- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,982
He really wasn't that specific, if you mean the interviews he did post play-offs.
Kayal & Stephens
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He really wasn't that specific, if you mean the interviews he did post play-offs.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
In the interview I heard he explicitly said top 2 ( or automatic promotion ).
I was astounded he'd gone on record as saying that and listened several times.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
1 min 28 into Tony's interview still on seagulls player.
Talking about next season...
"We want to go up and we want to be top 2"
Eh? What the **** are you on about? You constantly pooh poohed all the rumours, calling lots of people thick - even people who were ITK and later proved right about prior rumours that he was close to resigning in previous windows. You ended up with a HUMUNGOUS amount of egg on your face. It's over.
Blue_Boy
New member
A lot of testosterone flying about & I can understand why. I'm barely over the play offs & we come to the part of the season I hate which is when we get back together to train for our next attempt to go up (and I can't contemplate a season where we miss out after the last one. Tony definitely spoke of a top two finish & I expect us to go for it - that means improving our squad not letting key players go!)
I hate pre season cos I'm not ITK with inside dealings in the Club so worry if we'll keep players other Clubs want who are vital for us to go up & bring in new players to strengthen
A lot has gone on this last few days & I'd hope the Club might reassure us. I want to be positive but we have our key CMers out of contract next season & need to tie both down with extended contracts - especially as Burnley have made an offer for Stephens of £4m that we turned down. They've also bid £3m for Hendrick. That was also turned down by DCFC
Burnley are renowned for bidding low. Nixon on Twitter tonight says he expects higher bids for both players by them though
It disturbs to read on here Hull having interest in Kayal & of a way he could go there for a paltry £1.5m!!! How could that happen? Has he a clause whereby he could talk to them. Worrying
We were a better team than the three that went up - yet they can offer PL football. It's a concern & one BHA MUST be aware of. Odd that Burnley haven't bid for Kayak & Stephens as a pair but maybe they know we'd value Beram higher than they'd pay. Stephens is from around there. Possibly £5-6m for him would be accepted? Hope not. He's our engine room
Boro thankfully seem to be buying abroad (and how!) so might have no interest in us
It's all supposition but I wish we'd get them both on new deals quickly. As for incomings I rate Brady. He works that left flank has pace, skill & gives us more danger from set pieces. He'd be a good fit IMO. More to him than Sidwell. Up front we'll threaten though I'd take a risk on Kodija to add muscle & goals as extra fire power as a wild card
Oh well. Hope the waiting's over soon & we retain the squad that'll take us up. We deserve it
I hate pre season cos I'm not ITK with inside dealings in the Club so worry if we'll keep players other Clubs want who are vital for us to go up & bring in new players to strengthen
A lot has gone on this last few days & I'd hope the Club might reassure us. I want to be positive but we have our key CMers out of contract next season & need to tie both down with extended contracts - especially as Burnley have made an offer for Stephens of £4m that we turned down. They've also bid £3m for Hendrick. That was also turned down by DCFC
Burnley are renowned for bidding low. Nixon on Twitter tonight says he expects higher bids for both players by them though
It disturbs to read on here Hull having interest in Kayal & of a way he could go there for a paltry £1.5m!!! How could that happen? Has he a clause whereby he could talk to them. Worrying
We were a better team than the three that went up - yet they can offer PL football. It's a concern & one BHA MUST be aware of. Odd that Burnley haven't bid for Kayak & Stephens as a pair but maybe they know we'd value Beram higher than they'd pay. Stephens is from around there. Possibly £5-6m for him would be accepted? Hope not. He's our engine room
Boro thankfully seem to be buying abroad (and how!) so might have no interest in us
It's all supposition but I wish we'd get them both on new deals quickly. As for incomings I rate Brady. He works that left flank has pace, skill & gives us more danger from set pieces. He'd be a good fit IMO. More to him than Sidwell. Up front we'll threaten though I'd take a risk on Kodija to add muscle & goals as extra fire power as a wild card
Oh well. Hope the waiting's over soon & we retain the squad that'll take us up. We deserve it
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Unfortunately, there does not seem any chance of signing Brady. He went for £7 million last summer. I don't think Burnley would have much chance either. Three successive relegations might be too much to contemplate. Brady is exactly the player we could use to improve our side. I expect that has occurred to Newcastle and Villas well and Norwich would want to keep him.
This gives a rough idea of the value of Dale Stephens in the market nowadays.
I think we need a pacy striker to run into space if our current crop of forwards/wingers cannot hack it. The signing of Glenn Murray sort of excludes the target man striker.
Then there is a possible problem if one of the first choice defenders get injured in a vital game. And two important games are in the first six when Hünemeier is unlikely to be fit enough. .
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
i think we should refuse to sell either, subject to them being willing to stay and put 100% into the season, and let them negotiate whatever deal they want, to wherever, at the end of the season. They would both pocket a substantial amount more once they are out of contract next season. Can we guarantee to be able to replace them adequately for the money we get for them now? The 6-10 million we might get for the pair of them is worth turning down if the club is serious about getting out of this division and easily absorbed if we do go up.
It would be a big risk but you don't get to the Premier League without taking big risks anymore IMO.
It would be a big risk but you don't get to the Premier League without taking big risks anymore IMO.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
If we sell one we need to put some of the 8million+ we get towards giving the other a big contract signing bonus.
Finchley Seagull
New member
Sorry, are you suggesting we should try to sign Robbie Brady of Norwich. The one who has a minimum price tag of £15 million and will have loads of Premier League clubs after him.
There's no point worrying about whether we'll keep Stephens and Kayal. If they stay, great. If they leave, I trust Winstanley and his team to recruit well and bring in the right players.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,982
apologies. I thought you was referring to his normal line about the likely performance of what sort of squad he'll be putting together. (ie: nearly always the nuanced "competitive" or "top 6" etc)
Its not unusual or unprecedented for him to say that his goal or aspiration is that we want to be in the prem or get promoted or get into the top 2".
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
The context was that we'd had 3 failed playoff campaigns and next season the aim is to avoid that by going higher.
I've been talking about his target all along, not his assessment of the squad which he is obviously unable to do before the transfer window shuts.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 13,982
Yep. I watched it. Understood. But he's said that before. In fact he says it every year in the annual accounts.
Hastings gull
Well-known member
- Nov 23, 2013
- 4,635
I do agree with you but of course we don't know whether they want to stay and might just be tempted by PL riches this season, which, lets face it, would be understandable. It is the difference between them being employees and us being fans. Of course the money we might get for them would (presumably) be re-invested and the recruitment team has hitherto done a pretty good job, so I am sure that the scenario of the midfield pair leaving would have been thought through. It would be good PR for the club to keep them, if they are indeed serious about promotion, as you rightly suggest, yet on the other hand, say a combined figure of 12 million now, as opposed to two frees if/when they walk away in summer, would be preferable. I just don't know what would be best. Ideally they play this season, we go up, and they get the pay-out that they no doubt would want, when we offer them both PL contracts in summer 2017. But will this happen?!
Norman Baker suck my lozenge
New member
He certainly talks a good game.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
He also builds a pretty good stadium and funds some fairly substantial losses. I take it your comment was not a genuine compliment though...
Publius Ovidius
Well-known member
Yes but that is all the cup final money and fleecing dick tight! Get your facts right icy!
clippedgull
Hotdogs, extra onions
Precisely this! Bloom and company will know the value of these players to our ambitions, if they fit into our current financial restrictions with their wage demands then we can fight off predators. But if Premier clubs match our valuations and offer the players a huge wage rise with the attraction of guaranteed Premier League football, they will be last seasons heroes and we move on.
But without a bottomless pit of moola that recruitment would be taking money away from the striker kitty.
Sure Tony has been reluctant to spend on strikers.
But with the rest of the squad settled, you'd have to think this was the summer for the club to get it's nose out of the bargain basement and actually look like it wants promotion.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Perhaps we will, Murray didn't come cheap and just maybe the rumours of a big money forward being signed are true? You can use the "bargain bucket forward" stick to beat TB with once the transfer window is closed if we go down the COG or Wilson route again.
Medwayseagull
JCB
The word "compliment" is not part of his vocabulary.