We've only just begun......

[Robbie]

Is it me, or have the sales of Tonge and Armstrong, and loaning of Stead made us actually a stronger team?

I know you will probably think that remark sounds stupid, but hear me out.

Armstrong, was not getting in the team. We have a surplus of people who can play in that position ie Geary, Sun, Naughton, Naysmith, Killa and Carney to an extent. Armstrong needed first team football, and whilst I do agree he is a decent player, when he played he would be lowering our standard. So why not sell him?

Stead..... another player who wasn't getting in the team, which again is another place we have a surplus amount of people. I do believe that Stead is the best all round striker we have when on form, however it seems when he does play now, he has no confidence and doesn't seem all that interested. So again, was lowering the standard of the team.

Tonge, well Tonge has been poor for years now, he shows glimpses that he may do something, but it's been going on for too long now. The reason I'm happy to see Tonge go, is because now somebody else will have the opportunity to step upto the mark. Tonge brings nothing any longer to the team, and he is frustrating. With the crowd getting on his back a lot he looks awful. When the crowd aren't on his back, he looks awful. So to get a figure the size Stoke have paid is remarkable. We can improve on Tonge with what we have already got. SQuinny, Monty, Sun, Spring and Hendrie can all play alongside Speed.
Also with Tonge, why deny him the opportunity to play in the PL? We have got good money for him, a high earner off the wage, and the fresh start will do him the world of good I'm sure.

I do wish the lads well, and thank them for their services. Each has given us memorable moments.

If it were me, I wouldn't stop with them 3 though, Geary, Keef and Monty would all be following too. Harsh I know, but our squad is STILL too big. We can only play a max of 14 in a game, and we have far too many players.

This now enables us to have a solid squad without having to drop people all the time to make others happy.

We have also cut the wage bill quite a bit with the 3 sales. Also generated some further money.

I'm not too bothered that we haven't signed someone to be honest, unless something comes along where we know they are better than we have for a fair amount of money, I don't want anyone. I also believe that we can gain promotion now in the top two. I am MORE optimistic now these have gone.

 

[matth]

I agree with selling Armstrong, and although I like the lad, Stead. Can't deny the sense in possibly getting rid of Geary, Gillespie and Montgomery either - all squad players this season, and we do need to trim the fat.

However, I cannot, for the life of me, see the sense in selling a first-team player for as little as £2m. The way I see it, if Tonge didn't feature in KB's long term plans, he shouldn't have started the 4 league matches this season. If he did, he shouldn't have been sold - certainly not for such a paltry sum.

There's trimming the fat, which I am fully behind, but selling someone who makes the starting XI week in, week out is NOT trimming the fat, I'm afraid.

 

[s20steve]

I agree with Robbie. Looks like KB is pruning the squad to help it thrive and to give opportunity for growth. Still feeling optimistic.

Even though it would have been nice to have a spectacular signing, who knows how that would have affected the dressing room. A big signing on a big salary, and possibly a big ego. It's got to be the right player at the right price and the right time.

 

[Kev Gee]

A few weeks ago certain members on this board were saying sell 4 or 5 players. Yet when Blackwell trims the squad he gets critised. £2.5M was a good deal for a player clearly not at his best. Who could we afford with that money? If we looked abroad we could sign a quality player from Eastern Europe IMO. Lets get the overpaid & average players of the wage bill & get some quality in. I firmly believe this will be just the start of Blackwells squad transformation. Lets also hope that this gives some of the Youth Payers a chance to step up!

 

[Mousey]

In the past few weeks we have off loaded 3 players who have been considered 1st team starters at some point. Only one of which has left us possibly short of cover. So their wages are probably going to relatively high at the club. So that is 3 lots of wages off the bill and £2m in transfer fees. Granted we will have to loan a player next week until the end of season to fill the gap left by Tonge, we will have the equivalent of 3 lots of wages to pay on 1 player and that could attract a high calibre player.

 

[rachyblade]

Is it me, or have the sales of Tonge and Armstrong, and loaning of Stead made us actually a stronger team?

I know you will probably think that remark sounds stupid, but hear me out.

Armstrong, was not getting in the team. We have a surplus of people who can play in that position ie Geary, Sun, Naughton, Naysmith, Killa and Carney to an extent. Armstrong needed first team football, and whilst I do agree he is a decent player, when he played he would be lowering our standard. So why not sell him?

Stead..... another player who wasn't getting in the team, which again is another place we have a surplus amount of people. I do believe that Stead is the best all round striker we have when on form, however it seems when he does play now, he has no confidence and doesn't seem all that interested. So again, was lowering the standard of the team.

Tonge, well Tonge has been poor for years now, he shows glimpses that he may do something, but it's been going on for too long now. The reason I'm happy to see Tonge go, is because now somebody else will have the opportunity to step upto the mark. Tonge brings nothing any longer to the team, and he is frustrating. With the crowd getting on his back a lot he looks awful. When the crowd aren't on his back, he looks awful. So to get a figure the size Stoke have paid is remarkable. We can improve on Tonge with what we have already got. SQuinny, Monty, Sun, Spring and Hendrie can all play alongside Speed.
Also with Tonge, why deny him the opportunity to play in the PL? We have got good money for him, a high earner off the wage, and the fresh start will do him the world of good I'm sure.

I do wish the lads well, and thank them for their services. Each has given us memorable moments.

If it were me, I wouldn't stop with them 3 though, Geary, Keef and Monty would all be following too. Harsh I know, but our squad is STILL too big. We can only play a max of 14 in a game, and we have far too many players.

This now enables us to have a solid squad without having to drop people all the time to make others happy.

We have also cut the wage bill quite a bit with the 3 sales. Also generated some further money.

I'm not too bothered that we haven't signed someone to be honest, unless something comes along where we know they are better than we have for a fair amount of money, I don't want anyone. I also believe that we can gain promotion now in the top two. I am MORE optimistic now these have gone.

This might have to go down in the sheff-utd records but..... I agree with everything Robbie just said.

 

[jodman]

I think that the sales of Stretch and Steady were neccessary for both the players and for the club in terms of trimming the fat.

The only reason that i think there is some discontent at the sale of Tonge is because everyone wanted at least one creative midfielder in and instead we have sold a midfielder who has started every game and has, in the past admitedly, been one of our most gifted players.

Your points are valid, the squad was bloated to such an extent that good players could not get in the side. The sales would have been seen as good deals if a couple of good middies were brought in and if a couple arrive on loan then i expect the rumblings of discontent will die down.

At least it has sparked off some lively debate that should see us through the international break

 

[Robbie]

However, I cannot, for the life of me, see the sense in selling a first-team player for as little as £2m. The way I see it, if Tonge didn't feature in KB's long term plans, he shouldn't have started the 4 league matches this season. If he did, he shouldn't have been sold - certainly not for such a paltry sum.

I do in a way agree that he shouldn't be selling players who have started every game and looked to be an integral part of his plans. However I don't know what was going through KB's mind when selecting him. It seems though he has now taken his medication and seen that £2 million is an amazing offer for a player who has lost his way.

This might have to go down in the sheff-utd records but..... I agree with everything Robbie just said.

Shhhh, they'll cart you off

The sales would have been seen as good deals if a couple of good middies were brought in and if a couple arrive on loan then i expect the rumblings of discontent will die down.

In my opinion though, bringing in a couple of midfielders would bloat us back up again. So unless further culling was to happen, then there isn't room in the inn

 

[matth]

I do in a way agree that he shouldn't be selling players who have started every game and looked to be an integral part of his plans. However I don't know what was going through KB's mind when selecting him. It seems though he has now taken his medication and seen that £2 million is an amazing offer for a player who has lost his way.

See, I don't think he was as bad a player as everyone made out, either. Sure, he had his off moments, but so does everyone.

As I said though, it's not the fact that he's gone that worries me, it's the fact that he was good enough for the first team, and then suddenly only worth £2m. Hopefully, Hendrie or Quinn will step up to the plate and we'll finally have the elusive midfield that everyone keeps going on about.

 

[bettsyblade86]

I agree with Matt H completely even though I would have preferred to keep all the lads that have left obviously financial and other constraints do not allow. So to let Stead and Armstrong go if they weren't going to playis fair enough. Selling our first choice central midfielder isn't. From Blackwells comments he was suprised and "disappointed" to let him go. Which to me isn't great to hear. However others do raise good points that he needed a move and he hasn't been at his best, just disappointing that no one else has been given a chance. Personally i think either Squinn or Hendrie (on form) could bring much more to the team than tonge has recently. Good luck to the lad tho, and even though i'm a tad disappointed with the club, its not the end of the world is it?

 

[Linz]

its not the end of the world is it?

Not by a long shot.

Now Killa to Newcastle and I would've personally encouraged outright anarchy!

 

[bettsyblade86]

Not by a long shot.

Now Killa to Newcastle and I would've personally encouraged outright anarchy!

I just said that in the Killa to Newcastle thread!!!Tonge was good fo us in 8 years, suppose the deal isnt bad tho and we'll still go up as champs anyway....

 

[shorehamview]

Thanks Robbie.
(Despite your playboy/shagmeister image, you talk sense. Occasionally.)

Are all the people moaning about Tonge being sold diffenent to the ones who have been moaning about how rubbish he has beeh for the last three seasons?

What have we really sold?
A reserve team striker, a third or fourth choice left back/winger, and a midfield player three quarters of the crowd have been booing for years?

Not that much of a trauma, really.