Leon Best

[Hanshithispantz]

Could say the same about Smith but we've hoyed him on the transfer list. Someone int Championship will want Ameobi and Lovenkrands, they just probably won't go, same as Smith.

[taxfree]

And I know Best had that spell after Xmas but was he ever picked ahead of Ameobi? I still think in Pardew's eyes Shola is above him in the pecking order so

 

Erdinc, Ba, Ameobi, Best, Lovenkrands, Xisco

 

We still have to find a club for Ranger too.

 

We're also in for a third striker according to Douglas. As we should be.

[Disco]

Very much doubt Shola & Lovenrkrands are "highly paid" and if they are someone wants shot.

[Guest schmuck]

Do people reckon we'll be able to fob Xisco off a third time? I know we have money in the coffers of Nolan & Carroll, but we still have some highly paid back-up players in attack (Xisco, Ameobi & Lovenkrands). Best is probably the only one we could get something for so could be why he's going.

 

Exactly - it's not as simple as just saying Shola and Lovenkrands are not good enough, lets palm them off on someone else.  Someone actually has to want to buy them.  

 

But he's not being sold to anyone in particular, he's just been put up for sale, a signal of intent. Smith and Ranger have also been made available, it doesn't mean anyone wants them.

[Leazes1986]

Shola must be on £30,000 after all them years here

[simonsays]

Do people reckon we'll be able to fob Xisco off a third time? I know we have money in the coffers of Nolan & Carroll, but we still have some highly paid back-up players in attack (Xisco, Ameobi & Lovenkrands). Best is probably the only one we could get something for so could be why he's going.

 

Exactly - it's not as simple as just saying Shola and Lovenkrands are not good enough, lets palm them off on someone else.  Someone actually has to want to buy them. 

 

True, but that's irrelevant to whether we should be selling Leon Best.

 

Is it?  The management clearly feel he's not good enough and that they might be able to get a reasonable fee for him.  I'm not going to get overly worried by the fact that we may soon have two cack strikers in our squad rather than three

[Hanshithispantz]

People believing everything written in the journal

 

So many gullible people on here!

Probably the worst comment i've ever read. We should just ignore all news like.

[S.S.R.]

Some seem to be forgetting that Best is, as things stand, part of our best XI. I don't particularly rate him either nor do I believe that he has proved himself in the top flight yet but who exactly is going to sit on the bench behind all these top class players (that we're getting on the cheap)? Some of our benches last season were fucking dire.

 

It's June 17th.

[Wullie]

So we're going to replace both the first team and the squad players by August 13th are we SSR? You're confident of that?

[simonsays]

Some seem to be forgetting that Best is, as things stand, part of our best XI. I don't particularly rate him either nor do I believe that he has proved himself in the top flight yet but who exactly is going to sit on the bench behind all these top class players (that we're getting on the cheap)? Some of our benches last season were f***ing dire.

 

You don't rate him or think he's proved himself in the top flight but you are still happy for him to be our first change from the bench?  I'm not advocating Ashley's policy of taking our squad to pieces (I wouldn't want to see defenders or midfielders leave), but if he completely replaces our strike force for next season I would be delighted - none of our current strikers are good enough IMO

[Skirge]

I find it strange that out of the three we have Best is the one to sell, surely Shola is on a higher wage and has had enough of a chance here.

[Hanshithispantz]

Ashley is like some mad auctioneer who's just listed all of his possessions, his car, his house, his wife, his kids, the lot. Probably boredom.

[Cunning_Linguist]

Not sure where the club are going with this need to get rid of McLoven, Smith and Shola over best.

[S.S.R.]

So we're going to replace both the first team and the squad players by August 13th are we SSR? You're confident of that?

 

I can't say for certain that we will or we won't. I'll just assume they will then be upset if I'm let down, not pre-emptively.

 

I'd be very surprised if our squad was any smaller than what we finished last season with.

 

 

[Leazes1986]

Pardew must have someone else in mind to replace him. Its a bit different selling Best than it is to Nolan, Barton etc. His hand isnt being forced here because of fee's, wages or contracts, he must have players he feels are better available to sign.

[Jack Flash]

We need to buy 2 or 3 strikers in 2 (& 1/2) months. 1 is all but confirmed. It's hardly the time to panic/furiously kneejerk.

[captainhaircut]

I get the feeling that Ba may be a reactionary signing to his availability on a free. We wanted two strikers, Ba isn't necessarily one of them but he becomes available for nothing so we sign him, sell Best, make a profit and continue with our plans for two strikers.

[Disco]

Perhaps with Deportivo going down he knows he can't get rid of Xisco. We'll never be able to shift Shola or Lovenkrands, so would have

 

Erdinc, Ba, Best, Xisco, Ameobi & Lovenkrands

 

 

 

Turned down a bid from them to take him back on loan according to .com

[Hanshithispantz]

I get the feeling that Ba may be a reactionary signing to his availability on a free. We wanted two strikers, Ba isn't necessarily one of them but he becomes available for nothing so we sign him, sell Best, make a profit and continue with our plans for two strikers.

we should probably make sure we get our other targets before we flog the rest of our team though. It may be less likely that Best will be sold the later he is transfer listed, but it's not like his contract is running down, we could easily sell him in January/next summer.

[Optimistic Nut]

Perhaps now they've dropped a league they weren't prepared to pay as big a chunk of his wages.

[Dr Venkman]

I get the feeling that Ba may be a reactionary signing to his availability on a free. We wanted two strikers, Ba isn't necessarily one of them but he becomes available for nothing so we sign him, sell Best, make a profit and continue with our plans for two strikers.

 

nah, he's another player on the payroll, ashley hates those. there's no way pardew will be allowed any more than is deemed necessary to stay top 10

[Si]

Best won't be on much right, seems daft to get rid when we know he can do a job for us in a tight spot. Really hope we have significant numbers come in over the next month as starting to get  a bit nervous. If we start on the same numbers as last season with the same strength and depth on the bench we are an injury crisis away from trouble, doesn't matter how good the first team are.

 

That said there is still time and I am a worrier so just need to chill, god I hate the summer.

[Leazes1986]

Maybe Pardew has seen enough of him in training and matches and has came to the conclusion that overall he's not good enough but see's an opportunity to sell him for more than he is worth after the little good spell he had? His value will be higher than usual at the minute. Theres a good chance he will go back to the Leon Best we will sign and his value and confidence will plummet again. That Leon Best is not Premiership quality. Its not even an issue if we sign Ba and another couple of strikers. Especially if we're going 4-3-3 with 2 wingers more next season.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Is that two-line article from an anonymous daily mail writer the only reason for this whole discussion?

[Si]

Is that two-line article from an anonymous daily mail writer the only reason for this whole discussion?

 

It's the summer so we've entered blind panic mode, if there's a picture of Ben Arfa in the paper not smiling then we're all doooooooomed I tells ya.