Well it looks like we are selling off the family silver! I am gutted and annoyed but not surprised! Another year of mediocrity beckons! Ambitions to be promoted! Don't make me laugh!
Lets just see what happens JWM, Having or not having Connor isn't going to make or break our season but the money will go a hell of a long way to get estabalished talent across the whole team.
Steve The problem is finding the right players to bring in, every decent player we get linked with pisses off elsewhere and we are left with the likes of Ellington. Be afraid, be very afraid!!
Maybe the reason we got Ellington is because he was free, maybe after Keane wasted £12mil Evans is a bit shy of dipping into his wallet (I can't blame him), HE IS NOT ROMAN ABRAMOVICH. Lets hope the money gets put back into the squad. Once the deal is done then we can start getting players in. Having Connor did not stop our defence being leaky as hell last season. Having Connor did not stop are midfield from lacking creativity. If we can use the money to get in 4 or more decent Championship players then i'll be happy. (If that happens is another matter )
Spanish, if JWM is the forseer of new signings, you must be the purveyor of doom and gloom mate. I do know how you feel, especially given how many times we have been kicked in the bollocks after expecting great things, but I do think it is a little early for predictions of another ****e season. Believe me if we do not show the ambition the vision or ability to produce a quality team, one which we enjoy watching play and win, I will be there with you giving the b******s grief. I just don't think we are able to make that judgement quite yet.
Rushmere I wish I could share your optimism! In all honesty when was the last time we had a team that was genuinely worth watching? 1996 - 2001 The side that Burley built and since we got relegated with huge debts we have been ****e! Deep down we all know but deep down we are all genuine supporters and we just shrug our shoulders each year and just accept it! The point after today is why the feck should we! We wear our shirt with pride every week and we pay our money. We now need 7 quality signings to make any kind of impact next year. Some hope of that!
Hmmmm lets see - Anyone recall how annoyed we were with Dyer going - These people weren't so upset when we went up the following season, were they ? Players have their price. Look at Man Utd with Ronaldo. He wanted to go, Real offered a bucket load of £££, he went. They have hardly fallen apart without him, and he's one of the best 2 in the world................. I wish people would get real. " Lack of ambition etc " - what happens if Wickham ends up like Dean Ashton, training ground injury and can never play again ? He has bucket load of promise. Of course he does. Something like a goal in every other start he's made. All the idiots who check wikipedia for goals in so many games, don't take into account Keane bringing him on for the last 10 minutes of games etc..... If Wickham stays, fantastic. I for one would love him to form a prolific partnership with Chopra next season. I really would. However, when he signed a new contract a clause was inserted - that is BOUND to have been at Wickham's request. We as a club wouldn't voluntarily insert something like this in, its not a legal requirement like it is in Spain. So Wickham clearly had made up his mind, to extend the deal so we as a club could get the best possible price. Hats off to the lad, I cannot imagine many footballers actually doing that. I have come to the opinion its only a matter of time that he will leave. That time will definitely be this summer. With the money we gain from Wickham, a good chunk will be reinvested. We don't need to spend million after million to achieve ( look at Norwich ). What we need to do, is identify the correct players to come at a price that suits us. Look at Magilton + Keane with transfer fees. Generally, they bought so appallingly and wastefully. In my mind, we have our first actual manager since J.Royle ( he proved you don't have to spend hand over foot to play good football and be near the top ). So before people cry out " lack of ambition " etc etc etc.... every player has his price, and if we as a club get the best possible deal for that, then thats all I ask for at the end of the day. We're talking big figures here. Thankfully our finances are in order, and we won't give away another absolute bargain as we did a few years ago.
JWM, I don't disagree with anything you say there mate. If you were sitting near me at matches over the season you would be able to see just how much the club means to me and how frustrated I get. I have got extremely peed off spending good money on a season ticket (and corporate advertising) over the years and being served up some of the rubbish we have seen. Not just in terms of results but the lack of passion, desire and direction from the players. We certainly shouldn't have to put up with that. My point is that, this season at least, I am prepared to build myself up for a fall again. I am trying my best to remain positive and optimistic as there is still time available to us to get the players we need. After all of that, who knows how well (or badly of course) those players will play together? We could be pleasantly surprised. So I can see where you, spanish and others are coming from - 100%. I have just decided to wait and see ..... then, if needs be, give them hell if the ambition isn't there.
Its not often that I disagree with you jonny but for the sort of money thats being talked about its a deal which just had to be done. Im not saying Im not disappointed because I am but thats an awful lot of money to invest in players, good players hopefully. It had to happen sometime so let it be now when to some extent CW is still an unknown quantity.
Nothing special for £9m? Really? Actually its more likely that 1) it won't all be reinvested and 2) the players that we need just aren't available. But yes, you can get quite a lot, a championship level, for £9m.
BJK, good point well made but you have to agree that probably you or I could have spent that £12m better than the muppets that did so. With PJ, I get the distinct feeling he knows exactly what he wants and would spend the / some money far more productively than his predecessors.
