Monkey Bastard Hands
Large Member
- Jul 18, 2010
- 1,411
- 1,121
Sorry if this is labouring the whole transfer window point, but rather than focussing on not buying players like the rest of the threads are, how about focussing on not selling?
A few seasons ago, we were a team full of promise and were genuine contenders for that lovely juicy 4th spot. But then over the course of a couple of years, we sold our prize assets - the likes of Carrick, Berbatov, Keane and Defoe (and probably a few more that i've forgotten) all disappeared and we had to start again.
Whilst there is obvious disappointment that we didn't sign anyone during this window, can we perhaps take some positives from the fact that we didn't sell any of our key players?
We used to have a bit of a reputation as a selling club that put profit before success - an unfair reputation in my book due to the way Berbatov and Keane left (wanting to leave a club is different to the club just selling them for profit, but that's another story). Over the last couple of windows though we've managed to retain all of our key players.
Modric, Bale, VDV to name but a few are undoubtedly going to attract interest from teams in England and abroad yet we still have them at the end of this window. For all we know, Mr. Levy could have received some very tempting bids for these players - indeed the media stated that Inter were interested for Gareth Bale but didn't like the numbers Levy quoted them (£40m?). What about Modric? Sooner or later someone will come knocking and someone might have already done so in this window with a tasty £25m or so.
Whilst we haven't added much this window, something has been made clear - we are no longer a selling club. That in itself is something to take heart from and I think it shows ambition. So, just how many bids did we turn down during this window? I guess some of the ITK might be able to give us an idea (of course, it could be we didn't even get any) but the fact that we still have a full strength squad (players out on loan excluded of course) at a time when we've been in the spotlight is a good thing. Let's hope we do the same this summer, but add a couple of players too. I'll probably get some flak for this post and be accused of being an optimist and trying to find the silver lining around a very dark and angry cloud, but I think it's something worth mentioning.
coys.
A few seasons ago, we were a team full of promise and were genuine contenders for that lovely juicy 4th spot. But then over the course of a couple of years, we sold our prize assets - the likes of Carrick, Berbatov, Keane and Defoe (and probably a few more that i've forgotten) all disappeared and we had to start again.
Whilst there is obvious disappointment that we didn't sign anyone during this window, can we perhaps take some positives from the fact that we didn't sell any of our key players?
We used to have a bit of a reputation as a selling club that put profit before success - an unfair reputation in my book due to the way Berbatov and Keane left (wanting to leave a club is different to the club just selling them for profit, but that's another story). Over the last couple of windows though we've managed to retain all of our key players.
Modric, Bale, VDV to name but a few are undoubtedly going to attract interest from teams in England and abroad yet we still have them at the end of this window. For all we know, Mr. Levy could have received some very tempting bids for these players - indeed the media stated that Inter were interested for Gareth Bale but didn't like the numbers Levy quoted them (£40m?). What about Modric? Sooner or later someone will come knocking and someone might have already done so in this window with a tasty £25m or so.
Whilst we haven't added much this window, something has been made clear - we are no longer a selling club. That in itself is something to take heart from and I think it shows ambition. So, just how many bids did we turn down during this window? I guess some of the ITK might be able to give us an idea (of course, it could be we didn't even get any) but the fact that we still have a full strength squad (players out on loan excluded of course) at a time when we've been in the spotlight is a good thing. Let's hope we do the same this summer, but add a couple of players too. I'll probably get some flak for this post and be accused of being an optimist and trying to find the silver lining around a very dark and angry cloud, but I think it's something worth mentioning.
coys.
