West Ham target Dunk as Reid replacement

[crabface]

What a strange comment.

I dont see how it is a strange comment, JFC has been consistently poor all season, what has he offered? There is no coincidence that when he isnt in the squad we play better.

Perhaps the reason he has played for the England U21's is more down to the lack of English talent.

 

[Triggaaar]

There you go a player insisting he wants to stay at Watford. Can anyone remember the last Brighton player who was being touted for a move saying he wanted to stay here?

Yes. CMS was being sent to Peteborough, and he said he wanted to stay.

 

[Icy Gull]

Yes. CMS was being sent to Peteborough, and he said he wanted to stay.

Yeah well there you have it, a player at the end of his contract not wanting to drop a division, not really any real comparison. Last one that I can remember was John Byrne not wanting to leave to go to Sunderland. Looking forward to Dunk saying he doesn't want to go anywhere and wants to reach the Premier League with the Albion.

 

[Stat Brother]

Yeah well there you have it, a player at the end of his contract not wanting to drop a division, not really any real comparison. Last one that I can remember was John Byrne not wanting to leave to go to Sunderland. Looking forward to Dunk saying he doesn't want to go anywhere and wants to reach the Premier League with the Albion.

I do find this particular bee in your bonnet very odd, Icy.

It goes against the entire ethos of the club since Tony took control.
As and when (it clearly isn't an 'if' situation) Dunk is sold, he'll go for top dollar, Ulloa style.
The club has at least 3 viable replacements, any one of which could be sold for top dollar in 2-3 years time.
One position could net silly money, like £15-20m over the course of a couple of seasons.
Even after all that it's a position that will still maintain an in-house youth replacement.
Selling captain Dunk and promoting one of the other 'kids' sends out a massive statement to reserve/yoof football.

Selling your best player is just the nature of football, it's just bloody nice to start doing the selling from a position of strength.


Selling Dunk could go a long way to the Albion reaching the Premier League.

 

[Icy Gull]

I do find this particular bee in your bonnet very odd, Icy.


Selling Dunk could go a long way to the Albion reaching the Premier League.

Hasn't gone at all well so far though has it? We invested in the team and missed out by a whisker and a strop. Since then we've done GREAT selling business and gone backwards on the field because of it. Is it really so odd that I'd like us to hang on to few of our better players for longer than a season and a bit?

We'll continue the trend of not being able to keep a decent manager either if we carry on with this sale of every player we get decent offers for. Surely there has to be balance? As I say why can other teams manage to hang on to their players and they are not just the big teams either? We have big gates and I'm guessing the marketing dept is as successful as most clubs in this league?

 

[Stat Brother]

Hasn't gone at all well so far though has it? We invested in the team and missed out by a whisker and a strop. Since then we've done GREAT selling business and gone backwards on the field because of it. Is it really so odd that I'd like us to hang on to few of our better players for longer than a season and a bit?

We'll continue the trend of not being able to keep a decent manager either if we carry on with this sale of every player we get decent offers for. Surely there has to be balance? As I say why can other teams manage to hang on to their players and they are not just the big teams either? We have big gates and I'm guessing the marketing dept is as successful as most clubs in this league?

The Ulloa money hasn't been spent, now if that's gone elsewhere to manage the club then so be it.
That would certainly suggest the need for another large injection of cash.
It would seem to all, inc Tony, that the club had 'issues' around recruitment.

You're right there ought to be a better balance, with more continuity, hopefully that's now in place.

Nevertheless Dunk is easily the teams biggest asset, in a position where the club has experienced and youthful cover.

This would be a very different conversation if our young, home grown, centre forward, had already banged in 15 goals, (I am fully aware of the irony in that statement) and we were in a play off place.

But he's not (honest I get it!!), and we're not going up any time soon.
So if a massive deal can be struck Dunk just has to go.

Maybe the club will only get derisory offers at which point he stays.
Or perhaps the club will be in a stronger position to build round Dunk #II.



I think I've worked out my point:-

As a ball playing, young, English, centre half, who can also score, and on a long contract.
Lewis Dunk is worth considerably more to other clubs, than he is worth right now, to the Albion.
It's not as if the club will have to buy to replace him.

There was discussion recently on The Football Weekly about the fact there are no longer any centre halfs in football, and a top quality defender is harder to buy than a forward.

 

[Icy Gull]

As a ball playing, young, English, centre half, who can also score, and on a long contract.
Lewis Dunk is worth considerably more to other clubs, than he is worth right now, to the Albion.It's not as if the club will have to buy to replace him.

There was discussion recently on The Football Weekly about the fact there are no longer any centre halfs in football, and a top quality defender is harder to buy than a forward.

I take most of your points BUT I suggest Dunk is very important to our survival in this division the way things stand, one of these kids is not going to slip in and be as good. The other centre backs we have are all old and likely to get injured or knackered so losing Dunk will be a big deal imo. In the summer, having survived in the Championship hopefully, maybe think again. Dunk needs to stay here until the end of this season though, @kin 'ell we can't keep offloading all our best players, we are where we are because of it (and the clueless Finn being appointed)

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Apart from the fact that he is awful. Pretty sure no Premiership clubs will be looking at him.

You missed him & March running rings around the Oppo U21s in the couple of internationals last year? The dominated on the edge of box and prob every coach in the country was tuned in, superb interaction

 

[Stat Brother]

I take most of your points BUT I suggest Dunk is very important to our survival in this division the way things stand, one of these kids is not going to slip in and be as good. The other centre backs we have are all old and likely to get injured or knackered so losing Dunk will be a big deal imo. In the summer, having survived in the Championship hopefully, maybe think again. Dunk needs to stay here until the end of this season though, @kin 'ell we can't keep offloading all our best players, we are where we are because of it (and the clueless Finn being appointed)

Ah that explains it then.

I've clearly 'turned the corner' considerably further than you.
TBH I'm already itching to start a tongue (just) in cheek '14 points from the playoffs' thread at 5pm on Saturday.
As opposed to 'crap 5th from bottom.

Therefore I think it's a cracking time to sell and tentatively see who has the goolies to fill his boots.