http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/norwich-set-table-new-bid-9055596 Hasn't found the form of past seasons. Could blame the injury. £2 million is probably a good amount of money for him. Probably on quite high wages. Or is a vital part of the Slade master plan for next season?
Without a doubt, I'd keep him. If we've got any chance of giving it a go next season we have to keep our better players. Noone, despite a poor season by his standards, comes into this category. Also, if we start selling the better players what message does it send out to the remaining squad members.....why would Marshall want to stay, or Manga, or Mason. or Pilks, or Kennedy etc. And what about us, the long suffering fans....the club is just as well come out and say 'We have no ambition and have accepted that we will remain a mid-table championship team for the foreseeable future.
He clearly has the ability to scare opposition teams stiff and I'd like to keep him too. On the face of it though, he might as well have gone when they bid for him in January. Seriously lost his form and has never been influential in game this season. Don't know whether it's that groin injury, but he's not been the same since. Maybe he's just trying to hard and making the wrong decisions on his runs, but seems to get dispossessed far to often when a quick release "give and go" would have been a better option. He tries to work a position for himself rather than feed others and his shooting has been a bit hit and hope. Losing the ball a few times in vulnerable areas by not doing the simple thing has also been a worry. The ability to win a game is part of his package but he hasn't shown it this season. At the moment, that £2M price tag seems fair, but agree it might send out the wrong signals at a time when the club needs to make a stand.
He was out injured for a while and has not really grasped his true form since returning. I also think his head was turned by the Norwich offer and while he has tried hard perhaps that has always been at the back of his mind. In the right frame of mind he is a definite match winner for us. He has ability that none of our other wingers have. He is the quickest over the first 5 yards and has a trick or 2 to beat his man. Kennedy has the trick but not the pace, Kadeem the pace but not the tricks and I see Pilkington as more of a wide midfielder than a winger. If he is fully behind the cause then I would want to keep him but if there is any slight doubt in his mind or if he is missing that extra spark due to fitness issues then cash in the £2m and seek a good replacement.
If we sell him we're depending on Pilks fitness........................... It's a strange one that I'm not that bothered either way. If Norwich go up I'd hold out for a higher fee and let him go.
I think Noone is one of those players who needs to change clubs regularly, i think he will invariably become a journeyman player. Sell Sell Sell
But think of what Slade could do with the fee we'd get for Noone! That's at least 5 lower league journeymen signed up for next season......
If any club offers £2m we should snatch their hand off. Has produced nothing all season. I wouldn't worry about the message it sends out to the rest of the squad. That message would be 'if you don't produce the goods you're out' We can't afford to carry passengers.
Not worried about the message it sends out to the rest of the squad hqampshire, it's more the message it sends to the long suffering fans. Noone has been average at best and bloody hopeless at worst, but he can turn a game. I would have benched him long before the Ipswich game, but that's just another example of Slade's lack of management - he can't see the obvious when it's staring him in the face.
You're right, he can turn a game. I just can't remember when it last happened. That's why I would grab any decent offer for him.
I'd sell him. He had two good seasons but his head has gone. I'd play Kennedy ahead of him ever time. There is a possibility of the new season being a new start but I think he's in a rut and needs to go in order to get his head together.
