Topic: When football exectutives play football manager

[arcticus]

"[Lionel] Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. He used to shock us in training by doing footy tricks with a golf ball that most players can't even do with a football. I really fancy Joe for the [player of the year] award this season."

Has to be one of the worst quotes ever by Stevie. 

[Eeyore]

Amazing how Purslow knew he would be able to sign Cole it's as if he had a couple of players on the inside or as Hodgson put it Carragher and Gerrard did a fantastic job in talking Cole into signing for us. Funny couple of weeks that for the Club that. Danny Murphy came out with the "I will always be a fan. I keep in touch with a lot of people close to the club and many think the time has come for a new manager. I agree providing that process doesn't cripple the club financially in terms of pay-offs." interview on the 17th of January and we pulled the deals we had offered to Chamakh and Mascherano soon after.

It was almost as if certain individuals managed to look into the future and saw that Rafa would be sacked, Cole would sign with Gerrard committing his future to the Club the next day and that Jamie would be offered a massive new deal.

[myrlas]

I wonder what "certain squad players" feel when they read this article..

[Fromola]

The Joe Cole signing still makes me want to cry every day. We didn't even have a manager in place FFS when it was all sorted out between those pulling the strings.

To be fair to Hodgson this one was thrown on him. He could have signed a centre half or another striker for what we paid instead (plus the Benayoun money which was given to Cole as a signing-on fee).

I'd honestly just pay him off. The full £10m, or whatever it is, if that's what it takes to get rid. It can't be good for squad harmony having him hanging around on 100k a week. He might be a good lad, but it's no good for team spirit. Particularly when he's taking game time away from others.

[filopastry]

I'd imagine Cole is one we'd be looking to loan out again rather than "sell", if only because if we sell him we'll end up paying out say 70% of the remainder of his contract right now (say £7m), whereas if we loan him on the same terms we obviously would pay £3.5m this season and another £3.5m next year assuming we can find a home for him twice over, I doubt many would be interested in an outright sale anyway.

Given cash is tight this year I can't see us spending anything more now than we have to, if nothing else for 2013-14 we'd have Carra's contract of the books, it's going to be a slow grind through some bad contracts over the next few years, if we can't find homes for some players.

[scared_person]

It could be worse.

If we were in the same position with Purslow in charge this summer our marquee 'free' signing (on a 4 year £100K a week contract) would be Micky Owen!

[Captain Marko Ramius]

It just makes you think, we have truly pissed away millions upon millions in terrible signings and sackings/hirings of managers.

In that time Arsenal have sold one of their best players each season and kept a manager and stayed in the Champions League. The list of people responsible for the current state of the club is so long and it is the fans paying the price with seeing us finish midtable.

[Eeyore]

I wonder what "certain squad players" feel when they read this article..

Probably too busy sending Ged a Text message.

Houllier said: “After Rafa Benitez left this summer, one of the players sent me a message.

“He said, 'Boss, he hasn’t beaten you'.”

[Fromola]

I'd imagine Cole is one we'd be looking to loan out again rather than "sell", if only because if we sell him we'll end up paying out say 70% of the remainder of his contract right now (say £7m), whereas if we loan him on the same terms we obviously would pay £3.5m this season and another £3.5m next year assuming we can find a home for him twice over, I doubt many would be interested in an outright sale anyway.

Given cash is tight this year I can't see us spending anything more now than we have to, if nothing else for 2013-14 we'd have Carra's contract of the books, it's going to be a slow grind through some bad contracts over the next few years, if we can't find homes for some players.

Will we even get an offer though for him?

[scared_person]

Given cash is tight this year I can't see us spending anything more now than we have to, if nothing else for 2013-14 we'd have Carra's contract of the books, it's going to be a slow grind through some bad contracts over the next few years, if we can't find homes for some players.

Shirley the only really OTT contracts are Joey Cole and Carra? I can't think of anybody else.

[danielfonseca]

Taken from the book "Red Men" by John Williams. Page 417,

who is this john williams, and has any1 actually bought his book, although he is a clever man, negative or positive rafa gets hits, gets scrutiny, and possibly even purchases.

i would not wipe my ass with his book if what you say is true,.

[Eeyore]

The Joe Cole signing still makes me want to cry every day. We didn't even have a manager in place FFS when it was all sorted out between those pulling the strings.

To be fair to Hodgson this one was thrown on him. He could have signed a centre half or another striker for what we paid instead (plus the Benayoun money which was given to Cole as a signing-on fee).

I'd honestly just pay him off. The full £10m, or whatever it is, if that's what it takes to get rid. It can't be good for squad harmony having him hanging around on 100k a week. He might be a good lad, but it's no good for team spirit. Particularly when he's taking game time away from others.

You are being very harsh their mate listen to the words coming out of the Club from the usual sources Joe is brilliant in training, works hard and has been unlucky. It's not as if he is a lazy trainer like those foreigners Lucas and Aquilani.

[filopastry]

Shirley the only really OTT contracts are Joey Cole and Carra? I can't think of anybody else.

There's a fair few of the 2011 ones I wouldn't be ecstatic about either, although they're not at the same level of absurdity as the Carra and Cole deals, anyway I don't want to take the thread off topic.

[danielfonseca]

Probably too busy sending Ged a Text message.

Houllier said: “After Rafa Benitez left this summer, one of the players sent me a message.

“He said, 'Boss, he hasn’t beaten you'.”

that must be carra or gerrard, why would they feel like that against the coach who improved them and developed them furhter in their ability but also gave them there biggest successes ...its strange...

[Fromola]

You are being very harsh their mate listen to the words coming out of the Club from the usual sources Joe is brilliant in training, works hard and has been unlucky. It's not as if he is a lazy trainer like those foreigners Lucas and Aquilani.

I do find it interesting that Bascombe isn't spinning against Joe Cole calling him for everything earning crazy wages from the last regime. Only Aquilani got that treatment. I wonder why.

[Ultimate Bromance]

Oh joy, more depressing stories about how this club was run in the past, and how it continues to handcuff us in the present.

Shudder to think what other horrors we might uncover if Rafa ever spoke openly about that era.

[danielfonseca]

For me personally some of the local palyers are to blamed as much as every other culprit for our current mess, the same local players who would not say anything about gillett and hicks but the stick the knife in to the best coach they have ever had .

[Eeyore]

I do find it interesting that Bascombe isn't spinning against Joe Cole calling him for everything earning crazy wages from the last regime. Only Aquilani got that treatment. I wonder why.

On the Bascomometer Aquilani's wages are now upto 4m quid a week and Joe and Jamie play for a Curly wurly and two tubes of pringles, I am beginning to think Mr Bascombe might not be completely impartial in these matters

[scared_person]

On the Bascomometer Aquilani's wages are now upto 4m quid a week and Joe and Jamie play for a Curly wurly and two tubes of pringles, I am beginning to think Mr Bascombe might not be completely impartial in these matters

How dare you make such accusations against a respected journalist who has written for such August journals as the news of the w....... oh, ok, carry on.

[vicgill]

Fucking Cecil. c*nt.

Yep one of the biggest c*nts breathing on this earth and yet some of the most knowledgable fans in the world still laud him as the man who saved our club, along with the other prick Broughton.

[Passmaster Molby]

I still feel physically sick over what happened during the May/June of 2010. This club has suffered greatly because of the decisions made at that time, and in our recent past we should remember those great days during 2004-2009 because we won't reach those levels again anytime soon.

[quasimodo]

I still feel physically sick over what happened during the May/June of 2010. This club has suffered greatly because of the decisions made at that time, and in our recent past we should remember those great days during 2004-2009 because we won't reach those levels again anytime soon.

Totally agree. with current finances of the other teams and joke of financial 'fair play' it could be many years.

[planet-terror]

staggering,,

[Barney_Rubble]

There's a discussion to be had about Joe Cole, but we're not doing Hicks, Gillett, Purslow and Benitez again... again.