Lewis Grabban blamed for missing an easy chance for Bournemouth against Watford.
Missed a penalty.
Lewis Grabban blamed for missing an easy chance for Bournemouth against Watford.
Do you not get the feeling that Grabban never had any intention of joining but was always happy to stay at Bournemouth? Maybe Albion activating his release clause was a godsend by enabling his agent to go back and say " well he's happy to stay as long as you match Brighton's offer". The Agent has done his client proud winkling a nice new contract out of the club where the player is settled anyway.
I still wonder if we did this very public ally in order to show other targets that we had options?
I'm 100% conviced this was always the case, and him and his agent was just using us.Do you not get the feeling that Grabban never had any intention of joining but was always happy to stay at Bournemouth? Maybe Albion activating his release clause was a godsend by enabling his agent to go back and say " well he's happy to stay as long as you match Brighton's offer". The Agent has done his client proud winkling a nice new contract out of the club where the player is settled anyway.
Maybe, just maybe, Bournemouth offered him a decent wage increase, made him feel wanted (which, as we have found out with Ashley Barnes and Adam El Abd, is something footballers appreciate/need) and he was concerned he would not be first choice at the Albion?
It doesn't always have to be because a player or agent is an evil money-grabbing mercenary.
Maybe, just maybe, Bournemouth offered him a decent wage increase, made him feel wanted (which, as we have found out with Ashley Barnes and Adam El Abd, is something footballers appreciate/need) and he was concerned he would not be first choice at the Albion?
It doesn't always have to be because a player or agent is an evil money-grabbing mercenary.
Maybe our wage offer wasn't any better than what he was already on? Maybe Bournemouth subsequently offered him a longer contract than we were?
This would all be a reasonable post, had the player in question not signed his existing 3 year deal in NOVEMBER.
His agent did a pretty shit job of negotiating that one, tbh, if seemingly, the market rate for his player's wage should have been significantly better.
The thing is, none of us know the ins and outs of this.
It could be that Bournemouth offered him a modest increase in return for removing the release clause from his existing contract to prevent any other clubs potentially turning his head. Would make sense given rumoured interest from QPR and Reading.
Maybe Grabban - with the release clause activate - thought he would speak to the Albion and see what was on offer. Maybe the wage offer from Brighton was not much different and that, given the fact he was unlikely to be first choice at Brighton, he took a couple of days to think about it - which would be sensible - and in that time Bournemouth offered him the improved deal, made a fuss of him and that made his mind up. We have seen from El Abd and Barnes the importance some players place on just, well, feeling wanted.
What I don't understand is how - not knowing exactly what went on - so many supporters can suddenly dismiss him as a greedy, money-grabbing football mercenary who never had any intention of joining us and who, well, wasn't that great anyway. Just seems a little bitter.
Would make sense given rumoured interest from QPR and Reading.
Yes - We feel happy that we have retained our player - but we all know the real winner..Grabban's agent. Pretty good at his 'job' it seems!
Yes - We feel happy that we have retained our player - but we all know the real winner..Grabban's agent. Pretty good at his 'job' it seems!
Yes - We feel happy that we have retained our player - but we all know the real winner..Grabban's agent. Pretty good at his 'job' it seems!
Maybe, just maybe, Bournemouth offered him a decent wage increase, made him feel wanted (which, as we have found out with Ashley Barnes and Adam El Abd, is something footballers appreciate/need) and he was concerned he would not be first choice at the Albion?
It doesn't always have to be because a player or agent is an evil money-grabbing mercenary.
Maybe our wage offer wasn't any better than what he was already on? Maybe Bournemouth subsequently offered him a longer contract than we were?
Maybe we offered Barnes what he was worth as an average Championship striker?
Maybe we respected AEA's wishes to play first-team football, because he was never going to be better than 3rd choice here?
Maybe we offered Grabban what we judged him to be worth as a reasonable replacement for Ash, and maybe Bournemouth matched that offer (I agree that he has a better chance of being first choice at Bournemouth)?
We can all play the 'maybe' game, but I prefer to think our club are making the correct decisions in all 3 cases.
I wasn't saying the Albion hadn't been correct in all three decisions. I think they have been.