Not sure about the analysis about the squad at the bottom. Darren Bent is keen to leave is he? (I'm not saying he won't go, but credit him with more class than that) Jerome Thomas would stay? (Suspect he thinks he's too good for the Championship) Looking to shift Andy Reid? (The wages are likely to be painful, but if he's fit we need him) Marcus Bent likely to be the foundation of the promotion challenge??????? (words fail me)
I've always puzzled about the signing of Magic for 2 million when we surely had other priorities, perhaps he was the only player we could get for any position, however he may also have been bought to fill Diwaras position should we get relegated - he will be on much lower wages I would imagine, or to replace El Kak if we stayed up.
"Talal El Karkouri, Matt Holland, Lloyd Sam, Darren Randolph, Madjid Bougherra, Marcus Bent" are not the basis for a promotion chasing side. Only Holland and Bougherra would interest a serious CCC club.
Too many football journos know nothing about life outside the Prem. Although two relegated clubs so far have bounced back they have done so because they have made huge changes to their teams. In contrast WBA who stuck with most of their squad have found things far more difficult. I assume Pardew was being polite and loyal rather than serious about keeping 90% of a failed squad.
He needs to idetify a core who want to be here and who have the right attrubutes for a CCC fight and a returnt to the PL and despatch the rest through transfers, loans etc . I suspect that core contains very few who were involved on Monday.
There are ten or so clubs of our size or bigger in the CCC with new investment going into clubs like Derby, Leicester, Coventry, Ipswich, Soton, Sheff Wed etc we may well find we don't have the financial advantage relegated clubs have enjoyed recently. Could be an interesting season though.
I am not sure people have it right about Diawara being on big money and therefore us having to offload him.
He came from Sochaux who are a very small club with no funds (they are probably laughing their balls off that they got 3.7 million from us) so he would have been on pitiful money there and would not have had to be lured by JFH like wages.
Seeing as he has been average for us at best I don't see a bunch of clubs chasing for his signature.
Comments
Darren Bent is keen to leave is he? (I'm not saying he won't go, but credit him with more class than that)
Jerome Thomas would stay? (Suspect he thinks he's too good for the Championship)
Looking to shift Andy Reid? (The wages are likely to be painful, but if he's fit we need him)
Marcus Bent likely to be the foundation of the promotion challenge??????? (words fail me)
Too many football journos know nothing about life outside the Prem. Although two relegated clubs so far have bounced back they have done so because they have made huge changes to their teams. In contrast WBA who stuck with most of their squad have found things far more difficult. I assume Pardew was being polite and loyal rather than serious about keeping 90% of a failed squad.
He needs to idetify a core who want to be here and who have the right attrubutes for a CCC fight and a returnt to the PL and despatch the rest through transfers, loans etc . I suspect that core contains very few who were involved on Monday.
There are ten or so clubs of our size or bigger in the CCC with new investment going into clubs like Derby, Leicester, Coventry, Ipswich, Soton, Sheff Wed etc we may well find we don't have the financial advantage relegated clubs have enjoyed recently. Could be an interesting season though.
He came from Sochaux who are a very small club with no funds (they are probably laughing their balls off that they got 3.7 million from us) so he would have been on pitiful money there and would not have had to be lured by JFH like wages.
Seeing as he has been average for us at best I don't see a bunch of clubs chasing for his signature.
That was in a different era. Try that now and we finish mid table.