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http://torquayunited.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=972&p=2&stid=8383035

  SSP's replacement?  No way good enough yet for  Div 2.

He would be an alright signing, but he is nowhere near as good as SSP.

Not with an attitude like that he wouldn't.

Last season he was playing for Boston United and hardly setting "League 2" alight, and he's done nothing in this division.  Indeed, I thought they'd be questionmarks about whether he could survive in this league let alone move up it.

Yet another example of a distinct lack of loyalty from a professional footballer - I think the contract laws should be stiffened up to stop this jumping ship ala Grant Smith.  No more bosman ruling - instead compensation fees should be paid!

I think he'd be a good signing.

He's got pace, strenght, trickery and often beats his man. He showed that against us at Torquay in sunny February, he pissed all over O'Hanlon in that second half.

If the bloke could finish, he'd play for Man Utd.

I've watched all his goals from last season on STFC world, and if SSP does go, then we could do a lot worse.

No Bosman ruling? How would a club like us survive?

Parkin hasnt left yet so lets wait and see

Because we'd earn money from the players who did leave?  The bosman ruling is only recent - I'm sure someone has the date but I think I'm right in saying 80s/90s when some Belgian footballer had a contract dispute that changed the laws regarding this.

Yeah but we would have to pay for footballers joining us. I think the rule now is fine, also doesn't allow clubs to steal talented youngsters without a fee

but we would have to pay out on everyone we signed...

But we'd earn money from the players who did leave?

I.e.:  Players Who Joined + Money From Players Who Left = 0 (if players of similar quality)

That way a team would not be shat on from a great height by bigger teams when a youngster is poached and they get bugger all for them.  Leigh Mills isn't an example however, as I think we got the good end of that deal.  At 16 it is impossible to say whether or not a player will make it - look at all the supposed stars on older versions of Championship Manager who have dwindled to nothing in real life.  (Cherno Samba anyone?!?!   :mrgreen: )

Or am I missing something here?  I have a habbit of being a bit dense...

It will all depend on how good the player is Walrus. He could be really good when he joins but get an injury 1 month later that rules him out for the rest of the season. The likelyhood of getting the same money back compared to what was paid would be negligible in this case.

A team such as ourselves, with very large debts and unable to offer anything longer than one year deals will suffer, because we would be unable to gamble on a player that costs a fee. The Lloyd Opara's of the world would also make us even poorer, they are likely to leave for less than what we paid out. Also, if a player such as Igoe left now, we would also receive less than what we paid out, because the player has aged.

It could also be said that if a player is taken on and is improved by way of experience and coaching then a team could actually get more money than the initial fee. A team such as ourselves, with limited coaching experience would be very unlikely to do this on a regular basis however.

If you are looking for example, Smith and Parkin are probably the two that would have gaines us money; Heywood, Howard, Hewlett etc. would have lost us money. It would depend on the quality and numbers of of such players to balance things out.

That said, the bosman rule has created this huge growth in player wages so it could be argued that this could counteract the fees. The issue is so complicated you cannot put it into a black and white perspective. For every advantage there is a disadvantage etc. etc..

Don't think Lloyd Opara was out of contract anyway. Though we spent practically nothing on him anyway as he was on very low wages and agreed to terminate his contract after a couple of months and we paid for him with a friendly.

You did still get frees before the Bosman ruling. Hard to say how the Bosman has affected us really, with King we could probably make a profit but then we're likely to anyway as long as Parkin doesn't leave on a free.

Wasn't really being specific to the situation of Opara, just saying that type of player would make us poorer. I'm not really sure what would happen if the Bosman ruling was scrapped. I think that clubs such as ourselves who rely on free transfers may get crippled - that is my personal view anyway.

Anyway, back to the real issue  :-))(

I suppose Akinfenwa wouldn't be too bad a signing. We need to face facts, Parkin will not be replaceable with a player of his quality, we will basically have to lower our standards. Not sure Akinfenwa is the type of player we should be taking on though.

If we lose Parkin then I feel we'd be best off trying to find a player who will partner Roberts and be capable of scoring 10-15 goals a season as well. I'm pretty confident that if Christian's fully fit and regains his pace he'll score at least 15 goals next season.

is there any substance to this thread or is it merely suggestive?

i know reg has been predicting tht akinfenwa will sign for us eventually since he bagged the important goals in the 3-3 at the CG, but has he been linked with us anywhere?

i think he's alright, if we did sell parkin i wouldnt want him to be his replacement, and king has already said he wont be in the market for a striker unless parkin leaves.

No its just my imagination... running away with me....it was just my imagination.. run ning  away with me.

Akinfenwa won't want to come here if he's instructing his agent to look at Championship clubs, plus due to his record I imagine his wages will be above what we can afford.  As Sonic says, if Parkin leaves Roberts has goals in him, but his fitness and potentially attitude (I've never met the fella but love what he does on the pitch, but some people have made noises about him being lazy etc.) is possibly in question.  A Roberts Fallon starting pairing up front next season would be far from disasterous, but we would need a back-up as Caton is not ready for 40 games a season in my opinion, although by the same token does not need to be sheltered as he was last season either.  In the wise words of King himself, "if they're good enough, they're old enough".

With Roberts and Fallon our remaining strikers if Parkin leaves, what about a more senior player in the Mooney-mould?  Think what you like about the guy, but in the 03/04 season I am starting to think Mooney was the factor which got us, and then ultimately lost us, the playoffs.  His attitude in front of the fans lifted us all, and seemingly the team, and it was only his age catching up with him which dampened the end of the season for Mooney.  Any decent oldies on the PFA list?

Surely though the whole point here is that Akinfenwa, having had short unsuccessful spells with Boston Leyton Orient and Donny ends up at Torquay as a low wage player.

 They will have been one of a few in our league last season who paid their players less, and there's no way he's ready for Div 2 yet.....so a move to us still in Div3 and on a bit more may be possible.

City are after him now. God knows why. I think Tinnion reads up on any player out of contract and thinks "ohhh I'll sign him"

 To win this league ideally you need 4 strikers, in 95/96 we had Allison, Thorne, Finney and later Cowe......Steve Finney proved important as Thorne was often injured.

 Shitty have Stewart Lita Brooker and so need another, especiially as Stewart is getting on.

Why release Heff then Reg?

Clearly the boy has some class.

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=284767&cpid=12&CLID=&lid=5&title=City+signal+Akinfenwa+intent&channel=League_1

tinnon reads our forum  :D

But you don't  :soapy tit wank:  :soapy tit wank:  :soapy tit wank:

it was 8.48, my brain doesn't kick in till at least 12  :oops:  :oops:

I think we desperately need a new striker.

We have Roberts, Fallon, Parkin and Caton.  There is no justification to buy another new striker.  If we lose Parkin, then obviously he needs replacing but I've got an inkling he'll stay, particularly reading one or two of King's comments lately.

Roberts will certainly do a job next season, and hopefully we'll see Fallon back at his best.  With Caton a young gun with something to prove and reputation to earn will also be hungry.

I still dont think Caton's any good at the moment.

I hope the lad is spending the summer in the gym, he may be of more use then.

He'll be doing exams at the moment.