Unfortunately football never seems to follow the norms of everyday life.
In these circumstances I would get the best price and avoid disrupting the squad.
My only reservation would be letting Knapper lose with £15m. He seems ok up to £3-4m market but then pays over the odds above this line. I hope Clement has the final word if Sargent goes.
Rings true for me too.
So easy to paint a picture as the journo has done, above, but any insight as to exactly what might constitute that last line “root and branch rebuild” strangely, yet oh so conveniently, missing. That’s journalism!
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Oh that’s a long way from true.
When Mrs. H, was doing her legal training contract she would frequently see a stream of young men in the waiting area with a bloke who turned out to be a certain well known club solicitor (author of a fairly recent book which fails to mention this aspect of the job). She only knew who he was after she asked. She assumed the young men were trainees caught misbehaving but this turned out to not be the case. What was actually going on was that senior players had been naughty and the youngsters were taking the rap for them under threat that, if they did not, their career opportunities would be limited. This of course then explains how one of the partners in the firm secured a box at the stadium of said club. It’s amazing how many kids at that club crashed cars they had somehow been allowed to borrow.
Numerous other examples. Several of a certain well known England strikers many long injury absences were actually stays in the Priory.
I half agree with this. The way we defend is that we’ll quite happily let you have the ball but you won’t be playing through the lines. Against us it was very noticeable that he did an awful lot of running from side to side but our central three stood up, rarely put there foot in and just manoeuvred him between them. It was far too easy. On the rare occasion he darted through them in expectation of a ball through where he wanted it, our midfield three stepped in and the ball never came. He struck us as a guy with goals in him if everything allowed him to play his way but, if you knew his strengths, he was neutered far too easily. I agree his injury record is a concern but I think primarily he lacks the pace and versatility of a top class striker.
Where I disagree is that I don’t think Pukki had those things either and Holt was similarly one dimensional but a far more powerful version of Pukki and it was one heck of a one dimension.
Pukki was a very clever footballer who played off the shoulder and formed a brilliant partnership with Stiepermann.
Holt was very strong and difficult to knock of the ball and his footwork was a lot better than he was given credit for. Holt was also lucky to be in the same team as Wes Hoolahan.
Sargent developed into an all round striker with good control and movement.
However, since his last long term injury I’ve noticed he doesn’t have the pace he once possessed. He used to get an extra yard which meant getting a shot or a pass away. In my opinion he is not the player he was a year ago.
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Agree with all of this. Holt was a massively under-rated player. The only reason Mullin came to our attention was because he played with Wes at Cambridge.
Wes was a wonderful player. So pleased he had a good European with Ireland.
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I will keep this rant short. Wednesday released extra tickets for the Wrexham game. I need one more for my son so we’d have six in total. Site wouldn’t let me login with his membership. Logged in with mine and Mrs. H. memberships. Told me first that I was selecting the wrong ticket (again). Then wouldn’t allow me to enter my name or card details because I’d not a “common delivery method.” Multiple users have encountered this issue and of course as soon as it’s fixed… tickets have sold out.
Have kept my temper until now but the wave is about to break.
Nice to read something almost accurate.
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@MDS You have a good signing in Alli and I am annoyed that we are letting him go - not good enough to get a place in our team and yet good enough to go up a devision?. He did a good job of trying to keep us up last season and has sort of been the scapegoat for our poor performances earlier this season (like no one else in the side had anything to do with our c**p showings?!?). His confidence has been shot by what has been happening around him in general but he has pace and an eye for goal and hopefully will do a good job for you.
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An interesting & informative article by a much respected football journalist.
I doubt that the wheels will start falling off tomorrow.
Can only see it as good for football if the Wrexham journey could reach a successful conclusion, beyond what has already been achieved.
Thanks @PaulM. I’m a bit mystified by the signing as I thought we were looking at players in the Championship or on the fringes of PL squads so it’s encouraging to hear that you rate Alli.
I’m of the opposite view. We beat a Norwich team at Carrow Road who looked very different to what you have now. Had we not started Doyle and not been open at the end unnecessarily we could have won that 0-3.
Winning 4 in a row in the league was great but such things never last and tomorrow seems a likely blip given your recent results. I suspect the dropping of Sargent improves your position rather than diminishes it. You have the form striker in the division and it sure as heck ain’t Sargent whereas we don’t really know where our goals are coming from from one game to the next. We have lots of players returning from injury but some needing to be rested because of long term niggles. Our squad is pretty decent across the board but we’re in a fragile position morale wise. If Moore comes straight back in tomorrow for example I can see much discontent from Smith. If Cleworth comes straight back in how will Scarr feel.
Similar feelings about Leicester on Tuesday. We played well against them away but couldn’t get a result. We’re a better team now compared to then but they remain inconsistent and volatile. They’re as capable of being thrashed as they are of winning handsomely. You have more structure. Sooner or later I’ve a sense you’ll take someone apart.
I suspect we lose tomorrow and pick up points of some kind on Tuesday.
I’d be more confident with Sargent playing but we’re definitely a better team than the one you played under Manning.
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We had Sargent in the pocket of our defence at a point our defence wasn’t anywhere near the levels it’s at now. You are absolutely a very different proposition at this point though, which is why I see us dropping points tomorrow despite our confidence levels being high.
Just been listening to That Wrexham Podcast. This weeks interviewee is Steve Parkin, our assistant manager. Amongst other things, he was asked who he thought was the most skilful player he’d coached or managed. Interestingly the very first name mentioned was… Grant Holt. Described him as a player who came alive in the box and also the most effective player he’d coached.
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Grant had the sixth sense to know exactly where the goal was no matter which way he was facing all his career & the determination find a way to put the ball in the net.
What he didn’t have, until arriving at Norwich, was consistency. Fortunately for him & us, something just clicked for him in a Norwich shirt, possibly subconsciously realising that we would be his last chance at the big time.
Much as I hope your game expectations are realised tomorrow I feel it likely that it will be another case of “then along come Norwich”.
Still I live in hope…….just.
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Sargent always struck me as a happy go lucky personality who was more than likely to go with the flow than rock the boat.
The fact that there has been no apology for last weekend suggests that he is unlikely to be seen in the yellow & green again.
I haven’t been a great admirer but, nevertheless, feel we will be weaker without him at a time when we will need all the help we can get over the next three to four months.
I know we traditionally play our transfer cards very close to our chests but I find it worrying that there seem to be very few rumours connecting us with anybody at present. I just hope this doesn’t mean that we are going to throw a lot of money on someone’s reject on the final day or two of the transfer window as we have done too often in the past.
If we can’t sign anyone suitable I would prefer to save the money now in the hope of a far more productive window in the summer.
Steve Parkin very much of the view it was who he was playing with.
Sargents first season at Norwich was abysmal. I remember him missing an open goal against Brighton.
Someone at Norwich turned him into a decent footballer to the extent where I see him taking up the correct positions but no body in the current team capable of making the final delivery.
His big mistake is throwing his toys out with two years on his contract. I’m sure Norwich will wait for a better offer or leave it until the end of the season to off load for similar money to the Toronto offer.
I suspect a better offer will come in during this transfer window but I am certain he will not play for us again, disappointing all round.
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Am interested (and hopeful) to see if my Saints can regain some form against Hull at St Mary’s this afternoon…
(Will be listening on Radio Solent.)