Thetownend.com

Wise tells Sturrock to stop moaning
By Gareth Moorhouse
FORMER Town chief Dennis Wise has urged Paul Sturrock to stop moaning about the transfer embargo, insisting the current Swindon squad is strong enough to mount a successful League One challenge.

After masterminding his Leeds United team to a 2-1 victory over his old club at Elland Road on Saturday, Wise was anything but sympathetic for his successor at the County Ground.

The former England and Chelsea midfielder has steered Leeds from rock-bottom on minus 15 points to an incredible fourth in just four months - a grade A lesson in how to overcome adversity.

With Swindon facing the prospect of an empty Christmas stocking on the player front, Wise seemed more than happy to play the role of Scrooge.

He said: "Paul, please stop crying. We've all had that situation, it's how you deal with that situation that matters.

"At the present moment he can't do anything and I know how frustrated he is, but get on with it.

"He's got some decent players. I know there's more he wants to bring in but he has got some players that caused us problems today.

"I'm sure they'll do very well in this league."

The Leeds chief also had a dig at his opposite number about some of the pre-match verbal sparring before the match.

Sturrock was quoted in The Sun on Saturday as saying that, with the right resources, Town "could be as big as Leeds - even bigger.'' Wise retorted: "I read somewhere this week, Paul Sturrock had said that Swindon were a bigger club than Leeds. I think Paul must have been drinking, bless him.'' Sturrock however, was more concerned with clinging to the hope that prospective buyer Andrew Fitton will settle the club's outstanding £900,000 CVA before the loan window closes on November 22.

But with the takeover not due to be completed until November 26 at the earliest, he knows he could be clutching at straws.

He said: "Cap in hand I will go to the new owners and the current owners to see if I can come to some agreement where the CVA - which is the stumbling block - gets paid enabling us to bolster the squad.

"The CVA is going to have to be paid by somebody some time, either by the current owners or the new owners when they come in.

"I'm just trying to get one of them to pay it as quickly as possible. I'm sure there's ways of negotiations between the two which will enable us to get the help the players need.

"We are screaming out for a bit of help with the loan system. People are carrying injuries. They deserve an opportunity to have a rest, to be taken out and to get themselves fit.

"We can't afford to have these people playing on injuries and being out for the whole season."

With no fewer than nine fixtures between the closure of the loan window and January 1, Sturrock admits his squad face an uphill struggle to remain competitive.

After seven players picked up bookings, suspensions will come into play as well.

He said: "The embargo is not helping. It's causing us a lot of concern at a difficult time of the season. We need to bring two or three people in, not just loans but from January 1, people who will be long-term members of the football club.

"Managers at other clubs realise we're in a desperate situation and the bargaining power goes to them, but I do feel that the players deserve these personnel to come in.

"Also, the wages need paying which plays on people's minds because they have mortgages to pay.

"We had a takeover before which kept us in limbo land. Now this one is dragging on again, but the players have worked so hard to get into this position.

"I would be gutted for everybody involved in Swindon if, due to the circumstances we're in, we go tumbling down the league."

I disagree with that entirely... They have a great squad yes, but I think under another manager they wouldn't have had the start they've had...

I agree, weren't we told to expect a 32,000+ attendence. I bet they wish then didn't have that stupid sale or no return on tickets when we could have shifted at least a couple of hundred more.
Big club my ass, big city & only one team

spot on ost.

sturrock moans about absolutely everything, last season, for example, it was about the wind and rain at the training ground.

i haven't heard much about that this season so presumably they've rectified that now.

Wise came in and did an excellent short-term job and left the club in good shape for Sturrock to carry on the work long term.

Well he's a jock isn't he?

It's their national pastime :D

Sturrock can moan as much as he likes as far as I'm concerned, the blokes a quality manager and we're lucky to have him.........

I'm going to be a minority on here and I know that but I don't mind.....

I have no real problem with Wise. At the end of the day he was betrayed by the club when Bob Holt broadcast a private meeting over the radio prior to the Wycombe match. He got offered more money at a higher league club (as they were then) and we would all of done the same, including Sturrock.

People may not like it but 99% would have done the same, if you get shafted by your employer you are hardly likely to show loyalty towards them. Add in the fact his dad is good friends with Power and probably knew the truth why would he stay? Wise did a good job for us at the time and I hold no grudges, alot of people just hate anyone that leaves and it's abit childish at times. I could guarentee that even if Sam Parkin played against us a few idiots would boo him!

don't give a fuck about wise, he was only here ten minutes.

the thing that concerns me is whether fitton does agree to pay off the debts in order to clear the transfer embargo, the ball is no longer in his court and the club can fuck him about.

"if we have a bad December it wont be the end of our season."

no but it could spoil Toni's Christmas, you cold hearted bastard!!

don't give a fuck about wise, he was only here ten minutes.

the thing that concerns me is whether fitton does agree to pay off the debts in order to clear the transfer embargo, the ball is no longer in his court and the club can fuck him about.

As I understand it, the Fitton crew will pay the £900k as part of the deal. With completion on 26/11 latest hopefully, the CVA should be settled within days. Is it not possible for them to underwrite the CVA payment subject to the successful completion, allowing the current owners to settle it, if that can be arranged, in time to lift the embargo? Puts the onus on the seller to ensure the deal goes through whilst the buyer still has the balls.

The current owners dont have the cash to pay the CVA. If they did they could have paid it in June when it was due.

Fitton agrees to pay the 900K on completion, so SSW stumps up now?
Surely paying the CVA is a condition of sale anyway so I'm not sure what difference underwriting makes.

Plan B or whatever, if the current owners could raise the money for 7 days until reimbursed by the purchaser on completion it may enable the embargo to be lifted.

The point is if AF & co. are going to pay it anyway why can't the men in suits find a way of sorting it out to the benefit of all parties? Being subject to successful completion should make sure that SSW doesn't allow anything to derail the deal and AF gets a business that could still challenge instead of possibly fighting a relegation battle after points deduction.