y va marquer wrote:
For me the issue is that it ever got to the stage where we were cornered into having to sell.
This business of not tying players down before they can manoeuvre themselves into these positions has to stop.
Looks as if we're on the right track with Koscielny, Vermaelen and the newer arrivals.
Confirmation bias for mine.
Whenever we renew the contract of a wanted player it feels like we're on the right track. Whenever a player we want slips through the net of negotiations it feels like we don't allocate our resources properly and are going wrong.
Some will sign and some will not and there's nothing much the club can do about the timing except make an untenable promise to pay more earlier than they would later (they could never hold themselves to such a standard).
The "summer sagas" only happen because of the summer transfer window - otherwise the brinkmanship would drag on through the season.
Is there anyone on this board who would advocate £225k/w for Van Persie? I was basically on my own suggesting £180k/w a while back. Contracts run out and there is no legal recourse for us if a player is motivated by a financial offer we shouldn't match, nor should there be because players aren't slaves, they're employees.
We don't "let" players run down their contracts. We are unable to stop them doing so.
I realise there will always be a few contrarians saying we should just do whatever is necessary. Such people don't have a holistic view, when you point out you've got £10 to spend total they'll still talk in indignant tones about the moral necessity of buying three £5 sandwiches.
