Le Fondre's record at this level is very good. He knows Slade (nice to have a manager who actually knows what these type of players can do!) and probably has a base this way from his Reading days. Could be our SWP of this League 1 season.
Strangely, League One is the only level Le Fondre hasn't played at. By all accounts has done well in the Premier League, Championship and in League Two scoring goals for fun. Would be a great signing in League One however, probably get 25 if we played to his strengths.
That'd be a shame, not much to shout about last season but that double save Pope made, v Derby I think, was unbelievable and great reaction from the crowd. Liked him and reckon he'll turn into an excellent keeper but £850,000 towards new players.....oh wait!
That is depressing. You'd expect JBG, Cousins and maybe Watt to naff off. But you'd kind of think we could and should hang on to a young relatively inexperienced keeper who would be number one next year. Mid table or worse next season I fear.
So much for "realising the full value of our young players" - let alone trying to challenge next season in League 1. Hasn't it occurred to RD and KM that, if Popey continued in August where he left off last season, we could end up doing significantly better, both on the field and in terms of any eventual transfer fee ?
Unfortunately, his past dealings illustrate that Duchatelet has always taken a very short term view.
Several more outgoings to follow in short order. Doubtless, in each case, we'll be fed the usual platitudes about "not being able to stand in the player's way" etc, etc.
As the window doesn't officially open until 1st July and the Euros are on - wouldn't expect too much to happen until after 10th July. Guess talks might go on 'behind the scenes' but not much will leak out.
Like it affects the standard or players we're going for ...
You've got a point, has the fa trophy final been played yet?
Boo!!!!! This isn't going to persuade me to renew my ST!! This would be depressing should it go through. We need to form a strong spine starting with Pope in goal. Oh hang on the owner doesn't care about the football team.
I feel this is the start of a closed season degenerative spine issue that I hope a quick injection of new blood and bone marrow acquired by Messrs Slade and Head can arrest.
£850K. Or to put it another way, 0.425% of the money Burnley have just got on promotion. Well dome KM, great negotiation there.
Regardless of our board, we are a League One club now and lots of players will inevitably be leaving. I don't think £850k is bad money for a goalkeeper who couldn't be trusted before his spell at the end of the season assuming they throw in a few add ons. What kind of up front fee would people have expected?
I dislike the regime as much as the next man but some of the stuff on this board over the last few days (and I'm not specifically referring to your point Athletico) has been ridiculous. Katrien breathed in the wrong direction, Russell blinked twice before he answered that question etc etc. Get a grip people.
Didn't take long before Slade started wielding the axe...lol
If true I am pretty pleased with the deal. Pope had a good couple of seasons with Bury in the lower leagues but I didn't think he was anything special last season & certainly not in the class of Deano, Elliott or Randolph - the taker 2 playing regularly in the Prem.
Le Fondre's record at this level is very good. He knows Slade (nice to have a manager who actually knows what these type of players can do!) and probably has a base this way from his Reading days. Could be our SWP of this League 1 season.
Strangely, League One is the only level Le Fondre hasn't played at. By all accounts has done well in the Premier League, Championship and in League Two scoring goals for fun. Would be a great signing in League One however, probably get 25 if we played to his strengths.
Surely he played in division 3 for Rotherham.
Nope, moved in 2011 from League Two to the Championship.
Didn't take long before Slade started wielding the axe...lol
If true I am pretty pleased with the deal. Pope had a good couple of seasons with Bury in the lower leagues but I didn't think he was anything special last season & certainly not in the class of Deano, Elliott or Randolph - the taker 2 playing regularly in the Prem.
Didn't take long before Slade started wielding the axe...lol
If true I am pretty pleased with the deal. Pope had a good couple of seasons with Bury in the lower leagues but I didn't think he was anything special last season & certainly not in the class of Deano, Elliott or Randolph - the taker 2 playing regularly in the Prem.
Pardon? You are aware he's signing for a premier league team. This season he was better than I remember Elliott being, and Randolph for that matter.
£850K. Or to put it another way, 0.425% of the money Burnley have just got on promotion. Well dome KM, great negotiation there.
Regardless of our board, we are a League One club now and lots of players will inevitably be leaving. I don't think £850k is bad money for a goalkeeper who couldn't be trusted before his spell at the end of the season assuming they throw in a few add ons. What kind of up front fee would people have expected?
I dislike the regime as much as the next man but some of the stuff on this board over the last few days (and I'm not specifically referring to your point Athletico) has been ridiculous. Katrien breathed in the wrong direction, Russell blinked twice before he answered that question etc etc. Get a grip people.
Very salient points, and you're right, if clubs from higher up the pyramid come in for players, any board is going to struggle to keep hold of them. The pay increase will be massive, and we have a relatively young squad, many of whom will feel now is their time to kick on instead of taking a step backward. All this is before you take into account the reputation this board seems to have amongst the playing staff (going on Sponsor's Dinner chat).
I still feel 850k is low, but I also appreciate that footballers are an inflated and ridiculous economy. Pope is a good, bright, young, athletic English goalkeeper, of whom there aren't too many around just at the moment. At 24, he's still very young for a keeper. The way he gets the ball and immediately looks to distribute is as impressive as I've seen in a young keeper for some time. Feel like there's just a little bit of the Edwin Van Der Sar about him (not of the same class, obviously).
I remember on Twitter that when news of the first Burnley offer broke someone commented (maybe Cawley) that Charlton would really like to hold on to Pope. Unfortunately, in our situation, every player is going to have a price.
A team getting relegated inevitably leads to an exodus, coupled with the distinct possibility our players are f***** off with everything that has gone on in the past 2 years.
Aside from all this, the Belgians are going to want to cut back some of their losses. Very short sighted as if they could retain the nucleus of the team then we'd have a better chance of going up.
Retaining our players I don't think ever came into the pea sized once we went down.
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Or to put it another way, 0.425% of the money Burnley have just got on promotion. Well dome KM, great negotiation there.
Mid table or worse next season I fear.
So much for "realising the full value of our young players" - let alone trying to challenge next season in League 1. Hasn't it occurred to RD and KM that, if Popey continued in August where he left off last season, we could end up doing significantly better, both on the field and in terms of any eventual transfer fee ?
Unfortunately, his past dealings illustrate that Duchatelet has always taken a very short term view.
Several more outgoings to follow in short order. Doubtless, in each case, we'll be fed the usual platitudes about "not being able to stand in the player's way" etc, etc.
I feel this is the start of a closed season degenerative spine issue that I hope a quick injection of new blood and bone marrow acquired by Messrs Slade and Head can arrest.
I dislike the regime as much as the next man but some of the stuff on this board over the last few days (and I'm not specifically referring to your point Athletico) has been ridiculous. Katrien breathed in the wrong direction, Russell blinked twice before he answered that question etc etc. Get a grip people.
If true I am pretty pleased with the deal. Pope had a good couple of seasons with Bury in the lower leagues but I didn't think he was anything special last season & certainly not in the class of Deano, Elliott or Randolph - the taker 2 playing regularly in the Prem.
I still feel 850k is low, but I also appreciate that footballers are an inflated and ridiculous economy. Pope is a good, bright, young, athletic English goalkeeper, of whom there aren't too many around just at the moment. At 24, he's still very young for a keeper. The way he gets the ball and immediately looks to distribute is as impressive as I've seen in a young keeper for some time. Feel like there's just a little bit of the Edwin Van Der Sar about him (not of the same class, obviously).
I remember on Twitter that when news of the first Burnley offer broke someone commented (maybe Cawley) that Charlton would really like to hold on to Pope. Unfortunately, in our situation, every player is going to have a price.
A team getting relegated inevitably leads to an exodus, coupled with the distinct possibility our players are f***** off with everything that has gone on in the past 2 years.
Aside from all this, the Belgians are going to want to cut back some of their losses. Very short sighted as if they could retain the nucleus of the team then we'd have a better chance of going up.
Retaining our players I don't think ever came into the pea sized once we went down.
Hendo made the comment that he was being frozen out as "they" saw "Pope as the future"
How quickly the future becomes the past...if this is all true!