Looks like bertins defo not staying now!

[Schrödinger's Toad]

It's the Iwelumo situation all over again.

Was it not the case that Iwelumo wanted to stay, but we weren't prepared to meet his demands? I'm not sure there's been any suggestion that we're not giving Bertin what he wants.

 

[severnside gull]

good luck to him.

now let's move on

 

[Yorkie]

Was it not the case that Iwelumo wanted to stay, but we weren't prepared to meet his demands? I'm not sure there's been any suggestion that we're not giving Bertin what he wants.

No he didn't turn up for training. Nobody knew why. It turned out that he was in Germany.
He did want relocation expenses but still didn't let the club know that he wasn't coming back.
Then the following year he asked to come back. He was turned down (so I understand)

 

[Rookie]

good luck to Bertin wherever he turns up quality player, personally think he owes us nothing. We waited until the end of the season before offering him a contract if he can get better elsewhere good on him

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

good luck to him.

now let's move on

*WHOOP WHOOP, SENSIBLE POST ALERT*

Steady now...

 

[Beach Hut]

It's the Iwelumo situation all over again.

Why has a demanded a re-location fee ?

 

[Dave the OAP]

I'm pleased at the news to a degree.

Shame he hasn't signed as would have been an asset, and won't get someone of his quality for free elsewhere.

However, with Reid coming back, and to a degree Charlie we do still have cover.

I'am pleased that we are now exploring other avenues before it's too late and land up with a last minute signing who quite frankly doesn't improve the squad.

Sorry mate...run that one past me again.

Replace Bertin, one of the best footballers we have had down here in a long time with a bloke who hasnt played for God knows how long and is not expected to play again and someone else( Reid) who has been out injured practically all season and will be extremely ring rusty.

Not quite sure of the logic there

 

[Silent Bob]

and who's fault is that? his? we spot a player of potential but only have the gumption to offer him a super-short-term contract, probably on crap money. if he'd been properly scouted at the time and given a proper long-term contract (a la molango for example) then this wouldn't have happened.

good luck to him

I'd guess that he wouldn't have come here on a longer contract, we only took over his Le Havre contract which was running to the end of the season.

I don't think it is to do with scouting, we knew the pedigree he had with the amount of games he had played for Le Havre at higher levels, as well as games for them against us. He was a former captain there too.

It is a shame that it seems he is not staying, but not too much of a surprise.
With this and missing out on Currie playoffs suddenly seem much less likely.

 

[Dave the OAP]

No he didn't turn up for training. Nobody knew why. It turned out that he was in Germany.
He did want relocation expenses but still didn't let the club know that he wasn't coming back.
Then the following year he asked to come back. He was turned down (so I understand)

Not wishing to get into an argument again, but how do you know these things?

 

[blockhseagull]

Sorry mate...run that one past me again.

Replace Bertin, one of the best footballers we have had down here in a long time with a bloke who hasnt played for God knows how long and is not expected to play again and someone else( Reid) who has been out injured practically all season and will be extremely ring rusty.

Not quite sure of the logic there

My logic is, we still played some of the worst football i've seen with him in the side..... played ok alongside Hammond as a fetch and carry player but otherwise didn't look amazing.

 

[Dave the OAP]

My logic is, we still played some of the worst football i've seen with him in the side..... played ok alongside Hammond as a fetch and carry player but otherwise didn't look amazing.

fair enough.

I take the other view that if it wasnt for him, we would have gone down. I thought he protected the back four, broke up attacks and whern Hammond wasnt there he had no-one to pass to, so it did look as though his final ball was poor.

I recon he is the best player I have seen since Zamora in the stripes. and I would go so far as to say that he is the best foreign player we have had since Gotsmanov

But its a game of opinions

 

[blockhseagull]

fair enough.

I take the other view that if it wasnt for him, we would have gone down. I thought he protected the back four, broke up attacks and whern Hammond wasnt there he had no-one to pass to, so it did look as though his final ball was poor.

I recon he is the best player I have seen since Zamora in the stripes. and I would go so far as to say that he is the best foreign player we have had since Gotsmanov

But its a game of opinions

I agree with most of that, but i think we need players that make things happen...we have lots of solid, steady players but not enough that get at people or create.

Like i say...we won't get anyone of his quality for nothing and he would have been a plus, but my main point orginally was more about i was glad Wilkins has decided to move on and maybe get someone else in, rather than wait weeks and it be too late.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I agree with most of that, but i think we need players that make things happen...we have lots of solid, steady players but not enough that get at people or create.

Like i say...we won't get anyone of his quality for nothing and he would have been a plus, but my main point orginally was more about i was glad Wilkins has decided to move on and maybe get someone else in, rather than wait weeks and it be too late.

Oh absolutely.

If he had not heard than yes, we had to move on pretty quickly. My concern is that we will use El Maniac in Bertin's place.

I still recon one decent combative midfielder in teh Billy Bremmner mode and a goalkeeper and we will be ok...

 

[Yorkie]

Not wishing to get into an argument again, but how do you know these things?

It's the difference between most men and women. Women tend to read detail whereas most men (I know it's a generalisation) only read headlines.

 

[blockhseagull]

Oh absolutely.

If he had not heard than yes, we had to move on pretty quickly. My concern is that we will use El Maniac in Bertin's place.

I still recon one decent combative midfielder in teh Billy Bremmner mode and a goalkeeper and we will be ok...

Yeah, if we stay injury free

My main hope is Frutos finding his 2005-06 form as was woeful last season, if we can get him firing again would be a a bonus especially after losing out on Currie

 

[Silent Bob]

My logic is, we still played some of the worst football i've seen with him in the side..... played ok alongside Hammond as a fetch and carry player but otherwise didn't look amazing.

I disagree, I thought he was one of the key factors in the regeneration of the side and the run that kept us clear of a relegation battle.

His debut was the awful game at Brentford, he was one of the few players to come from that with any credit despite his one mistake leading to the goal. But from then on we had some good results, until we got to 52 points and then the whole team faltered, and to be honest he definitely looked like a player who thought his future was elsewhere more and more towards the end of the season.

He could easily dispossess opposition players and break down attacks, not the El-Abd style way of running around a lot and diving into a lot of tackles, just through his excellent reading of the game. He is a decent passer, I think I only saw him foray into the oppositions final third once and he looked uncomfortable there but that was not his job.

We will miss him, no one we have is anywhere near his class at doing what he does.

 

[Dave the OAP]

It's the difference between most men and women. Women tend to read detail whereas most men (I know it's a generalisation) only read headlines.

Talking about details, I know the Chairman of Colchester United FC supporters club ( I work with him in London) and Iwo tells a far different story about B&HA management at the time...but hey...doesnt matter. Life goes on.

 

[Statto]

I kind of agree with Rookie here. Why did we wait untill may to offer a new deal? If we had offered him a new deal during the season, he would have had to give us an answer straight up. As its the summer he is in no rush do get things done and can weigh up his options. We have shot ourselves in the foot.

He hasnt really been dishonest though has he, he has just kept quiet whilst considering his options, (unlike a certain other player who lied to us).

Good luck to him. The Belgian Premier League is of a better standard than English league one.

 

[blockhseagull]

I kind of agree with Rookie here. Why did we wait untill may to offer a new deal? If we had offered him a new deal during the season, he would have had to give us an answer straight up. As its the summer he is in no rush do get things done and can weigh up his options. We have shot ourselves in the foot.

He hasnt really been dishonest though has he, he has just kept quiet whilst considering his options, (unlike a certain other player who lied to us).

Good luck to him. The Belgian Premier League is of a better standard than English league one.

I thought we had.... Dick was on the phone in before the end of the season saying we were doing are upmost to keep him.

 

[driller]

Why the HELL does that make him a cun*?

because he is french