Also said we're obliged and able to honour the contracts of our top earners next season. It was also said that the era of selling off our players on the cheap is now gone. So us selling for £500k is not possible, is it?
Not sure if you heard Ben's interview with RSheff. A lot of talk time (about an hour in all) but part 1 on audioboo covered Dawson and possible player sales. The language as the thread moved on seemed to be more and more telling. I've no doubt at all O'Grady will move on and i believe the club want that from the tone. The question will be what fee we get. My personal view is a championship striker who scores 15 goals who is in the prime (at 28), even with 12 mths left on his deal should command a 7 figure fee unless its a fire sale or the reputation of the player is in question (which it isn't). The fee for Grabban further strengthens the boards arm in my view. £750k upwards would be acceptable... but we shall see.
I have absolutely no complaints in us flogging O'Grady. I'll be gutted but I get it - top earner, most saleable asset and I imagine it then frees up a significant amount for Danny to do some business. But the fee has to be right. Again, we hold all the cards. Contract not ending, apparently lots of interest, good season and a half at this level etc etc. But if there is a relegation release clause of that amount then the new era didn't cut a very good deal in the Summer.
But what does he mean by not skint...does he just mean we will not have to go round with the buckets just yet. Its clear that we have been told to clear the decks if we went down...At no time as Ben ever said we'd even try to hold on to our best..highest paid players..And even the players nobodys bothered about are leaving Rallying call for next season....Get behind the kids, there home grown you know..
Seem to recall us spending more than 500k on Andy Gray, from Charlton, when they were relegated, and he'd scored less than 15 goals.
If the O'Grady fee turns out to be true. Then Ben will have to be like Merlin to put any kind of positive spin on this. PS how can it be a new era with the same captain at the helm?
