I'm As Gutted As Anyone That Robbo Has Gone, but...

...I've watched the Reds since 1989, and I don't think we have EVER kept our best players. The closest was probably Redfearn (Who eventually went) and Sir Bobby. Every other top performing player has gone much earlier than we as fans would have liked, and were eventually replaced by other top performing player(either immediately or eventually).

I think the departures in the last 2 windows have hurt more due to how close the transferred all occurred. We have only ever moved on one or two players at a time, so seeing what, 7(?) important players going within a twelve month period has felt like the end of the world.

We have got to hope that the club knew that Scowern, Watkins and Robbo(at least) would be off this summer, and have got the player towards the top of their list of replacements. This looks to be the case if the transfer fee's reported are true(I can't see us paying ~£1m for a defender who was(for example) 8th or 9th on the list of Robbo's replacements).

 

We've never kept our best players but most stayed for a couple of seasons or three. As you say, at most you might have lost two of your best players.
It seems that these days all the first team squad are up for sale as long as an offer comes in. The norm nowadays is that we have a fire sale in January and June every season. I can't for the life of me understand why some fans don't find that disappointing and slate anyone who disagrees with "The Plan" mantra.
There's no point in having a player's name on the back of a shirt because he'll be gone before the last letters ironed on.

 

From my perspective in extremely disappointed we have lost the players over the last season. These have been legends in many instances and part of a successful period. However I'm also a realist and even with my disappointment i understand why players want their next step professionally and also why the club feels the price is right for some too. I wouldn't slate anyone for their opinion, but i do wonder sometimes if people truly believe loyalty is a norm in football.

 

It would be as painful if the proceeds were part of a plan going forward.

At the moment it seems it isnt. Just cash in and that's it

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

I suppose the big difference these days are that the contracts tend to all run out at the same time. If you wipe the slate clean and rebuild every season then you're going to keep losing (with loanees) 10 or 11 every year. In the past, maybe some were 1 year into a 4 year contract, 1 year into a 3 year, 2 years in and final year etc so that maybe only 3 or 4 would run out in June. Also we never used to have 4, 5 and sometimes 6 loanees on the books which also adds to the mass exodus. Probably me being old-fashioned about the way a football club should be run but I really wanted Roberts to sign a new contract and either a) run it out or b) sell him for twice as much at the end of this season.

 

Completely agree that its disappointing. And my opinion of the famous "plan" is very conflicted at the minute, as while the financial side is working above all expectations, it may be to the detriment of on the pitch results. I would hope that the powers that be are constantly learning and not just making the decisions on a whim.

But If you look at every outbound first team player transfer since Stones went, there is one very big common denominator, and that the weekly wage they got after leaving. Until we are able to offer wages closer to the other teams in out division, it isn't right to deny any player a transfer, as long as we get financially compensated anyway. People do tend to forget that football players are simply doing a job, and while some develop a bond with a club, the rest are on a mission to earn as much money as is physically possible in the 18 years or so that they can.