If we finish mid table it would be a magnificent achievement. Think of say Moncur on the bench or Thiam when we play pretty much any team out of the top 6.
Thiam started most games and we sold Moncur. I get your point though but I don't think it alters anything. In 132 years of the club it was the first time we'd been promoted immediately following relegation. You believe it was easy to achieve if not impossible to fail. I saw it as a stunning achievement and see Stendel as a huge factor.
13 players that are avail at a price our owners/recruitment team are happy to buy not actually the ones he wanted. Don’t for one second think he was happy to see Lindsey, Pinnock or Moore leave either.
Of course we weren’t happy to see them leave, but we can’t hold people prisoner, they made decisions to leave, it’s not entirely the clubs fault.
According to a number of fans on here that is exactly what we should do. It’s an heartwarming theory.
He was in contract. Two years. Refusing a transfer bid is not holding someone prisoner. It's paying them a very handsome wage to continue to play football under the terms of the contract they freely and willingly signed. We'd like to sign your player. I'm sorry he's not for sale. No prisoners, no drama, just no sale, like every single other professional club has done, even us at one time.
So then he becomes disengaged because we stopped him earning more money- so we’re paying higher wages for a player who doesn’t want to be here than we would a player who does, neither of whom would be as much good as Pinnock was last year. But at least the new players have the potential for improvement. The only ‘solution’ is to meet the wage demands of Pinnock, which might then lead to Mowatt or Woodrow becoming disenfranchised rinse and repeat! We end up being financially unstable. The premiership is full of players not putting in 100% because they’re not getting the moves / wages that their agents tell them they deserve.
They weren’t ‘for sale’ so clearly this is down to the players. Pinnock had been offered an improved contract and still wasn’t interested in staying. If I go looking for a new job for higher pay no one is blaming my employer for ‘letting me go’. It’s **** that he went, and I wish he hadn’t, but I bet I’m not as upset as Conway and Stendel.
Fans would be up in arms had we kept wantaway Moore if he'd not scored in August and then got injured. As is the case for him so far.
I’m pretty certain they wouldn’t have been. Wigan fans very impressed with his appearances so far as well. But it’s irrelevant what he does at Wigan, what is relevant is that he was excellent for us, had two years left on his deal & without him we don’t have a single striker that can win headers or hold a ball up
I was disappointed to see Moore and Pinnock leave. Their departure certainly weakened us. I believe they wanted to leave however and the club cashed in. Right strategy or not we shall see in time. I would rather worry about the fact we haven't replaced Moore in particular.
How would you know what my employment contract says? Seriously - the only reason a footballer has any time limit on their contract is for the benefit of the club. It's to allow the 'owning' club to be compensated for a player leaving early. A footballer is no more 'bound' to perform by their contract than you and I are.
Because that's what used to happen, and it's what 90% of other clubs do. It's ok though, we'll carry on being the nice guys. It's ok Woodrow, we wouldn't wanna upset your agent eh? Off you pop to Luton for 700k. Dont worry about us, we'll install a 10% sell on fee! That's where the money is you see. It's time we got tough, and we got abit more ruthless instead of teams coming and taking the piss out of us every single transfer window.
A few years ago we lost Sam Winnall for a rumoured 700 grand to Wednesday. This summer we've sold Kieffer Moore for 4million according to Radio Sheffield to Wigan. There are other examples of us getting much more for wantaway players than we once would have. So I see progression there at least. In fact there's progression throughout the club in the last few years. We've had a poor start to our season and far too many of you are wailing like new borns about all facets of the club. The bookmakers and pundits and all other signs pointed to a very tough season where relegation looks likely. Yet our fans have already turned on the owners. They've turned on a 20 yr old defender playing just five games for his new club. There are far too many who've turned on a coach who most wanted to be given a 10 yr contract! Fickle.
I will qualify the above post by pointing out that last night I declared yesterday's first half showing as pathetic and one of the worst seen in a long time. It was really bad. I'm not blind. But going over board and tearing into the owners the players and coach is quite honestly embarrassing.