If you were Robbie Elliott now, where would you rather be? a) Playing week in week out for a championship club with potential to get into the prem or b) Being second choice to one of the best keepers in the prem and not playing too often. I wonder how he feels about it. no doubt got a pay rise from moving up, but what's it done to his career after newcastle? said he wanted to play for england. I think Hamer has got more of a chance now.
I bet he wishes for the former rather than the latter. I think he made a gamble on having his cake and eating it. Newcastle were still trying to really replace shay given, with no keeper doing much more than a season. He probably thought he could force hs way into the first squad and get established, and as a goalkeeper you have to have confidence in your ability to do just that. Having said that I bet he at least thinks about "what if I had stayed at Charlton..." I know I would!
Probably B, as he will be securing his financial future at Newcastle. Think about it, play regularly for Charlton on around £3k a week, or be back up keeper in the PL on £25k a week. A few years at Newcastle will top up his bank account, and then he can get a move somewhere else as first choice without having to worry too much about the wages.
No chance Robbie is on 25k. 12 max. He will get a chance in Europe next season, and should Krul pick up and injury then he's a Premiership player. Ultimately, thats where you want to play.
B - for exactly the same reasons as The Rifleman. He's only 26 and this contract keeps him there until he's 30, by which time he should be at his peak. Meanwhile, whatever money he's making, it's a hell of a lot more than he'd be getting here. I think we can safely say that the '05 Astra's been replaced...
Robbie is probably happy at Newcastle safe in the knowledge that just one small injury to Krul will give him a chance to be a keeper in the Premier League, defending his goal from some of the best strikers in the world. Aside from that though, its a straight choice between being paid tonnes of money and having a good successful career. Whilst he played over 100 games for us (?) what are the chances of that number of career appearances doubling in the next 4 years? Pretty slim I reckon. Add that to him missing out on a medal this season, another medal if we make it back into the Premier League in the next few years, and you start to think the only real chance Robbo has of earning some silverware is if Newcastle win the Carling Cup or something. I'm sure when the news came in that we won the title, or when he was staying up watching The Football League Show, at least a small inkling of regret would have crossed his mind.
I'm sure when the news came in that we won the title, or when he was staying up watching The Football League Show, at least a small inkling of regret would have crossed his mind. Maybe WWOCB, but then he went on counting his twenty pound notes in his head and decided they were worth more than the third division medal he missed out on !
he will certainly be richer come the end of his contract. but what happens then? he'll on paper have not played more than a handful of games in four years. and then when people look back, they'll only note how he only had a small number of games (in comparison) for us at league one level. would people want that, especially as by then he'll be a lot older. and who's to say he's on that much money now anyway? i'm sure hamer would have also had a promotion wage increase written into his contract so the difference between the two will be only two divisions worth for one year.
He's bound to have mixed feelings. Any player wants to be playing, and it can be particularly frustrating for a goalie who knows he won't even get the odd 20 minutes as sub. On the other side he can see his old friend Darren Randolph on lower wages still, but playing in the Champions' League next season. Not clear-cut at all.
Moots was definately interested in playing. Even when we loaned him out across the border, he stated his desire to play for one of the Old Firm clubs, surely driven by ambition rather than just money. Also a year or so ago, when he was sniffing around the training ground there was a NewsShopper (?) article in which he stated how desperate he was to be playing football again.
