Benno: "No Hard Feelings"

[Barrel of Fun]

I haven't got any lingering ill-will to Bennett at all, I don't blame him for being interested, he's arguably our best player, and he could have behaved much worse than he did.

But it is stretching a a point to say he is, in his words, "100 per cent committed to the cause" a few days after handing in a transfer request. Could we settle at 90 per cent committed?

Perhaps he works off a scale of 110% like many footballers.

 

[fire&skill]

The only person that needs to forgive him is Gus, and by the sounds of it he didn't have that much of a problem with him.

Gus was [not that long ago] a professional footballer who probably went through very similar situations himself; it's their relationship which has caused Bennett to stay - long may it continue

 

[Codner's Crackpipe]

does he spoil you with fererro rocher?

funny

 

[clippedgull]

you are confusing the word "fact" with something else. club received offer, turned down. Elliot wants to at least hear what Norwich have to say, so hands in request enabling that dialogue. (at least, as i understand the transfer process). this does not mean he "wanted out", it means he wanted to listen to their offer. maybe he should have just asked his agent to discuss it unofficially behind the scenes?

it's funny, because in no other walk of life does this happen, only in football do you need to ask you current employers permission or effectivly hand in your notice in order to discuss job with other employers.

I would be 99.5% sure Elliott and his agent knew before his transfer request what was on the table for him. I don't think at any stage he was given permission to 'officially' talk to them as his transfer request to my knowledge hasn't been accepted.

 

[severnside gull]

very timely statement from a very impressive young man

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

BBC Sport - Football - Norwich City bid for Bennett was significant - McNally

Norwich City would have made their most expensive transfer in five years had they signed Elliott Bennett, according to chief executive David McNally.
The Canaries were unable to agree a fee for the 22-year-old Brighton winger.
"We made three offers, significant seven-figure sums," McNally told BBC Radio Norfolk.

Don't know if anyone has posted this... probably I'd imagine... but looks like we turned down more money than Gus was letting on. Good on you Tony.

 

[clippedgull]

BBC Sport - Football - Norwich City bid for Bennett was significant - McNally



Don't know if anyone has posted this... probably I'd imagine... but looks like we turned down more money than Gus was letting on. Good on you Tony.

Interesting!

Good quote here too

"Brighton are a great football club, good people, our relationship with them is unharmed by the events of the last four weeks.
"We can understand them not wanting to sell their best player, so we do have some sympathy but he was the one that got away."

 

[clarkey]

BBC Sport - Football - Norwich City bid for Bennett was significant - McNally



Don't know if anyone has posted this... probably I'd imagine... but looks like we turned down more money than Gus was letting on. Good on you Tony.

That article also suggests he handed in the transfer request two weeks ago, rather than last Thursday/Friday. Could well be poor reporting though.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

"Significant seven-figure sum" shows just how much it meant to Bloom and Poyet to keep hold of him, too. Have we ever in our history turned down that sort of bid for anybody? Zamora's the only player I can think we've even received a bid that size for, and he went.

 

[brightonrock]

"Significant seven-figure sum" shows just how much it meant to Bloom and Poyet to keep hold of him, too. Have we ever in our history turned down that sort of bid for anybody? Zamora's the only player I can think we've even received a bid that size for, and he went.

Virgo £1.5m?

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

Of course, ta. But he went too.

 

[brightonrock]

Yeah, I can only think of turning down £3m from Everton for Zamora when we were still in (what is now) League2. Normally if the fee got anywhere over 500k the player was off, so great to see we're now in a position to turn down bids of this sort of size. Interesting that Norwich have publically said that though. I wonder if a bit of mind games are being played, to try and undermine Gus' quote about it 'approaching 1m'. Have a gut feeling they may be in this for the long haul, the summer might not be an enjoyable few months for us.

 

[Norman Potting]

Personally i would've liked him to be 105% or 110% committed to the Albion.

I would settle for 103%. Possible future England player, captain, respected pundit (writes own column for broadsheet?) and Prime Minister. For now I would settle for "the beating heart of the team" as someone on this very board so aptly described him, well done whoever it was!

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Makes me laugh, the vast majority of footballers can't string two words together, let alone something like that above!!

Very well written by some sort of lawyer / legal representative from the club.

Benno was schooled at Thomas Telford - just go checkout where they sit in the results league table.
I did a bit of cricket coaching there in 2009 - most of their cohort are "special" in some way.
Very choosy on admin intake.
I'd take a guess that Benno has 10+ GCSEs
My daughter is going out with one of his mates - I'll ask ....

 

[Sheebo]

Benno says in the article that they were offering 'A lot more money' - He'd obviously had contact from Norwich one way or another? Report the ***** for that...

Also who were the idiots suggesting we SHOULDN'T be making an effort to sing Benno's name and show him support at Watford? Can't be bothered to dig it out but whoever you were you were and have been proved WRONG

 

[trueblue]

That article also suggests he handed in the transfer request two weeks ago, rather than last Thursday/Friday. Could well be poor reporting though.

Yep. And don't forget it was a Norwich fan writing for The Sun who broke the story. So the likely scenario is that they put the word out in a last-ditch attempt to force the deal through - it could have had a major impact on his relationship with the fans and consequently his future at the club.

Looks like Bennett put in his transfer request privately as he wanted to explore the option of furtherhing his career - and who could blame him for that.

 

[Brighton till i die]

he's a good lad