Transfer Questions

[Rethinking the future 0]

With the transfer window almost one week old, there have been a number of comments critical of the transfer activity at CR, all using this as a way of justifying their opposition to various factors about the club, I would like to turn things round and pose a few questions of my own.

Of the three clubs that came down at the end of the 2004/2005 season (C. Palace and Southampton), only Norwich have signed anyone. In the same way as there are rumours of clubs after Earnshaw, just as many are circulating around the sale of Gareth Bale. The parachute money ends for all 3 teams at the end of the season, no club has sold anyone, and only Norwich have signed a player. Does the lack of signings from the others show a lack of ambition? I have not even seen players linked with the other clubs yet.

The sole signing of Chadwick does not count according to some as he has played here on loan (albeit for about 61mins which makes him the top striker in terms of goals/mins played!) but if a player is successful on loan, is it wrong to sign the player on a permanent basis? How many from Stoke wish Lee Hendrie would join them after his successful loan spell?

On the issue of Chadwick, he stated that he wanted to leave Stoke to be nearer to Cambridge for family reasons. So if a player (like Riodan for example) joined Sunderland instead of Norwich due to family influences, is it really a failing of our board or the manger?

Staying with Riodan, PG has stated since December that he would like to bring him to the club. If Strachen only allows the deal to go through on deadline day, would that then make him a last minute panic buy?

If we were to sign a player from a lower division, but one who was young and hungry to prove their abilities at a higher level, is that wrong? How many would be happy buying another Steve Bruce from Gillingham?

Finally, just because a player has done well at one club does not guarantee he will be successful at another. Ask Chelsea fans what they thought of Robert Fleck and Stoke or Cardif fans what they thought of Peter Thorne.

The wonderful thing about football is that it is full of opinions. I may not agree with a lot of what has been written, but I would never try and stop you from having your say.

[nobbyg 0]

The reason I know this is an excellent post.....is because nobody has replied. 

People have read it and are struggling to see past your wisdom, use of the truth and informed balanced views and opinions.

 

It is a shame you hadn''t used mistruths or baseless views so I could accuse you of supporting Ipswich an/or* loving/hating* Nigel Worthington/Delia/Chase/Clint Easton/Andy Hughes*

 

* delete as applicable

[TheMarshmallowMan 0]

A superb post. Our fans grow ever more unreasonable, critical and out right stupid. The window''s been open for just a week and as outlined, we''ve signed Luke Chadwick. To some, it doesn''t count - but I wonder if Huckerby "didn''t count" after he signed for us from Man City. I bet that simply isn''t the case.

I really couldn''t care when these players sign. I want to see the right player come in. If that''s what happens, it can happen January 1st or January 31st for all I care.

[chocolate nutter 0]

At last some one is talking sense instead of running round waving their arms in the air!!!!!!!!.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!.

[Cheeky Monkey 0]

Agreed it is a god post. However look at the success and amount of Southamptons signings in the summer compared to Norwich.

Doesn''t that shift the goal posts somewhat?

[Evil Monkey 52]

Agreed, an excellent post.I guess part of the reason for people''s worry (and the nagging doubts at the back of my otherwise optimistic mind) are down to Worthy''s general lack of activity during the previous transfer windows.  Once bitten, and all that...As it stands, most of the players we as fans wish to be at the club (Riordan, Vine, Pearson, Hayter, etc) are still on the menu, so there''s still reason to be cheerful.

[South Norfolk Old Boy 0]

Intelligent, well thought out and articulated. Although in defence of the constant moaners who seem to dominate this board the management (board) at CR has not done itself any favours over the past months and it is not unnatural that many will be suspicious of any high level utterance given the many crazy quotes from board members, especially relating to their unswerving loyalty to a clearly "finished" manager.

In terms of transfers it looks like the exit of Earnie is the most likely way that even small funds will be freed up for PG. Unless someone comes in for him quickly then we might as well hold onto him until the summer and hope that a cup run will trigger a revival in the league.

Cheer up everyone - it''s better than supporting Leeds, Leicester, Watford, Charlton et al.

[Salopian 1]

The question is valid, but the parallels are not entirely fair. Southampton bought Raziak, even if they are about to sell him, and they have an extremely productive youth set-up, one of the best in the country. Crystal Palace have an extremely strange chairman!Leaving aside the signing of Ashton and then partial replacement by Earnshaw, our signnings have generally been few and not very good, to leave us with possibly the smallest squad in the Championship and quality so low that we have regularly to use players who are not performing to standard. You can understand the impatience of fans, who have watched a manger drift through two summers without significantly improving the squad, and who buttressed the team with a series of loan players who often made no contribution. The same apparently seems to be happening again. If we make any good signings by the end of January, I am sure that many will be enheartened.We have to face the truth, that despite the good support and facilities, the club owners are not the "sugar daddy" millionaires who have spent vast sums to buy success for their clubs. The consequence is that in the short term at least, we can never be more than outsiders for promotion.We need a mdium term plan for success, - better scouting, including abroad, youth development, the hotel, catering, etc.etc.In one respect I do share the disquiet of the pessimists - Clubs were signing players early last week, when the catch on the transfer window had hardly been used. They had clearly done virtually everything towards a deal before January. Perhaps we should have been more pro-active, and when Grant says, "We''ve got to wait for Managers to find replacements", it does rather sound like the gesture of despair of his predecessor.

[beelsie 0]

Rethinking the Future!! good post nicely balanced and thought provoking. All of your points are well made,  they could be a pointer to the way some posters might write in the future.  There is an unwarrented effort to sensationalise what is commonplace on these boards.  Some posters have directed slurs and innuendo at members of the board that are quite purposefully off the mark in accuracy and that are certainly rude in their presentation, and efforts to present an opinion that opposes; result in name calling that would not be exceptable in the school playground.  Often members who post in this way have very thin skins, proven by some seeking the moderation umberella, when they are addressed in similar fashion, by other posters trying to redress the balance by seeking to defend those who cannot defend themselves for obvious reasons.  Thanks for the post RTF I must say that I will look forward to more of the same.

[Seb 0]

Good post.

I''d also add that recently we''ve been very transparent in our transfer dealings, something I believe the club should be commended on.

There’s a link here which details the signing of Earshaw, and I remember something very similar being put on the official site when we so nearly signed Cotteril from Bristol.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4671088.stm

Call it a PR stunt if you will, but I can’t think of any other club making themselves so available and accountable to the fans when it comes to transfer dealings. I certainly can’t imagine a club like Pompey lifting the lid on some of their shady deals!

The reason I mention this is I’m sure the club are pro-active, and if things don’t really happen in January perhaps we should see what they have to say about it (as they''ve done so previously), then conduct the inevitable post mortem.

 

[No 9 - Bly<P><FONT size=1>Its better to have loved a short girl, than never loved a tall.<FONT><P> 0]

Nothing to add, just wanted such a excellent post back near the top for all the idiots to see and learn from

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Rethinking the future"]With the transfer window almost one week old, there have been a number of comments critical of the transfer activity at CR, all using this as a way of justifying their opposition to various factors about the club, I would like to turn things round and pose a few questions of my own. Of the three clubs that came down at the end of the 2004/2005 season (C. Palace and Southampton), only Norwich have signed anyone. In the same way as there are rumours of clubs after Earnshaw, just as many are circulating around the sale of Gareth Bale. The parachute money ends for all 3 teams at the end of the season, no club has sold anyone, and only Norwich have signed a player. Does the lack of signings from the others show a lack of ambition? I have not even seen players linked with the other clubs yet. The sole signing of Chadwick does not count according to some as he has played here on loan (albeit for about 61mins which makes him the top striker in terms of goals/mins played!) but if a player is successful on loan, is it wrong to sign the player on a permanent basis? How many from Stoke wish Lee Hendrie would join them after his successful loan spell? On the issue of Chadwick, he stated that he wanted to leave Stoke to be nearer to Cambridge for family reasons. So if a player (like Riodan for example) joined Sunderland instead of Norwich due to family influences, is it really a failing of our board or the manger? Staying with Riodan, PG has stated since December that he would like to bring him to the club. If Strachen only allows the deal to go through on deadline day, would that then make him a last minute panic buy? If we were to sign a player from a lower division, but one who was young and hungry to prove their abilities at a higher level, is that wrong? How many would be happy buying another Steve Bruce from Gillingham? Finally, just because a player has done well at one club does not guarantee he will be successful at another. Ask Chelsea fans what they thought of Robert Fleck and Stoke or Cardif fans what they thought of Peter Thorne. The wonderful thing about football is that it is full of opinions. I may not agree with a lot of what has been written, but I would never try and stop you from having your say.[/quote]

Brilliant post!

the mods should sticky this for the whole Transfer Window!

jas :)

[ronbol ronbol 0]

Theres alot of IF''s in there. At the end of the day this team we have now is lacking quality , almost every supporter on these boards has ben rattling on about GRANT bringing in his own players. Even grant has been saying he needs new faces. What really don''t want is on the final day City sell earnie and fail to secure a proper replacement. we have been here before and it''s these failings that make most us very afraid of transfer windows. after all do really need any more robinson''s or hughes.IF and Buts no longer wash. No more excuses or this club will die a painful death.SACK GRANT NOW

[Shack Attack 0]

[quote user="ronbol ronbol"]

IF and Buts no longer wash. No more excuses or this club will die a painful death.

SACK GRANT NOW
[/quote]

Congratulations, it''s only the 8th January but I''ll be amazed if we see a more melodramatic post all year.

[7rew 0]

SA be fair, Ronbol Ronbol has provided 504 other posts of similar quality.Suggested new signiture for him, "Ronbol Ronbol, originally obtained for 5 blankets."

[Mark .Y. 352]

"Call it a PR stunt if you will, but I can’t think of any other club making themselves so available and accountable to the fans when it comes to transfer dealings. I certainly can’t imagine a club like Pompey lifting the lid on some of their shady deals!"

I''m local to Pompey Seb, I can assure you they would not swap their board or league position for our''s. Business is business and anybody in any type of business knows that it is sometimes a bid "shady" if not downright dirty. You just need to do that sometimes to succeed.

Mark .Y.

 

[Seb 0]

Totally agree Mark, you have to be a bit more dynamic or ''shady'' in transfer dealings and a lot of the time I wish we were.

On the flip side of that of that one of the reasons we got Ashton was that we submitted a proper ''old-school'' written request/offer which Grady really appreciated, which put us in a good position early on in negotiations. However it’s really about finding a happy medium.

I''m sure the ''Asthon-approch'' wouldn’t work with many clubs, and we''d get left behind trying to fax off nicely typed letters to other clubs boards! The question that needs to be addressed is how well do we tailor each transfer offer, to match the personality and characteristics of the club receiving it.

 

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote]The question that needs to be addressed is

how well do we tailor each transfer offer, to match the personality and

characteristics of the club receiving it[/quote]Maybe we needed to put more suitcases full of non-sequential used bills in a skip outside Pompeys'' ground to get Linvoy Primus ?

[Cluck 0]

I''m informed that Delia usually "pops around" with a nice apple pie...(a la Neighbours)...and all parties then have a nice little chat over tea about who we can''t afford.......then in return for the scrumptious pie...they kindly sell us someone they want to get rid of.........

All very cosy and cuddly...........[;)]

[SeattleCanary 0]

oh well palace have signed Ifil now and I''m sure Southampton will get busier. We signed Croft in the summer and Chadwick now the last before them was Earnshaw a year a go. It is still very poor.