Rafa Transfer Friction

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Blacker-than-Knight

Blacker-than-Knight

Slainte
Jan 25, 2011
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Northumberland
I read a small article in todays Daily Mail pointing to the possibility of problems surrounding transfers, Rafa is quoted as saying leave him in charge of transfers as it would appear that MA is suddenly showing interest in this area again and wants to maintain his policy of buying young and profiting from them, the strategy that ****ed up things to start with, Rafa just wants to get the best player irrespective of age etc, could be trouble brewing if MA gets bullish on this.
 
This is old news surely? It was rumbling along as a story in the Mirror and Chronicle last week. The press conference from Rafa yesterday seemed to overturn some of the stories by saying he's not in conflict with Ashley, that he wants young players that can add to the first team etc. That was my take on it at least.

Edit: more details here, click to find out more (Chron)
 
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KazakhToon said:
This is old news surely? It was rumbling along as a story in the Mirror and Chronicle last week. The press conference from Rafa yesterday seemed to overturn some of the stories by saying he's not in conflict with Ashley, that he wants young players that can add to the first team etc. That was my take on it at least.

Edit: more details here, click to find out more (Chron)
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Rafa's too smart to say anything in a press conference that would sound like there's conflict internally. He wouldn't air our dirty linen in public like so many of our managers that have gone before.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like Rafa wanted to get in a player and was told no, he's too old, and no doubt that old phrase 'residual value' was wheeled out. Just give Rafa a budget and let him do what he wants. Oh, and sack Graham Carr. Has he got compromising photos of Ashley or something?
 
I am a little worried by the reports coming out. Rafa was initially promised that he would have full control and this has to date happened.

However, the closer we get to promotion, the ball park changes. It is ok giving Rafa what he wants to get the desired effect and that is to be back in the premiership. Once we get there there will be a shift in motion.

Rafa will want to kick on and try and move us up the table but I am afraid that is going to cost a LOT of money. This is where I think Ashley may move the goalposts. He wont be happy spending £60+ million each season and Rafa knows this is probably what is needed to move up the table.

Which is the reason why it might be true that Ashley is taking an interest now as we are looking good for promotion.

Maybe Ashley has not learned from his mistakes afterall.
 
At the moment Ashley has said nothing publicly - until he does so we have to assume Rafa has control.

Personally I am still of the belief that nothing has changed and Ashley will interfere as he pleases. Just an opinion though and not based on anything but historical behaviour. I believe he will **** it all up again.
 
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Geordieginola said:
I am a little worried by the reports coming out. Rafa was initially promised that he would have full control and this has to date happened.

However, the closer we get to promotion, the ball park changes. It is ok giving Rafa what he wants to get the desired effect and that is to be back in the premiership. Once we get there there will be a shift in motion.

Rafa will want to kick on and try and move us up the table but I am afraid that is going to cost a LOT of money. This is where I think Ashley may move the goalposts. He wont be happy spending £60+ million each season and Rafa knows this is probably what is needed to move up the table.

Which is the reason why it might be true that Ashley is taking an interest now as we are looking good for promotion.

Maybe Ashley has not learned from his mistakes afterall.
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I think he will.

Ashley is a businessman and will be happy to spend money if he knows it is a good investment. Relegation is costing us and that's IF we get back up. £60m a season, if it assures us survival, is a good investment. Honestly think Ashley will be shrewd enough to know that making small amounts of profit with a very good coach given the adequate resources is a better situation than spending little to nothing and risking losing Rafa.

With the current TV deal I think £50m + whatever you get from sales i a sensible model. So long as wages are kept in check (or just financed into each deal).
 
ps. How anyone can question whether Ashley has changed tack after we signed Murphy I do not know...
 
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They where cheap signings to help get us back in the premiership. Not part of the long term plan. It remains to be seen. As I said he has backed Rafa so far but next season things may be different.
 
Geordieginola said:
They where cheap signings to help get us back in the premiership. Not part of the long term plan. It remains to be seen. As I said he has backed Rafa so far but next season things may be different.
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Spot on. Club happy for Rafa to sign who he likes on a cheap or short term basis to blast us out of the Championship. However when it comes to sounding out signings for next year in the Prem and some of names raised are older expensive players - these are the ones that Ashley will have to sign off.
 
I don't think in any way shape or form you could look at the signings of Gamez and Murphy is a departure and huge change of direction. That would be an extremely naive outlook on the way we've gone about things. As Ashley showed last time we went down, he is willing to pay what is necessary to get back. We retained the likes of Smith, Butt, bought Lovenkrands (30), Pancrate (30), loaned Harewood (31), Hall (30). If anything we have simply mirrored what we did in a lot of ways - perhaps without the same character in the team this time.

The only real departure from previous is Rafa, previously he went for the cheap option of Hughton. I can't imagine Rafa came cheap, and he was given a good budget although it was massive what we recouped. Time will tell and I'd imagine the summer will answer all these questions.
 
Big Ern McCracken said:
I don't think in any way shape or form you could look at the signings of Gamez and Murphy is a departure and huge change of direction. That would be an extremely naive outlook on the way we've gone about things. As Ashley showed last time we went down, he is willing to pay what is necessary to get back. We retained the likes of Smith, Butt, bought Lovenkrands (30), Pancrate (30), loaned Harewood (31), Hall (30). If anything we have simply mirrored what we did in a lot of ways - perhaps without the same character in the team this time.

The only real departure from previous is Rafa, previously he went for the cheap option of Hughton. I can't imagine Rafa came cheap, and he was given a good budget although it was massive what we recouped. Time will tell and I'd imagine the summer will answer all these questions.
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Pragmatic and correct. Only time will tell but one things for certain - there won't be a damned thing the fans can do but watch, wait and hope.
 
Big Ern McCracken said:
I don't think in any way shape or form you could look at the signings of Gamez and Murphy is a departure and huge change of direction. That would be an extremely naive outlook on the way we've gone about things. As Ashley showed last time we went down, he is willing to pay what is necessary to get back. We retained the likes of Smith, Butt, bought Lovenkrands (30), Pancrate (30), loaned Harewood (31), Hall (30). If anything we have simply mirrored what we did in a lot of ways - perhaps without the same character in the team this time.

The only real departure from previous is Rafa, previously he went for the cheap option of Hughton. I can't imagine Rafa came cheap, and he was given a good budget although it was massive what we recouped. Time will tell and I'd imagine the summer will answer all these questions.
Click to expand...

I'd forgotten about One Size Fitz Hall
 
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