Transfer watch....

If Bart is sold, I don’t think we’ll be getting a replacement. Providing he’s fit, I have a horrible suspicion that MM will play Gerken (who he has always talked up whether he believes it or not) with Crowe as back up. I have been losing interest with the comings & goings at PR for a while now. Th club seems to be happy meandering along in mid-table, losing any connection they had with the fans and no one appears bothered anymore

 

The salient point of your post Nuggets is the very good point you make regarding the interest Evans charges the Club, initially he bought the debt very cheaply but charged ITFC interest on the whole amount and continues to do so.
As you rightly say, if he was a fan he wouldnt have charged interest on the full amount and could even have written the debt off to give us a clean slate to start with.
Im afraid it just emphasises what we have known for years, that ITFC is just another of his businesses and we are just customers to be profited out of.

 

He is a cautious and dispassionate businessman, unfortunately for us. Maybe he once had some care about the club, but that looks like it's disappeared now. Give me a passionate owner who genuinely cares about the club every time. However, Evans' approach does bring some benefits, most notably that his approach means the next owner will be purchasing a debt free club (presuming when they buy the club, they also wipe the debt a step part of the cost) and if we get promoted we also become a debt free club as we wipe the existing debt from the TV money. We live within our means (as well as a Championship club can do these days) and we look well placed to benefit when the football "bubble" bursts.

The unfortunate reality is that we have spent 16 years in the second tier, of which some of the blame must go to Evans, and have missed out on the big Premier League money. We do not generate enough income from tickets, merchandise, and sponsorship to be able to retain our best players without looking at making money off player deals. Like many clubs in this division, we are losing money every year. That's why I fail to see why fans are criticising the player sales we make where we make a big profit. Yes, it's not a lovely thought for a football fan and can be viewed as a lack of ambition, but making profit off players is simply a financial requirement for a club of our size and standing these days. We'd struggle to survive without that money.

 

Going back to the original thread...
I see Tommy Smith looks like leaving us.
I must say that has come totally out of the blue. Especially as we are already thin on the ground.
Goldson from Brighton on loan seems to be his replacement

 

Sad, no shocking but true!

 

As far as I know ME is not charging interest and hasn't been for a while

 

Fair enough if that's the case, but I've heard it from several people that he's been charging interest for years now. Hopefully there's something on the internet somewhere confirming it isn't the case.

 

Apparently Palace have cooled their interest in Bart. Bodes well for us, but raises the question of whether he'll remain motivated playing for a side that is, at best, treading water and at worst heading for an undignified slide down the table.

As for Tommy Smith, rumour has it he's fallen out with McCarthy. If Goldson is brought in as a replacement third choice centre back, then we will struggle for cover like we have been already. I'm not a big fan of Smith, particularly his control of the ball, so this potential possession-based new manager on the horizon would've likely sold him off the summer anyway (pure speculation of course). Regardless all this talk of outgoings and barely any incoming players is worrying and will probably define this transfer window.

 

I think twtd ran a story on it a while back. I've seen it discussed in the comments that Marcus doesn't charge extra now.

 

I suppose after 50m it starts to get a bit pointless......

 

This seems a very odd transfer window already based on some of Mick's comments.. The fact he called Palace up to ask if they had put a bid in for Bart rings alarm bells instantly, also backed up with comments on McG and Smith where he seemed to elude to being out of the loop and it being completely up to ME to decide.. which he has never done before as his previous rhetoric was "Don't need to sell" and explaining that he & ME speak regularly etc.

It does seem as though ME is actively looking to off load as much of the saleable assets as possible (i.e. Smith & McG before their contracts run out) which you could draw a whole host of conclusions, the most likely two for me being:

1: Looking to bring in a new manager and knowing that he will likely want to overhaul the squad (therefore bring in some cash and space within the squad)

2: Swell the coffers slightly so that a prospective new owner may look at our financial state as being more positive than it actually is as he's actively looking to sell us and is clearing the decks accordingly.

Either way, there are some strange noises coming from Mick and absolutely no clarity in terms of what is happening short or long term.. If Mick is leaving and the players are aware (or are uncertain) then it's understandable them wanting to leave, but we have a number of senior players who's deals expire this summer and we're in danger of a mass exodus and find ourselves so far behind everyone else that we're 5 or 6 years away from bringing ourselves even back up to the standard we are at at the minute

 

It's been an odd transfer window all round as far as ITFC goes, a side crippled with injuries with 3 players out for the foreseeable future, Adeyemi out for months and no nearer a return, and plummeting down the division with tough games looming fast.
So do we quickly get replacements nailed down to plug the gaps? Certainly not! We get rid of Moore ( don't care } fail to renew the contracts of leading players, and actively imply McG, Bart, and Smith could probably leave with no replacements for them either.
If I was a bit cynical I might think that the manager is leaving and the Club can go to Hell in a handcart or the assets are being sold and the wage bill reduced to as Scowey says make the product more saleable, whatever the reasons are what a way to run a Club. EVANS OUT.

 

I'm hoping it's a case of McCarthy's contract isn't going to be extended and Evans wants to provide the new manager with some cash. Naive thinking maybe, considering Evans' general lack of on-field investment for McCarthy, but the squad is stagnating and will need fresh blood in the summer. McCarthy doesn't appear too fussed about being here next season, he's not well liked and five years is a long time at one club in today's game.

In the case of McGoldrick, I don't think he's signing a new deal in the summer, so it makes sense to get money for him now while we can. Moore didn't appear to be well liked at the club, according to McCarthy's media comments, and the profit was too appealing for the board. In the case of Bart, I think the club realise we can't stand in his way for Premier League football (particularly in a World Cup year) but apparently Palace's interest has cooled. Regarding Smith, he's fallen out with McCarthy, hasn't been near the first team this season, struggled with injuries, and I can understand the appeal of moving his young family to America for that lifestyle if you fancy it. The only player we'd struggle to replace is Bart but offloading so many players at this stage of the season from a squad hit with injuries does not send out a positive message to supporters. I wonder how many people have actually bought half season tickets!

 

Have to say if he were to back the new manager more significantly than he has Mick, then like / hate Mick that's pretty disgusting I would say.

I'm 99% sure Mick's had enough and will be off in the summer, however I anticipate a similar level of investment with the new gafa. A little more each year, but in real terms nothing that will get us anywhere!

 

That's right Weary, without a doubt MM has been starved of funds right from the off so we will never know what might have been.
Although he knew the financial restrictions when he took the job it must piss him off immensely to struggle for years working with a pittance while other managers get huge financial support, ie Wolves £34M bid for Silva this week.
Will he want another 5 years of that? Would you?

 

He bloody doesn't and for him to come out, and say if anyone is sold this Jan it's down to Evans, not himself, is telling.....

We'll know more in the summer.

 

So, we sign a defender, from a lower league French club, who MM himself says was bloody awful in a practice game.
Is this how desperate we are getting?
Surely we need some experience, if it's only gonna be for four months.

 

Chris Goteni is hardly going to set the pulses racing, but at least we're looking abroad for young, affordable talent. However, the lad was playing in the fifth tier of French football and Mick revealed he was 'awful' in that practice match. Surely as a manager, you would not reveal sensitive information like that about a new signing coming to live in a new country? Hardly going to do wonders for his confidence. I do wonder if this is another veiled dig at Evans and the budget he is working under, pay less for players, you often get a lower quality of footballer.

 

Can't really make it up at the minute can you Stretchy. Shambolic springs to mind... that said, McCarthy's quote about Kodija is true and also Mings was very far down the pyramid so I suppose you can never really tell. Welcome abroad young man, see how you get along this season and whether you'll get an extended deal in the summer.

 

Bru interesting Legia Warsaw is the latest on the grapevine.