Totally agree there Dai, why would the board play about with this. Just doesn't make sense. Laudrup would be given an amount to play with months ago to prepare.
Dai I don't see what your point is here? Nobody is disputing that they are his words, it's obvious he's said it and it is in itself stating the obvious. It doesn't mean the board aren't backing him
Words from Leigh himself, I tend to believe him on balance as the press use comments uttered then put their spin on it then puts it into press. @leighdineen: targets identified. Now come the hard part.
With regards to Ben Davies, I texted him about the man city link. Response was this. "Haha what do you reckon mate the last swan to go there has hardly set the world on fire! Tempting........"
Ben is going nowhere. But if he can improve on this season next season, then he will turn heads of bigger clubs. But ATM it's better for him to stay and play.
I think laudrups idea of the amount of money he needs just to keep us in the bottom half of the table and out of the bottom 3 is way above what the club wants to give him and he is only stating in the press to cover his back....
Dai you always take articles in the press as facts, they are mostly not even interviews by the people they are writing of, just from interviews given on TV then cut up and rearranged to say what these people want. As I said i don't take any of it seriously as its taken out of context
I've got no idea why you seem to think we will struggle so badly Dai? Yes we will most likely lose Ash, Cb is provably the easiest position to replace in my opinion (I would love to see Caulks next to Chico but that's a dream), we will strengthen the midfield and sign I couple of recognised strikers. Yet it's all doom and gloom non stop? I see no reason why we can't cement another top half finish. If "Everyone from WBA down" is in trouble then I full expect us to be above the most of them!
You're SO right on this!! Even more likely: the board is working with several different scenarios of spending (eg if Guzman stays or leaves or if Williams is sold or not). And this has been known in the right circles for a long time. Thats why some blabbermouth won't be drinking away on some bar, and telling truths of the club. These are the tricks of the trade - everything else is spin; and urban legends being told by people who want their 30 seconds of fame. Laudrup is likely to get what he wants from the board, but it's not always possible to sign the right player for the club (because of funds). Laudrup is obviously being chased by Real Madrid as a backup for Ancelotti. But even more is he on the list in Barcelona (Villanova is dying), they can't keep up coming with star coaches from within the club... These clubs represent the only biggest threat against a relatively smooth transfer window...
More to the point Mikra is that the club need a spin on things to make it look like we aint gonna spend the cash we got, smoke and mirrors if you like. Everybody knows the swans have a bit of money so the only way to not get ripped off from the selling club is to pretend we are not willing to spend the cash ! What Laudrup said the other day was exactly the same he said in his last press conference!! nothing was said about it then ! we can assume there is 3 sides to this story and the purpose of making a lot of confusion is probably to make other clubs we are too tight to spend the dosh! Makes perfect sense to me and knowing how the club have conducted business these last couple of years(more with out going players in fairness) they drive a very hard bargin. I believe its all part of the negotiation process and I believe Laudrup is party to that. I would be extremely surprised if Laudrup would be sold short by the board, they are very straight with their managers so he would know what he has to play with. Its in our intrests to be pleading poverty in the media,to be creating a negative spin, it damps down expectation and it also lets the other clubs know that we are a frugal club and wont throw money around. I don't think Laudrup will take any **** and neither will the board soi would have thought that everyone is 100% onside with the budget. If Laudrup is asking for more than we can afford then he just has to leave, but I don't believe this to be the case. Its more likely that the Swans need to find a way to come across as poor or too tight to spend. Im quite relaxed about this actually. If you read the media and watch Laudrups press conferences you see a man relaxed about his future and at peace with what the club has to do to sign players,he has known it from day 1 and was even talking about doing things secret the other day aswell. He is already down the road with some of these signings so if it was going to be a problem we would have seen it in Laudrups press calls. The impression I get from watching them is that of a man happy and enjoying his work,cracking jokes with the press and talking about the future
why I think would we would struggle you ask....well we have been so poor the second half of the season for one and laudrup knows this...there are too many comments from laudrup that say he hopes the club will honor the deal to back him....laudrup himself thinks we wont do enough if he is not allowed to bring in players he wants and that will cost money....ash has gone and if you think that no more will be going then you are deluded as laudrup has said if an offer is to good for the player then we cant stand in his way.....laudrup admits we were very lucky this season and cant see the same situation with the players we have to be so fortunate next season and we will need 6 players just to stay in the premiership....but most of all i cant see him getting the money he needs to keep us up and laudrup is using the press to say he is worried....
You have to admit though Dai that using the press is just not Laudrups style is it ? im sure our Danish friends can throw some light on this one but id be surprised if he is using the press to get what he wants. He strikes me as the kind of bloke that will ask a straight question,our board would give him a straight answer. Neither manager or board have any really form for being deceitful
Bottom line is that the headline: "Laudrup seeks funds to strengthen" sells less papers than: "Laudrup demands money for transfers - or he'll walk". Typical journo crap.
Laudrup interview prior to the Champions League final. [video]http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/premier-league/8734787/laudrup-going-nowhere[/video]
Now my understanding is that jenkins and laudrup had completed 80% of our summer recruitment by the end of last january and that was stated by jenkins himself, there are some loose ends to tie up apparently
