As far as I'm concerned Sharp can go and play for anyone but us - If he wanted to play for us he would have signed by now - The only reason he would have for signing for us now, is if there wasn't a better offer available to him. We already have half a team full of non-committed well paid passengers and we do not need another! Last season Norwich, Swansea & QPR all played as a team with players who wanted to play for their clubs - If a player wants to play for us then let us play him - At least we'll have done our best
I don't have a problem with him taking time to decide. He has all of January. He has a lot to consider, and he has to put his family first after what they've been through recently. We should have a contingency plan in place anyway, so if he takes too long, we'll go for option two. Unfortunately, the contingency for Maynard was Beckford!
he doesnt use it much though. i like it, shows he isnt just in it for money. he should probably sign now though...
I can't see why you would want sharp for that money when you have Beckford and Waghorn anyway who definitely have the raw talent at least to tear up the Championship. I don't know what is leaving you in mid-table but the the pure talent looks to be there in your forward line already. There is a lot can be said for stability and strong work-ethic at your club which can sometimes be compromised by a "charlie big potato" mentality at the top of the club. you get players there for the money and security of an inflated wage rather than hunger, passion and desire. Newcastle from the end of the Bobby Robson era up until relegation is a case-in-point. Cardiff in recent years also springs to mind. I'm sure Pearson will eventually sort that out, but the 4 months left of this season probably won't be long enough to get over the SVG mess IMO. Playoffs for you guys perhaps at best, but it takes time to build a team capable of the consistency required to go up automatic. I'd also err on the side of caution when saying you are a richer club than Hull. Allam is reportedly worth £285m and is largely a philanthropist and your main guy is reportedly worth £115m and as someone with primarily a business interest will expect to take out of the club more than he puts in. It seems to be speculation only that has you guys as the real moneybags of the league. The main difference at the moment I suppose is Hull's commitment to a sustainable businessplan, whereas your guy is happy to spend his way to promotion. What happens when the money runs out? - and it will. Compare Stoke with Pompey and you may well have a model for predicting where our respective clubs will be in the medium rather than short-term. It sometimes pays to remember the mistakes of the past.
the players we have dont work in the positions of the formation our new manager likes to play, thats whats leaving us there. we dont have wingers, thats what we really need. and a partnership up front.
I've always said that I don't have a problem with players taking their time over transfers because it's a big decision for them. He's now approaching the peak of his career so this is a big decision for him to make and if he can get a PL move, then I don't blame him for taking it. Especially when you consider what he's been through recently, I don't have a problem with him consulting his family and doing what is best by them. It might not be all about money either because, supposedly, Donny are oferring higher wages than we are. Nugent also took his time before deciding to co e here but I don't think anyone can question his commitment.
Shouldn't a good manager look at the players he has and come up with a formation to suit? Or is pearson just really a one-trick pony? Pearson did okay at Hull with one recognised out and out winger and often none - wasting the talent of Koren on the left when Cam Stewart did his cruciate. Pearson, N's secret to success at Hull was getting the ex ManU youngsters who came with an existing footballing understanding and a desire to make their name in competitive football in their own right. He claims credit for this but as a little birdy (and the odd media source) tells me he's trying to sign Josh king as well as us then I feel his eventual loan destination will prove (to me at least) whether it was Pearson N. or Pearson A. and the Warren Joyce connection that actually was responsible for those deals. If it does turn out we're still the preferred club for ManU youngsters then really he just signed Koren, Hobbs, Fryatt and some very average players during his tenure than being the talent-spotting genious with a development brief from Fergie he woud have you (and us) believe he was. He will stop you shipping more than a goal a game though, but you won't score more very often either.
^ very interesting post that however, he did the same for us with young players at leicester (waghorn, hobbs, morrison to an extent but not from a big club) all hungry to prove themselves.
Waghorn, Morrison, Hobbs.... Hey, they are all good players, but the 4 permanent and 1 loan from the mancs with the possibility of another loan from the aforementioned club would suggest (if we get King) that it was our existing relationship with Manu(re) that had a lot to do with the success he and his extensive management team had with Hull. I know you don't need a 'keeper as well but Mannone's desire to come back (a move he demanded) suggests our club has some sort of pull from top clubs than simply who the manager was at the time. One thing I do know is that Fergie will point king towards the healthier football environment for the lad to gain experience rather than individual personalities at clubs.
it is a very interesting point you made. I reckon that Nigel will turn leicester into what hull is like now (like it was when he left), but that will take time, Sven bought in players who nigel wouldnt have. I think it will take him time but he is the perfect man for the job and certainly wont waste money.
N.P is a very competent manager - though he isn't god. I agree he will turn you around, but will he clash with his superiors again before it happens? - that is my question. If playoffs this season is his minimum requirement then I'm wondering whether he hasn't bitten off more than he can chew. Still, I'm sure he'll approach someone else who'll employ him and his entourage before that happens....
even when we lose, i feel confident with nigel though, and i hope the owners understand that the january window is the hardest one to work in.
main problem is the way sven spent, meaning we will struggle to bring in players as a club as we irritated everyone and they know we will pay.
That isn't just Sven though is it? managers usually identify targets. Chairman and chief exec are the ones who do the deals. Sven has gone, your management (and wage) structure remains. Who publicised the fact you were now "in the money"? I'd be having words with them about the importance of corporate confidentiality if I were you. Sven isn't a bad football manager BTW - just he's now associated with that "playboy" element of the game. whoever employed him wanted to project that "moneybags" image about leicester. Blame them. With Sven's budget, Peter Taylor would do a better job at this level than SGE or Pearson.
The OP is interesting for Non- Leicester supporters because beyond all the banter we are curious to see what effect a lot of money being invested in a club has. I have a mate who is a life-long Man City fan and he is nearly 60. I regularly ask him what it is like now and to be fair he's loving every minute of it as you would expect, but one thing that he isn't so keen on is the fact that the bar has now been raised so high. Normal success (like we would all dream of) is now par for the course and nothing to get too excited about while only the big games / big competitions create a real buzz. To be honest that doesn't appeal to me. There's something missing in football when you don't have to struggle for success but of course I'm saying that as an outsider. Maybe I would change my tune if we were taken over by a mega-rich Sheik but I doubt it.
