Lost (Mo)Joe No Problem for Swans.....

So it looks like Swansea City are about to lose the services of another key component of the last few years as Joe Allen attempts to complete a deal to follow former manager Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool. But whilst it is disappointing to see the talented home-grown product depart I think that the Swans will not only survive the loss but propser through it.

First of all let me make it quite clear that I have huge admiration for Joe as a player and as a person…on the one occasion I have met him he came across as a very modest and decent young man. But…

…there is no way in this or any other universe that I believe Joe to be a £15 million pound player and so, in the ultimate irony, I think Liverpool are being robbed blind by us. Again.

I stated a few weeks ago – and was laughed at by some – that I didn’t think Joe would be a first choice in the midfield this season; I honestly believed that Michael Laudrup would favour the two players he’d brought in (Michu and De Guzman) along with Mr Consistent Leon Britton.

And to be fair, that midfield three looked very impressive on Tuesday evening against Blackpool…and it will be very interesting to see how the threesome do against the sterner test of Stuttgart tomorrow.

With those three in pole position, more possible additions on the way and the imposing figure of Kemy Augustien in the mix I’m of the opinion that Allen would be facing a lot less game time with us in the season to come.

As for his valuation…well there’s two ways of looking at it; take off the rose tinted spectacles and £15 million is way over the top for a player that doesn’t get enough goals AND still struggles with consistency levels. However, if you use Liverpool’s ludicrous spending in the past and apply Jordan Henderson’s £17 million pound signing from Sunderland as the benchmark then Michael Laudrup is spot in when he says Joe is worth £20 million for he is a much better player than Henderson will ever be!

So, Liverpool handing over £15 million to add to the £7 million they paid us for Rodgers’ services means that we have a substantial war chest at our disposal to sign the quality needed to keep us in the Premier League again – all without touching the £40 or so million we’ll make from being in the division for a second season. That represents great business on the Board’s behalf.

We can’t escape the fact that we are still a club that will be grooming talent for other clubs to snaffle…we’ve grown so much but that just means we are now falling victim to the biggest predators out there now instead of the likes of Bristol City stealing Trundle or Bolton picking up Pratley.

But Huw Jenkins and his Board have once again proved that although we might be powerless to stop people leaving – and a contract escape clause for Joe meant we were always fighting a losing battle once he’d made his mind up to go – but we sure as Hell won’t get rolled over and the very best deal for Swansea City FC will be obtained.

And let’s be fair, if the three players that Michael Laudrup has signed so far for less than £5 million are an indication of what he can do in the transfer market, I’m licking my lips at the though of what he can do with Allen’s transfer money at his disposal!

Mark Davies is already being touted as a direct replacement and I would be happy with that – Davies has proved himself at Premier League level and gets his fair share of goals. He might not be first choice (as I say, I think that will be Britton-De Guzman – Michu) but he will be a very useful player to have in the mix.

And with the rest of that cash influx it might well be that Laudrup can look to some even better players than those he’s currently scouting – and with his intimate knowledge of the far cheaper La Liga that could mean we’ll be going for some top, top talent.

One final point I’ll make is about Brendan Rodgers’ conduct since taking over as manager of Liverpool; basically Brendan, your blatant and very public tapping up of Allen and Fulham’s Clint Dempsey has been nothing short of a disgrace. I had no problem with you leaving Swansea City and still think you are (arguably) our best manager ever…but your behaviour since taking over at the Scousers means the gloves are well and truly off where “A Touch Far Vetched!” is concerned.

I hope you and Joe will be very happy together on Merseyside but I’m more inclined to think that both of you will suffer the now legendary Leaving Swansea City and Going Into Obscurity Curse that has claimed so many victims over the last few years.

Swansea City on the other hand will continue to thrive and prosper…with or without our Mo-Joe!

http://atouchfarvetched.wordpress.com/

 

Is this your content Sam or is it Nigel from the other site? Absolutely spot on whatever the case.

It's not sour grapes from me either as I've been saying for ages he's not worth £15M. Allen is a 'tidy' player who is comfortable on the ball - though less so when pressed - and plays things safe slowing the game down, usually by passing the ball back during build up play. He did it again during the Olympics. I really don't understand the hysteria surrounding him I really don't.

I agree that if Tuesday night is anything to go by he wouldn't fit in with Laudrup's mercifully faster attack plan.

I don't wish him ill as he's come through the ranks with us and been a decent servant. I felt the same about Rodgers until he broke the agreement.

Great post.

 

I thought there were plenty of existing open threads to post about Allen's transfer?

Unless you just wanted to plug your blog.

 

I cant take credit for this ... good read and after all the doom and gloom its put a different tilt on it for me... cant wait until tomorrow...

Toela65 - This is about life after Allen and a totally different slant to any other Allen post.... Move along nothing for you here!

 

Toela65,I think you have spent so much time on this Forum in recent months,that now you feel you can edit the content.
Better you behave in a more courteous way,remember that you are a guest here,or you could just stay away.

 

Many thanks to the OP for linking to the blog itself - and for his information Samuel L Jackson is one of all my all time heroes

 

Apparently he refused to play Mace Windu unless he could have a purple light sabre.

God I'm sad.

 

As that was such a good read, I felt it deserved a picture to compliment!...............

please log in to view this image

A picture paints a thousand words!!...............................

 

cfz he is gone, better to come, more the fool him, hope he has kept his house in swansea

 

DPJ on 24/07/12 :

"Joe Allen is going no where, how many times have I got to come on here, and spell it out! man the world is full of trolls.”

 

looking like a moron with that comment phil and kj give it up

 

You're right on both counts musty but after the crap I've had to put up with.....

 

Personally I am sorry to see Joe go. As a Welsh boy and knowing the history of our Club I thought he would have stayed with us until, dare I say it, we get relegated from the Prem.

Having said that, money talks and unfortunately that is the way the majority of the players think these days.

What amuses me is that although Joe and Borini were tidy players for us, are they really players that are going to win Champions League matches for Liverpool? Personally I can't see it but I await to be proven wrong.

Up the Jacks!

 

Repped you for that post PGF, top post.

 

Neither Allen nor Borini are world class imo.

 

Now these two players are at a big club then even though i dont think they are worth the money that liverpool has paid i think that this could be the making of the both of them, boroni scored a good goal the other day in the champions league game and he did not look out of place either. Liverpool had 73% possession in their 3-0 win so brendan must be getting things right. Joe will slot in like a dream and with his % rate in passing will put liverpool one of the best teams in the premiership. they are certainly looking far better under rodgers than they were with kenny. I can see liverpool challenging the leaders this season....great move for joe and boroni and i think siggs choice of being to greedy and chose spurs because they offered him more money was the wrong choice....

 

Understand what you're saying, Dai but I'm not convinced you can 'transplant' one team into another in this way. We'll see.

 

time will tell KJ, dont know how dai makes his asessment after one match

 

Dai, 73% possession playing at home against a distinctly average side. I have no doubt that Rodgers and now Joe will improve Liverpool's possession stats from last season but let's see how they do in the Premier League against better teams.

One thing is certain, though, they will be way better than ours after what I saw against Stuttgart.

 

possesion means sfa, goals are what counts