Paul Barber Program Notes Today

[Phat Baz 68]

Since January, we have sold four players - Ashley Barnes, Liam Bridcutt, Leo Ulloa and Will Buckley.
We did not have to sell any of them - and we didn't want to either - but once each of these players made it clear they wanted to leave us to play in the Premier League, it became almost impossible to keep them.

Firstly he is contradicting himself by saying the two parts highlighted in bold and secondly correct me if Im wrong but all these players were under contract.
The part underlined is another contradiction of everything he has written.
It seems to me by saying what he has just said, these players were literally holding the club to ransom.

 

[Commander]

Since January, we have sold four players - Ashley Barnes, Liam Bridcutt, Leo Ulloa and Will Buckley.
We did not have to sell any of them - and we didn't want to either - but once each of these players made it clear they wanted to leave us to play in the Premier League, it became almost impossible to keep them.

Firstly he is contradicting himself by saying the two parts highlighted in bold and secondly correct me if Im wrong but all these players were under contract.
The part underlined is another contradiction of everything he has written.
It seems to me by saying what he has just said, these players were literally holding the club to ransom.

Not really. He's saying that, financially, we did not need to sell these players. But once a player decides he wants to leave, you're better off selling him and taking the money rather than having an unhappy player. Where's the contradiction?

 

[Titanic]

Since January, we have sold four players - Ashley Barnes, Liam Bridcutt, Leo Ulloa and Will Buckley.
We did not have to sell any of them - and we didn't want to either - but once each of these players made it clear they wanted to leave us to play in the Premier League, it became almost impossible to keep them.

Firstly he is contradicting himself by saying the two parts highlighted in bold and secondly correct me if Im wrong but all these players were under contract.
The part underlined is another contradiction of everything he has written.
It seems to me by saying what he has just said, these players were literally holding the club to ransom.

You can't MAKE a player play football. If they want to leave to play in the premier league / make more money / whatever... and you can't talk them out or if or persuade them otherwise... then it seems to me that it is best all round to make it happen, while receiving the most money in compensation.

You can call it 'holding the club to ransom' if you like, I would call it practical good business, making the best of an inevitable situation in today's football climate.

 

[brighton bluenose]

I respect your posts normally but have no idea what you're getting at with this analogy. Holla was available all pre-season and could have been signed and training with the squad throughout pre-season if we moved quicker. Surely that is preferable to putting him straight into the squad on a few days notice? Ditto Tex.

Either we knew about these players already and deliberately waited until the last minute to buy them (a tactic normally reserved for lowering transfer fees, which is not applicable on a freebie and a loan) OR we were made aware of the players then immediately snapped them up, opening more questions about the scouting network, due diligence in assessing the players prior to signing them, etc...

Either way, it's extremely hard to understand our "policy" this transfer window!

What a strange comment! If we didn't know about these players early on as you - probably correctly - assume but then DID spot them late on surely our scouting network is to be congratulated?!!!

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Not really. He's saying that, financially, we did not need to sell these players. But once a player decides he wants to leave, you're better off selling him and taking the money rather than having an unhappy player. Where's the contradiction?

I can see your point !
But it boils down to this contracts for players literally are not worth the paper they are written on.
It just means that a club will have to buy the player from another club as opposed to getting them for free.
The actually longevity of the players contractual obligations themselves to the club means diddly squat.
" I wanna play in the Premier League and if you don't sell me to X FC I won't play to my best ability for your club anymore then you'll have to sell me nu nu nu nu nuuuu " (stamps feet throws a hissy fit and storms out of Chairmans office slamming door on way out "

 

[Commander]

I can see your point !
But it boils down to this contracts for players literally are not worth the paper they are written on.
It just means that a club will have to buy the player from another club as opposed to getting them for free.
The actually longevity of the players contractual obligations themselves to the club means diddly squat.
" I wanna play in the Premier League and if you don't sell me to X FC I won't play to my best ability for your club anymore then you'll have to sell me nu nu nu nu nuuuu " (stamps feet throws a hissy fit and storms out of Chairmans office slamming door on way out "

Yep. Welcome to modern football.

 

[El Presidente]

I can see your point !
But it boils down to this contracts for players literally are not worth the paper they are written on.
It just means that a club will have to buy the player from another club as opposed to getting them for free.
The actually longevity of the players contractual obligations themselves to the club means diddly squat.
" I wanna play in the Premier League and if you don't sell me to X FC I won't play to my best ability for your club anymore then you'll have to sell me nu nu nu nu nuuuu " (stamps feet throws a hissy fit and storms out of Chairmans office slamming door on way out "

Yup, remember Elliott Bennett signing a new contract in November, then putting in a transfer request eight weeks later. Luis Suarez signed a new contract with Liverpool in December 2013, orginally he had a release clause in his contract for £40million, the new contract upped this to £75 million, and off he went a few months later at the higher fee.

 

[Man of Harveys]

So you won't be buying Paul Barber's Collection of Essays at the end of the season?

Volumes 1-50: The "1901 Catering Issue" Email Collection - aka One Ambition, One Lukewarm Parsnip for 14 quid - is on every true Albion fan's Xmas list.

The TLS described it as "a bit boring" so the Dear Leader secretly emailed the editor to whinge about that, then nominated him for the Russian Roulette challenge.

 

[chaileyjem]

Yup, remember Elliott Bennett signing a new contract in November, then putting in a transfer request eight weeks later. Luis Suarez signed a new contract with Liverpool in December 2013, orginally he had a release clause in his contract for £40million, the new contract upped this to £75 million, and off he went a few months later at the higher fee.

Yep. Jordan Rhodes signed a new 2 year contract with Blackburn Rovers on July 10th. If reports are to be believed he'll be gone to Hull CIty in a day or so. 7 weeks later.

 

[kevtherev]

Since January, we have sold four players - Ashley Barnes, Liam Bridcutt, Leo Ulloa and Will Buckley.
We did not have to sell any of them - and we didn't want to either - but once each of these players made it clear they wanted to leave us to play in the Premier League, it became almost impossible to keep them.

Firstly he is contradicting himself by saying the two parts highlighted in bold and secondly correct me if Im wrong but all these players were under contract.
The part underlined is another contradiction of everything he has written.
It seems to me by saying what he has just said, these players were literally holding the club to ransom.[/QUOTE

In the case of Bridcutt and Buckley, they were both very much Poyet's boy's, hence where they ended up. Once Poyet was gone, their day's at the club were numbered, simply because they did not want to be here. In the case of Ulloa, I can't imagine any club at this level turning down a £6m profit over 18mths and in the case of Barnes, he had six mths left on his contract and could have walked away for nothing...I really can't see how the club can be held to task over any of these sales. They all make perfect common sense to me.

 

[El Presidente]

In the case of Bridcutt and Buckley, they were both very much Poyet's boy's, hence where they ended up. Once Poyet was gone, their day's at the club were numbered, simply because they did not want to be here. In the case of Ulloa, I can't imagine any club at this level turning down a £6m profit over 18mths and in the case of Barnes, he had six mths left on his contract and could have walked away for nothing...I really can't see how the club can be held to task over any of these sales. They all make perfect common sense to me.

Hold on Kev, I've agreed with about the last ten posts you have made, starting with your comments about the match yesterday, either you are ill, or I am.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yep. Jordan Rhodes signed a new 2 year contract with Blackburn Rovers on July 10th. If reports are to be believed he'll be gone to Hull CIty in a day or so. 7 weeks later.

Hopefully it'll happen too late for them to reinvest any of the vast wad of cash they'll get for him on a decent replacement.

 

[kevtherev]

Hold on Kev, I've agreed with about the last ten posts you have made, starting with your comments about the match yesterday, either you are ill, or I am.

Lol, I just say it as I see it, always have. I have been so frustrated the last few seasons. I know we have ended up in the top six but at what cost The football has at times been painfully boring and dull. I was very worried about the lack of signings, I basically think we gave away 6 pts at the start of the season, by not signing players earlier, but that looks to have been addressed....I have never been a glory hunter or a jcl, I've been going since 79,,,but I do want to be entertained and feel I have had value for money....For the first time in a long time, I walked away from ground yesterday totally entertained and content....1-0 wins, with 70% possession in your own half and two shots on target just doesn't do it for me I'm afraid, even if it's every game. Yes you would win the league, but at what cost, football is supposed to be the working man's Saturday treat. Not a dull chore....My change in attitude, Is down to a change in playing style......Oh and I was very impressed with Holla yesterday as well, great range of passing and as cool as you like....please to say I was wrong about him.

 

[The Camel]

Yup, remember Elliott Bennett signing a new contract in November, then putting in a transfer request eight weeks later. Luis Suarez signed a new contract with Liverpool in December 2013, orginally he had a release clause in his contract for £40million, the new contract upped this to £75 million, and off he went a few months later at the higher fee.

The only thing a contract means is the parent club will get a fee for a player rather than walk away on a Bosman.

If a player wants to move, he gets his move.

 

[RexCathedra]

...in the case of Barnes, he had six mths left on his contract and could have walked away for nothing...I really can't see how the club can be held to task over any of these sales.

Happens all the time in baseball. Boston traded the best left-handed pitcher in the club's history -- Jon Lester -- in advance of him becoming a free agent six months later.

Beloved. Fan favorite. Fought and won against cancer, with the club's help, as a young prospect.
Didn't matter.
Get something now. Get nothing later.
Doesn't take an MBA to get that one right...

 

[Commander]

In the case of Bridcutt and Buckley, they were both very much Poyet's boy's, hence where they ended up. Once Poyet was gone, their day's at the club were numbered, simply because they did not want to be here. In the case of Ulloa, I can't imagine any club at this level turning down a £6m profit over 18mths and in the case of Barnes, he had six mths left on his contract and could have walked away for nothing...I really can't see how the club can be held to task over any of these sales. They all make perfect common sense to me.

Spot on as always, Kev.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Should have been boiling water !!!

Actually I am going to retract this statement, childish, uncalled for and not nice.
Bozza can you please remove my offensive message please.
Mr Barber my apologies Sir.
I am man enough to admit my mistakes.

 

[Commander]

So, do you still think COG is the replacement for Ulloa?

How about now?

 

[jcdenton08]

Ecstatic with the signings in recent days, full squad of players now - lovely stuff