Saint Troy

There could be some justification i think. If Jose is offered a top deal by somewhere like utd or everton (who knows if true, just lets suppose) then we have three options - stick with what we have, let him go or improve so he may as well stay. The results of those are probably a grumpy club captain who would rather be elsewhere and feels undervalued - not great, lose him and try and replace him with 9m - very hard to replace so really not great, happy Jose on the money he deserves after proving at the euros that he is not only worth the value of himself but has teh ability to improve who he plays alongside as a partnership. Know which option id take. Never as simple as all that but dont think its too ludicrous if true at all Cedric not so sure b

When will people learn, you can't buy success

I see this as different. In this case the agreement effects the individual that signs it so can see it sticking. With this example something signed by Ron and the club or the two clubs will potentially impact the career opportunities of other people. Dunno but think it could be worthless and the fact it never happene makes me wonder

Posted this before but I'm not sure it's at all legal to do this from an employment law point of view. Are there any examples if it happening previously? Ps I'm nothing like a lawyer!

Is it legal to not allow a player to move clubs because of a managers history? Feels like a restraint in their rights to work wherever they want to really? I know there can be reasonable restraints in terms of pinching clients etc but these are stricter the more specialised the area you work in and football is certainly not specialised. No idea really but be interested to know if this has been confirmed as happening at other clubs. Feels a little unenforcible to me and wont be in any of the players contracts about how they can leave the club i assume? . But then again im tapping away on an internet forum when i should be working and not a lawyer so what do i know!

Pretty sure it was well documented Kelvin stayed although have higher league offers. Probably not the best case in point

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he was the answer, but saying it's been proven he wasn't is hilarious! He didn't play so it proves nothing! He could've come in and done brilliantly or terribly and that would've proven something. It's the same as saying it proves that buying ronaldo (thin), messi, bale wouldn't have ended our slump!! Hope it goes well and a good move getting him out on loan, fingers crossed for him

Rather than is he any good this is the question is was thinking of... are his qualities repeatable. Sounds like you think he is an excellent physical specimen which is likely to be true but I cant help but think that he just has a historically top attitude for physical work and is willing to run himself in to the ground. What hours do pro footballers train these days and could/should they do more to be able to meet Longs standards. Cant help but feeling they could do more.... he say.... sat on his large backside on the sofa

There was chat about Shane Long and moneyball attributes on a separate thread which got me wondering about his attributes. Im comfortable believing hes an average striker in terms of goal scoring and creativity but also very happy that his work rate / ethic creates us opportunities. But what does the last bit really mean? Shouldn't every single player be able to do what Long does in terms of his chasing down etc? Are clubs missing a trick by not pushing their players more or is it not quite as simple as that. Its possible that this style of play actually reduces his impact in front of goal but cant help but think seeing him perform does make me think that very many of our players underperform either physically or in terms of actual effort. Im not a pro footballer (by a long way) so maybe this is unfair and is it not as simple as people working harder, is it physical, physcological, tactical or just complete nonsense!

Different thing really. Buying someone cheap and improving them is one thing. The other is buying someone undervalued - by that meaning their attributes are undervalued - and adding them to your team to improve a certain facet rather than being undervalued and then being able to improve them and sell them at a profit. Moneyball is about the value already being there just not being understood by other people, they are immediately of more value to your team the moment they arrive rather than improving them

Its not really that though. Its more about the team than about individual players like that. The idea is that baseball can be broken down in to many constituent parts and although star players can often do them all, the star players can be replaced by average players that are good at one thing. So a player who tries to hit home runs etc the whole time and gets on to base is less effective than a guy who hits the ball a maximum of 1 yard but always gets on base etc. It doesn't probably translate to footy that well anthe idea would be maybe that up front Beattie and Ormorod score 30 goals between them then that doesnt matter if Beattie scores all 30 and Ormorod none if he sets up all the goals. The partnership scores 30 which is as good as two 15 goal strikers. A 15 goal striker costs more than Ormorod but his attributes contribute the same to the overall stats of the team. That's how i understand it anyway. Not sure that at 12m Long is truly a great Moneyball player - yes he works hard and this does create goals but whether this outweighs the other attributes you would expect from a 12m player is another thing

On the youtube interview I heard it as no new suspensions from palace and not many injuries at the moment rather than no suspensions and injuries. Really feel like we will get something from this (oh well)

One of our clear processes in the club is the "pathway to the first team". I wonder if we feel we need to beg and pay high wages for cork when Reed is up and coming? Not saying I fully agree with it but it's a theory

Couldn't agree more about the terrible priorities - how we don't look at diving etc but can voter with this is pathetic Also, and possibly more importantly, does this mean Tadic no longer has the joint assist record???? This would be crazy if true

Player has every right to jump a bad challenge and still get a free kick so in that sense contact I think is completely irrelevant. Only question is will fletcher get to his touch and tap in, if not poss not pen? Poss not red card? Either way who cares!

Faxes go through a third party and therefore there is proof of sending etc. emails can just be made up a bit

May be nonsense and only based on youtube clips and dodgy streams so far this preseason but I think we may end up shooting a bit more this season and certainly from distance. May not be where the goals come from but you never know it may add a couple.

Im not sure how this all works in any way but if international recognition is ever a contract trigger then this could be a big deal and would include the likes of Lambert, Shaw, Lallana, Rodriguez, Schniderlain with possibilities of Clyne/Chambers/Cork not out the question completely. Maybe Adam did change after his England call up!

Typical not itk disclaimers etc but..... Ditch paper and bits of twitter apparently linking us to Vlaar. With some of the other clubs that have been linked I've been surprised we're not keen. Older head around some younger guys and a good cb, if be keen

Didn't say they can do it, just a definition of ambition really. That said, it seems very comparable to a club like ours breaking in to the top four to me. Matches our ambition well possibly, again though not saying it will certainly happen

Unless you know something about the company we don't then I'm afraid you simply don't know what the word ambition means. It's about the future, to do with drive, aspirations and missions and for an understanding of our ambition you need to know our new sponsers ambitions not their turn over. Local business, good quality products, similar ambitions and drive to our own, represents our brand well I think

I think this is exactly right. When wv plays it seems every single ball from gk or centre backs goes to wv who comes short. When he's not playing I notice les that this is a particular persons role. I don't think this helps us as its a bit easier for the oppo to set up against the same play and we feel a little more rigid when set up like this. His first thought is often the pass backwards a little more than cork so all in all makes us feel a little more free flowing with jc. Maybe!?

Personally think it just as bad as Osvaldo getting suspended. It's clearly an impact on performance and prem players should be setting a good example as well. It's a choice and one they should be making correctly if they actually take their job seriously. Top players smoking is not an excuse for it being ok at all

Oooh who were the two players? I may have missed it in the past if you've said, but being a saints fan I have a slight masochistic streak so be good to know!