Other Clubs Sniffing Around...

[Robin JD Popley]

Sorry if we have a thread for this already but seeing Kasper linked to Chelsea because they "may be" interested in him really is enough. 

 

Since we won the League, all the "bigger" clubs have tried to bully us and have thus far, succeeded in dismantling the core of that team. In some cases, it was inevitable some would eventually move to pastures new, but the amount of times we have gone through unsettling periods since then as a club have had a detrimental effect on our ability to push on to the next level.

 

I really wish that they'd leave us alone now and I also hope Rudkin and Co are strong enough to say no more. We've got to stand up to this brow beating and prove to people we won't be pushed around any longer. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels like this.

Edited 17 July 2018 by Robin JD Popley

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

You "wish they'd leave us alone"?

 

Good grief. I don't really like any of the bigger clubs but they're obviously going to be interested in good, proven players. That won't change because they suddenly grow a sense of empathy for our fans.

[Robin JD Popley]

4 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

You "wish they'd leave us alone"?

 

Good grief. I don't really like any of the bigger clubs but they're obviously going to be interested in good, proven players. That won't change because they suddenly grow a sense of empathy for our fans.

More in the sense that it's very much like Southampton just becoming used to Liverpool calling every Transfer window.

 

How can we ever establish ourselves as a top six club if we are constantly being bullied into selling our best players to Chelsea, Man City etc?

 

 

[VLC86]

10 minutes ago, Robin JD Popley said:

More in the sense that it's very much like Southampton just becoming used to Liverpool calling every Transfer window.

 

How can we ever establish ourselves as a top six club if we are constantly being bullied into selling our best players to Chelsea, Man City etc?

 

 

There are two clubs in world football that don’t get bullied by other, two. If we have good players the interest will be real and it’s up to the club to progress to where they want to be or fight for our players.

[urban.spaceman]

We kinda proved in January that we wouldn't be bullied. We also took the Drinkwater deal right to the wire just to squeeze as much out of them as possible, probably as further compensation for Kante. If the big clubs are interested then that means we're doing something right. I wish they'd leave us alone too but our owners know what they're doing - they won't let us become the next Southampton when they're trying to develop us into a top 6 club. In a couple of years time we'll have a state of the art training facility as well as regular European tours to offer the top players. The future's very, very bright.

[Stadt]

I’m sure the recruitment teams of football’s elite clubs will reconsider looking at our players because Robin said so. It’s always happened in football, players move to bigger clubs to earn bigger wages.

 

How do you think Genk felt about Ndidi leaving? Or Norwich with Maddison? 

[Robin JD Popley]

My only issue is that since we won the League, certain clubs feel they can now come along at the drop of a hat and prize away our best players. I have stressed it isn't only us that this is happening to but it is a systemic problem in football. It's not just applicable to us - hence me referencing Southampton. Some clubs think they can push the rest of us around and we saw that with Mahrez, too. He is worth far more than £60m but because it is us, they weren't prepared to stump up his net worth. If he played for even Spurs, say, I bet they'd have got £70m.

Edited 17 July 2018 by Robin JD Popley

[fazzyfox]

I feel your frustration but to be fair Vardy stayed when he could have gone to Arsenal, Mahrez stayed two years longer than he may have and Kasper has been with us when had Liverpool signed him they'd be polishing a champions league trophy right now.

 

I hate to say it but I can just see Maguire in a Chelsea shirt becoming the real replacement for John Terry. I'd expect clubs to bid for Maguire, Ndidi, Kasper and possibly Vardy this summer, these clubs are only doing their job in trying to improve their squads.

 

What I do dislike is the medias role in becoming the fulcrum that allows an indirect ilegal approach i.e. "Chelsea are set to offer 28 million and a three year deal worth 140,000 a year" etc. The club aren't allowed to approach the player with this information but the press facilitate this stage by putting it in print. They also seem to want this upward funneling of talent with their salivating coverage particularly the Sky Sports news guys. If it were for the good of our sides chances in the Champions League I could perhaps understand their relishing of it but it actually just stockpiles players and results in players going to World Cups without being regular starters at club level.

 

I prefer it when I'm a neutral for as many clubs as possible to have star players, Shelvey at Newcastle, Shaqiri at Stoke, Zaha at Palace (OK I'm a hippocrite as I want us to poach him), back to Le Tissier at Southampton, I like to see every game have at least one top class act on each side.

 

With the Mahrez funds it really is time for us to bloody a nose or two and upset some fans of another club by taking a proven talent away (and perhaps we are already doing that to an extent) but we should not forget that each window that passes where we retain Vardy, Ndidi, Kasper and  Maguire represents a job well done too.

Edited 17 July 2018 by fazzyfox

[Robin JD Popley]

41 minutes ago, fazzyfox said:

 

What I do dislike is the medias role in becoming the fulcrum that allows an indirect ilegal approach i.e. "Chelsea are set to offer 28 million and a three year deal worth 140,000 a year" etc. The club aren't allowed to approach the player with this information but the press facilitate this stage by putting it in print. They also seem to want this upward funneling of talent with their salivating coverage particularly the Sky Sports news guys. If it were for the good of our sides chances in the Champions League I could perhaps understand their relishing of it but it actually just stockpiles players and results in players going to World Cups without being regular starters at club level.

 

 

Precisely this. Keown, throughout the entire World Cup, kept talking us down. Admittedly, we all know why that might be on a personal level given his tainted short stay with us, but notwithstanding his constant "Maguire should move to a big club" mantra is the sort of thing which turns people's heads. 

Edited 17 July 2018 by Robin JD Popley

[StriderHiryu]

They might be sniffing but I don't see our owners selling our best players just to make a quick quid. They've said that they want the club to get back into the Champions League after we got there once. We know it will be difficult but that's the aim and things like improved training facillities and stadium expansion should make us take them seriously.

 

I know Mahrez has gone, but I think that was done in the end on a personal level more than wanting to sell him. Leicester was only ever a stepping stone club for him (like Kante) and though he acted like a child at the end, the guy smashed expectations through the roof. You can't really begrudge him a move after what he did for us and for a 59M profit on his sale price. If someone else wants to go, that's the standard that's been set!

 

Kante - had a release clause.

Drinkwater - 35M for him was way too good to pass up. We let him go because his form had dipped and we thought Silva was a better player for cheaper.

 

I don't think we will sell anyone else as we are trying to build a team, not dismantle one. Maguire will be wanted by the big boys but if we sell him now, then seriously what is the point of even running the club? We've signed one of the best young English centre backs for years and we want to sell him? Madness, we will build the team around him and give him the armband long term instead.

Edited 17 July 2018 by StriderHiryu

[Jattdogg]

And we sniff around other teams players whether in prem league, championship,  ligue 1, serie A etc  It's just the way it goes. Run with it and smile, we won the league so life is good!

 

 

Im clearly in a good happy mood and not bothered 

Edited 17 July 2018 by Jattdogg

[gurru991]

It's the food chain process. We feed on Norwich & Chelsea feed on us. The only answer is to move up & be in Europe. Having said that, it's good business to buy low & sell high. We just need to do it on our terms.

[WigstonWanderer]

3 hours ago, Robin JD Popley said:

Sorry if we have a thread for this already but seeing Kasper linked to Chelsea because they "may be" interested in him really is enough. 

 

Since we won the League, all the "bigger" clubs have tried to bully us and have thus far, succeeded in dismantling the core of that team. In some cases, it was inevitable some would eventually move to pastures new, but the amount of times we have gone through unsettling periods since then as a club have had a detrimental effect on our ability to push on to the next level.

 

I really wish that they'd leave us alone now and I also hope Rudkin and Co are strong enough to say no more. We've got to stand up to this brow beating and prove to people we won't be pushed around any longer. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels like this.

 

Unfortunately the only way they’d leave us alone is if we became crap again and didn’t have any players worth looking at.

[Guest the fox]

People do realize that the very talented players are using clubs like Leicester, Everton, Southampton...etc as a stepping-stone, right? (case in point, Kante). You're out of your mind if you think young, talented players will come here with a plan to stay for the rest of their career (Or the better part of their career before the club gives them the boot deeming them not good anymore). Even Barca got bullied by PSG so people need to stop with this victim mentality. A lot of people here would look at smaller clubs with a haughty expression written all over their faces, "how dare a championship/league 1 team refuse to make a deal/ask too much". Are people mad at the law of the jungle or the rank on the food chain?. Because people will sure be happy when we bully a team from a lower/worse league.  

 

 

 

[trabuch]

7 hours ago, Costock_Fox said:

There are two clubs in world football that don’t get bullied by other, two. If we have good players the interest will be real and it’s up to the club to progress to where they want to be or fight for our players.

True - our job as a football club is to find players like Vardy and Mahrez and win the league  (We won the ****ing league!!!) - I'll never get tired of that Never)

Edited 18 July 2018 by trabuch

[weller54]

6 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Unfortunately the only way they’d leave us alone is if we became crap again and didn’t have any players worth looking at.

Thanks for that cunning plan Baldrick! 

[FOXYTALK]

Just football mate, get on it with it. Happens for us and against us.

[Cincinnati Fox]

10 hours ago, Robin JD Popley said:

Sorry if we have a thread for this already but seeing Kasper linked to Chelsea because they "may be" interested in him really is enough. 

 

Since we won the League, all the "bigger" clubs have tried to bully us and have thus far, succeeded in dismantling the core of that team. In some cases, it was inevitable some would eventually move to pastures new, but the amount of times we have gone through unsettling periods since then as a club have had a detrimental effect on our ability to push on to the next level.

 

I really wish that they'd leave us alone now and I also hope Rudkin and Co are strong enough to say no more. We've got to stand up to this brow beating and prove to people we won't be pushed around any longer. I just hope I'm not the only one who feels like this.

 

 

It’s the same for all clubs.

Even the top 6 clubs but they get Real Madrid and Barcelona buying their players. Coutinho, Hazard, bale etc.

We do they same to clubs below us, 

[That_Dude]

dear big clubs

 

u should stop trying to buy our best players. we don't do this to u. it's bad.

 

leave us alone.

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

9 hours ago, Stadt said:

How do you think Genk felt about Ndidi leaving? Or Norwich with Maddison? 

Yep. It's a food chain. We've moved up it but we aren't and never will be, at the top. 

[Finnegan]

Riyad is the first player since we got back in the premier league that we've sold because we've ultimately been bullied in to it and it took him about four transfer windows to get out, I don't think we're Southampton somehow. 

 

Our owners are wealthy, no nonsense businessmen that want to run an autonomous, self sustaining club whilst striving to improve its position in the game. We are not about to be asset stripped by anyone. 

 

We've lost three of the title winning team across three years, a lifetime in football. Drinkwater was the most replaceable of our stars and we laughed our way to the bank for about 28m profit. Ngolo was unfortunate, we were contractually obligated to let him go for "only" 25m gain. I'm not being sarcastic, that's genuinely tragic. However, it was a consequence of signing him. He refused to come without a release clause. 

 

Besides, who is really circling? Other clubs or the press? The BBC posted an article today listing Maguire as likely to get a world cup move, why? Based on what? Absolutely nothing. The press make these rumours up to sell advertising space and / or boost their viewership. Its called clickbait and you should know better by now. 

 

By and large it seems most clubs and agents realise we aren't interested in selling because almost none of our players ACTUALLY get bid for. I mean it's taken two years for Riyad to actually have someone really invest because clubs know we're a stubborn bunch. 

 

If clubs thought we were rollovers, a bid for Maguire would have gone in ages ago, Ndidi would be elsewhere, Gray and Chilwell would be in Liverpools reserves, Vardy would be at a top six club and Kasper would be at Everton or something. 

 

They aren't because we aren't. 

 

What we are, currently, is just the right size with just the amount of good players to be prime journalistic fodder. Stop believing it, start taking it as a compliment, roll your eyes and get on with your day. 

Edited 18 July 2018 by Finnegan

[VIKTOR-LE5]

 

It's about time we went sniffing to find a Riyad Mahrez replacement.

[WigstonWanderer]

1 hour ago, weller54 said:

Thanks for that cunning plan Baldrick! 

Wasn’t suggesting it as a plan, more a statement of fact

[MC Prussian]

Who says we're being "bullied"? That's just your subjective point of view.

Mahrez we sold because it was the best deal for all parties involved at the right moment in time.

 

We haven't really been forced to sell any of our players due to a relegation scenario or something similar, these players have become household names over the years to the football fanatic, the media and other clubs have become aware of the players' abilities leading up to the league title and in the past two years also. So, it's only logical that these players have generated interest from other clubs.

 

It's part of the game that players leave the club after a while, what you touch upon has in parts to do with romanticism or nostalgia. But I think it'd be fatal to cling on players or past successes for the sake of it.

The best we can hope is that the players on the club's books put in great efforts to the best of their abilities, and stay loyal for as long as they can, acting professional and as a role model for most part. What I don't want to see is a player holding the club ransom.

 

Ideally, as a club you're striving to make a profit, as well. So, if a player stays long enough, puts in as much effort as he can, grows in terms of skills and abilities as time progresses and we're able to make a (tiny) profit on him, fine by me.

 

 

[VIKTOR-LE5]

We should use Atletico Madrid as a example always lose great player, but somehow always find great replacements be it De Gea, Torres, Aguero Toby Alderweirleld etc.