Have we mis-read the clubs ambition

[poidy]

Granted Blooms made a massive investment to the club but all this talk of Crofts leaving has got me thinking.

We have aspirations to be a Championship side yet here we are contemplating losing our captain and player of the season. Theres been no statement from the manager saying hes going nowhere or a hands off warning which leads me to believe that these rumours are credible.

I thought we would be in a position to keep hold of players by now. Lets not forget Crofts is still in contract so its solely down to the manager and chairman whether we keep him or not.

I was hoping we'd keep all our current starting 11 and add to it with 3 or 4 additional signings. i think selling Crofts would be a big mistake and one we no longer need to make for a couple of hundred grand.

 

[The Ringleader Returns!]

Is this another gay confession?

 

[Mellotron]

Or maybe Gus doesn't think Crofts is as "irreplaceable" as a few on here would suggest?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Or maybe Gus thinks that whatever they have offered is good business, and he thinks he can do better with that money?

 

[Mendoza]

We are possibly getting a load of money for a player that cost us nothing. We could conceivably be replacing him with a player that costs us nothing (Hendrie or Prutton) so it is just good business.

If we use that money to go towards are 20/30 goal a season striker, we are making a step in the right direction which is the goal of Championship football.

 

[Rookie]

Maybe Norwich are offering a good deal and Poyet thinks he can replace him with someone better

 

[poidy]

Is this another gay confession?

Getting old now

 

[The Wizard]

Oh ffs.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I agree with Poidy, not to be all doom and gloom but losing Crofts will be a real blow in my opinion. It seems the squad is gong bakwards rather then forwards and yes I know it is still May but it doesn't make it any less dissapointing.

And I don't know why people are suggesting that Hendrie is basically ours, is there any reason to suggest he will sign because I haven't seen any.

 

[Mellotron]

I agree with Poidy, not to be all doom and gloom but losing Crofts will be a real blow in my opinion. It seems the squad is gong bakwards rather then forwards and yes I know it is still May but it doesn't make it any less dissapointing.

Until we see who is coming IN this is pointlessly negative.

 

[Sheebo]

I agree Poidy this is a little baffling. I'd like us to fight very hard to keep our Capt and Player of Yr...

 

[Mendoza]

If he does go we have done well this season to get rid of
Top goal scorer
Flair icon
long serving legend
Captain
Player of the season

Bet that doesnt happen too often at many clubs. Times are changing as we aim towards a new goal. Just have to get used to it and enjoy the ride!

 

[Dorset Seagull]

"Theres been no statement from the manager saying hes going nowhere or a hands off warning which leads me to believe that these rumours are credible.

Lets not forget Crofts is still in contract so its solely down to the manager and chairman whether we keep him or not."

Part 2 of your quote suggests that there is no reason for the club to issue any statements at all if they want to keep him.

 

[Skills]

Prutton is a very good player.
If we can get £350k for Crofts now rather than him going on a free next summer then so be it.

I think we should all sit tight until making judgement. Gus is shrewd and it will show by the end of June!!!

 

[beorhthelm]

maybe, just maybe, Gus is on holiday and doesnt want spoil it by responding to every single tedious peice of gossip and speculation.

 

[British Bulldog]

If we did'nt have the ambition and the money to back it up then I dont think Gus would be close to agreeing a new extended contract to take us to where we want to go.

 

[CHAPPERS]

500k or more and he's gone I reckon. Players like Crofts are repaceable and half a million quid could land a couple of really good freebies.

 

[SI 4 BHA]

Until we see who is coming IN this is pointlessly negative.

The problem is that we all expected the squad to be strengthened in the summer with perhaps 4 or 5 signings, but we assumed the likes of Crofts and Calderon, who are players capable of getting us into a challenging position, would form the basis of next years side. Now it looks like a completly new team is required and there is always the danger that by the time the new team settles in, we will already be out of the promotion race.

It does now look as though we are trying to assemble a squad on the cheap if the news about Prutton is anything to go by, and that we are not interested in competing to retain the players we have. That's ok, we have to work to a budget, but in that case we can forget about a serious promotion challenge this year. If someone offers half a million for Bennett, presumably he will be off as well!

 

[Mellotron]

The problem is that we all expected the squad to be strengthened in the summer with perhaps 4 or 5 signings, but we assumed the likes of Crofts and Calderon, who are players capable of getting us into a challenging position, would form the basis of next years side. Now it looks like a completly new team is required and there is always the danger that by the time the new team settles in, we will already be out of the promotion race.

It does now look as though we are trying to assemble a squad on the cheap if the news about Prutton is anything to go by, and that we are not interested in competing to retain the players we have. That's ok, we have to work to a budget, but in that case we can forget about a serious promotion challenge this year. If someone offers half a million for Bennett, presumably he will be off as well!

I didn't assume Crofts would be part of the starting eleven. If we are being offered anything above 400k for Crofts we'd be insane not to take it, we can easily replace him for that money. Scratch that, get Prutton for free - AND have an extra 400k to go towards rebuilding.

For me:

Brez

New RB/Hoyte (can see him being much improved next season)
Elphick
El Abd
Painter

Bennett
Navarro/Arismendi
Prutton/Dicker
LuaLua

Murray
New ST

Not that far off at all, are we really?

I don't think we'd sell Bennett for less than 750k.

 

[Dave the OAP]

surely all the players are for sale at a price, and this has been the case for years.

If someone with money comes sniffing we will let people go.

I personally think Gus was frustrated last year in that we had a poor start under him, got it together and played how he wanted and then let it slip at the end with some poor performances. Maybe he has decided that we need a clear out and if this is a runner, then no-one we thought safe actually is.

Its all speculation, but I just wish we started a season where for the first 10 games we were not constantly asking eachother " which is that one" - I still cant tell the difference between crofts and navarro