to have you 5 points behind and Brighton 3 points behind, or you 8 points behind and Brighton level?
I totally agree with you about the emotion surrounding Sala's tragic death being as though he was our player. The fact is that at the time, we thought he was. It was then the legalities of the matter took over and that it way, way beyond us supporters.
Cardiff for me. I can see us getting four points from the next two games & I feel the team suddenly has a real identity. We won't be looking over our shoulders......but boy do Brighton deserve to!
Don't really like/care about either club so not fussed at all who wins. Think Brighton will win though
The photo shoots were all done in the belief that he was our player and was travelling back to Nantes to say goodbye to his teamates and collect some personal gear. It may seem difficult to separate the moral and legal aspects but insurance companies do not pay out on morals - they are calling all the shots on this one.
Ok dude, thanks for the civil reply. Either way I can't seem you coming out of this without your Rep being tarnished.
I've said many times this past couple of months that no one is going to come out of this smelling of roses. Cardiff have written to Nantes a fortnight back requesting a meeting to sort out the contractual issues as requested by FIFA, but Nantes have refused to reply. If anyone is going to come out of this with any credit at all, it wont be Nantes and ther agent acting for them, Mark MKay with father Willie pulling the strings for him. I don't mind responding civily to anyone, but being on the end of attacks from forum posters (not just this forum I hasten to add) tends to make you more resiliant.
A good shout HR. It's been covered at length in two threads on our board, including the facts. But to summarise, Cardiff have always said they with honour any required payments once the facts are clear. These are becoming clearer. Again, one of the key issues is around insurance. Once ratified as a Cardiff player, Cardiff will be able to claim on their insurance. Pay Nantes, claim the insurance. Both clubs covered. If, as seems the case, he wasn't confirmed as a Cardiff player, no payment made, no insurance claim for Cardiff, cost neutral. Nantes claim on their insurance and they are cost neutral. If he wasn't a Cardiff player and we pay nantes, we can't claim on the insurance and we're £15M out of pocket. There is also the accountability of the transport. Cardiff were arranging a commercial flight via Paris. Nantes agent (well, actually the agents father who isn't allowed to broker deals as he isn't registered, his company having gone bust) arranged the travel through an illegal route it transpires. A pilot not licenced for commercial flights, and not licenced to fly at night as he was colour blind. Sala was announced as a Cardiff player subject to international clearances, as most signings of this nature are. The expression of grief was genuine as at the time, fans believed he was a Cardiff player. It is only subsequently that the facts became clear. Either way, a life was lost. In addition, while he hadn't played for Cardiff, the 'courtship' had gone on for some time. Indeed, I watched him play in a televised game once I knew we were interested, so there was an affinity with the player which would have been there even if we hadn't signed him. So, now the facts are out there it comes down to legal and moral obligations, together with personal opinion, however misinformed that may be derived. As to the game, I feel we may sneak this one.
got 0-0 written all over it - so I guess Cardiff will win 4-3 and we'll all be sweating a bit til we whoop Newcastle 3-0
If they lose this, can't see Brighton staying up? Brighton's remaining fixtures 20 April: Wolves (away) 23 April: Spurs (away) 27 April: Newcastle (home) 4 May: Arsenal (away) 12 May: Man City (home)
I can see Cardiff getting 2 draws out of that which won’t be enough. Brighton I think will lose all those games.
It's certainly late in the season. But if Brighton don't turn this around in the next 45 minutes then, as you say, their string of current results would very much only signal one thing. Surely the only way that Brighton would stay up would be Cardiff failing themselves. Or by Brighton taking action. Sam is hardly going to say no to a shed load of money for five games.