O'Callaghan is not coming back 4 sure

[The Large One]

Maybe I need to listen to the interview again, but how exactly did he "malign" Dick Knight?

I do agree it wasn't really any of his business to start talking about unsettled players as an excuse for the Millwall debacle (which is why he brought it up), but all I recall him really saying is something along the lines of "the chairman needs to sort it out". I think thats a general term meaning the chairman/the club/the board rather than a personal attack on Dick Knight.

He did blast the chairman about it - though not in absolute terms, it was more indirect.

But the main issue with that is... Why did he feel the need to go public in such dismissive terms about something which is ultimately none of his business?

 

[Pavilionaire]

This is a sad state of affairs.

What should have happened is the player stayed with us and spent the rest of the season pushing for promotion, then reassessed his future in May.

What WILL happen is that he will warm the bench with Ipswich, then probably sign for Colchester, Swansea or MK Dons in the summer.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

He did blast the chairman about it - though not in absolute terms, it was more indirect.

But the main issue with that is... Why did he feel the need to go public in such dismissive terms about something which is ultimately none of his business?

Not sure I agree about him blasting the chairman, but I agree it wasn't any of his business to go public about it. Not necessarily justified, but I just think it can be slightly explained by the timing, he was using it as an excuse in the aftermath of a terrible, terrible performance; it wasn't premeditated in going to the press or anything.

 

[Zebedee]

So there you were, watching that useless mob of chancers winning Championships, thinking they were rubbish.

As I said before, the wrong team has you as a 'supporter', obviously.

No, but you are right, even the goalscorer Zamora has proven to be rubbish.
Makes you wonder where your good money went watching that shambles.
I wasted mine on the likes of Ward, Lawrenson etc too, so I SHARE your remorse.

Well, I suppose I never was expecting you to do anything BUT pedal forward with your statements - you're never going to actually admit that you are talking gibberish now, are you.

And of course NMH "you" have never been known to talk rubbish.

 

[Hungry Joe]

But the main issue with that is... Why did he feel the need to go public in such dismissive terms about something which is ultimately none of his business?

One or both of these reasons probably:

1) He speaks his mind even if it is likely to land him in trouble. He admits this in the interview on the Season Part1 DVD.

2) Some of the other players, who he seems to genuinely have bonded with, either asked him directly or at least gave him the impression they'd like him to say something on the issue.

 

[NMH]

And of course NMH "you" have never been known to talk rubbish.

There have been moments, so I can agree that I have had something in common with you.

 

[The Large One]

You could apply a lot of that to any loan player though - most of them, in fact most footballers period don't have any great love for the club they're playing for and if a chance to better themselves comes along they'll take it. Fact is that playing well helps all parties involved, so quite where you're going with the comments about him not being any good at playing well I'm not sure....

We can all argue about George O'Callaghan's on-pitch contribution until we're blue in the face. Some on here rate him very highly, others don't.

I err towards the latter in this instance. Yes, he was a highly influential midfield player who kind of set the tone for how the defensive central midfielder should play, and when he hasn't played, Tommy Fraser has not done too badly an impersonation of George's good parts of his game.

However, George wasn't exactly Socrates or Beckenbauer, and was prone to some awful howlers. That, and his impetuous stamp during the Forest game did underline a certain lack of professionalism.

Now that George has gone, I think that what is left of the midfield ought to be individually and collectively better than before he joined, so in that sense he has served a purpose. I have faith in Tommy settling into the first team and making a pretty decent fist of the chance he is going to be given.

Relegation-bound - as the happy-clappy doom-mongers on here would gleeffully have us - we are most certainly not, although everyone does have to pull their socks up and re-focus on the rest of the season now.

f*** it, it's all happened, we move on.

 

[The Large One]

One or both of these reasons probably:

1) He speaks his mind even if it is likely to land him in trouble. He admits this in the interview on the Season Part1 DVD.

2) Some of the other players, who he seems to genuinely have bonded with, either asked him directly or at least gave him the impression they'd like him to say something on the issue.

1) He said he'd had the same trouble at Ipswich and Cork. Frankly, I'm not surprised. FWIW, any Ipswich fans I've spoken to (thought hardly a massive cross-section of their support admittedly) can't stand him. It's a bit like with a fair whack of West Ham fans with Bobby Zamora - 'you're fackin' welcome to him..' etc.

2) IF that's the case, then that is a pretty brainless thing to do. If they knew anything about the chairman, then they'd know that to do that would certainly not curry favour with him.

 

[glasfryn]

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yet three days or so later and two thirds of the people on here insist that he is/was shit and offered nothing to the team. Something doesn't seem to add up here...

Yep.

Same with Harding, Bertin and can see the same happening with Hammond.

 

[The Large One]

Yep.

Same with Harding, Bertin and can see the same happening with Hammond.

Eh?

Harding was slated for his performances before any of this contracts bollocks.
Bertin was hardly ever out-and-out criticised for his on-field performances, only for his off-field behaviour during the close season. A lot of people would still have him back in the team now.
As for Hammond...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Eh?


Bertin was hardly ever out-and-out criticised for his on-field performances, only for his off-field behaviour during the close season.

Rubbish, He all of a sudden became not worth keeping when he was holding out for a different offer. You watch, if Hammond leaves people will say he wasnt worth keeping anyway.

 

[BensGrandad]

The one common denominator amongst all of this is a chairman who appears to have adopted the attitude of ' I am the boss that is the offer take it or leave it as it is not open for negatiations' that is how I read it and I may well be wrong.

I always thought that agents were supposed to ask for more for the players that they act for. again perhaps I am wrong.

 

[The Large One]

Rubbish, He all of a sudden became not worth keeping when he was holding out for a different offer.

Is not rubbish. He was considered 'not worth keeping' once we'd signed O'Callaghan. Before that, Dick Knight came in for quite a bit of heat for the perceived idea of not talking to Bertin once the offer deadline has passed. Those who didn't want him didn't like the notion of him dicking the club about, not because they thought he was shit.

You watch, if Hammond leaves people will say he wasnt worth keeping anyway.

Not from me you won't. In fact, you can probably expect a bit of a blasting towards the club (again, not from me) for being 'tight'. Again.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Losing O'Callaghan is a HUGE blow and people are deluding themselves to think otherwise.

He is one of the best midfield players to play for the albion in YEARS.

If we had signed him it would have been a real statement of intent to the rest of our squad and also players we might be hoping to sign.

People BITCHING about him is SOUR grapes. He is, after all, an Ipswich player so he is hardly going to come out and go 'I would love to stay at Brighton for ever' while there was a chance he might return to Ipswich.

 

[BensGrandad]

. He was considered 'not worth keeping' once we'd signed O'Callaghan. .

By whom?

 

[The Large One]

By whom?

Alright, put it this way... O'Callaghan was considered by some as the perfect replacement for Bertin, who, as a result of O'Callaghan's first few games 'would not be missed'.

Go back through the threads. If you want to, that is.

For what it's worth, I prefer Bertin to O'Callaghan, but neither are going to play for us, so hey ho, we move on.

 

[NMH]

Rubbish, He all of a sudden became not worth keeping when he was holding out for a different offer. You watch, if Hammond leaves people will say he wasnt worth keeping anyway.

The way I read it, Bertin was "holding out for a better offer" with any OTHER club, and probably because he thought he'd put himself in the shop-window with poor ol' sack o' woe Brighton and Hove Albion. All quite reasonable for any player not contracted to us - but since he was completely disinterested in even SPEAKING to Brighton, that picture told a telling enough story.
The timing of 'not worth keeping' doesn't come into it - he was out of Brighton, and not remotely interested in speaking to Brighton right the way through the out-season!

HOW people are enjoying to say BHA carelessly and flippantly offload players as if they're not required, bewilders me.

The Large One might correct me if I'm wrong, on that.

 

[Zebedee]

There have been moments, so I can agree that I have had something in common with you.

Fair enough.

 

[Gritt23]

I don't think he's increased his chances of a move or a starting place at Ipswich. What he did was hugely unprofessional and managers and directors anywhere else will no doubt be cautious now.

For a player of his talent and age, there is no way he should still be knocking around at Third Division clubs on loan to try and get some regularly football, unless there is something seriously wrong ... and my guess is that it's his attitude.

1. He only came on loan because our contract offer wasn't high enough.
2. After he declared himself fit when he wasn't at Port Vale, and missed the next few games, he was quoted as saying "I don't expect to be warming the bench, I could be doing that back at Ipswich". Hmm, no praise for Fraser while he was out, or talk of fighting for his place, it's a squad game etc.
3. After his stupidity got him sent-off, when his suspension was coming to an end, he again came out with the "I don't expect to be warming the bench" stuff.
4. We still can't afford his wage demands - just as we couldn't in the summer - so he openly slags the club off to and media that will listen.

Reading between the lines I know, but my assessment is that the guys attitude stinks. Thanks and good luck George, but I can see why you are struggling to make it as high as you ability deserves ..... why is the name Leon Knight springing to mind?