Walcott deal is a sign of the times

[Misery Guts 0]

Theo Walcott completes a lucrative £12.5m move to Arsenal today and it is a cold bitter truth that we must all face as football fans.

The fact was Rupert Lowe wasn''t prepared to sell , George Burley was desperate for him to stay and the lad himself had made a pre-contract agreement to sign when he was 17 but that hasn''t stopped the highbury bound youngster today and nor will such agreements or statements stop anyone else from leaving.

I think we can all draw links between the Walcott deal and our own bright young star Dean Ashton because the fact of the matter remains is that Deano will play where he wants to play and whether we keep raising the bar for more money , getting him to sign one year extensions and feeding soundbites to the press , it is all perhaps an irrelevance because player power is unstoppable now.

The west ham deal is not about what West Ham are prepared to spend or how much Norwich are willing to recieve , it is about what Dean Ashton wants, as soon as Deano decides that he wants to speak to West Ham , then that is it for Norwich and we may aswell cut our losses.

I think that we are in the fourtanate position that Dean has been advised well (primarly because his uncle is his agent and not somone who merely views Dean as a £ sign) and he will make his descision when he see''s fit but whether he signs another extension or West Ham raise their bid ultimatley it is up to him in the current climate.

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

I don''t think Deano wants to go to W Ham, rumours WHU after Maxi Lopez of Barca but will they sell with Eto at ANC.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Crystal clear post Tom.

[Mello Yello 2,281]

Well Tom, I totally agree in what you say in your post. Maybe ''Worst Harm'' are trying to double bluff NCFC, by chasing ''El Fray Bentos Lopez''......A bit of reverse cyclic-ology, Pardew saying: "Well if City want £8 million for Ashton, we''ll put oressure on, and wave our £7 mill wonga and feign interest by lookin'' at ''Trini Lopez'' at Barca!" Mind games methinks! Just mind games!....OTBC ;~)