Should we worry about losing Leon ?

[Tom Bott]

Simple - get Paul Coutts and Leon Clarke to swap names, anyone coming in for Clarkey can then be shown a picture of a player with a broken leg.

That should put the wolves (sic) off the scent.

 

[blade too long]

Yeah, but in reverse.

thats Noel

 

[blade too long]

be really funny if we get offered more money for Leon than any offer grunters get or Rhodes or Forestfairy

 

[Danny_Blade]

Because we'd be strengthening a rival. Unless Clarke is desperate to go there's no way we should be selling him to Villa.

I didn't mention selling him to Villa?

Although I did forget to mention that preferably we wouldn't sell him to another promotion candidate, but let's say if the bid didn't come from a club challenging for promotion then in that case I imagine Leon wouldn't want to move and preferring to stay here for obvious reasons.

However in the scenario the bid did come from a promotion rival and we accepted there is no guarantee that he'd continue the success at his new club that he's currently experiencing here, but like you say it would be strengthening a rival if it were to happen so there is quite a high risk involved.

 

[stringer]

I didn't mention selling him to Villa?

Although I did forget to mention that preferably we wouldn't sell him to another promotion candidate, but let's say if the bid didn't come from a club challenging for promotion then in that case I imagine Leon wouldn't want to move and preferring to stay here for obvious reasons.

However in the scenario the bid did come from a promotion rival and we accepted there is no guarantee that he'd continue the success at his new club that he's currently experiencing here, but like you say it would be strengthening a rival if it were to happen so there is quite a high risk involved.

Selling a 13-goal striker [if he doesn't net again between now and Jan] for £1m based on the chance that a replacement might be found for that fee, would be sheer lunacy. Before you consider anything else about how he fits into the team and the group

 

[sheffielder]

As much as anyone on here wants to keep saying they were are right about Clarke, there is only one man I know who hasnt had a moments doubt about him since he walked in the club.

I don’t mean me

 

[dc_blade]

For me this is similar to the Brooks situation. Even if someone offers us funny money (say 3 million for Leon), you have to ask who we could possibly get to replace him at this point in the season. It's yet another example (see: Coutts, Paul) of Wilder having taken a nobody and made them into what is effectively a multi-million pound player.

Second: it's a massive gamble for a team like Villa, surely. Yes, Leon is in the form of his life, but he's been inconsistent at best for the rest of his career. And he'll be on the cusp of 33 by the time the JTW closes. Even if you only need him for a promotion push that's risky.

Finally: regardless of financial considerations, it seems pretty unlikely Wilder would sanction a sale that would be a real blow to morale at the club. Leon is the fans' favourite at the minute. Maybe if the player himself agitated for a move? But that would make him a massively selfish prick, given what we've done for his career, and I don't think he's like that.

I imagine we'll see bullshit stories like this about a number of our players before and during the window.

 

[blade too long]

As much as anyone on here wants to keep saying they were are right about Clarke, there is only one man I know who hasnt had a moments doubt about him since he walked in the club.

I don’t mean me

thank you

 

[blade too long]

we havent got used to the limelight you get in the championship if your players are taking you to the cusp of the Prem

any player scoring 10 in 4 is going to get linked with any club with money to spend

as a league one club they dont get the coverage , now we will have to put up with these stories every week

 

[wizadry]

As much as anyone on here wants to keep saying they were are right about Clarke, there is only one man I know who hasnt had a moments doubt about him since he walked in the club.

I don’t mean me

I wasnt a fan of Clarke when he came and didn’t think he could play with Sharp upfront at all.

Luckily, a man is allowed to change his opinion and my word has he changed mine and I don’t just mean this last month. He changed it quite some time ago and we shouldn’t be selling him to anybody, not for any fee.

I think the man will be unplayable in most games and we need to get the ball to him a lot quicker with what he’s doing a lately. I don’t mean hoof it to him either, I mean play the ball to his feet so he can do something with it.

He’s worth a lot more to us than he is to any fucker else and you can’t put a value on that, This is where our club has gone wrong in years gone by but not now though, Leon knows where his breads buttered.

 

[Danny_Blade]

Selling a 13-goal striker [if he doesn't net again between now and Jan] for £1m based on the chance that a replacement might be found for that fee, would be sheer lunacy. Before you consider anything else about how he fits into the team and the group

Now that's not what I said was it?

If you read my previous post, I had already pointed out that the fee received wouldn't be enough to go out and get a replacement goalscorer. His replacement would be more about CW's tendency for signings turning out to be a success which they do more often than not, but yes it may not turn out a success - but as I said in my reply to Bush if we were to sell Leon there is some risk involved.

 

[Redflame]

Leon"s a Blade end of

 

[Valleyblade]

I'll eat my own face if Leon goes to Villa.

Nonsense from start to finish. No one will pay what he's worth to us for a 30 odd year old striker.

Leon likes to play regularly. If he went to Villa he wouldn't.

 

[stringer]

Now that's not what I said was it?

If you read my previous post, I had already pointed out that the fee received wouldn't be enough to go out and get a replacement goalscorer. His replacement would be more about CW's tendency for signings turning out to be a success which they do more often than not, but yes it may not turn out a success - but as I said in my reply to Bush if we were to sell Leon there is some risk involved.

I know, you're not the only person discussing Leon funnily enough. I was adding my view to yours.

 

[BushBlade]

Now that's not what I said was it?

If you read my previous post, I had already pointed out that the fee received wouldn't be enough to go out and get a replacement goalscorer. His replacement would be more about CW's tendency for signings turning out to be a success which they do more often than not, but yes it may not turn out a success - but as I said in my reply to Bush if we were to sell Leon there is some risk involved.

But every club in the championship is looking for a striker that can step up, that is affordable. As good as Mitchell and his team is, it's not realistic to expect him to find a striker who can immediately replace Leon. That in itself is a massive risk. Then you factor in that if we sell him to a promotion rival (as you seem to have accepted selling him to a club not in the promotion race is highly improbable) we stand a good chance of giving them the final piece in their jigsaw. For what? £3m? There's no good reason for selling him unless he really wants to leave.

 

[metalblade]

Some of our fans can't wait for one of our better players to be sold just so they can say "I told you so" If it's not Leon it's Brooks or Wilder to (insert shit Premier League club name) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ FFS sick of seeing this type of thread. I think I need some time away maybe till February.

 

[Pinchy]

Fear. Sheer terror. Coupled with insecurity due to years of abuse.

Bladey Inferiority Complex.

 

[Pinchy]

Glue?

So 1980's young man.

I believe that these days it's smack or crack, meaning something quite different to smack the crack back in my day

“Smack” has disappeared from the modern drugs lexicon. It lives on only when used as a suffix to ‘head’.

 

[Pinchy]

As much as anyone on here wants to keep saying they were are right about Clarke, there is only one man I know who hasnt had a moments doubt about him since he walked in the club.

I don’t mean me

Two then. Don’t forget Tufty.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Yeah I heard he can get lost easily, it took him 6 years to find his way back to sheffield....
We'll make sure we don't leave him behind, like his other clubs.

 

[stringer]

Now that's not what I said was it?

If you read my previous post, I had already pointed out that the fee received wouldn't be enough to go out and get a replacement goalscorer. His replacement would be more about CW's tendency for signings turning out to be a success which they do more often than not, but yes it may not turn out a success - but as I said in my reply to Bush if we were to sell Leon there is some risk involved.

In fact, having re-read, it’s pretty much exactly what you did say

But let's say a bid was lodged for something like £1 - £2 million then I would prefer us to accept the offer

 

[Pinchy]

In fact, having re-read, it’s pretty much exactly what you did say

It was indeed and rightly described as lunacy. It made no sense at all, even within its own internally contradictory terms.

 

[Pinchy]

I have a solution for all the worries about players and managerial departures. Let’s go back to having fucking useless players, wanted by nobody and managed by numpties like SemiPro.

Worries over. Happy now?

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Some of our fans can't wait for one of our better players to be sold just so they can say "I told you so" If it's not Leon it's Brooks or Wilder to (insert shit Premier League club name) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ FFS sick of seeing this type of thread. I think I need some time away maybe till February.

Well said. I'm also sick of this kind of thread which , apart from from being alarmist and borderline hysterical based on nothing but pure speculation, is disrespectful to both the club and the individual concerned.

It's high time that some people on here recognised that many others, including our players and staff, realise that life is not all about chasing a quick buck and that being part of a successful, well organised and happy environment can provide a level of satisfaction that money can't buy.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

There is as much chance of Clarke being poached away in January as there is Wilder being appointed boss at S6 and us taking Megson from WBA as replacement.

I seem to recall us considering sMegson a few years ago ?!!!

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

With his age, injury record and CV, which is not overly impressive, United would struggle to get 250k for Leon. That's why he's not going anywhere. Even United can turn their noses up at a piffling amount like this.

Apart from the Fulham game I've been impressed with CV - doesn't net many mind (just the 1 @ notloB from recollection) so don't see him as a replacement for Leon

 

[Berlin Blade]

As much as I agree that selling our best players is sheer lunacy at this point, there are two sides to this coin, whether people choose to see it or not.

The facts are that Leon will be ten days off 33 at the close of the transfer window. That means that, realistically, barring injury, we've probably got between 8-10 months left of him unless he is just blossoming and goes on to play at this level of consistency until he's 36, which seems unlikely.

He is almost invaluable to us with his goals and I only see him getting more when we've got a fit RWB playing. His goals could secure us Premier League football, which would make any £3 million figures seem like pocket change anyway.

If we were to sell him we'd need to do so to improve the squad, but when you think that you're taking your top goalscorer and biggest goal threat out of the team, it's going to take a significant amount to cover that. Factoring in the fact that most teams are going to hike up their prices if we've just got £5 million coming in.

To replace him and be a better, stronger squad, we'd have to:

- Loan a quality Premier League striker who isn't playing regularly to directly replace Clarke. A type that can hold the ball up, score goals, at a mature age and is proven. (Troy Deeney, Shane Long, Ulloa type) He'll be on big wages so that'll be cost us say 40k a week for 6 mths = about £1 million.
- Sign an exciting up and coming striker out of the lower leagues, like Dembele from Grimsby. That'll probably be around £1 million.
- Sign someone with a bit of spark in the final third like Maddison from Posh, he's set up shit loads of goals from attacking left midfield area, would give us a different option and a chance to change shape of an excellent option from the bench. £2 million.

That by my reckoning is about £4 million if we bought them in at the start of the window before cashing in on Leon. I'd also wait right until the end of the window to sell Clarke to drain every last goal out of him. As much as I love him and as much as he's proved me wrong time and time again, I do see this recent form as a spark right at the twilight of his career and I think his value will be about 200k again in a year's time.

However, we could just not sell him and i'd not be unhappy in the slightest.

OR get this..... Buy those players AND keep Clarke.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I think we should sell him, he's got a Wendy tattoo on his arse and is a donkey who will never score in the Championship......

 

[cahill]

Right.

Here goes.

Leon has dumbfounded me (and others) by masquerading as the £5m striker we can’t afford.

With me so far ?

Righdo. HONESTLY, who expects this to continue ad Infinitum ??

Truth is, there will be a “Peak” where it makes perfect sense to move a player on. Wether it’s Leon, Bill or whomever.

I’m not saying our top scorer should be sold to the highest bidder. Far from it.

But some times the lure of the dollar, both from a club and player perspective is too good to turn down. And makes perfect sense.

If, for example Villa were to come in with say £2m +, and Leon fancied finishing his career in the area he was born, do you think we should hold him back ? What good would that do ?

His stock is high, it’s obvious eyebrows beyond S2 will have been raised, so expect the unexpected.

The good news is I would have complete faith in our management team engineering a situation that benefits the club in such a scenario. A comparable, if not better replacement.

And with that in mind lies the bigger problem.

Losing the gaffer.

UTB

“In the area he was born”. He could and probably does drive it in an hour. It’s 100 miles away not the Outer Limits.
Although Birmingham.........

 

[Tommoblade66]

On fire at the moment but he'll fade as the season gets longer, I mean the guy is pushing 33. Good job we have Brooks to step into his shoes