The Huckerby Swap

[Swifty McVeigh 0]

OK, I thinK we all now realise that raising the money to sign DH is going to be a problem, so the only way we are going to get him here permanently is going to have to be on a player swap.

By my reckoning we have two unpopular possible solutions :

1. Greeno for Huckerby & Nicky Weaver
Man City have asked for £850k fo Huckerby and rumours report that they are interested in Green - what shall we value him at - I suspect most fans would say £3m, but lets for the sake of arguement say £1.5m. By just swaping with Hucks that would leave us without a GK and £650k profit. I for one don''t want to see Cricton as our first choice, no disrespect to him, so would instead take Nicky Weaver instead of the cash, as he''s a good keeper and would jump at the chance to be first choice for Div 1 leaders in Dec rather than 4th choice at Man City behind Green, Seaman and Nash.

I would be gutted to see Green go, but what do u want - Green and Roberts or Weaver and Huckerby.

The next problem we come onto is his wages of a 3 year contract. Again it''s reported he would want between £10k-£15k a week, so we''ll take an average of £12.5k a week for 3 years.
Lets do the Math to this reported £3-4m package we''ve all been quoted by the board....
This equates to 156 weeks @ £12500 = £1.95m
Robets £8k a week (fact), Abbey c.£3k week and Notman c. £1.5k per week are all out of contract at the end of May and will not have their contract renewed.
This equates to a saving of c.130 weeks at £12500 = £1.63m

Therefore without paying a transfer fee in Greens swap deal and continuing to pay the wages we have been for the past 2/3 years, DH will cost us ONLY a further (£1.95m-£1.63m) £320k on a 3 year deal. SURELY WE CAN AFFORD THIS - OR DO WE WANT TO GO BACKWARDS ??

Option 2. Drury for Huckerby

Again speculation in papers about Drury and Man City...

If we again value Drury at just £1.5m we could do the same deal as above but this time make a profit on Hucks, as we would have an extra £650k to play with as we don''t have to sign a new GK, and the club would only need to use half of that to pay his wages on a 3 year deal (£320k), PLUS we have the ready made quality replacement in Jim Brennan when fit - Shackell would have to deputise until that time, which fingers crossed isn''t to far off after reading NW''s words on here.

So what do we all want ? - I would go with the Drury option

[Snake Pit Rebel 0]

Very well put Swifty i am with you and would opt for the Drury option..

I really do believe that Brennan was bought in as the replacement for Drury anyway and not as a left winger..

We must not let Hucks go now or i am sure we will all be very sorry!!

[Karl Pilkington 0]

I am not denying Drury played brilliantly last season, but I can''t see how man city would be getting value for money on his performances of late.

Would he get into the team???