http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/23052/southampton-amongst-clubs-eyeing-cresswell Seems as though we could have a bit of a bidding war on the horizon for Cressy if reports are true, that will add at least another 1.5 million to his true price tag. I reckon 4 million we should sell, give that money to Mick to invest in the team.
" The left-back, who is contracted to the Blues until June 2015, joined Town from Tranmere at the end of his terms at Prenton Park in the summer of 2011. " I make that 2 years, not 4.........! He will 100% be sold. Lets get the Donny left back in.
Ok if you want to be pedantic he was signed on a 4 year deal which has 2 years left to run. As far as selling him is concerned I wouldn't bother with anything less than 6-8 Million otherwise it's pretty pointless. I would rather we kept him as we should be building a team not keep chopping and changing things around. Stability is the key and we are crying out for a settled first team without the need to keep bringing in new faces every season.
Whilst I like Cresswell, infact he's probably my favourite player and our best player I don't think selling him would have a big impact on where we would end up next season. Mick plays a simple game and I'm sure whoever comes in will fit in comfortably there. I can see the club selling him for around £3.5million and given Micks comments at the end of last season it almost seemed as if he was trying to drum up interest for him.
We have the young Tyrone Mings who by all accounts had an excellent game against Burnley as a ready made replacement but I fear that he is still a little too young? Mick is the best judge. What gets me is that we are under no pressure to sell Cresswell and if a Premier League club did come knocking then we should at least be holding out for nothing less than £6 Million! Afterall with the huge and obscene amounts of money sloshing around in the Premier League, why should we allow one of our prize assets to go for next to nothing! If a club was serious then £6 Million should be the opening gambit and anything below that figure is laughable!
I was hardly being pedantic, I didn't just put that for the sake of it! However, it does effect the transfer value considerably. Personally, I'll probably get slated but I'd be more than happy to cash in. A lot of dosh for a player who at times is a complete liability defensively. MUCH MUCH better second half of last season, however, at times very poor. That said, you do have a point with the following statement, and I was furious when Matty Holland and the gang went for next to nothing........ " Afterall with the huge and obscene amounts of money sloshing around in the Premier League, why should we allow one of our prize assets to go for next to nothing! " " I don't think selling him would have a big impact on where we would end up next season. Mick plays a simple game and I'm sure whoever comes in will fit in comfortably there. " Agree 100% with this.
I agree Westy that Cresswell was distinctly average or even below average for a long while but like many others in our team he has responded positively to Mick and his methods. Why sell him when we should now be getting the best out of him next season? Defensively we are now very solid and Cresswell has great ability in an attacking sense. In my opinion we should be aiming for a stable set up rather than bringing in a whole raft of new players. No need to sell for anything less than £6 Million.
I still think Cresswell is underrated defensively and although didn't reach the heights of his first season early on this season was still actually one of our most consistent players. WHilst he's not outstanding defensively I'd say he's pretty solid and often why he gets caught out is due to a lack of support either from his CB or LW. The amount of times I've seen him trying to deal with 2 players down the wing because the LW has gone AWOL is ridiculous!! I'd say what with the nature of the championship now, FFP coming in lots of free transfers due to everyone trying to decrease their wage budget there aren't many players out there with value, so I think alot of Championship clubs will struggle to say no to bids for their players from PL clubs now and I think £3.5million is alot for a LB, infact name one who has gone for more than that?? so I reckon we'll do business around that price!! Yes I'd like to see us keep him but like I say with Mick in charge I don't think loosing him will effect our chances hugely, under alot of other managers I would say it probably would!!
I'm glad you are interested JWM but actually for once I'm short of something to say on the subject....It seems (I hope) to be just speculation!!
I have been irritated when we've sold various players over time, however with this I really think it's win/win! Keep him = show ambition etc..... Sell = Get a good fee, and I'd trust McCarthy to sign a good LB PLUS one or two other problem area players. If Jewell can sign a good full back, surely we'd trust Super Mick McCarthy to be quite capable of doing the same!? Cressy or not, what McCarthy has done for the defense is absolutely insane. He's transformed Tommy Smith from one of the worst CB's I have ever seen, into a superb player. Chambers has become a rock too. How does, Billy Sharpe PLUS £1.5 mill sound ( just making it up as I go along !!! ) There are SO MANY quality players around this year on free transfers too. It may not be about splashing the £££££ as much as in previous years, just making sensible common sense acquisitions - Tabb/Skuse/Murphy.........
You do make some very good points Westy and I find it very difficult to disagree with any of this! All I will say is that if we get an offer from a Premier League club then we should maximise the amount. Anything less than £6M is just not worth doing imo!
If 17 yr old LB Luke Shaw is rated at 10 million by Saints then why would we let them have Cressy for 3 million?
Probably because he has already had premiership experience SD, I reckon if we can get a bidding war going for Cressy we can get 5 million tops. If we get that then 900k has to go to Tranmere.
Luke Shaw is 6 years younger than Cresswell and has already shown that he is capable of playing in the prem. A clear future england player, thats why
