Sometimes being ignored makes a player up their performances. But keeping them doesn't guarantee improvements (Albert Luque anyone?). And speaking of Demba Ba, I remember some people having doubts about him but later after a decent season with us thought very highly of himself and wanted away. Where is he now?
We were offering similar money for Jorgenson in January. Even if we only got 6 mill for Mitro initially, I am still dumbfounded as to where that money went. I presume Rafa also is since he spent all summer identifying Plea as a target.
He didn't need to up his performance, he needed a run of games to prove himself, should have got it in the Championship but Rafa's a fool and bout Dwight Fail's to score goals in the prem Gayle in instead, Mitro nearly outscored Gayle in half a season in the Championship the next year when shipped out (without getting a chance again) to Fulham, smashed it for Fulham and was then sold and Rafa has not adequately replaced him. Moan all you want about Ashley and funds but Rafa shouldn't have let him go, that's his fault and his fault alone and he has weakened the squad through being unable to coach a player THE MAIN THING YOU LOOK FOR IN A MANAGER! Final word on Mitro... Rafa's a ****tard and doesn't deserve the support he gets here and is riding the wave of fan anger at Ashley like Kelly Slater riding Jaws
I'm sure Rafa is bewilldered by our budget. He should be. It doesn't change he will have known what we had and pretty much knew Plea was pie in the sky. Hence his frustration. Regardless, Rafa could have had 50m burning a hole, Plea still wasn't arriving. I think Rafa has never quite adapted to his new surroundings. He is used to clubs who can compete and have money. We are now small fry in players eyes thanks to Ashley, and have no money.
Indeed he has adapted in terms of results. Lets be honest though, the guy has spent every minute of every window moaning about a lack of funds/action. Even in the current climate where managers always want more, its been pretty extreme. Understandable of course but when he presents a list to the board including a £22m plus striker, he clearly hasn't adapted to the constraints. Keegan had a similar problem under Ashley. He had some high flying targets that in the past Newcastle maybe could have looked at (not the made up Beckham, Henry ****e). What they have both found is a man intent on spending the bare minimum to survive and willing to risk relegation to do so. To be honest only one man seemed to adapt to Ashley's constraints. That was Hughton. Even Pardew had his moments where frustration got the better of him. Sorry I'm wrong cheeky Joe Kinnear adapted. Simply because he was a two bit car salesman with dementia and he didn't actually realise where he was.
You know for an ex-wum your opinion is still pretty identical, albeit more reasonably delivered. Your're missing the point mind. Why would Rafa watch a team offer over 20m for a striker in Jan and expect that money to have dissapeared by the end of the season?
Looks like I was wrong (nothing new there). Looking on a bit forlornly at Rafa's decision on this one. We can't keep players who aren't playing and it was Rafa who took us up/got us 10th, so bigger picture and all that. But it still seems quite a shame it didn't work.
Is it? I would say my opinion is wholly different when it comes to transfers and Rafa when being serious. Unless people are reading something that isn't there still feeling chastened by my long lost brothers baiting. What we did in January under the threat of relegation isn't really of much relevance to be honest as the circumstances are so different - and even more so to our odious owner. If indeed we did offer 20m which I don't believe we did. Indeed most reports suggest we only offered £15m euros which would be in keeping with our activity generally under Ashley. So I think Rafa would know spending an extra 10m euros on a different striker was not just unlikely but downright inconceivable. Also he could just assess 10 years under Mike Ashley and quickly deduce he wasn't getting money like that and he was getting ****ed over. You talk like the man is some sort of gullible idiot.
Nah to that. You dont just walk around predicting the same treatment as ****e like Pardew, who got Cisse. And you probably expect greater investment then Mclaren. Dont even know what you're blabbering about. You admitted we bid for Plea, that bid was 20m. We walked away because they asked for 22. If the board bid 20m it clearly wasn't a ridiculous target.
Was it 20m Euro or Sterling,genuine question?Probably looking for £20m and we bid €20 hence the 22 to make up the difference,just a guess mind.
Aye fair enough think it was in Euros seeing as it's the currency of the selling team. Still a difference of 2m like so not a valid excuse as to why we ended up with Muto!
Considering at the end of May Ashley promised Rafa and the fans every last penny generated I don't think asking for a £22m striker was unreasonable considering the income generated by the club and given the price of good strikers. Especially when we were selling one for the same price. Once he had realised that he had been lied to I'm sure Rafa's list/expectations changed accordingly.
Given current prices, given the importance of strikers/goalscorers, given the money in the Bank we have (let’s not forget we were supposedly trying to buy a £25M striker in January before Mitro was sold) the least Rafa should have had available for a striker was £25M+. I think Rafa’s expectations are well and truly altered a la Joselu, Mankino etc...
