O'Callaghan let go

[ATFC Seagull]

I really think there is a bit of an NSC myth about what O'Callaghan actually said in this so-called "outburst". He was asked if there was something up after a terrible performance he rambled on about it being a potentially unsettling position that club needed to sort out. He did not have a premeditated piece to say, nor did he attack Dick Knight or the way he runs the club, aside from saying "the chairman needs to sort this", which I think was meant as a broad term we hear from footballers for those that run the club, rather than personally Knight. Even if was deemed unacceptable, it was certainly something that could be dealt with, and not enough cause to automatically offload him.

The club release a DVD interview where he says he's a bit outspoken and portrayed as a bit of a legend for it, then when he says a tiny thing about this club he's out.

I am a Knight supporter, but in my opinion, either Dick Knight was incredibly petty to the detriment of the club, or (more likely) the club were uneasy about shelling out the money for a longer deal but were aware the supporters were expecting it, and grabbed this chance to get out of it with both hands.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

It's amazing how the general consensus on a player changes as soon as he left, I don't remember this much abuse to GOC when he was still here. I find it frightening how blindly people will support the club in every decision they make.

I am sorry am I not allowed to agree with Dick Knight these days. Does he now have to be wrong in every decision? It disturbs me how easily people like you are led by O'Callaghan's radio interview into believing everything he said.

I was not a huge fan of O'Callaghan when he was here but would have been reasonably happy if we had signed him. However (as with Bas Savage) he was certainly not worth breaking the bank for.

 

[Mr Blobby]

I do a match report and my own rating on the seagulls mailing list - this is what I put (its difficult to try and look back so thought this might reflect how I saw him in various matches)

Gillingham away - O'Callaghan - 4 very poor distribution and continually put El-Abd under pressure with sideways balls

Yeovill Home - O'Callaghan - 6 tried hard but way too deep to make an impact

Swansea away - O'Callaghan - 5 sat far too deep to cause any problems for Swansea

Bournemouth away - O'Callaghan - 7 pushed Butters for my MOTM

Bristol Rovers home - O'Callaghan - 8 great game, great passing.

Luton home - O'Callaghan - 8 changed the game when he came on, worked well
with Hammond

Walsall home - O'Callaghan - 7 class player just wish he played further forward

Cheltenham home FA cup - O'Callaghan - 6 not at his best

Carlisle - O'Callaghan - 5 backwards ball too often, sat so so deep again then stupid red card

So looks like IMHO he had some good games and some not so good games. Its a shame we didn't sign him as I think he added something different to our midfield, but I am still of the opinion that we dont break the bank to sign any player.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I do a match report and my own rating on the seagulls mailing list - this is what I put (its difficult to try and look back so thought this might reflect how I saw him in various matches)

Gillingham away - O'Callaghan - 4 very poor distribution and continually put El-Abd under pressure with sideways balls

Yeovill Home - O'Callaghan - 6 tried hard but way too deep to make an impact

Swansea away - O'Callaghan - 5 sat far too deep to cause any problems for Swansea

Bournemouth away - O'Callaghan - 7 pushed Butters for my MOTM

Bristol Rovers home - O'Callaghan - 8 great game, great passing.

Luton home - O'Callaghan - 8 changed the game when he came on, worked well
with Hammond

Walsall home - O'Callaghan - 7 class player just wish he played further forward

Cheltenham home FA cup - O'Callaghan - 6 not at his best

Carlisle - O'Callaghan - 5 backwards ball too often, sat so so deep again then stupid red card

So looks like IMHO he had some good games and some not so good games. Its a shame we didn't sign him as I think he added something different to our midfield, but I am still of the opinion that we dont break the bank to sign any player.

Did we not pay a fee for Thomson in the end though? I have no idea of the ins and outs of either deal, but surely the fee + wages can't be much less than the wages to keep O'Callaghan on...

 

[NMH]

It's amazing how the general consensus on a player changes as soon as he left, I don't remember this much abuse to GOC when he was still here. I find it frightening how blindly people will support the club in every decision they make.

Look, with all due respect - he isn't away from this club purely because of football reasons, and he did have his chance to ply his trade with The Albion. The writing WAS on the wall when he joined, and Brighton made it clear by not meeting his wage demands.... in fact the club baulked at them then, as they did later. Did he REALLY force the issue by standing head and shoulders above any player before him? If he did, I must have blinked and missed it. He was okay, but not so you'd call him the best we've got, or worth paying more than our budget allows for.
Is he REALLY such quality that he'd be an asset to any club? Apparently not - otheriwise why were Ipswich not playing him, and why's he not got a list of clubs awaiting his signature?
Perhaps CORK will meet his wage requirements

 

[Simon Morgan]

I am sorry am I not allowed to agree with Dick Knight these days. Does he now have to be wrong in every decision? It disturbs me how easily people like you are led by O'Callaghan's radio interview into believing everything he said.

I was not a huge fan of O'Callaghan when he was here but would have been reasonably happy if we had signed him. However (as with Bas Savage) he was certainly not worth breaking the bank for.

Yes that is exactly what I'm saying, you're not allowed to agree with Dick Knight, f***ing hell. I'm just making the comment that he was very highly rated by most Albion fans when here and was one of our better players. But as soon as he answers a question asked of him, ending up in him leaving the club, suddenly he becomes "The Irish Leon Knight".

 

[NMH]

Did we not pay a fee for Thomson in the end though? I have no idea of the ins and outs of either deal, but surely the fee + wages can't be much less than the wages to keep O'Callaghan on...

Simple - you have one player who does NOT stand out above his peers, yet you suddenly splash out and pay more for his services? Guess what - a line of disgruntled players asking for their wage to meet the new level.
Yes, football DOES have amazing wage-earners, and so does life - but there's a reason some get more than others, and it's not because they just fancy getting more money for doing the same as the guy next to them who's doing the same thing.

Isn't it registering with everyone, that both the recent attempters for more from the club, are still slinging their hooks?

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Simple - you have one player who does NOT stand out above his peers, yet you suddenly splash out and pay more for his services? Guess what - a line of disgruntled players asking for their wage to meet the new level.
Yes, football DOES have amazing wage-earners, and so does life - but there's a reason some get more than others, and it's not because they just fancy getting more money for doing the same as the guy next to them who's doing the same thing.

Isn't it registering with everyone, that both the recent attempters for more from the club, are still slinging their hooks?

I guess thats where we disagree, as I genuinely believe that O'Callaghan WAS worth that little bit more.

 

[NMH]

I guess thats where we disagree, as I genuinely believe that O'Callaghan WAS worth that little bit more.

Well before there was any talk about him leaving, people saw that he blew hot and cold. He had good moments (not 'great' ones by any means) and he was also anonymous too many times. I don't think he can be said to have been worth paying more than everyone else - but then it seems even he acknowledged that by suggesting the club doesn't pay everyone else enough!

He's a better example to the squad than, say, Colin Kazim Kazim Kazim Kazim Richards Kazim, who actually DID go on to bigger things.

 

[BigGully]

Did we not pay a fee for Thomson in the end though? I have no idea of the ins and outs of either deal, but surely the fee + wages can't be much less than the wages to keep O'Callaghan on...

Thomson was free.

 

[BigGully]

I really think there is a bit of an NSC myth about what O'Callaghan actually said in this so-called "outburst". He was asked if there was something up after a terrible performance he rambled on about it being a potentially unsettling position that club needed to sort out. He did not have a premeditated piece to say, nor did he attack Dick Knight or the way he runs the club, aside from saying "the chairman needs to sort this", which I think was meant as a broad term we hear from footballers for those that run the club, rather than personally Knight. Even if was deemed unacceptable, it was certainly something that could be dealt with, and not enough cause to automatically offload him.

The club release a DVD interview where he says he's a bit outspoken and portrayed as a bit of a legend for it, then when he says a tiny thing about this club he's out.

I am a Knight supporter, but in my opinion, either Dick Knight was incredibly petty to the detriment of the club, or (more likely) the club were uneasy about shelling out the money for a longer deal but were aware the supporters were expecting it, and grabbed this chance to get out of it with both hands.

Thats a good point to make.

I was a big O'Callghan fan and I feel a great opportunity missed.

 

[Marshy]

Lets just make up and sign him.

 

[BigGully]

I guess thats where we disagree, as I genuinely believe that O'Callaghan WAS worth that little bit more.

Is not the critical point what the manager wanted !!

Wilkins wanted O'Callaghan and Savage and Richards and Hammonds contract sorted out earlier.

Well he got Richards

Of course the finances will ultimately dictate any signings, but by all accounts it could of been done.

But DK didnt seem to share the Manager's opinion.

 

[Knotty]

Is not the critical point what the manager wanted !!

Wilkins wanted O'Callaghan and Savage and Richards and Hammonds contract sorted out earlier.

Well he got Richards

Of course the finances will ultimately dictate any signings, but by all accounts it could of been done.

But DK didnt seem to share the Manager's opinion.

What accounts?

 

[BigGully]

What accounts?

I beleive it could of been done.

But I might use this as finacially viable:

We keep those players, with some increased expenditure, granted.

Knotty you put a figure on what you think it might of cost to keep these players ?

Then add up beating Mansfield, getting a plumb tie with significant revenue and continued progress in the League with a chance of Play Off's and increased crowds, and a club moving forward.

It would of been quite reasonable to expect that that might of happened.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I have no problem with O'Callaghan moaning about his own contract, that's entirely up to him. He's clearly not short of an opinion or two, which possibly explains why a player of his undoubted ability has never made much of an impact on English football.

But I do think it's something of a liberty for a player who isn't even a permanent employee of the Albion to stick his oar in and go whining to the press about contracts which were signed long before he even came to the club, which are absolutely nothing to do with him. If the players in question weren't happy (and frankly there are still players at the Albion who were damned lucky to get contracts at all during the summer) they shouldn't have signed. And they were free to speak out about any perceived injustices themselves.

They don't need some shit-stirring office temp to do the job for them, unless they're completely weak. Worry about your deal, George, and leave the rest of the team to think about their own.

 

[Beach Hut]

I really don't understand a debate about a player who wanted a wage we couldn't afford and now may well find himself being paid less.

We cannot afford to pay big money until we have a sustainable income which will only happen once Falmer is built and hopefully attracting good crowds.

This player was not the answer 3 years on to filling up Falmer.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Thomson was free.

According to the club website an undisclosed fee was paid, I seem to remember people saying around 70k? Presumably Thomson is one of the highest paid players in the squad now, given his background and age. I wouldn't have thought that his wages + the fee are less than O'Callaghan's wages. I'm an Albion fan so I hope Thomson turns out to be a lot better than O'Callaghan, but we'll have to wait and see.

If its a case of value for money, we've probably pushed the financial structure to bring in Thomson and have no idea how that will work, but weren't willing to do so for a player we'd seen fit into the side. No-one has suggested that it was a case of O'Callaghan not being wanted on the football side...

I'm not saying that the club necessarily SHOULD have paid the money to keep O'Callaghan, thats my opinion but not everybody's, but I can't believe that we couldn't afford to. Anyway, time to let it go I guess.

 

[BigGully]

I really don't understand a debate about a player who wanted a wage we couldn't afford and now may well find himself being paid less.

We cannot afford to pay big money until we have a sustainable income which will only happen once Falmer is built and hopefully attracting good crowds.

This player was not the answer 3 years on to filling up Falmer.

I agree that if the club cannot afford the demands of a player then end of argument irrespective of any perceived success that player might contribute to.

But I beleive that the funds which weren't extortionate could of been met and therefore it was a great shame that deals werent met.

 

[BigGully]

According to the club website an undisclosed fee was paid, I seem to remember people saying around 70k? Presumably Thomson is one of the highest paid players in the squad now, given his background and age. I wouldn't have thought that his wages + the fee are less than O'Callaghan's wages. I'm an Albion fan so I hope Thomson turns out to be a lot better than O'Callaghan, but we'll have to wait and see.

If its a case of value for money, we've probably pushed the financial structure to bring in Thomson and have no idea how that will work, but weren't willing to do so for a player we'd seen fit into the side. No-one has suggested that it was a case of O'Callaghan not being wanted on the football side...

I'm not saying that the club necessarily SHOULD have paid the money to keep O'Callaghan, thats my opinion but not everybody's, but I can't believe that we couldn't afford to. Anyway, time to let it go I guess.

He was free, of course it is likely that would of been factored into his personal terms.