Saints give Jack Cork a 48 hour ultimatum

Unless Lff is secretly a manager/chairman of one of those clubs.

 

A nice free move could be better for him...especially if he's pissed off.

 

How would it? If he wants to play games then why would he refuse a move to another club and not play for us? Be it free or not he will get a bigger wage. I like Cork and if he stays then I will be pleased, but if he wants to go he needs to go now.

 

You make yourself more attractive if you are on a free and you get a big signing on fee as they don't have to pay a few million for you. And he'll still get paid by us until his contract ends. He can't lose.

 

Cork isn't that kind of player, he wants to play and isn't, so he (maybe) wants to move. I can't see him refusing a move to a decent team on a bigger wage and not play for us (due to him not signing a contract). That would ruin how he is viewed by some fans as well.

 

Not playing at all would be losing.

 

6 months is hardly going to ruin his career. His agent will be lining clubs up and as mentioned above he has more options on a free. When it comes down to career defining decisions I don't think he'll care what the fans think. Quite frankly if he doesn't sign and we can get someone in who's better and younger then I'm all for it.

 

Not sure you read my post correctly. Fran said he has nothing to lose and I said that not playing would be losing. I didn't say it would ruin his career. If he doesn't play again until next season, it will not be good for him.

The rest of your post I agree with.

 

Surely the whole point of running your contract down is to give you options. He could still stay, if wanted, or he could move. The moving would then not involve a transfer fee so that sum can be put into wages instead.

I don't understand why, having got this close, he would want to move now and not wait until the summer (unless an amazing offer came in obviously).

 

If Cork goes this window I can only see it being a loan as he is then out of contract in the summer and a very attractive prospect then for one of the PLs middling sides or one of the promoted teams.

 

If Cork goes this window I can only see it being a loan as he is then out of contract in the summer and a very attractive prospect then for one of the PLs middling sides or one of the promoted teams.

 

That sounds logical, but doesn't always work that way. Sensible clubs will pay the player their worth as if you have a player on an exaggerated wage due to no transfer fee, it then can set a level for that quality of player within the club and other players want a rise or the benchmark is raised for other new signings.

I am not sure if a lump signing on form would work, as I think this is considered 'part of the wage deal'

It sounds to me as if the club are saying, "****, or get off the pot" which is fair enough and they want to get a replacement in now if he doesn't sign. It is not about whether Jack wants to go now. If he doesn't sign and then doesn't accept a deal from a new club this window, it will see hi training with the kids and a nasty little end to his Saints career. If he doesn't want to sign the new deal, then I hope he moves on this window, so we can send him away with our thanks and blessings as he has been a good player for us and seems a really decent chap. He has played an important part in our rise out of the Championship (when, I'll remind people, that he was getting a lot of stick on this forum from some quarters) and our stabilizing and growth in the Premier League. I'd understand that he would want o now be considered first choice for some one.

 

Everyone assumes that there is bad blood going on. He was offered a new contract and has now been given an end date...probably because we suspect he may not sign and/or Ron wants someone else. He may actually prefer this other player, but wants to give Cork a fair chance to make his mind up. If Cork decides to leave in the summer and the club can't find him another club he wants now, he remains on the books. He may then get the odd chance to play if injuries dictate, though obviously a reduced chance if we get another player in. It is possible for adults to discuss these things rationally...they don't all throw football boots and pizzas.

 

Cork was dreadful on Saturday probably the worst i have seen him play, perhaps his head is somewhere else , as it was a perfect opportunity for him to stake a claim like he did last year and keep himself in the first team. Regardless of whether he signs or not id have him on the bench against Swansea which perhaps lays down a bit of a marker as to where Cork ranks in the squad. If saints can get 2-3m for him by selling him now then do it, that way he can leave the club with his head held high and go and be a first teamer for someone a bit lower down. Maybe even a return to Burnley.

 

I don't get the impression there's any bad blood there at all, but I do think the club are doing absolutely the right thing with this approach.

 

I'd prefer it if he stayed but agree the club are taking the right appraoch.

 

Not at all Fran. However if he stalls signing his contract beyond the window closing, Ron may not be happy.

 

No one is assuming bad blood. The club want him to make his mind up that is all. If he does want to go, even we only get 2m for him it is still better then nothing. What is the point of having a player that wants to move on? Yes he may still try his best, but at the end of the day he would have chosen he doesn't want to be here. Koeman will try to do the best for the club which is try and get some money for him. Who knows, it is Jan and fees are crazy, we could even get a bit more then usual.

 

And we also may go on and buy Vilhena. Which would put him further down the order. It is nothing about bad blood or Koeman hates Cork for maybe wanting first team footy. It's about thinking about replacing a player that (maybe) doesn't want to be here. Why would you play a player that has rejected a contract and then rejects a chance to move (if that player isn't deemed first choice anyways).

 

Until now we have rejected any bid for him, this is basically putting him in the window. I don't think Cork is the kind of player that will refuse a decent move, just to get a few more quid in the summer.