Conor news - a bit more hopeful?

Birmingham Evening Mail think he may stay until the end of the season:

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-transfer-news-conor-12465000

A local reporter (I'm in the Midlands) has also posted the following this morning: "Villa's first choice targets are very much Lansbury and Hourihane. However, if for whatever reason one of those deals not come to fruition, Guedioura is an alternative for Bruce".

Sky were reporting that Villa were preparing an offer for Guedioura yesterday so hopefully this is heading towards Conor staying until the end of the season.

If he does I'll love him even more!

 

I hope its true and if so begs the question why we let Winnall move in the first place? That's what has started the rot. I also get the impression Hourihane is ok to wait and take his pick in the summer - perhaps he's angling for Celtic? He's a fan, gets European football, likely to play, good platform for international selection.

 

Big difference in Winnall and Conor, Winnall wanted out and started making noises at beginning of December. Conor happy to wait and see what happens

 

He can do better than Celtic. Poor standard league that won't help his international prospects much, two matches in the Champions League before going out and having to travel to places in Europe you've never heard of in the Europa League.

 

Cards on the table, I cant see him stopping. If we believe the rumours of a 25k a week offer from elsewhere and put that against what hes on here then he could potentially lose 20k a week for 6 months (over 500k). Cant beleive he will stand to that, I wouldnt (even fo tarn). Ok, you might say if he hangs on, he will get a bumper signing on fee but he could also break his leg n all. Added to that, it seems the board is reluctant to let players go for nothing. He doesent owe us owt really. I can see him playing up to deadline day then goin with our and clubs blessing. Only my opinion and I hope im wrong. Top laiker for us.

 

I think he'll stay until the summer too for what it's worth.

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Whereas he can look forward to a fabulous replay against Blackpool tonight in front of 5-6000 instead of 50,000 at Celtic Park and Ibrox.
Bet he can't wait.

 

No. They're not in the FA Cup.

 

I never said he couldn't do better than us, I said he can do better than Celtic. English Premiership is where he needs to end up.

 

None of us want him to go BUT.....we need to cash in on him now that we are more or less safe. He is going at the end of the season and stopping him moving now is hardly going to encourage him to sign a new deal. Of course, due to the high level of interest on him, we shouldn't allow him to join any of our local rivals. We could use the funds to build a team to compete next season in the championship. If we let him go for nothing that is even harder to achieve and in the summer you are competing for players with clubs with bigger budgets, whereas we will have funds now.

 

We're not safe though. At least 12 points still required and if we lose another 4 or 5 players in the window, that could be a tall order.

 

It doesn't suggest we're stopping him moving, more that he's leaning towards staying and exercising his right to leave then. Previous responses suggest he'll lose money etc but presumably he's receiving advice from his agent about what's on the table now and what might be in the summer. I've no evidence to support this but suspect that Conor is more loyal / professional than that other player and understands that both he and the club have benefited from his development over the last 2 and a half years and that he wouldn't want to drop us in it. I also believe that he has more confidence in his ability. That other player perhaps jumped at the first offer (although it being local may also have helped) in case he didn't get another whereas Conor just knows he'll be in demand.

We may also have offered him an incentive to stay maybe? An end of season bonus based on finishing position or similar.

I am sure that he will leave but am leaning towards that happening at the end of the season rather than now. And if he does I'll have no complaints, he'll have done everything possible to help us during his time here and just as importantly won't have forced a move and caused disruption.

I understand the suggestion that we can't afford to turn down the money he'd generate by selling him now but for me there's also something about us illustrating that we're not always a pushover. It'd give us fans more confidence that we can stand our ground.

 

Unless we accept an offer on him he should have no say in the matter. Obviously Winnall or his agent was tapped up and he acted in a very dishonest way towards the club. Maybe Connor is just a better man and is waiting for the club to either accept an offer or to reject them and play out his contract like an honourable human being.

 

Think Celtic played the full 6 group games this year. Gave City a couple of good games too. He could do a lot worse

 

Celtic is his club if they come in for him in the summer he will surley go. Nice to see him not doing a winnall after the play off final I was speaking to some plymouth fans and they couldn't speak highly enough of conor and what a top bloke he is. He will Probley get more money if he stays until summer as clubs will be able to afford to give him bigger wages and a bigger signing on fee as they don't have to pay us. I think Plymouth have a sell on clause too on him. Hope he stays until summer best midfielder scince hignett 17 years ago for me.