Sebastian Larsson

[Guest Shaun]

Geremi and Pancrate joining later today.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Watched the Birmingham v West Ham game on iPlayer last night, Larsson looked for the most part very, very poor.

[KaKa]

Watched the Birmingham v West Ham game on iPlayer last night, Larsson looked for the most part very, very poor.

 

I watched the game live. My thoughts were that Birmingham were a shockingly poor team, who are incapable of any kind of cohesive build up play that initiates their attacking moves. They were completely incapable of starting off any passing moves that eventually allowed for them to consistently get the ball to either Larsson on the right or Fahey on the left, when they were in the final third of the pitch. Neither of the wingers received the ball in positions where they could look to attack and deliver a final ball of any kind.

 

It actually shocked me, especially as this was against a poor West Ham side. I too was hoping to see more of Larsson. All he was useful for was his set pieces. I cannot believe Bentley agreed to go there. You really have to wonder how these footballers go about weighing up their options.

[Zero]

Pretty disappointing that we have seemingly missed out on two of our main targets due to wage demands.

 

This window really is critical to the rest of our season, as we will find out every time we lose a first team player and turn to our bench to replace him. You only have to look at our bench to see points will be dropped against all but the worst teams.

 

If beating Wigan and thumping West Ham without Carroll gave Ashley a false sense of security, then Stevenage should have been a timely wake up call. His manager Pardew had so little faith in his bench players let alone youngsters that he admitted to fielding his exhausted first XI a week before sunderland. Many myself included thought it was a mad team selection, but either way Pardew clearly has no faith in any of them.

 

We may be able to snap up a more expensive player than Larsson and even get him on a lower wage, but financially the cost is the same. It is worrying but perhaps predictable that we simply don't have the money for these players.

 

just assuming that, if we signed Larsson for 1.5m for 45k, will you still happy for that?

 

figures are fictitious but I think most of the people here would only prefer Larsson if that's clearly a "bargain". if not, Larsson isn't that attractive tbh.

[Mr Logic]

You only have to see Pardew's team selection against Stevenage to know he doesn't have faith in any of them even against League Two opposition.

 

I don't think that is necessarily accurate, he may have simply wanted to win and put out the strongest team available to him. We can argue that was not the wisest course, and certainly hindsight allows us to do that. I don't have much faith in them (the back-ups) though, and I daresay you don't either, so there may well be an element of truth.

[Guest Shaun]

Pretty disappointing that we have seemingly missed out on two of our main targets due to wage demands.

 

This window really is critical to the rest of our season, as we will find out every time we lose a first team player and turn to our bench to replace him. You only have to look at our bench to see points will be dropped against all but the worst teams.

 

If beating Wigan and thumping West Ham without Carroll gave Ashley a false sense of security, then Stevenage should have been a timely wake up call. His manager Pardew had so little faith in his bench players let alone youngsters that he admitted to fielding his exhausted first XI a week before sunderland. Many myself included thought it was a mad team selection, but either way Pardew clearly has no faith in any of them.

 

We may be able to snap up a more expensive player than Larsson and even get him on a lower wage, but financially the cost is the same. It is worrying but perhaps predictable that we simply don't have the money for these players.

 

just assuming that, if we signed Larsson for 1.5m for 45k, will you still happy for that?

 

figures are fictitious but I think most of the people here would only prefer Larsson if that's clearly a "bargain". if not, Larsson isn't that attractive tbh.

25k p/w with bonuses. pushing it to 30k.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Don't really see how paying someone £30k is that much less ridiculous than paying them £45k.

 

Wages are all relative, if the club is being run sensibly then I don't really care about individual player wages. They're all insane.

[Guest neesy111]

Don't really see how paying someone £30k is that much less ridiculous than paying them £45k.

 

Wages are all relative, if the club is being run sensibly then I don't really care about individual player wages. They're all insane.

 

Except the fact we have a wage budget and if paying 15k more breaks that wage budget, then what is the point in having a wage budget all.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Don't really see how paying someone £30k is that much less ridiculous than paying them £45k.

 

Wages are all relative, if the club is being run sensibly then I don't really care about individual player wages. They're all insane.

 

Except the fact we have a wage budget and if paying 15k more breaks that wage budget, then what is the point in having a wage budget all.

 

Yeah, that's what I was saying.

 

As long as the club has set a wage structure they thing is sensible, and they run transfers based on that, then the actual amount of pounds a week doesn't really matter to me.

 

I just find discussions about wages a bit pointless, when nobody knows what the budget is or what any player is on/is demanding. It's mainly guesswork.

[madras]

lcubs wont have a wage structure in the way some think. They will pay what they think the player is worth if they can afford it. Some think we wouldn't pay 70kpw for messi as it would break the structure.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I guess it influences our transfers at a more fundamental level than that though - i.e. we won't even be looking at players who we believe would require us to spend more than we're comfortable with on wages.

[ohmelads]

Pretty disappointing that we have seemingly missed out on two of our main targets due to wage demands.

 

This window really is critical to the rest of our season, as we will find out every time we lose a first team player and turn to our bench to replace him. You only have to look at our bench to see points will be dropped against all but the worst teams.

 

If beating Wigan and thumping West Ham without Carroll gave Ashley a false sense of security, then Stevenage should have been a timely wake up call. His manager Pardew had so little faith in his bench players let alone youngsters that he admitted to fielding his exhausted first XI a week before sunderland. Many myself included thought it was a mad team selection, but either way Pardew clearly has no faith in any of them.

 

We may be able to snap up a more expensive player than Larsson and even get him on a lower wage, but financially the cost is the same. It is worrying but perhaps predictable that we simply don't have the money for these players.

 

just assuming that, if we signed Larsson for 1.5m for 45k, will you still happy for that?

 

figures are fictitious but I think most of the people here would only prefer Larsson if that's clearly a "bargain". if not, Larsson isn't that attractive tbh.

 

Well none of us know, perhaps he is sitting on his contract to get a lucrative bosman move in the summer. Still, Pardew seemed pretty confident of a deal with all of his mouthing off in the press, and this was clearly the deal he was after, given the timing of his comments and the accepted bid.

[Guest neesy111]

We will pay players what we think they are worth, Larsson would be a squad player at best if he came here.  I'm guessing we are paying Ben Arfa a decent amount because we value him as a key player

[madras]

ti's not like its just wages though, its the cost of the entire deal and whether its value and viable. We may be better off getting someone out of contract on higher wages than paying a fee and slightl lower wages. Dont belive for a second there is a set club maximum wage.

[ohmelads]

You only have to see Pardew's team selection against Stevenage to know he doesn't have faith in any of them even against League Two opposition.

 

I don't think that is necessarily accurate, he may have simply wanted to win and put out the strongest team available to him. We can argue that was not the wisest course, and certainly hindsight allows us to do that. I don't have much faith in them (the back-ups) though, and I daresay you don't either, so there may well be an element of truth.

 

He said after the game his players were "running on empty". You don't play people in that state unless you think the subs will lose you the game. The team lineup was a statement in itself, we all knew players needed a rest with the mackems coming up but noone wanted to throw the tie by fielding a ridiculously weak team. I think everyone was surprised at the utter lack of faith shown in the bench players and youngsters, some of whom knocked Chelsea out the carling cup. I'm sure Pardew would privately admit it backfired badly but in his efforts to explain the defeat he said the players he picked were exhausted which shows he didn't have faith in the fresh subs who didn't get a game.

[JH]

And regardless of the fact that he isn't happy enough with the standard of his backup team, why should he panic buy? If Larsson's wage demands were too high, then I'm glad that we put our foot down.

 

That is the sort of thing that we did that used to get criticised. Now that we aren't handing out silly wages, people are complaining

[Guest neesy111]

ti's not like its just wages though, its the cost of the entire deal and whether its value and viable. We may be better off getting someone out of contract on higher wages than paying a fee and slightl lower wages. Dont belive for a second there is a set club maximum wage.

 

It's pretty well known and reported that there has been a strict wage budget put in play since last season.

[JH]

ti's not like its just wages though, its the cost of the entire deal and whether its value and viable. We may be better off getting someone out of contract on higher wages than paying a fee and slightl lower wages. Dont belive for a second there is a set club maximum wage.

 

It's pretty well known and reported that there has been a strict wage budget put in play since last season.

 

And if it were true, then Ben Arfa wouldn't be here now. There's no chance he's on 25-30k a week.

[Guest neesy111]

And regardless of the fact that he isn't happy enough with the standard of his backup team, why should he panic buy? If Larsson's wage demands were too high, then I'm glad that we put our foot down.

 

That is the sort of thing that we did that used to get criticised. Now that we aren't handing out silly wages, people are complaining

 

Tbf, RW is not a priority position for me at the moment.  So I'm not bothered about the deal, haven't rated Larsson for last few years.

[Guest neesy111]

ti's not like its just wages though, its the cost of the entire deal and whether its value and viable. We may be better off getting someone out of contract on higher wages than paying a fee and slightl lower wages. Dont belive for a second there is a set club maximum wage.

 

It's pretty well known and reported that there has been a strict wage budget put in play since last season.

 

And if it were true, then Ben Arfa wouldn't be here now. There's no chance he's on 25-30k a week.

 

Different limits for different priority players is what it is likely to be now.  I think the 25-30k a week will most likely be for squad players.

[mrmojorisin75]

Different limits for different priority players is what it is likely to be now.  I think the 25-30k a week will most likely be for squad players.

isn't that how football clubs, and NUFC, have always worked?

[Guest neesy111]

Different limits for different priority players is what it is likely to be now.  I think the 25-30k a week will most likely be for squad players.

isn't that how football clubs, and NUFC, have always worked?

 

Yes, so the club have been right to say that we are not offering more than what we think Larsson is worth.  Clearly from the fact we have walked away shows that Larsson was not going to be our 1st choice RW for me.

[Zero]

Different limits for different priority players is what it is likely to be now.  I think the 25-30k a week will most likely be for squad players.

isn't that how football clubs, and NUFC, have always worked?

 

Remember the days of Shepherd?

[Zero]

And regardless of the fact that he isn't happy enough with the standard of his backup team, why should he panic buy? If Larsson's wage demands were too high, then I'm glad that we put our foot down.

 

That is the sort of thing that we did that used to get criticised. Now that we aren't handing out silly wages, people are complaining

 

Exactly.  To me "wage demand too high" is definitely a valid reason for turning down the deal.  We have had too many silly deals before starting from the Souness reign.  Remember those crazy contracts for Owen, and for other "squad players" signed at that time, i.e. Duff, Barton, Butt, Martins, Nolan, Smith?  Nevermind those players like Cacapa, Rozehnal, Beye...

 

 

 

[Zero]

 

Well none of us know, perhaps he is sitting on his contract to get a lucrative bosman move in the summer. Still, Pardew seemed pretty confident of a deal with all of his mouthing off in the press, and this was clearly the deal he was after, given the timing of his comments and the accepted bid.

 

True.  Probably no more incomings for this January.