not doubting that, theyre all overpaid for their roles in the club, it was an odd decision at the time when he was injured, im sure he would have accepted far less with his career in jepardy at the time.
Whilst that is all well and good "there's no room for sentiment". If PearsoN and Walsh think that they can get better value into the team for less than ÃÆÃâÃâ ââ¬â¢ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¡ÃÆÃââââ¬à ¡ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã20k pw then I'm all for it. Ash's status as a City legend is already guaranteed. If you don't agree with the decisions taken by the management I suggest you apply for the job next time it becomes available.
Good luck to Ash if he's on his way, hate to say it but he's in decline now as a player, can't fault his heart though, never could. City legend.
They are. That's what we are doing, no? I apologise if that was a bit headstrong, I just stumbled upon TWF's thread and it got my heckles up. I didn't realise until I wrote that post that you weren't the person who said they would stop supporting City if Ash left. That just seems a bit extreme IMO.
Only yesterday on the OWS, Adam Pearson said, "There is absolutely nothing in the Ashbee leaving stories, and I am sure Ian will continue to captain the side with his usual full commitment to the cause..." Sounds fairly conclusive to me? If Adam then sells him a day later, I may start to feel some sympathy for the views of TWF !!
I (probably unfairly) compare Ash to a dog with a long-term illness. You know his time's coming to an end, it's just a question of whether you put him to sleep or let him die of natural causes. Whilst you're making this painful decision, you're still paying the vet's bills and your monthly outgoings exceed your income. I'm sure there are many who would rather switch off the heating (Harper) to keep the mutt alive.
no worries, yeah i agree that post was maybe a tad ott about not supporting the club, i sort of understand the emotion, i love ash, and i suppose which ever management team got rid of him, was always going to be a t**t to me..ha ha.. i just hope we have a replacement lined up if he goes, while he is slowing down etc, he is still the only enforcer/hard man/rock we have to play that role...i have seen harper visibly back off from 50/50 and im not sure where people get the impression he is a tough tackler from, i think koren tackles tougher in all honesty...with tough away games ahead this still, like forest, qpr, and watford, i fear we could be easy pickings if the ugly work was down to harper...im still not sure he will go, only going on rumors at the minute... im sure ashbee isnt stupid enough to expect new contract worth 18k a week, i expected him to be offered a minimal one, 2/3/4k a week, and to slowly back down from the starting 11 to a squad captain role, and maybe coaching..but i suppose that depends if pearson and ashbee himself would be happy with that sort of arrangement..maybe not..
If Ian Asbee does go, for him it may make sense. If he will not get a new contract with us at the end of the season, which is likely, then to make a new start at PNE may make sense. He can continue to play and earn another years wages for the the future. Wish him all the best, whether he stays or not, he gave and gives so much whenever he played and plays.
I think as all of us probably do that Ash has done a great job in good times and bad. But I think he's looking a lot slower lately, and the younger, faster team we're building needs more energy in the middle. Wish him well.
Ash could captain PNE in three seperate divisions with a long enough contract. The championship,league one and league two. With Phil Brown in charge at Preston, all things are possible. I would like him to stay unti lthe end of the season, once again he has proved all his knockers to be wrong(myself included). He has let his football do the talking. Should Ash decide to leave the club then I would wish him well. The testimonial is not the great payday it once was, the lure of hanging out with brown Phil may be just too good a thing to turn down. Duffen,Brown,Bullard and Ashbee were all top dancers, but it looks like the last record has been played and the party is over. Even the Charleston club has shut down.
I think this is a case of thankyou and goodnight. Sky are usually right about these things. If this is the case, they should announce it after tomorrows game at full time. please log in to view this image Thanks Ian.
The fact is, we are looking quite well off in midfield. How many people have said that Harper and Ash were over-crowding the defensive element. I don't rate Harper as better than Ash - but it is fairly clear that NP does, or at the very least that Harper is the kind of Defensive Midfielder to build a team around. I would hate to see Ash go, I think he's a rock, and it should be Harper that makes way - but saying that... if the dropping of Ash or Harper allows the team to re-arrange the attacking midfielders and strikers into more of a force, then maybe it's a bitter pill we have to take. I'd rather see him on the bench for a few weeks though, rather than straight out of our starting 11 and into PNE's
I'll be gutted to see Ash leave and have almost taken it for granted that over the next few years he'll just gradually move into a coaching role. However, I suppose that he isn't getting any younger, (I hate saying that being a whole 5 days younger than him, LOL) and we have to accept that we'll have to replace him soon. But this does seem a bit sudden and unexpected. It will just be too weird seeing Ash turn out for any other team - and esp when Preston visit the KC! Still, good luck to him whatever happens - already a guaranteed City legend. If it's true his contract won't be extended into next season and he wants to continue his playing career then fair play. I'd just like to see him stay at City for another year or two.
I never said that I would stop supporting the club, I said that I wouldn't be able to do it with the same passion or enthusiasm, something that city would miss hugely if ashbee left.
Argh just read the post your referring too! I meant I'd struggle to support the club with the same passion and enthusiasm as I do currently
That would be pretty cool if we have a City legend in our midst! I still have my Stuey Elliot shirt somewhere about!
But surely someone would eventually fill Ash's void? Or does it need to have the romanticism of growing with the club (ie. do we need to go back to league 2 before a player can invoke the same emotion?)
