RUMOUR - Thomas Ince

[chilipepper91]

...we are no better off than we were with JM alone.

Except we may have lost a few players in this window to balance the books ...

Not whilst we're Premier League - next season is when it'll tell, to see if Anton really wants to get us back up or happy to float around the Championship play-off zone

Even so (and this is a separate thread in itself) I can't see us losing too many players - Pearce, Le Fondre, Kebe, Federici, Pog off the top of my head... We would still have the makings of a quality Championship side, a couple of signings here and there and we would bounce straight back up

[cmonurz]

Even so (and this is a separate thread in itself) I can't see us losing too many players - Pearce, Le Fondre, Kebe, Federici, Pog off the top of my head... We would still have the makings of a quality Championship side, a couple of signings here and there and we would bounce straight back up

And Guthrie. And maybe Morrison. So that's half our current first team, ridiculous to think we 'would' bounce straight back.

[TBM]

Even so (and this is a separate thread in itself) I can't see us losing too many players - Pearce, Le Fondre, Kebe, Federici, Pog off the top of my head... We would still have the makings of a quality Championship side, a couple of signings here and there and we would bounce straight back up

And Guthrie. And maybe Morrison. So that's half our current first team, ridiculous to think we 'would' bounce straight back.

BUT thats only if we feel the need to sell, when we were relegated last time - we kept hold of most of our players (Doyle, Hunt, Harper etc) and nearly made it back up. So maybe McD could keep the squad together and ask them to give it one season - whack in a great big bonus for doing so and you'll be surprised how many would stay...............but if Anton isn't so keen to throw the money, then we'll lose half the squad and do a Derby/Watford

[chilipepper91]

Even so (and this is a separate thread in itself) I can't see us losing too many players - Pearce, Le Fondre, Kebe, Federici, Pog off the top of my head... We would still have the makings of a quality Championship side, a couple of signings here and there and we would bounce straight back up

And Guthrie. And maybe Morrison. So that's half our current first team, ridiculous to think we 'would' bounce straight back.

But the overall squad has been strengthened - we now have Akpan and Carrico where we once had Tabb and Gunnarsson; Blackman where we had Church; Gunter, Kelly, Mariappa, Shorey, McCleary - all I'm saying is that even if we do lose those players it's not the end of the world as we have replacements who could step up. And none of these signings broke the bank so we won't have any great need or desire to sell - helped by Anton, hopefully.

But it's an irrelevant discussion because it's not gonna happen

[Big Ern]

I think this has all been bollocks, we were never going to pay that amount, it was just to let the fans think we would pay big money to be let down at the last min and say at least we tried to sign him

Exactly, it's a carefully engineered publicity stunt designed to appease fasns, and create that "oh, we gave it our best shot" impression.
I'm not falling for it, if we wanted this guy we wouldn't squabble over pocket change, and let's be honest here, a player of this calibre might be the difference between going down and staying up so it makes no sense to be stalling over loose change as staying up is worth tens of millions.

So.. can we all agree that we've been had?
It's the same thing every time. Throw some exciting name out there, bid less than they want, announce that we've bid - which we never normally do, and fail to complete the transfer, then create the false perception that we gave it a real go. Bull shit, this was never going to happen, and it was all done to appease the fans, pacify us.
We were never seriously in for Ince, otherwise this would have not turned out the way it always does when we follow our "appease the fans recipe", I am absolutely livid, I am fuming, zingarevich can FOAD, he has no money and we are no better off than we were with JM alone.

Easy Tiger

I don't think this will appease the fans (except for the simpletons like melonhead) and the club will face fierce critism if we go down, which they will thoroughly deserve. I don't think they would go as far a trying a "publicity stunt" but this bid stinks more of "chancing our luck" to see if we could get him on the cheap as opposed to a serious attempt at signing him.

We should also consider that this was a case of one of the most prudent clubs in the country trying to Negotiate with one of the hardest negotiators. Never likely to happen with our penny pinching and Blackpool's over-inflated price. I look forward to seeing Ince grade the premiership next season, but it's fair to say it won't be with us.

Above all, 6 Premiership transfer windows and yet again the board has failed to deliver...more than a coincidence some might say. Kelly was a solid signing, and the others have potential, but we don't need potential for now, we need proven quality to give us that kick-on to avoid relegation. These proven players appear to be something sadly the does not appear to be able to deliver either now or in the past. Unless that policy changes we have nothing more than the odd season in the Premiership to look forward to and it appears we learnt nothing from our last failed Premiership season.

[Scutterbucketz]

Even so (and this is a separate thread in itself) I can't see us losing too many players - Pearce, Le Fondre, Kebe, Federici, Pog off the top of my head... We would still have the makings of a quality Championship side, a couple of signings here and there and we would bounce straight back up

And Guthrie. And maybe Morrison. So that's half our current first team, ridiculous to think we 'would' bounce straight back.

BUT thats only if we feel the need to sell, when we were relegated last time - we kept hold of most of our players (Doyle, Hunt, Harper etc) and nearly made it back up. So maybe McD could keep the squad together and ask them to give it one season - whack in a great big bonus for doing so and you'll be surprised how many would stay...............but if Anton isn't so keen to throw the money, then we'll lose half the squad and do a Derby/Watford

What would be the point in going back up if we tried to do it on the cheap over and over again. I pray we don't go down but we've obviously learnt nothing from last time.

[maffff]

If Ince is out of contract in the summer we won't be getting him. This thread might as well be locked and closed now. We move on.

[Big Ern]

If Ince is out of contract in the summer we won't be getting him. This thread might as well be locked and closed now. We move on.

Still a bit more "straw clutching" to be done before that happens,

[maffff]

Enjoy.

[windermere_royal]

Deary me there are some desperately simple people who frequent this forum. Zingarevich can FOAD eh Ideal? What a sad little 'man' you are.

I don`t expect anything less from that twat.

[M Brook]

Why do we need the marquee signing though? Our form of late says to me we might just have enough as we are.

This time last season we were about 10th weren't we? Oh ye of little faith!

4th actually but hey!

[juanpablo]

we needed him or 1 big signing imo but fingers crossed

[andrew1957]

If Ince is out of contract in the summer we won't be getting him. This thread might as well be locked and closed now. We move on.

He signed a 2 year contract which expires at the end of the season but 1/ there is a one year extension option (not sure whether this is in favour of the club but presume so as Blackpool have not been keen to sell) and 2/ he is under 24 in any case so full compensation would have to be paid even if the extension is not signed. Same situation with Hoilett last season (except he had no extension option if I recall rightly) and QPR had to pay a significant compensation.

[cmonurz]

Hoilett cost (up to, depending on appearances) £4m.

[loyalroyal4life]

No chance now after his performance tonight, he will go top 6 team in summer

[Pepe the Horseman]

Give a fcuk, Gylfi will be coming home instead

[Pepe the Horseman]

Lol @ Ince's reaction to his son getting his second goal of the night

[SPARTA]

Supposed to be meeting with Martinez on Thursday. He's had a quiet ish season but has shown a lot of patience rather than jumping at the first offer to get in the Premier League. Everton would be a great move for him if it comes off.