Whilst I really don't want Hammond in our squad for next season, don't you think the treatment of him by our fans is now bordering on embarrassing?
Some of the stuff being said is way OTT.
Yes he was extremely poor, yes he was paid far too much (not his fault) and we definitely don't want him next season. But he's not the first player of this ilk we've had recently!
Some of the vile stuff spouted isn't fair IMO, he seems to have become the figurehead for all that has frustrated us during the past 5 seasons.
Think we need to show a bit more class.
I agree mate, he was made the offer to come in last season, his agent would have been involved, so if we have ended up with a bad deal it is because his agent has had our trousers down. Adkins pursued him for ages (like he did with Dan Burn), almost to the point that we all thought he was going to be a real god send. The reality was the opposite, but that is no different from someone getting employed at any place in the country and not being fit for the task, it happens.
At 33, no one should have expected him to be as fast as Linford Christie, but he did stand up and be counted in the tackle, more than any other midfield player.
The fact that
we had foolishly agreed to
him having the option of making a decision to stay, says all you need to know.
If you worked in a bank, and they said "well, you are getting made redundant in summer, however if you want to stay for another year, that's you choice", what would you do?
What this shows, to me, is that Adkins was not thinking straight, surely we had Hammond in for a few training sessions before he came on board? Did anyone see that his legs had gone?
The guy will be an expensive bench warmer at this rate. Not ideal.
Hammond could also be the person (among many) that McCabe eluded to when he told the fan forum that he was going to have to pay people off in summer, because no one would come in for them.