CONFIRMED Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille

[Rebster72]

I think the real issues though are points 3 and 4.

3 - We don’t have a system or USP style of play like we did last time. If anything, we lack a real identity of play and we were very reliant last year on Ily, McAtee and Doyle to create anything. It’s debatable but in my opinion, we’re a significantly weaker squad in the whole at this point then what we went up with last time. Key for me is the midfield (Anis an unknown so we’ll see) is miles off where it needs to be to compete. I don’t think we can look to what happened last time as a comparative.

4- Agreed we won’t get a replacement for illy but let’s say we get 17m for him… which I don’t think we will. How are we able to capture 2-3 players at current price levels to compete at prem level for this or go straight in the team ? Adding to this , we need them now with pre-season and round the corner. It takes time to wrap 2-3 deals like that up. Doyle would cost more than that alone for example. Look at the players we’re being linked with. All unknown and have barely played continually at championship level before. Don’t get me wrong, they could slot in and be brilliant like Anel but we’ll need to be realistic and give them time to adapt.

So where does that leave us? If Ily wants to go, then I’d say we need a fee level pushing on £30m to feel a bit more comfortable and maybe get 2 at a push to slide straight in and compete at this level. We aren’t going to get that from OM. The alternative is we say no, he sees his contract out and I think we have a better chance of staying up with him in the squad than taking a chance on players with no experience playing at this level. The income of staying up for another year outweighs £17m we receive. We wouldn’t receive most of that upfront either so there’s not much help there.

It’s really difficult but I fully understand many feeling it’s the wrong thing to do to sell at all. I can’t help but feel completely underwhelmed at how we’re gearing up for this campaign. It already feels like we’re way behind in squad improvements and to then be faced with losing our best player a few weeks out before the start, for a cut price… yeah, I can completely get why the mood is sour. Its hard to realistically be positive about our chances.

What it does show, is just how important it was for us to get promoted last season. That’s one thing to be positive about… we would have been absolutely done for financially this season if we hadn’t.

I understand you point about not having a defined style of play like last time but I see that as a positive not a negative. Hecky is a lot more flexible to a Wilder and I feel he will already have a plan as well as an idea of the players he’d like to sign if Illy goes. Maybe I’m being overl optimistic but I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a massive break out season for Jebbo as well this year.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Biggest question I have. If the OM stuff is true, why is Illy taking a step away from what is overwhelmingly regarded as the best league in the world? I just don't see it. Moving to your hometown club, that isn't amongst the worlds elite clubs, in a romance move, is something you do on the downward side of your career, not when it's just getting started.

Maybe clutching at straws but I can't see a situation where Illy values his best years in Ligue 1 over the PL. He's shown his intentions are to play on the biggest stage, week in week out, not having bit parts in the annual 'have a go too' round of the Champions League.

Ndiaye could go to Marseille (sunnier climate, hometown comforts, Champions League football, more money, and a team that wins most weeks) and have a better platform to showcase his abundant talent.
Next season, we're going to be on the back-foot most weeks and he'll be chasing balls down channels. Maybe he doesn't fancy that?

Even if he signed a 3 year deal and only did a season or 2 at Marseille, at 25 the big contract offers would still come from the PL and he might have earned the club he supports £30/40m and the club that gave him opportunity £15/20m.

 

[Stretch]

Ndiaye could go to Marseille (sunnier climate, hometown comforts, Champions League football, more money, and a team that wins most weeks) and have a better platform to showcase his abundant talent.
Next season, we're going to be on the back-foot most weeks and he'll be chasing balls down channels. Maybe he doesn't fancy that?

Even if he signed a 3 year deal and only did a season or 2 at Marseille, at 25 the big contract offers would still come from the PL and he might have earned the club he supports £30/40m and the club that gave him opportunity £15/20m.

All good points, and maybe what he is thinking himself. But he has a chance at PL football now, which I would hope is still a significant pull, or at least making him consider our new offer very carefully.

I for one don't think we will be quite the whipping boys this season that many others do, and can see us taking the game to at least half of the teams in this league, but that remains to be seen.

What is certain is that Illy starts every game he wants to for us, and will be the star of the show. I also think he easily has enough in the locker to stand out against most players in the league, so will be putting himself out there regardless.

Anyway, let's see what happens. The odds are on him leaving, no doubt, but he could be walking away from something special here.

 

[8lade]

Marseilles are rumoured to be paying Alexis Sanchez 115k a week. Is not like he’s going to be on nothing and Marseille are going to be paying peanuts

And it’s generational wealth. Him and his children will never need to work again. There’s no lifestyle change really once you get past a certain wage

And yet football players (and others) keep chasing more and more.
115k around 80 EPL players earning in excess of that last season (Source: The Boardroom) at 10 different clubs.
Irrelevant really though; I suspect he'll still play out his year with us and won't be looking for a club until January at which point his agent will point to all the biggest offers and I doubt OM will be a challenger.

 

[Oreyt]

Oreyt I don't sgree. I think what most, including me, can't really understand is why OM? If he went to any of the bigger PL clubs or Inter Milan, Juve, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, PSG etc it would be understandable.

Ok OM are his boyhood team etc but they aren't one of Europe's elite and he has another 10 years to go there. You'd expect him to go there after a couple of big contracts.

OM over the Blades...yes OK....but OM over bigger PL and Europe clubs ??

If AC, BM wanted him, they no doubt would have been in touch. We may be facing the reality that at this point OM are the biggest team interested in him. We may think other, bigger teams are missing out, but they're not usually backuds at coming forruds as my old Nan used to say.

 

[ekke287]

Oreyt I don't sgree. I think what most, including me, can't really understand is why OM? If he went to any of the bigger PL clubs or Inter Milan, Juve, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, PSG etc it would be understandable.

Ok OM are his boyhood team etc but they aren't one of Europe's elite and he has another 10 years to go there. You'd expect him to go there after a couple of big contracts.

OM over the Blades...yes OK....but OM over bigger PL and Europe clubs ???

It’s this for me. OM are bigger than us for sure, and there’s significant benefit to the player if signing for them.

BUT if there was the demand for a move, surely there are better options considering his age and potential future career, in the PL or across Europe.

 

[blade too long]

Taking off my bias blades hat I think him giving up the chance of prem coverage over the next year is a huge mistake..doubt if anyone in Europe could name the names of 5 to 8 teams in the French league but know most of the prem because of its size worldwide.

Giving up the chance to play at arsenL spurs man city man u Liverpool villa West ham to play this lot

 

[Kempy]

I understand you point about not having a defined style of play like last time but I see that as a positive not a negative. Hecky is a lot more flexible to a Wilder and I feel he will already have a plan as well as an idea of the players he’d like to sign if Illy goes. Maybe I’m being overl optimistic but I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a massive break out season for Jebbo as well this year.

He is and I agree that is a positive but he’s also not as flexible as others are and can be slow to react. I’m thinking in particular that poor period we had after the World Cup this season which could have cost us. Irrespective of that, I’m not convinced he’ll have players at his disposal of the right calibre to have multiple options and be that flexible.

I think Illy is core to Hecky’s team and he building around him. He’ll be starting from scratch if he goes. You can see his concern in the interviews about keeping the squad together and talking about how we don’t have the budget. Losing illy for a cut price turns a gap into a chasm.

Would love to see that for Jebbo but in order to have that he will need chances and creativity around him. We’re already in dire need of that. Without illy, McAtee and Doyle… I don’t know where that comes from.. I can’t see how we have the budget to find it either…

 

[madeinsheffield]

Not ITK, however I was talking to a mate who casually dropped out Ndiaye had recently moved into a huge house a few doors away from him at Bradway, with big private gates. Yes I’m clutching at whatever scraps of straws I can, but that must be a sign, surely

 

[Rot]

Well either way he'll be boarding a plane in the next few days.Hopefully it's bound for Lisbon .

 

[Bladey_blade]

Payet did just that when he was at West Ham, he was only interested in going to OM.

Payet was 30

 

[Working Class Hero]

You’re splitting hairs really

They are playing in the champions league, the biggest stage of all - they have WON a champions league. They have a massive ground. Pretty decent chance you could win the French league and certainly cups.

Say the blades were based in France - were going to make you a multi millionaire, you get to move home. You get to play the highest level and challenge for trophies domestically.

Is that not prefereable to maybe finishing 4th with spurs or whatever here? We overrate the draw of the PL.

And everyone still seems to ignore the fact that if he excels for Marseille he can STILL make the move to a top PL side or Bayern, Barca or whatever if they think he’s good enough.

Let's not forget he also gets to live on the French Riviera, which trumps wherever he'd end up in England, especially when he's from France.

This move would tick just about every box possible for him and his family.

Having said that, the move will more than likely still be an option at the end of this season so there will be a big part of him that wants to see his contract out on the biggest stage and take more money in a year's time.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Even with my blades bias I am struggling to see how some people are down playing the draw of going to your big paying, champions league club that you dream of playing for in a lovely part of the world!

 

[FriethBlade]

Well if he's not at Chesterfield tomorrow the writing is on the wall whatever spin the club or any of us want to put on it !

 

[brownblade]

Ndiaye could go to Marseille (sunnier climate, hometown comforts, Champions League football, more money, and a team that wins most weeks) and have a better platform to showcase his abundant talent.
Next season, we're going to be on the back-foot most weeks and he'll be chasing balls down channels. Maybe he doesn't fancy that?

Even if he signed a 3 year deal and only did a season or 2 at Marseille, at 25 the big contract offers would still come from the PL and he might have earned the club he supports £30/40m and the club that gave him opportunity £15/20m.

Sssssssssssshhuuuuuuuuttuuuuuuuuup

 

[Bladesman]

It's amazing how people are describing a Champions League winning club who play in a 60,000 seat stadium as effectively tinpot

Yeah but have they ever won the French 3rd division with 100 points?

Tinpot wankers.

 

[BalticBlade]

He's gone

 

[brownblade]

Could have just been someone on Facebook marketplace and spotted the name of the seller! I often check it for some of the frankly bizarre shit that gets put up locally

I've literally just seen this when I loaded it. No idea why it's suggesting me anything animal related. But anyway...

 

[brownblade]

He's gone

 

[Balboni]

He's gone

WUEDP?

 

[brownblade]

WUEDP?

Saudi Investment Bank told him

 

[Slug]

He's gone

For a shit?

 

[SUFC Guy]

He's gone

Thought you'd have packed it all in by now

 

[Kempy]

Thought you'd have packed it all in by now

Maybe he’s right on this one… read into things as you will but I would have thought Illy would have been part of the kit drop…

 

[BalticBlade]

It's a formailty I'm afraid.

(Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to end up with egg all over my face on this one).

 

[SUFC Guy]

It's a formailty I'm afraid.

(Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to end up with egg all over my face on this one).

Ok, very sad if true

 

[SUFC Guy]

Maybe he’s right on this one… read into things as you will but I would have thought Illy would have been part of the kit drop…

True, but aren't there only 4 or 5 players that have been a part of it?

 

[brownblade]

It's a formailty I'm afraid.

(Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to end up with egg all over my face on this one).

Has he gone from his flat and the contract on his new house is just a formality...?

 

[Bladeinleeds]

To be fair - it makes no difference if he’s on the launch or not.

Didn’t we have DcL plastered on the side of the stadium 30 foot high only to sell in a couple of weeks later?

 

[Bladesman]

True, but aren't there only 4 or 5 players that have been a part of it?

I think the club will be doing a new photoshoot once we have the sponsor on it. As we will need to be doing the photos and videos for TV.