1 goal in 6 league games and then you look at this: http://www.ligue1.com/ligue2/classementButeurs Yes people will question the standard but if he top scores at the end of the season he is almost certain to get a good move to a decent club while we continue to pay his effing wages and can't hit a barn door with a banjo. And I know he didnt deserve a shot based on performances here (Wigan away in the cup was particularly shocking) but perhaps Brown had knocked all confidence out of him? Have we got anything to lose by giving a confident and buzzing striker a second chance?
I think he will stay in France for next season, if Reims don't get promoted, I am sure a middling Ligue 1 team pick him up probably on free transfer and we can then right off his wages for the year. We can then used the saved amount to fund a couple of Bosman transfers.
But if he doesnt ask for a move we're still liable for a massive chunk of his outstanding salary so we'd still have to pay him to move. He wont get anything like what we pay him so he's totally entitled to sit and pick up his wages for god knows how much longer (is it another 2 after this season?)
I think if he stays the full 4years of his contract he may get a 'loyalty' bonus as well. Hopefully other French teams will be looking to pick him up, we payed over a million for a league 1 striker I seem to remember. He appears to be suited to the French style of play and hopefully he has a decent agent who can sort him out a new deal.
Can anyone remember at the start of his time here he kept getting called one of the 'premier league bargains of the year' by quite a few different media sources? That went downhill fast.
Let him go on a free if possible. He's on too much money to keep him, he's one of the players stopping the club moving forward.
13 still isn't that many though but I always thought he looked a good player in the few appearances he made for us, not really interested in his apparent ****e performances in the reserves (who cares) which everyone uses in the case against him.
How many games did he actually start for us ? I remember him scoring the winner against Bolton when he came on as sub and he started the league cup match where we lost 4.0 to Everton. (I was impressed with him in that match). I know Brown played in on the right wing a few times. When you think of all the chances Stewart is getting as well !
I can't remember him featuring in many games. Did he spend a lot of time on Brown's naughty step. I did like Phil but he used to freeze a lot of players out and we never really got to know why.