Ajer

[Bomber 48]

On 15/07/2021 at 15:11, Ulfotto said:

Celtic to Brentford I’ll leave it at that.

Post above was meant for this

[chicken 2,624]

1 minute ago, Bomber said:

About the  same size club as us but with more ambition - if we don’t sign another striker we will be in Deep water having to rely on a 31 year old Pukki all season 

More ambition? So how does our club hanging onto it's best players to win the title and promotion compare to a club that has consistently sold it's best assets every season?

Their model is more or less the same as ours. Just they have a wealthy backer which means they can take a few more risks.

As for Ajer's fee. From what I am hearing it is not £13.5m alone, it is £13.5m +add ons etc. Now if that's the case, I can see exactly why we put our offer on the table and then told them to take it or leave it.

[AJ 1,221]

11 hours ago, Bomber said:

About the  same size club as us but with more ambition - if we don’t sign another striker we will be in Deep water having to rely on a 31 year old Pukki all season 

If Brentford sign him and get relegated and we don't, do they still have more ambition than us?

[Clever Farke 64]

Yesterday’s man.  

[cambridgeshire canary 6,718]

2 minutes ago, Clever Farke said:

Yesterday’s man.  

Tommorows Van Dijk

Edited July 18, 2021 by cambridgeshire canary

[king canary 7,606]

On 17/07/2021 at 09:48, chicken said:

We don't know that he has been a major target. We made a take it or leave it offer then moved on... in May...

That doesn't sound like someone we were fighting tooth and nail to try and sign. The issue is some fans can attach too much emotion to something they know very little about. Some folks are making him out to be the next van Dijk to try and exaggerate their point.

It's a narrative that some supporters want to create to suit their opinion that the club is badly run, always misses out on "top" targets because we won't spend money... yadda, yadda, yadda.

The fact we identified him as one of the first players to go after and were willing to pay a club record fee does suggest he was a fairly major target.

On 17/07/2021 at 09:50, chicken said:

Malky Mackay never had much mobility yet so many people will tell you he is one of our best ever defenders.

Malky Mackay also got repeatedly binned off by clubs the second they got promoted to the top league.

[TheGunnShow 5,940]

I think we've dodged a bullet, frankly. Not to mention we're not so wealthy that we can afford to get caught in a bidding war. Imagine if Ajer plays carp for Brentford and they've splashed out £13.5 million plus what knows what.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

1 minute ago, TheGunnShow said:

I think we've dodged a bullet, frankly. Not to mention we're not so wealthy that we can afford to get caught in a bidding war. Imagine if Ajer plays carp for Brentford and they've splashed out £13.5 million plus what knows what.

Indeed, this time next year he’ll be preparing for life in the Championship, Gunny

[chicken 2,624]

40 minutes ago, king canary said:

The fact we identified him as one of the first players to go after and were willing to pay a club record fee does suggest he was a fairly major target.

Was he though? And "one of the first" ... again, it harks back to pre Webber times when we'd seemingly go for one target at a time and then get stuck when it didn't come off.

Webber clearly has a list of targets that he goes for simultaneously. We have evidence of this as we have binned off targets when we have several bids for different players accepted and we then focus on the one we feel would be the best fit.

We can only assume that he was one of the first targets because we know a bid was rejected from us for him in May. There may have been others before him - we were certainly linked with others at the same time if not before like the chap who moved to a German club and the Fulham CB.

[Clever Farke 64]

23 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Tommorows Van Dijk

Possibly. Just that Ayer means yesterday in Spanish 🧐. 

[Thirsty Lizard 3,165]

On 18/07/2021 at 10:48, cambridgeshire canary said:

Tommorows Van Dijk

He's going to be out injured all season??

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,753]

Ajer having a medical at Brentford after a £13.5m bid accepted.

We bid £10m....the difference is roughly our drop in shirt sponsorship revenue from BK8 to Lotus... still, all the bedwetters won the moral highground over a shirt sponsor....

[dj11 377]

Why insult people who have a different opinion to yourself?

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

7 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Ajer having a medical at Brentford after a £13.5m bid accepted.

We bid £10m....the difference is roughly our drop in shirt sponsorship revenue from BK8 to Lotus... still, all the bedwetters won the moral highground over a shirt sponsor....

Except that after the BK8 debacle we spent roughly that amount on Lees-Melou, and a fair guess it that at the end of the season fans will think that purchase was better value than overpaying £13.5m on a player Webber and Farke clearly believe is only worth £10m.

[......and Smith must score. 1,343]

3 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Ajer having a medical at Brentford after a £13.5m bid accepted.

We bid £10m....the difference is roughly our drop in shirt sponsorship revenue from BK8 to Lotus... still, all the bedwetters won the moral highground over a shirt sponsor....

Where any extra available money comes from is irrelevant as it's all just money sloshing around in one big pot.

We thought he was worth £10m, Celtic wanted more, we played hardball so he's probably going to Brentford.

Nothing to see here.

 

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,753]

3 minutes ago, PurpleCanary said:

Except that after the BK8 debacle we spent roughly that amount on Lees-Melou, and a fair guess it that at the end of the season fans will think that purchase was better value than overpaying £13.5m on a player Webber and Farke clearly believe is only worth £10m.

Whichever way you cut it..  we're down on that amount, which will impact/restrict us somewhere along the line

Maybe we could have signed both?

Edited July 20, 2021 by GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary

[horsefly 4,300]

16 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Ajer having a medical at Brentford after a £13.5m bid accepted.

We bid £10m....the difference is roughly our drop in shirt sponsorship revenue from BK8 to Lotus... still, all the bedwetters won the moral highground over a shirt sponsor....

Sorry, but that's rather naive. Who is to say how many other sponsors would have been put off if BK8 had been the main sponsor. Furthermore, the idea that sponsorship money goes straight into a transfer pot in this simple way is highly unlikely. I think it is far more likely that Norwich refused to pay more than their genuine valuation, and if they had valued Ajer higher they would have gone higher. 

[AJ 1,221]

22 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Ajer having a medical at Brentford after a £13.5m bid accepted.

We bid £10m....the difference is roughly our drop in shirt sponsorship revenue from BK8 to Lotus... still, all the bedwetters won the moral highground over a shirt sponsor....

Yeah but what will the add ons take it up to? Webber isn't one to be held to ransom, if it was over what we wanted to pay we'll find a better deal elsewhere

[Samwam27 527]

It doesn't matter. He's going to Brentford. In time we'll either see one that got away, and he could have a superb season, which means Farke & Webbers valuation was wrong, or he doesn't really cut it, and we'll say we dodged a bullet.

What matters is whether we get someone in, and how our defence stands up. Gibson & Gian strengthen us moreso than last time round, and Hanley's in far better shape and form than last time. Omo is looking good, and there are comparisons to how well he looks compare to Godfrey. 

I still hope we'll get someone else in as I don't think that's enough (lessons learnt lets hope we don't have another injury crisis) 

[horsefly 4,300]

3 minutes ago, AJ said:

Yeah but what will the add ons take it up to? Webber isn't one to be held to ransom, if it was over what we wanted to pay we'll find a better deal elsewhere

Indeed! and there is a huge amount of advantage in Webber having a clear cut established reputation for consistency and transparency in his approach to transfer negotiations. When he says "this is our maximum offer" clubs know that he means what he says and there is nothing to gain by pis*sing us around. It explains how he manages to get so many deals completed off the radar. 

[Fuzzar 1,702]

47 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Whichever way you cut it..  we're down on that amount, which will impact/restrict us somewhere along the line

Maybe we could have signed both?

Maybe. But you're spouting on like you know for sure, which you don't. 

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

1 hour ago, horsefly said:

Sorry, but that's rather naive. Who is to say how many other sponsors would have been put off if BK8 had been the main sponsor. Furthermore, the idea that sponsorship money goes straight into a transfer pot in this simple way is highly unlikely. I think it is far more likely that Norwich refused to pay more than their genuine valuation, and if they had valued Ajer higher they would have gone higher. 

Indeed, I believe that would have happened. In any event there are moral limits, and the BK8 deal broke those. It had to be scrapped even if there had not also been the danger of a knock-on effect.

[sgncfc 1,228]

4 hours ago, Samwam27 said:

It doesn't matter. He's going to Brentford. In time we'll either see one that got away, and he could have a superb season, which means Farke & Webbers valuation was wrong, or he doesn't really cut it, and we'll say we dodged a bullet.

What matters is whether we get someone in, and how our defence stands up. Gibson & Gian strengthen us moreso than last time round, and Hanley's in far better shape and form than last time. Omo is looking good, and there are comparisons to how well he looks compare to Godfrey. 

I still hope we'll get someone else in as I don't think that's enough (lessons learnt lets hope we don't have another injury crisis) 

I find it hard to believe that a player not rated very highly by their own supporters because of his lack of physicality whilst playing in Scotland will be able to cope with the Premier League on a weekly basis. Of course I may be wrong, but I'm happy that we passed on this one. I'd much rather have Carter-Vickers for £5m.

[chicken 2,624]

I think people need to accept that the difference in valuation is unlikely to be as little as £3.5m. I've seen/heard that add ons could take it up to £18m. No way will we drop that on a CB who is that much of a gamble.

For that sort of money we could land two players. Just need to be patient and then revisit criticism when it is actually the time to do it.

As for the pant wetting comment - pure unintended comedy.

We're a family club, the club pitches itself as such. They got it wrong with the sponsor. As has been said, it is unlikely that much of that money would go to the transfer budget and apart from anything else, it would have been over a contract period too - not in one go. Considering Webber looks at targets pretty much from the start of last season onwards, I doubt as little as half a mil is going to make a huge difference to their plans.

Pant wetting is purely down to those who are already throwing insults at the club they "support" when we're only just over half way through the window.

31st August it shuts. We have 42 days of the window yet to go. It opened on the 9th June - 41 days ago. So we are bang on in the middle of the window. The sounds coming out of the club are that they want four more players - Str, Wing, DM and CB. We have already signed; Gilmour, Lees-Melou, Rashica, Gunn as brand new players and confirmed Giannoulis and Gibson as permanent after loans last season.

Even if you take the four players we have signed, that equates to half of our targeted areas in less than half the window. Not a time to be getting all upset - especially if you are not going to even remotely consider reasoned discussion.

On paper, Rashica is as capable a top flight operator. Same as Lees-Melou. We know what Gunn is about and many would have kept him after his loan with us. Gilmour is not an untried and untested player either. He's highly rated for having played 22 games for Chelsea and notable performances for Scotland. More than Skipp when he arrived. And at a higher level.

Sure it may not work out. We don't know for sure that Skipp in his first season in the Prem would work out either. Just need to have a bit more faith. 

[Alex Moss 2,165]

2 hours ago, chicken said:

I think people need to accept that the difference in valuation is unlikely to be as little as £3.5m. I've seen/heard that add ons could take it up to £18m. No way will we drop that on a CB who is that much of a gamble.

For that sort of money we could land two players. Just need to be patient and then revisit criticism when it is actually the time to do it.

As for the pant wetting comment - pure unintended comedy.

We're a family club, the club pitches itself as such. They got it wrong with the sponsor. As has been said, it is unlikely that much of that money would go to the transfer budget and apart from anything else, it would have been over a contract period too - not in one go. Considering Webber looks at targets pretty much from the start of last season onwards, I doubt as little as half a mil is going to make a huge difference to their plans.

Pant wetting is purely down to those who are already throwing insults at the club they "support" when we're only just over half way through the window.

31st August it shuts. We have 42 days of the window yet to go. It opened on the 9th June - 41 days ago. So we are bang on in the middle of the window. The sounds coming out of the club are that they want four more players - Str, Wing, DM and CB. We have already signed; Gilmour, Lees-Melou, Rashica, Gunn as brand new players and confirmed Giannoulis and Gibson as permanent after loans last season.

Even if you take the four players we have signed, that equates to half of our targeted areas in less than half the window. Not a time to be getting all upset - especially if you are not going to even remotely consider reasoned discussion.

On paper, Rashica is as capable a top flight operator. Same as Lees-Melou. We know what Gunn is about and many would have kept him after his loan with us. Gilmour is not an untried and untested player either. He's highly rated for having played 22 games for Chelsea and notable performances for Scotland. More than Skipp when he arrived. And at a higher level.

Sure it may not work out. We don't know for sure that Skipp in his first season in the Prem would work out either. Just need to have a bit more faith. 

Great post, Chicken 👍

Wouldn't mind betting he’ll be a good signing for Brentford, but I’ll trust the reasons for why we didn’t stump up the further ‘£3.5mil’. 

Truth of the matter is, Brentford need to sign far more than just Ajer if they’re to have any aspirations of staying in that league. We’ve got a stronger squad and there’s goals from more than just Pukki there, though of course pretty much every club is reliant on their main man for the bulk of them individually. But if Brentford lost Toney to injury a few weeks or months in, who’s unproven at that level incidentally, then they’d be absolutely screwed. Their fans, that are amazingly confident that the side they brought to Carrow Rd is actually ready for the Premier League, I feel might just be in for a very rude awakening.

[horsefly 4,300]

On 18/07/2021 at 13:18, TheGunnShow said:

Imagine if Ajer plays carp for Brentford and they've splashed out £13.5 million plus what knows what.

Hey Gunny! Are you suggesting he'll be a fish out of water???

[lake district canary 4,531]

The hype around Ajer is just that - hype. At £10m, which was obviously our valuation of him, he might have been a good squad strengthener (imo Hanley and Gibson are worth at least £10m too).  At 13.5m, he would have to be significantly better than Hanley or Gibson - and I don't see that. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,820]

Officially confirmed as a Brentford player.

[Indy 3,300]

10 hours ago, lake district canary said:

The hype around Ajer is just that - hype. At £10m, which was obviously our valuation of him, he might have been a good squad strengthener (imo Hanley and Gibson are worth at least £10m too).  At 13.5m, he would have to be significantly better than Hanley or Gibson - and I don't see that. 

Really? You don’t see a 23 year old with European cup football experience significantly better? I’m sure had he signed you’d be shouting how significantly better he is! Ajer would have been a very good signing and improved our 11 no doubt in my book.

Both looked very solid last year, but that was with a very good defensive midfielder mopping up the midfield which we don’t have now! Skipp was the biggest difference to why we looked so solid at the back.

Whats done is done we move on to the next target whoever that might be.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,718]

25 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Officially confirmed as a Brentford player.

You just know he's gonna score a last second header against us to keep them up and send us down now, this kind of **** always happens