Yep, it's not often you see perennial relegation strugglers selling their cast-offs for 10 million, is it!?
Aye but I wouldn't vlcall him a cast off. (You're a catts fan arebt you?) Allardyce has said he has been a very important player for us. Just think our club seem to sell players for so little in comparison to the value that is out on other players of a similar footing.
It was a harsh word, accepted. We seen last season when Kirchhoff and M'Vila came into the team, what standard we should be aiming for and what we have been missing. If we are to improve and pull away from these constant relegation scraps, then Catts is going to have to be left behind, or at least out of the first team.
It wouldn't surprise me if they did - it's quite an obvious one for them - local lad, lot of experience and passion. However, I don't think he's a player Sam will be in a rush to get rid of. Just cause they put a bid in doesn't mean we'll sell.
If he stays as a first choice in our midfield then we haven't improved from the season just gone. If he stays as squad player then we have someone with heart and passion to call on when needed. If he leaves for Middlesbrough then we've lost a fairly limited footballer and can probably bring in better from abroad. We cannot expect to perform better in the league if the greatest on-pitch attribute of one of our first choice central midfielders is that he's very shouty.
Like cats myself and could be relatively easy to replace as a midfielder, my question is though, how would we replace his leadership qualities? Keep him for me as a Mr motivator and unless the songbird come in with a ridiculous offer tell empty to furk orf, need to get rid of the real dross before regular first teamers.
This. I accept that he is very good at rallying the team. He's not the only 'leader' in football, though. If Cattermole goes, another leader will naturally emerge.
Agreed. It like to see him kept just to be part of the squad. It's all well and good saying mvila will do catts job but who then does mvila's job? (Blunham not you 83!) But we had kirchhoff and mvila with catts all in the same side. That side beat Chelsea and man utd. He's a player I think we need for the games when we're battling. But I'm the games where we're looking for more then he starts on the bench. Easily worth £10m by today's standards
Not catts! love him. Think him kirchkoff and m vila are 3 very good CDMs for our club, just need an attacking midfielder and i believe CM's are all sorted.
Wouldn't want to see the lad go, but he's served us well. If he wanted to go to his boyhood club who could deny him that. He does make our squad stronger..
I get what people are saying when they say don't sell him to a relegation rival but we need to get out of that mindset. We should be getting rid of the players who're only good for relegation threatened teams and replace them with better. That way selling any of them wouldn't be a problem. Is Catts decent? Yes. Is he irreplaceable? **** no.
Catts had some good games towards the end of the season, but like every other season he has played for us, he has not showed any consistency. Many of his mistakes seem to prove costly as well. I would be happy to keep him as a squad player fighting for a place, but I wouldn't be devastated if he was to go.