Fletcher next

[Greenman]

Bolton to bid £2m for Hibs striker Steven Fletcher????

[hibeesbounceross]

Hopefully since we're raked in over £10m+ Rodders cant for once say NO!

Murphy, Fletcher, Benji all leave in January. Cant see Europe this season at all.

[wee 162]

If this is true, what's the chances we hear something along the lines of "the offer was too good to turn down, and this will help with the funding for a new East Stand"...

Meanwhile some folk will say Petrie is doing a great job whilst not appearing to have noticed that the improvement in the club finances has been down to more money coming out of the pocket of the supporters, the sale of players who could all have been sold later for more money, and virtually no overall increases in revenue based on anything off the park...

And if this does happen, we'd be as well punting Murphy, Boozy, and anyone else we can get a fee for in the next transfer window because we will do the square root of fuck all this season so you might as well get the maximum amount of money possible. And starting to look for a new manager should probably be on the cards as well as there will be absolutely no danger Collins will be sticking about much longer when every single player is punted at the first available opportunity.

And I might add, that I am starting to wonder about what the point of the whole financial stabilisation was if at the end (or near the end) of it, we are still selling players for sweeties.

As you've probably picked up, I would be less than a happy bunny should this come to pass...

[Dr Shrink]

We are too light up front as it is.
Fletch is easily our best striker, and the others haven't come close to his level of performance. I would be astonished if Hibs let him go without a replacement being found - and we haven't found one.

£2m is a laughable bid frankly. The problem is more that such reports start to unsettle players and they then decide it's time to get the monster paypackets.

If you want a real laugh though, another bit of paper talk is that Man U want to sign Hutton from the Huns.


For £8,000,000.


Tee hee.

[Smurf]

Originally Posted by wee 162

If this is true, what's the chances we hear something along the lines of "the offer was too good to turn down, and this will help with the funding for a new East Stand"...

Meanwhile some folk will say Petrie is doing a great job whilst not appearing to have noticed that the improvement in the club finances has been down to more money coming out of the pocket of the supporters, the sale of players who could all have been sold later for more money, and virtually no overall increases in revenue based on anything off the park...

And if this does happen, we'd be as well punting Murphy, Boozy, and anyone else we can get a fee for in the next transfer window because we will do the square root of fuck all this season so you might as well get the maximum amount of money possible. And starting to look for a new manager should probably be on the cards as well as there will be absolutely no danger Collins will be sticking about much longer when every single player is punted at the first available opportunity.

And I might add, that I am starting to wonder about what the point of the whole financial stabilisation was if at the end (or near the end) of it, we are still selling players for sweeties.

As you've probably picked up, I would be less than a happy bunny should this come to pass...

Bedwetter new member?

Seriously though your post sums up my frustration. There's something really strange when a football clubs support start cheering and celebrating player sales and that's something i feel the majority of our support have been doing a bit too much of these past 2 years.

Of course it's got to do a lot with the mindset the board and in particular Rod Petrie and Sir Tom Farmer have quite cleverly conditioned through their spin these past 4 years since Straition 2. There's too many within us of the 'If not for Sir Tom we'd be deid', 'We're lucky to be alive' & 'We just have to accept whatever as we're fecked without this owner & board' mentality.

We now have this amazing myth of Scottish Football that Rod Petrie is some financial wizard. Bottom line is that he on his watch ran up HUGE debts that nearly cost us Easter Road. He then got very lucky IMO. He appointed Tony Mowbray. Credit to him for that. However, if not for the breakthrough of a very talented group of young players and a support who stood up to be counted he'd have found it very difficult to clear up the mess of his creation.

That said you can make your own luck. If he made his then bottom line is all that matters and the mess he created has been cleared up. However, it's thanks to supporters putting their hands in their pockets in increasing numbers and selling off the family silver.

Now though that we're debt free (We are of course but for obvious reasons this board would never proclaim that. Just in the same way we're £20 Million in debt when it suits their agenda and the 'debt' doesn't become a 'debt' as it's a mortgage when it suits another agenda..) this is when we find out just how good a Cheif Executive/Managing Director/Chairman he really is.

I wet the bed all feckin summer as i was pissed off at the lack of reinvestment in the squad. We've thus far exceeded all reasonable expectations on the park under JC & TC. However, wetting the bed again i honestly can't see this continuing unless we add to the squad in January. Unfortunately though i don't see this. I see us losing more of the squad. Jones, Buezelin, Murphy, Benji & Fletcher in that order are IMO all at risk of going in January.

There's a bebate to be had on the merits of Colin Nish but what shouldn't be up for debate is when a club who've raked in Rollover Lottery Transfer Funds (£12 Million in 20 months?) allegedly denies (The long delay in signing Curier adds weight..) their Manager less than 1% of that to buy that player in the summer...

[wee 162]

Originally Posted by Smurf

Bedwetter new member?

Seriously though your post sums up my frustration. There's something really strange when a football clubs support start cheering and celebrating player sales and that's something i feel the majority of our support have been doing a bit too much of these past 2 years.

Of course it's got to do a lot with the mindset the board and in particular Rod Petrie and Sir Tom Farmer have quite cleverly conditioned through their spin these past 4 years since Straition 2. There's too many within us of the 'If not for Sir Tom we'd be deid', 'We're lucky to be alive' & 'We just have to accept whatever as we're fecked without this owner & board' mentality.

We now have this amazing myth of Scottish Football that Rod Petrie is some financial wizard. Bottom line is that he on his watch ran up HUGE debts that nearly cost us Easter Road. He then got very lucky IMO. He appointed Tony Mowbray. Credit to him for that. However, if not for the breakthrough of a very talented group of young players and a support who stood up to be counted he'd have found it very difficult to clear up the mess of his creation.

That said you can make your own luck. If he made his then bottom line is all that matters and the mess he created has been cleared up. However, it's thanks to supporters putting their hands in their pockets in increasing numbers and selling off the family silver.

Now though that we're debt free (We are of course but for obvious reasons this board would never proclaim that. Just in the same way we're £20 Million in debt when it suits their agenda and the 'debt' doesn't become a 'debt' as it's a mortgage when it suits another agenda..) this is when we find out just how good a Cheif Executive/Managing Director/Chairman he really is.

I wet the bed all feckin summer as i was pissed off at the lack of reinvestment in the squad. We've thus far exceeded all reasonable expectations on the park under JC & TC. However, wetting the bed again i honestly can't see this continuing unless we add to the squad in January. Unfortunately though i don't see this. I see us losing more of the squad. Jones, Buezelin, Murphy, Benji & Fletcher in that order are IMO all at risk of going in January.

There's a bebate to be had on the merits of Colin Nish but what shouldn't be up for debate is when a club who've raked in Rollover Lottery Transfer Funds (£12 Million in 20 months?) allegedly denies (The long delay in signing Curier adds weight..) their Manager less than 1% of that to buy that player in the summer...

Dude, I've criticised the board consistently for what I perceive as their various faults, and me calling some people bedwetters was due to the predicitons of things like "we'll struggle to make the top 6", "we're relegation candidates" and other such levels of slavering pish. I thought then that people were acting like hysterical 3 years olds and completely ignoring the facts of what we still had on the park compared to the rest of the league. It's not like it's the end of the season yet, but I would say that me criticising people for what I considered to be unfounded pessimism has so far went a lot more in my favour than those who I was criticising...

The sale of Whittaker I wasn't against because I felt he was completely replaceable by McCann. I'm not against selling players for a decent chunk of cash if we have a replacement already available.

We are not going to be able to compete with the OF in the transfer market so we have to compete with them in other ways. The only way that I can see that ever being a remotely realistic proposition is by forcing them to empty their coffers to buy players from us who we can replace from within.

I've also said consistently that the wage bill should be increased susbstantially, not to bring players in, but to keep a hold of our young players for longer. They're the best quality players we are going to have at ER. Look at the criticism of Kerr that there's been (from you in particular might I add). He has been one of the better central midfielders in the SPL outside the top 4 or 5 clubs over the last couple of years and he is already being considered not good enough for Hibs! So it isn't like buying players from other sides in the SPL is going to be much of long term strategy we appear to be able to rely on. As it stands I quite like the signing strategy that Mowbray and Collins appear to have both settled on of gambling on young players they see some potential in who are low cost so don't cripple the wage bill if they don't work out. The alternative to that is signing someone like Belsija who Hearts signed for £1m and £9k a week. And was shit.

All of this has of course been dependent on getting out of debt. That's now achieved in all but name. The boards wonderful idea is to put us straight back into debt by building a new East Stand. If they want to build a new stand, find the funding from something other than having to sell a player a season for the next three or four years. That's their job, and it's the only way we can progress on the park short term.

[Smurf]

Originally Posted by wee 162

Dude, I've criticised the board consistently for what I perceive as their various faults, and me calling some people bedwetters was due to the predicitons of things like "we'll struggle to make the top 6", "we're relegation candidates" and other such levels of slavering pish. I thought then that people were acting like hysterical 3 years olds and completely ignoring the facts of what we still had on the park compared to the rest of the league. It's not like it's the end of the season yet, but I would say that me criticising people for what I considered to be unfounded pessimism has so far went a lot more in my favour than those who I was criticising...

I was very concerned in the summer about our top six position and i'll be honest with you i still am! We've thus far done brilliantly but fortunately Aberdeen and The Yams have been pish. As i predicted Dundee Utd have done well. IMO if the board gave a bit of backing to JC in the Summer by reinvesting in the squad 3rd position would be ours. However, i can't see us maintaining our consistency of results. Dundee Utd, Motherwell, Aberdeen, The Yams & Kilmarnock will all be competing for top six and with probable further loss in the squad in January i still think Top Six will be tough. I expect us to do it but it'll not be easy.

However should the board look to reinvest some cash in the squad...

Originally Posted by wee 162

The sale of Whittaker I wasn't against because I felt he was completely replaceable by McCann. I'm not against selling players for a decent chunk of cash if we have a replacement already available.

Agreed 110%. Wouldn't argue against any of the sales if truth be told. Possibly Sproule but the rest were all far too good to turn down. It's what we do with the money that's key. IMO we should be reinvesting 25% of all transfer funds generated by buying young talent from elsewhere or an odd 'Auld Heid' to help our young squad along..

Originally Posted by wee 162

We are not going to be able to compete with the OF in the transfer market so we have to compete with them in other ways. The only way that I can see that ever being a remotely realistic proposition is by forcing them to empty their coffers to buy players from us who we can replace from within.

I can't see The Old Firm maintaing their recent policy. For every Scott Brown you get a Steven Whittaker...

Originally Posted by wee 162

I've also said consistently that the wage bill should be increased susbstantially, not to bring players in, but to keep a hold of our young players for longer. They're the best quality players we are going to have at ER. Look at the criticism of Kerr that there's been (from you in particular might I add). He has been one of the better central midfielders in the SPL outside the top 4 or 5 clubs over the last couple of years and he is already being considered not good enough for Hibs! So it isn't like buying players from other sides in the SPL is going to be much of long term strategy we appear to be able to rely on. As it stands I quite like the signing strategy that Mowbray and Collins appear to have both settled on of gambling on young players they see some potential in who are low cost so don't cripple the wage bill if they don't work out. The alternative to that is signing someone like Belsija who Hearts signed for £1m and £9k a week. And was shit.

Lets be honest. If this time last year a question was asked on the Bounce 'What other SPL players would you realistically like to see at ER?' i doubt Kerr would have got any more than 0%. However, a Barry Robson or Scott Severin... It's all to do with ambition from the board and there's none IMO.

Originally Posted by wee 162

All of this has of course been dependent on getting out of debt. That's now achieved in all but name. The boards wonderful idea is to put us straight back into debt by building a new East Stand. If they want to build a new stand, find the funding from something other than having to sell a player a season for the next three or four years. That's their job, and it's the only way we can progress on the park short term.

Again agreed..

Whatever happened to the 'Stay At Easter Road Business Plan' unveiled in late 2003?

I'm sure there was a lot more to it than;

a, Get lucky by appointing an English Championship coach.
b, Fans do their bit by Standing Up To Be Counted.

[psychocandy]

To be honest if this guaranteed the return of derek riordan id be very happy for flecth to go. However, i can't see reinvestment on the horizon

[Vini1875]

Bids from Bolton? Give me a break. How many players and managers do Bolton get linked with? Hibs have bought more players than them FFS. Who leaks these stories from Bolton?

I would be worried about Fletcher moving on and once he starts scoring with his right as well as his left foot we will struggle to hold onto him, but he won't be going this season I am positive we'll get another season and a half from him, at least.

[Smurf]

Originally Posted by Vini1875

Bids from Bolton? Give me a break. How many players and managers do Bolton get linked with? Hibs have bought more players than them FFS. Who leaks these stories from Bolton?

I would be worried about Fletcher moving on and once he starts scoring with his right as well as his left foot we will struggle to hold onto him, but he won't be going this season I am positive we'll get another season and a half from him, at least.

But he might not start scoring with his right foot..

Funny i don't recall ever seeing Alan Shearer score a goal with his left foot..

[TattooedHibee]

It would be in Fletcher's best interests with regards to his International ambitions to say naw tae any move down south or west. However a bid in the 3 million region might be hard to turn down. Keep Fletcher another couple of years and you could possibly put him in the same price region as Scott Brown.

It's approaching January, expect mair nonsense far worse than this fae the press.