Bennett medical at Norwich on Monday

[mike79]

Rumour our end from a source known to get it right

Don't shoot the messenger!

I'm sure the picture will become clear when your manager talks today.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Has he got permission to skip training? There's an important match the next day.

 

[skr80]

Its a 2 million pound gamble - will we be promoted without replacing him? High stakes indeed.

 

[clippedgull]

Rumour our end from a source known to get it right

Don't shoot the messenger!

I'm sure the picture will become clear when your manager talks today.

Your rumour board said he was having a medical Thursday, now another Monday! Is the boy ill?

 

[Napper]

That pink un is about as reliable as NSC for rumours

 

[JBizzle]

Our manager has spoken via the Argus:

"Albion boss Gus Poyet insists he will not fall out with Elliott Bennett after his star player handed in a transfer request.

He says it will have no impact on whether or not Norwich target Bennett plays for the League One leaders in today’s FA Cup fourth round tie at Watford.

It is business as usual for Poyet after Bennett handed in a transfer request on Thursday afternoon.

Albion have already rejected a bid from Norwich for the versatile winger and chairman Tony Bloom reiterated Bennett is going nowhere in a brief statement yesterday morning.

Bloom said: “Nothing has changed. We do not want to sell Elliott, we don’t need to sell the player.”

Bennett trained as normal with the rest of the squad, then joined them on the coach journey to Hertfordshire in preparation for today’s clash at Vicarage Road.

Poyet told The Argus last night: “Nothing has changed for me. I am not going to change my position or relationship with Benno. It’s exactly the same situation as yesterday afternoon when he put the transfer request in.

“If he is going to play he is going to play and if he is not going to play he is not going to play. It won’t be because of what is happening.

“It was a normal day. The players knew and there were a few jokes and things but we trained as normal and picked him up at Hickstead as usual.

“Of course, he is uncomfortable I suppose, because it’s not a situation any footballer is used to being in, especially a character like Benno.

“For me as the manager it’s a dream situation, because you are keeping your best player. I think we have made it quite clear, he is going to stay.”

Norwich, chasing promotion to the Premier League, have until 11pm on Monday when the transfer window closes to try to alter Albion’s stance. Boss Paul Lambert said: “We’ve made an inquiry and that’s where it is at the minute. Brighton said what they said so we’ll have to wait and see what happens over the next few days. I haven’t heard anything.

“There are one or two other calls I’ve made but they’re not stone cold certainties either. If it doesn’t happen I’ve got a brilliant group of lads who are playing really, really well at the minute and we’re doing really fine.”

Burnley are also monitoring Bennett’s situation, according to sources in Lancashire, although Poyet said: “We heard a rumour last week about QPR but nothing else. The only bid we’ve had was from Norwich.”

Bennett, 22, signed a new three-and-a-half year contract in November. He has scored 13 goals in 78 games for Albion and has played a key role in their four-month stay at the top of the table with 20 assists this season following a £200,000 move from Wolves in August 2009.

Wolves are understood to have included a significant sell-on clause in the deal of around 20 per cent.

Bennett was unavailable for comment when The Argus tried to contact him last night.

Meanwhile, Poyet is in no hurry to make a decision on Argentinian trialist Emmanuel Ledesma.

The 22-year-old former QPR and Genoa midfielder made a goalscoring debut in the reserves against Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday night.

Poyet said: “I am going to take my time. He is a free agent, so I am not going to rush and say yes or no.

“He did well in the reserves but we are going to check on him. We are going to take at least a week.”

 

[dannyboy]

Doesn't a fee have to be agreed before a medical ?

 

[severnside gull]

I'm sure the picture will become clear when your manager talks today.

He has spoken

Poyet on Bennett: It's business as usual From The Argus)

(sorry JB, you beat me to it!)

 

[HP Seagull]

Poyet has already spoken, and in today's Argus says he is going nowhere.

Edit - beaten to it!

 

[mike79]

Your rumour board said he was having a medical Thursday, now another Monday! Is the boy ill?

that was one of those dodgy rumours sites i think. never heard a norwich fan mention anything. in fact info has been almost non existent til now.

could be rubbish tho as many can turn out to be. lambert had already left us for burnley the other week!

 

[mike79]

Your rumour board said he was having a medical Thursday, now another Monday! Is the boy ill?

bunch of freaks on that site mate!

perhaps something has happened since poyet did that interview.

 

[Scoffers]

I have to say the statements from Bloom and Poyet do suggest that we wont let him go, no matter what.

 

[mike79]

Doesn't a fee have to be agreed before a medical ?

doesn't a fee have to be agreed before you can speak to a player

 

[mike79]

i suppose it depends on how unhappy the player is

i'm sure poyet said he doesn't want players who don't want to play for the club

we shall see!

 

[HP Seagull]

I have to say the statements from Bloom and Poyet do suggest that we wont let him go, no matter what.

We'd be stupid to let him go as we have little or no time to replace him. Bennett will stay and if we win promotion and Norwich don't the gap between the clubs will be nowhere near as big next year.

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Tony Bloom gamble?

Keep EB to guarantee promotion and £4M payday in the Championship against a net £1M now or sell in the summer for £2.5M as a Championship player. Sounds like good poker odds to me.

 

[mike79]

Tony Bloom gamble?

Keep EB to guarantee promotion and £4M payday in the Championship against a net £1M now or sell in the summer for £2.5M as a Championship player. Sounds like good poker odds to me.

if you keep him and went up, why would you sell him? need decent players in that league and it's not like you need the money

 

[supaseagull]

Rumour our end from a source known to get it right

Don't shoot the messenger!

I'm sure the picture will become clear when your manager talks today.

1. Didn't you say last week that a reliable source said he had a medical last Thursday?
2. BHA have said not for sale
3. Even if we did sell him to you how truly happy would you be to see Norwich take a gamble on a player with no Championship experience considering that any offer would have to be around the £2.5-£3 million mark?
4 Finally, it's inevitable with your squad that you'll fall away from the play-off positions over the next few months. Why do you think a club of Norwich's stature would be anymore attractive than ourselves next year?

 

[Superphil]

We'd be stupid to let him go as we have little or no time to replace him.

Exactly, and if he does do the dirty, then he is something of a **** for that reason alone

 

[moggy]

Hey mike79
You gonna stop posting here once the transfer window shuts Monday lunchtime