They said the same thing about Oxo. Unfortunately, if a players head is turned by a big club there is nothing we can do. Except hope that the youngsters have the sense to stay with us and get regular game time, especially now we are Premier League
I think Shaw is sensible enough to realise that his best chance is with Southampton With AOC, his dad as always trying to sway his head...
I like the Sabotage Times writing: Manager Nigel Adkins and chairman Nicola Cortese have insisted that [Shaw} is not for sale and, as one of the richest clubs in English football following a takeover by the late Swiss billionaire Markus Liebherr in 2009, there is no pressure for the club to sell – especially as they are back in the Premier League after seven years outside the top flight.
It is really up to the player. We have no need to sell and unless the player says he wants to go and puts up a lot of fuss, he won't leave. It is obvious NA wants him and plans to use him this year. So far he seems happy here.
He has no reason to go, the likes of Walcott, Bale and the Ox all left for Premiership football, but that's exactly what we can offer him now! If he were to go to Chelsea as has been reported, he wouldn't stand a chance of first team Premiership anyway though, as he'd have a hell of a job trying to steal a first team spot of Ashley Cole.
I don't know why people say it's up to the player. If he's under contract it is most certainly not up to him. It wasn't up to Oxo either, he left because we got an offer that exceeded our valuation of him, not because he wanted to go â if we had received lower offers he wouldn't have left. However, every player has his price and £12m plus add-ons for a teenager who had never played above league one is not something you turn down.
Hmn, not sure that's exactly how it turned out with Oxo. I don't think the club wanted Alex to go at any price, but when it was clear that's what he wanted, Cortese sat down with Arsenal and got the best price he could. In other words, he went because he wanted to go.
No indeed, it is not upto the player. But we didn't need to sell OXO, but he made it quite clear he wanted to go. In the end, do you keep a player who you suspect may not be able to give 100% because his head has been turned..? Therein lies the problem. So Cortese sat across the table from an entourage of Arsenal negotiators and came away with the shirts off their backs. It was worth losing Chamberlain just for that story, although I don't expect a repeat soon. Luke Shaw will have been told what the rules are, as I reckon all of the Academy boys have been. Footballers, these days are treated like racehorses, except they don't shoot them when they break a leg. And besides, I suspect Cortese has another use for a horse.
Don't forget that Oxo had played a season for us and pretty much tore up League 1 without breaking sweat. Shaw has played once and no one is going to be offering £10m+ for him, and Nicola has no need to accept less. This kid isn't even 17 until next Thursday and technically should be spending the next four years playing reserve/academy football before he even thinks about being part of a Premier League squad. So if Nigel is including him in the first team, I have no choice but to be excited.
Hey..! Not my words. That's what was published. Besides, is any club that is owned by one person or family, worth anything in it's own, bar the assets..? After all, if the owners of Man City decide to spend nothing from now on in, how long will their expected domination last..? 5 minutes.? 10..?
