The real question?

[ZLF 271]

The Mullers 4 Kuqi posting has got me thinking. We all want to have a lethal goal scorer and he will cost us a packet that we are all aware we dont currently possess or are prepared to risk (another discussion 1st Wiz !) Class players up front cost multi millions (Bent £4m+, Ashton currently quoted around £3m)

My question is

are NCFC more likely to avoid relegation by holding onto their one true asset (Rob Green) or selling him in January and using the transfer funds to get the player we all want?

I feel we should sell him. He will leave the club at some point anyway, will definitely this summer if we go down and for a lower value than his worth if we stay in the prem and we have 2 covering keepers. We are creating chances and not taking them - a natural born finisher is what the club needs. However with the defence as shaky as it is do we need greeno more than ever?

It feels a bit like selling the crown jewels to have a flutter on a 10-1 shot - it has a chance but is it worth it?

OTBC

[bananaman 0]

If he''s going to leave anyway, what good will 5m do us in the championship.

This is the only way I would push the board for a big-money signing, otherwise I''m happy for them not to splash out too much.

[Hayden 0]

I think you have a sensible argument. I have no doubt that we signed the young scotland keeper as a replacement for Greeno anyway. If we are relegated Big Rob is on his way, I cannot see us staying up without a proven goalscorer. Greeno is worth his weight in gold but Gallagher is a good keeper and a striker earning us some points is an absolute must. What is more likely is that we will spend sod all money in January, and then sell Greeno to get even more cash into the bank ready for an assault on the Fizzy league. Even though the fans and the team don''t want to act like tourists in the Prem, I think, unfortunately, that Delia etc ''just want us to enjoy it''

[Normann Canary 0]

I agree... greeno is changing color for sure if we don''t stay up!! I think we should sell him too, especially if he is looking to go...

but another question is, and I think I''ve read it on the board before, will it even be worth it in the end, to get a new "kick butt" striker in, at that point in the season, spend all that money, for him to fiddle around in his adjustment period, and do nothing special... players we''ve already got are getting accused of that already???

And if we do go down, we might as well save the money for a huge BBQ... kind of like a wake, prawns, snags, chops... the lot! With heaps of beer, and lentil burgers... Ummmm what was I talking about, cos I''m thinking about food... Ahhh, yes the trade/money situation...

It is a pickle, no doubt about it!

[Tumbleweed 106]

I agree with bananaman- much as I would hate to see Greeno go I think we should do the deed in January and buy a tall striker and a tall defender in a proper attempt to stay up. While I haven''t seen Gallacher play I believe he''s an U21 international goalie so he''s not a bad back-up.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

[quote]If he''s going to leave anyway, what good will 5m do us in the championship. This is the only way I would push the board for a big-money signing, otherwise I''m happy for them not to splash out too muc...[/quote]

I agree bananaman.  Without pushing him out I think 5M would come in more handy in January than any other time

[StevenageFan 0]

The question should be - Who will buy Greeno?   I''m not being funny, but has he done enough in the Prem so far for anyone to seriously think about changing whoever they already have in the number 1 jersey.  OKay some might want him as backup, but then would Greeno prefer being number in the Championship or number 2 in the prem?

I think there is a good chance he will go, but I don''t know who to, so perhaps we might have him longer than we first thought, heres hoping.

[westoncanary. 0]

I think Manure will come in for him. Carroll is their No 1 at the moment, whether Howard is injured or just dropped I don''t know or care, but surely he is better than either of them and a long term buy.

I watched their 3rd/4th choice keeper, Luke Steele who is on loan at Coventry on sky last night and he didn''t look up to much so I would think they are on the lookout for a new man between the sicks.

[Ayrton Twigge 0]

But there is another option.

Don''t sell Greeno in January.

As a proven goalie, he more or less guarantees us some valuable points in our quest to stay up.

And we buy the striker/defenders we need  in January.

Hey - we stay up - and we''ve still got control of our key asset who has a long term contract. And we look forward to Premier Year 2 - consolidation phase.

S**t - we go down. Holding on to Greeno, I believe will be a positive financial investment, he will become more valuable. So we sell at the season end as we balance the books.

Net position of this option :-

• increases possibility of staying up.
• adds striker/defenfder to squad
• review Greeno position season end
• if we have to sell, will achieve greater sale price

[StevenageFan 0]

nice idea, but if "we have to sell", wouldn''t that drive the price down.  All the teams interested would know we are desperate to sell and this would drive price down.  Of course the more teams interested the better, so it could counter it, just a thought

[ZLF 271]

I agree Ayrton, that has to best the best option - keep all of the current squad and buy a striker; but do we have enough to buy anyone better than we already have?  Thats a $64m question and one we wont know an answer to until Jan.

 

The noises coming out of the club suggest that cash is in very short supply   so my fear is any purchase will be near Kuqi than Ashton - will Kuqi and Green save our skin more than Ward and Bent? I dont think so...

 

Without a doubt Greeno has put many of our points on the board this season, so would be a tough player to let go, but how many points less would we have had with Ward or Gallgher in goal?  Impossible to say but the city management seem to feel that we would have had far more points with a better striker - probably more than Greeno has added?

 

OTBC  

[Ayrton Twigge 0]

Whether teams perceive we are desperate to sell or not, a market is made when there is supply and demand.

I would expect there to be greater demand over the summer break as teams gear up for the following season rather than this January. Greater demand will drive up the price.

Much depends too on how Greeno shapes up over a complete season.

In effect, my idea is to take out a mortgage on the new players with Greeno as the collateral.

[We need a Manager 0]

Does anybody seriously believe that come January with Ipswich looking  as if they will be in a promotion spot and Norwich occupying one of the relegation places that Darren Bent would consider joining us ? If he leaves Ipswich it will be for a move to a bigger club ie Villa .

[ZLF 271]

You are right about the old supply and demand thing but there is the possibility that both Manure and Arsenal would want a keeper come January, and one that is not cup tied for their important competitions. I accept that neither may want to buy in Jan but availability of good keepers do not come around often.

And the whole point of selling Greeno would be to ensure a good enough price to get that elusive marksman.

However getting relegated will knock millions off any valuation - look at Robinson - he had been the number two england keeper for months and left for only just over a million and being in the championship, albeit with enormous debts, meant he was sold for a fraction of his real worth - and shows getting Manure & Arsenal interested will not be easy.

OTBC