Greeno

[hook norton canary 0]

Boro target Green as Schwarzer replacement

by Paul Fraser

MIDDLESBROUGH will decide whether to table a bid to land Norwich City goalkeeper Robert Green only after the future of Mark Schwarzer has been resolved.

The Aussie keeper and his agent Barry Silkman have rejected a contract offer from Boro - with a switch to Manchester United remaining a strong possibility - and he is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with interested clubs next month.

With the impasse over negotiations between the two there is a chance that Schwarzer will be sold at a knock down price in January if a suitable replacement can be found.

And Green is believed to be high on manager Steve McClaren''s list of replacements having worked with him when the England squad have met up in the past.

The chances of McClaren landing his man as early as January look slim after the player, who has a contract until 2007, recently insisted that he would be unwilling to turn his back on Norwich until the summer at least.

By waiting until the end of the season Green could come at a much cheaper price with the Canaries battling to avoid relegation in their first year back in the Premiership.

As things stand, it is understood Norwich would contemplate selling if an offer over £4m was tabled.

It is unlikely that Middlesbrough would be willing to pay such a fee at this stage, but January appears to be the best opportunity for the Teessiders to conclude a deal.

If they were to wait, and retain the services of Schwarzer until May and work on trying to find a solution to the contract wrangle that has ran for months, then champions Arsenal are sure to make a move for Green.

The Gunners are also looking to strengthen in the goalkeeper department with criticism hurled Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia''s way after some costly errors.

Green has his future panned out and he wants to stay in the Premiership if Norwich go down. He would prefer a move to Highbury and Arsene Wenger rates him highly.

Schwarzer, meanwhile, is nowhere nearer to signing a new contract and the chance of the 32-year-old departing grow stronger by the day.

Middlesbrough''s first-choice shot-stopper claimed last night that there is a chance he could be sold when the transfer window opens on January 1.

Middlesbrough insist ''negotiations are ongoing'' and that they are still hopeful an agreement can be reached. But Schwarzer believes it is up to the club to come to him with an offer he deems suitable.

"I''ve got no intentions of leaving in January but you never know in football. Things can change very quickly, the club can sell me, though I can decide whether I go or not," said Schwarzer, who arrived from Bradford in 1997.

"I''ve declined the offer, there''s nothing else to it, things are as they are, there''s been no progress and it''s as simple as that.

"That''s the way things are in football, contracts run out and you either agree a new one or you don''t.

"When it comes down to deciding, the club have to make a decision on what they want to offer a player, pure and simple."

 

this was on www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk

[ZLF 271]

I heard about this last night with the additional comment that we were lining up Steve Harper as a replacement.I just hope we can keep hold of him until the summer.OTBC

[StevenageFan 0]

I won''t be sad if we get a minimum of £4M in January or the summer.  What would be nicer of course is if we stay up with a clear margin and Greeno stays put for another season of Prem footy with Norwich.

At the end of the day things look rosey for us - either £4M to play with or Greeno in goal, happy days.

[no1canary 0]

i will still be very disappoined if we dont get above £5m.

[Dr. Jonathan Zizmor 0]

I''d take 4 million quid and Joseph-Desiré Job.

[Herb 0]

Unless we''re absolutely desperate for the money, which I don''t believe we are, then selling Green would be suicide. It would a boundless optomist who could expect any replacement to come in and do an equal job.

The 1.2M figure is meaningless. Remember how we didn''t have the money for Huckerby, then mysteriously found it? (where did that come from then? Down the back of the sofa? )

If we go down and he has to go at the end of the season, so be it. Selling him now would be tantamount to the board saying "OK, the games up, we know we''re not good enough to stay up, so lets start selling the family silver"

Plus if we stay up, this time next year he''ll probably be worth 50% more. Those are good odds.

[DDD In The Fine City 1]

[quote]Unless we''re absolutely desperate for the money, which I don''t believe we are, then selling Green would be suicide. It would a boundless optomist who could expect any replacement to come in and do an ...[/quote]

Greeno is off in jan without a dowt, why do you think gallagher went out on loan to gills? the transfer will also happen before the ninth so he''s not cup tied. if the moneys right then i think it''s good business, still think we need a forward and a CB and this would help. unless the board get their grubby paws on it first.

[ca 1]

[quote]Greeno is off in jan without a dowt, why do you think gallagher went out on loan to gills? the transfer will also happen before the ninth so he''s not cup tied. if the moneys right then i think it''s go...[/quote]

Ive said all along that he will be off in January and I still think that he will be. As long as we get £5m for him and its all given to Worthy to spend on new players then I think we should take it.

He has been a great servant to this club and it is inevitable that he will want to move to a bigger stage eventually to further his international career.

[Saint Canary 0]

I must say I would not blame Rob if he wanted to move on.  He strikes me as the kind of guy who would want to stay till the end of season though.  Saying that it may not be down to him!

[westoncanary. 0]

Greeno is in a win-win situation.  If he stays and we stay up, he''s a hero. If he stays and we go down(Sorry, don''t like to say things like that) he will be off, but no-one would blame him.  He could go next month and my general feeling is that STILL no one would be up in arms about it, PROVIDED we got the right money for him.

But, I would love for him to stay with us, for his obvious talent and also for his attitude towards the team and fans.

[CanariaGlorificus<DL><DT><PRE><EM><STRONG><P><FONT face="Arial Narrow">"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." George Best.<FONT><P><STRONG><EM><PRE><DT><DL> 0]

I believe that in the current market we would be lucky to get any more than £4m for green.

I''d be more hopefull if there was a bit of a bidding war, but with Schwarzer and Jaskelainen looking like targets for the big boys that looks less likely.

[ZLF 271]

I think the key thing for him is to play premier football. Going to a ''bigger'' club may mean that he does not play regularly or sits in reserve - that wont help him at all and is the main reason I cant see him leaving before the summer. David Seaman has shown that you can be in a poor performing side and get noticed internationally - as long as you are in the prem. If we avoid the drop I think there is a chance Rob may stay longer, unless he is promised a first team sheet at a club with euro footie.OTBC

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

4M + Hasselbaink and I just might be tempted

[a1canary 0]

He''s going, no question. What''s convinced me of it is Worthy''s latest round of psychology games where, for a couple of months now, he''s been giving it the, "if we get quoted silly money for a player we won''t entertain it and we''ll just have to go with what we''ve got."

Translated out of Worthy speak, this comes out as:

"we won''t be able to afford anyone in January so we can go with the current squad - and get relegated."

So, the supporters now understand that the selling of Greeno is the only way to raise some cash to get us some players that could keep us up. I think most of us on here knew this anyway and i to reluctantly have to accept it. As for where the mony came from to pay for hux, delia dug deep (again), and got us promoted. We can not and i do not expect her to keep doing that. Greeno is the only major playing asset we have (altho francis'' value must be going up fast!)

[Saint Canary 0]

Take this information how you want but we have conceeded a lot of goals this year and without him it could have been a lot worse.  He has made 75 saves this season, easily the highest number in the Premier League.

[funny old game 1]

[quote]Take this information how you want but we have conceeded a lot of goals this year and without him it could have been a lot worse. He has made 75 saves this season, easily the highest number in the Pr...[/quote]

saint canary,

I had a good day simpling a my locals hostileries festive spirit!! & have now found my way back to my humble aboade? I switch ed om me compty  & am slowlly reading all the stuff. Iwas wondering where you go the satistic about greeno making 75 saves? cant remember how manY games we hav played but if its 17(i gues(*( then 4 a game ent much!! no wopnder were at the botton. we must have let at least thiry in, If somebody want to by him wa shud take the money.  

[nolegs 0]

finnee ald gome ,the shtatishtic ish on the shky shportsh martch preevew

[funny old game 1]

o good  thankd        noleds Ill have a look , stiil dontseem many even if its fact, greenmo good at spoting sahots but shit on comnmanding his area & p[issed or not Ican garenty he will still be here atv thec end of the seasobn 

[Northern Canary 0]

Greeno is saving us points. He keeps out certain goals and i cant see any worthy replacement that would be of the same value to us for keeping us up