Mixed messages from the club or the media unsettling our players?

On Tuesday we read that we are now open to offers for O'Grady, Cranie and Kennedy. A few news sites ran with the story, including the BBC, but if you follow the information back it all comes from a tweet from Andy Giddings that was retweeted by Football Heaven. It says:

"RS understands that #barnsleyfc are now willing to listen to offers for Chris O'Grady, Martin Craine, and Tom Kennedy."

They understand? What does that mean? If there had been an interview with Ben Mansford or Maurice Watkins or Patrick Cryne or Danny Wilson wouldn't there have been much more information also being tweeted? Wouldn't there have also been an audioboo? Wouldn't such people have been quoted directly? If the information didn't come from any of them, where did it come from? Who was the source?

Has anyone from the club said we are now open to offers for any of these players? Any news on the official site, any interviews anywhere?

Radio Sheffield are not factually incorrect, because they can legitimately say that every club in the world is open to offers for all their players. Offer enough money and you can buy any player from any club, including O'Grady, Cranie and Kennedy from Barnsley. Offer 10 bob and you'll probably get Kennedy. But has there been a change in policy at the club? Have we made a new announcement? Is this a news story at all?

How does Chris O'Grady, who has never hid the fact that he wants to play at the highest level possible, but has also said he is happy at Barnsley, view these reports?

Is it a case of Radio Sheffield and other media institutions unsettling our players?

Or

Do the club actually want rid of these players? Are their wages so high that it is preventing us from putting together a squad with enough numbers? In a week when we announce a price increase for match day tickets, despite our relegation, are the club fearful of alienating fans still further by also announcing we're actively trying to sell our best players? Are we attempting to alert other clubs to the availability of our players by leaking information to the press, because we're not getting as many enquiries as we hoped, and this method prevents us losing face?

They're all just questions not allegations. I don't know. I choose to believe our club and the situation is the same as it always has been: we want to keep good players like Martin Cranie and Chris O'Grady at the club, but like any football club we have to listen to offers that meet our valuation, particularly if the player expresses a desire to leave. We're well run, but not so well off that we can dismiss good offers out of hand. I think this week's news is a non-story, that there's been no change in policy from the club, but I don't know for sure.

 

Id say B...or the second bit

NB.... our lack of signings points to this

 

Good points and questions raised.

I reckon the truth is somewhere in between.

 

Shambles of a club

 

I wouldn't say that mate...its just called relegation, why some people thought L1 would be rosey, and everything cuddly and cute is beyond me...

 

I think It's the first.

As you say, no one at all has been quoted, nothing from the club at all and no one else has come up with the same story.

It's all stemmed from one tweet from Andy Gidding, who, for some reason, is constantly masturbating to the thought of Chris O'Grady leaving Barnsley and joining the Blunts.

 

My view is that this is lazy journalism at a quiet time of year. Obviously the club are open to offers for COG as they have already accepted one from Charlton so nothing new there. I think we have all said that Cranie and TK would also be looks at as they are our highest earners.

Fact is that any of our players could be tapped up regardless so IMO it's a load of rubbish.

On the prices front perhaps the thinking around the increase is so that we can charge more to visiting fans and no doubts there will be offers for reds fans which will allow reduced entry from time to time.

We know from recent history that the gate is not made up of many pay on day guys and I can't imagine that this years budget has changed since May as season ticket sales were ahead of expectation.

Thing is, there are too many half empty people on here and it's not just football related. Similar things about TDF etc.

Sign if the times I'm afraid..

UTR

 

From my point of view, the more you actually look at all of these rumours it stems from one tweet from Andy Giddings that was retweeted by Football Heaven and then the BBC have picked up on that. It's not come from a reliable source at all.

I could say "WrosbroughRed understands Real Madrid are open to offers for Gareth Bale" and I'd be right, because every club is open to offers for every player.


The more you look at it it seems like a non-story.

 

Glass half full. glass half empty... Time will tell, lets see where we are come Aug 12....by there fruits we shall know them

 

I think Gids was having a slow news day and just came out with a cricket bat statement to try stir a bit of interest. Obviously it has worked.

 

reporters/people who work in the media fear a vacuum.

 

Stick them in the part of the West Stand towards the tunnel. When the Blunts, Donny and other clubs are visiting with decent followings, give em the North Stand.

No reason then to open the North for the smaller fixtures, saving money.