With Hamer, Dervitte and possibly Morrison who are our key players possibly going I would not be surprised if we follow in Standard Leige's footsteps and sell our best players and replace them with players we never heard of.
This summer will certainly be an interesting one, whether it's positive or negative it remains to be seen.
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Let's just pray they're better than those we have let go.
(only joking i'm shitting myself too)
I don't think RD can do no wrong, nor am I in a brigade but; He has saved us from bankruptcy, kept our pitch playable, appointed a Manager who kept us up from being bottom of the League in just over seven weeks, brought on at least some good players, is going to spend a packet on a new pitch and Academy and has introduced the start of an innovative pricing policy.
We don't even know who will leave or be brought in yet - This is all rumour and speculation. However most of the scare story's about RD have already been shown to be just that and I am fed up with people slagging the man off for no reason.
Hamer is no loss anyway and there are other defenders out there. As for never having heard of replacements well I had never heard of Kermorgant before he played for us!
As far as I am concerned this Club finally looks as if it had turned a corner and in the right direction.
We now have a threadbare squad. We have players such as Reza, Church and Pete signed to at least another year. Proven Championship players such as Hamer, Morrison, Dervite and Poyet meanwhile are left to pack their bags for the summer and left hanging.
A real statement of intent would have been for RD to say that these players are the spine, the nucleus of our team and we will ensure they are signed on decent long term contracts once the season ends so the fans and players have some security.
Of course I dont know the behind the scenes goings on. I am speculating but that's what we can do at the moment until there is some semblance of activity. But surely a big opportunity missed re the four forementioned players.
I currently sit on the glass half empty side of the table I'm afraid. I hope come the end of June, when all our deals are done (why do I doubt this to be he case) that I will join the majority of posters on here in looking forward to a season with a squad of players that will compete for a top half place in the league.
Do I hold my breath?
Once it reaches the 15th July with the situation being the same, then we start panicking.
1- it's May 15th not August 15th; the season is still breathing, the playoffs aren't finished, numerous leagues in Europe are still on going.
2 - this is a squad that finished 18th in the league, it's not a pool of massive talent and quality.
3 - the levels of conspiracy on here are insane
Agreed, it is a squad that finished 18th. Dervite, Hamer and Morrison were also in the squad that finished ninth the year before. We stayed up because if them not despite them. Add Poyet to that list and most would agree that all are important players.
My issue is that a guy who has bought in two unproven Championship players on long term contracts, one of whom was deemed not good enough by two managers, is unwilling, as it currently appears, to sign established players who are decent footballers and all have an allegiance to the club.
Does he really think that Reza and Pete are better players than those mentioned above?
However, most would agree that those brought in at he beginning of his reign have proven to be less than satisfactory.
I'll try and be optimistic.
I'll text Diego, Morro, Hames and DD tomorrow for an update...
Prem fever is bending this game all out of shape.
The Leicester bloke reckons they are prepared to spend 180 mil to get into Europe.
Cardiff earned 62 mil from the Prem last yaer, excluding their parachute money.
Bournemouth lose 15 mil in one season as money madness reaches hitherto unknown parts.
From the Orient fanzine the other night: at a fans' meeting Hearn divulged that in 2012/13 the O's lost 1.3 mil on a turnover of 3.2 mil. Wages were 2.4 mil !! This year they fell to around 2 mil as the O's went head-to-head with Wolves, who spent TWENTY mil.
Good luck to Ben Hamer if he wants to challenge Rob Elliot to a bench-warming contest. Clearly if Leicester want him they'll spend what it takes to get him.
As we used to say, you can only spend a pound note once. Whatever RD might have spent in Jan in desperation he would be short for the much better-value Summer window. Or is he supposed to be another owner with his own Mint ?
Thanks to our previous owners RD and his crew have got an almighty job of rebuilding to do. This is a work in progress which has hardly started, but already we know of ambitious investment in the club's structure. Every signing, every cent that The Roller can save by growing his own is fine by me. Maybe the carcass of CAFC 2011 is about to be picked clean by the vultures but its great days, and the rather plentiful not so great days, are now behind us and like it or not we must move on. Roll on the class of 2014 - soon enough we'll know what it's made of.
Thank god the world cup starts soon
Queue all the RD can do nothing wrong brigade telling us not to worry and how we need to let him time blah blah blah
IAgree
8:47PM
Ok if we start selling out, win the League and qualify for the Champions League and slash ticket prices we will be in the dire situation a Liege are in after RD took over! Spare us that horror! It does make me wonder why Fans from that team come on this site slagging him off. What more do they want??!!
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vff
Anderlecht are top of the league and the league is theres to lose. Liege are second in the Belgium league and if they win their last game will get the Champions League qualifiers spot, which will likely result in a Europa league spot. The belgium has a slower pace and is less intense than the championship. I fear there are parallels with Rolands football managment style and abilities.
Having watched a few games in the Belgium play offs, I wouldn't overstate Rolands acheivement of being near the top of that league. Not that UK could learn a thing or too about coaching and getting people to pass the ball. There is some serious Belgium talent developed but these are snapped up by the stronger leagues.
Keep calm and sing this :
Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be
We're losing our inventory
Que sera, sera
or
Don't cry for us, Jose Riga
The truth is, this year was shitty
It's such a shame now, it's such a pity
Although it's grievous
Many will leave us ....
Part of me feels like those that are being ultra positive are doing so purely to agonise those that are over-worried.
While those two small camps are hanging their towels on their deck chairs at 6am, can't help feel the majority of us are waiting patiently for clearer signs of what the weather is going to be like, but terrified that while it might not completely piss down, it's equally not likely to be a Sunny day.
Why has Riga not been signed up yet, when it is about the one and only thing we all agree on?
(And while I'm at it, why the **** did we waste £700k or so on Polish Pete?
Sorry, I am yet to be convinced that RD has a plan - for the footballing part.
Looking back to 2011 it wasn't actually until late June when many signings came in.
Pritchard and Hollands 24/05
Sullivan 31/05
Hayes, Evina and Alonso 21/06
Stephens and Green 29/06
Wiggins 30/06
Taylor 01/07
Morrison 08/07
Hamer 01/08
Hughes 01/08
Euell 10/08
Cort 29/08
Kermorgant 14/09
I'm concerned at the moment but it must be clear to RD he/his advisors underestimated the Championship. It's been suggested on here a few times that they have pretty much accepted that. I also wouldn't judge the type of signings we'll make based on January and the loan window when there's little value to be had (remember Powell bringing in Nouble?).
We knew we'd probably lose some of the better out of contract players. It'll be disappointing if we lose all four of Hamer, Dervite, Morrison and Poyet but if they do go I'll wait and see what sort of replacements we bring before panicking.