Speculation: Central Defenders

[Ian Royal]

EP says the only way we will get anyone in currently is by way of the loan system.....

Therefore I am not expecting any signings any day soon.

Is the club's current account in such a bad way that we have to wait for the money from the sale of Long (anything from £3 million to £10 million) before buying another player?
If so that Brighton fan might be right in suggesting that ours is a club experiencing financial difficulties rather than the well run ship that the RTGs are continually telling us RFC is.

If we were experiencing financial difficulties we wouldn't be holding out for such large fees all the time. There might be rumours of outstanding debts to people like HMRC, or being unable to pay players. threats of administration, or key players not being offered new contracts.

None of that is happening.

[Victor Meldrew]

EP says the only way we will get anyone in currently is by way of the loan system.....

Therefore I am not expecting any signings any day soon.

Is the club's current account in such a bad way that we have to wait for the money from the sale of Long (anything from £3 million to £10 million) before buying another player?
If so that Brighton fan might be right in suggesting that ours is a club experiencing financial difficulties rather than the well run ship that the RTGs are continually telling us RFC is.

If we were experiencing financial difficulties we wouldn't be holding out for such large fees all the time. There might be rumours of outstanding debts to people like HMRC, or being unable to pay players. threats of administration, or key players not being offered new contracts.

None of that is happening.

I'm sure that you are right Ian but it strikes me as odd that the club (via the EP ) is just talking of loan signings when we should be building a team and not just getting by.

[andrew1957]

I have to say that I do find the Fordham article surprising.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... oan_market

In one way it might be positive. Perhaps the club are expecting no more players to go. If Long and Kebe have both agreed new contracts then that would be great news and I can live with a loan replacement at CB.

If, however, we do intend to cash in on either Kebe or Long then not signing a permanent replacement for Mills now would seem short sighted in the extreme.

[andrew1957]

If finances are such an issue we could do worse than offer Sonko a year at £10K a week.

He sounds fairly fed up with his last three years since he left and might jump at the chance to come back.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://ww ... 2zf_E8XmLA

He might not be the player that he once was but could do a job for us.

[Snowball]

SSN interview this afternoon with the owner of West Ham
who "Fully expects promotion"

Two points. He said the owners had had to fork out TWELVE MILLION in the last few weeks
just to "pay the wages and pay people off"

He also said that though Upson's contract was finished THEY STILL HAD TO PAY HIM
and he is on 60K per week

[Friday's Legacy]

If finances are such an issue we could do worse than offer Sonko a year at £10K a week.

He sounds fairly fed up with his last three years since he left and might jump at the chance to come back.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://ww ... 2zf_E8XmLA

He might not be the player that he once was but could do a job for us.

same goes for andre bikey.

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

If finances are such an issue we could do worse than offer Sonko a year at £10K a week.

He sounds fairly fed up with his last three years since he left and might jump at the chance to come back.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://ww ... 2zf_E8XmLA

He might not be the player that he once was but could do a job for us.

same goes for andre bikey.

...things at the club must be shite if, before any transfers happen , BM has to loan in a central defender if he wants one...beggars belief ...no wonder BM sound so peed off in his radio interviews about the situ

[andrew1957]

SSN interview this afternoon with the owner of West Ham
who "Fully expects promotion"

Two points. He said the owners had had to fork out TWELVE MILLION in the last few weeks
just to "pay the wages and pay people off"

He also said that though Upson's contract was finished THEY STILL HAD TO PAY HIM
and he is on 60K per week

I have to say that paying any player 60K per week is madness for any club outside the top 6 or so of the PL. You can see why so many clubs are in touble and why players want more and more becuase they hear what other players are getting.

It has to end sometime.

[andrew1957]

If finances are such an issue we could do worse than offer Sonko a year at £10K a week.

He sounds fairly fed up with his last three years since he left and might jump at the chance to come back.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://ww ... 2zf_E8XmLA

He might not be the player that he once was but could do a job for us.

same goes for andre bikey.

The difference being that Bikey is under contract so we would have to pay a fee.

[Ian Royal]

Not keen. He's error prone, and lost the pace that used to get him out of trouble. He also seemed to be one of the trouble makers towards the end and frankly I'm not impressed at all with his comments about his hard time since leaving.

Definitely a case of don't go back for me.

[peterroyal76]

I don't believe Bikey is the answer, for the reason that i don't trust him not to do anything silly. He is an accident waiting to happen.

[Cypry]

If finances are such an issue we could do worse than offer Sonko a year at £10K a week.

He sounds fairly fed up with his last three years since he left and might jump at the chance to come back.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://ww ... 2zf_E8XmLA

He might not be the player that he once was but could do a job for us.

same goes for andre bikey.

...things at the club must be shite if, before any transfers happen , BM has to loan in a central defender if he wants one...beggars belief ...no wonder BM sound so peed off in his radio interviews about the situ

Or maybe he's just peed off at keep getting asked the same old questions - I strongly suspect that the club are really hoping to hang on to Kebe and Long. OK, it might be out of the clubs hands and down to the players wishes, but would you really expect the club to spend money from a transfer that they're in all probability hoping won't happen?

That's like finding out you could be made redundant, then going out and spending what you think your redundancy money might be on a new motor.....all well and good, but what happens if you don't get the chop? You've spent a bundle of cash with no additional income to cover it...it would be bonkers!

As for what is said in the EP, McD says that "at the moment" it looks like being a loan in - I reckon that situation would change significantly if Long, Kebe or one of the keepers were to go...

[sandman]

It also says that none of the Long transfer fee should he leave will be used to buy.

[Cypry]

It also says that none of the Long transfer fee should he leave will be used to buy.

And of course everything that the EP says is 100% correct and never sensationalist in any way - I might be concerned if this was a quote attributal to someone at the club, but I can't see any substance in that article at all....

[pea]

Considering that Jonny Fordham said we wouldn't be loaning anyone a week before ledge came and that we wouldn't sign amyone January (we signed five players), I'm not too concerned either. I think he's more concerned with fueling a bit of controversy than reporting it how it is.

[brendywendy]

McD has expressed his disdain for fordham before when constantly bombarded with the same repeated questions.i expect its simply that again.


and it wouldnt surprise me if brian feeds nonsense to him, just to make him look silly.

[andrew1957]

McD has expressed his disdain for fordham before when constantly bombarded with the same repeated questions.i expect its simply that again.


and it wouldnt surprise me if brian feeds nonsense to him, just to make him look silly.

You might be right.

It is amazing how often Fordham is the last to reveal any serious news. When Mills left it was SSN that broke the story. You would think that Fordham would be the first to know if he is "close" to the team.

The Chronicle has also beaten him to important news several times.

[Svlad Cjelli]

It also says that none of the Long transfer fee should he leave will be used to buy.

And of course everything that the EP says is 100% correct and never sensationalist in any way - I might be concerned if this was a quote attributal to someone at the club, but I can't see any substance in that article at all....

And of course BMc never has different moods and never says things off the cuff that are aimed to make a point at the club, rather than at the greater

[BonBoh]

It is amazing how often Fordham is the last to reveal any serious news. When Mills left it was SSN that broke the story. You would think that Fordham would be the first to know if he is "close" to the team. The Chronicle has also beaten him to important news several times.

Are you surprised? SSN is, after all, part of the BSKYB network, 39% of which is owned by the evil Murdoch empire. Now, why do you think they are on the ball? Any guesses?

[ZacNaloen]

It is amazing how often Fordham is the last to reveal any serious news. When Mills left it was SSN that broke the story. You would think that Fordham would be the first to know if he is "close" to the team. The Chronicle has also beaten him to important news several times.

Are you surprised? SSN is, after all, part of the BSKYB network, 39% of which is owned by the evil Murdoch empire. Now, why do you think they are on the ball? Any guesses?

Hah, that hadn't even crossed my mind. Sky News sources indeed.