I don't care who we sell if we get more than we think they are worth. I don't care if they dance naked in Les Reed's office to show how seriously they want to leave as long as we get a price premium. I just don't care any more. I'm glad José plays for us but I'm no longer emotionally involved with him personally. If the players want to treat teams just as paydays then they can't complain if teams treat them as commodities. I'm with Beefy, I no longer have any illusions: my loyalty lies with the club. Footy is in a place now where players' agents have a huge incentive to get heir clients to move clubs as often as possible. So we're utilising that by buying cheap and selling expensively. Fonte is heading for 33. He's just finished a tournament where his team did very well, so there's an enormous (temporary) jump in his perceived value. If we can sell him for an inflated price we should go ahead. Replace him with a couple of younger players we can improve. And we'll get them because their agents are incentivised to move their clients on to the jackpot that is a contract with us (three years with us then another payday for the agent). It is the system and we're playing it excellently. No complaints from me. Vin
Whatever his age, contract length, even attitude, we will not get what he is actually worth to us. He has been nothing short of outstanding for seven years.
When I first met the very lovely Mrs Godders we played a game of hide and seek and the rule was that when I found her I could give her a big kiss. When I asked her what happened if I couldn't find her she said she would be in the cupboard.
I agree completely with your general sentiments. I've always been on the "every player has a price" bandwagon. But this one is a little more complex. This is not looking like a situation where the club is getting an inflated price. We appear to be choosing between the lesser of two evils: Letting Fonte go for less than our valuation, or risk potential fallout from forcing Fonte to stay.
The past is past. The logical question is "regardless of the past seven years, can we now, today, get more than we think he is worth to us until the end of his contract"? Included in his "worth to us" is all the stuff about club captain, morale leader, club icon, etc. Sunk costs are sunk. I've not heard any values mentioned from any party at all, so any talk about valuations is guesswork outside Les's office. I wouldn't expect Les to say "yes" to Man U's first offer any more than I'd expect Man U's first offer to be £20M, so I'm being patient. To clarify, lest I be misunderstood, I have no problem if we sell him for more than our valuation. I also have no problem if we keep him because we can't get anyone to overpay. I genuinely don't care. If he goes we'll have good money for a replacement, if he stays we'll have a good CB. Vin
I'd expect Man U's first offer to be £20M _________________________ No, £11M - £13M ball park more like.
I think if he doesn't play tomorrow night then it's not looking good on the remaining a Saint front. That's just my gut instinct.
Toby changed his mind...so nothing we could do. If he hasn't put himself into the position to be selected, then he has let us down.
I don't think we've had anyone leave against the clubs will, as such, they know that we are in the position of having to lose players to richer clubs and have delayed departures and obtained a lot of money for most that did happen. They will do all they can to keep the players they want to and ensure we get a good deal when they can't. The question is how far will a player go to engineer a move against the clubs wishes and how far will the club before allowing that to happen. They could enforce a contract but it is highly unlikely and is really not in the clubs best interests. But Jose will need to REALLY want to leave and the buying club will REALLY have to want it happen and we will have to REALLY exhaust our negotiating options. Maybe that is what is quietly happening behind the scenes, but isn't it a bit quiet in terms of reliable noise or am I in denial? And maybe the club are quietly lining up his replacement and they will have Pelle's looks and Virgil's talent and be 10 years younger
... and now I've seen all the Saints pre-match twitter-pics and interviews and the glaring lack of anything Jose I am no longer in denial My last paragraph is my new world view
I have looked and failed to find a suitable love interest as a Jose replacement....I think the club need to consult me.
Reading through all the threads this summer transfer window I was reminded of the first couple of verses of Rudyard Kipling's famous poem "If": IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: etc Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
