Mixed Messages ?

[GreenBlue]

I believe Colby has scored over a third of out total league goals this season and our next highest league scorer has just 4 goals.

Let's get ourselves promoted via the playoffs, keep Colby and tell Ipswich to f*** right off.

Play up Pompey.

[Blue Walter]

I think we all have our own ideas on what's on the Eisner's agenda and whether they are willing to sell Bishop or not? We have to consider Colby's opinion as well and if a good Championship side come in with an eye watering bid as proven goal scorers are worth a lot.Then we have to seriously consider it, although the chances of getting a striker of that calibre would be difficult for us. However I think that there seems to be an attitude within the management team that we can pick up bargains like Towler at very little cost, basically build a team of younger players on the cheap. The idea of making a profit say of £2 to £3 million seems to fit the strategy of buy low sell high that the club seem to be adopting. Therefore unfortunately I would not be surprised if Colby goes next season, and Hughes has to magically produce another rabbit out of the hat.

I read that Ipswich are looking at Bishop if they make it to the Championship and considering a bid this summer. It was in the Sun so it must be true.

I don’t think they will be alone in targeting him I expect a few others will be interested as well based on his goal scoring record, he is a valuable commodity. The problem is finding another striker without spending big bucks

I realise that any player that shows up well will interest other clubs. In fact I would suppose that is better than the rest of the footballing world thinking our players are cack. The thing is that if the club really is ambitious for promotion they would not consider letting a player go that can score the goals to get them where they supposedly want to be. Obviously if a prospective buying club offers ridiculous money then considerations need to be made. Would Ipswich, for instance, sell Chaplin for the going rate considering how important he is to them? I think we have Bishop on a fairly long contract so even if he is here next season he will still be contracted for the season after and will still have value. But his value to us would be even greater if he is banging in the goals that get us promoted. I think it is very much a case of mixed messages when one of the owners is saying they want promotion and the head coach is saying he doesn't know if he will have his star striker here next season.

[GreenBlue]

Unfortunately, unlike the good old days, the club has little say over a player who wants to 'move up' as if they try to scupper any potential move, more often than not, the player fails to perform to the same level he once did and subsequently his value drops.

I'm not saying this is the case with Colby, but we have all seen this situation so many times before and know the outcome is rarely favourable towards the 'lower-placed' (not smaller) club who currently holds the asset.

It is still massively unlikely to happen but promotion for Pompey would make a resolution to this potential issue, much more straightforward.

[NSRailings]

The thing is that if the club really is ambitious for promotion they would not consider letting a player go that can score the goals to get them where they supposedly want to be. Obviously if a prospective buying club offers ridiculous money then considerations need to be made

What if Bishop wants to go?

[Pompey1984+1]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

[Blue Walter]

The thing is that if the club really is ambitious for promotion they would not consider letting a player go that can score the goals to get them where they supposedly want to be. Obviously if a prospective buying club offers ridiculous money then considerations need to be made

What if Bishop wants to go?

He is under contract. I would think that any potential club that wanted him would be a club aiming for the Championship or already there. If the club he already plays for can convince him that they share his ambition then he should be happy to honour his contract. By suggesting they may not be able to keep him the club is already saying that their ambition does not match the players.

[Blue Walter]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

Why can't we stand on the other side of the shop window?

[Sam_Brown]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

Why can't we stand on the other side of the shop window?

When we buy from the lower leagues the manager / club get ****** on for not being ambitious enough.

[Blue Walter]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

Why can't we stand on the other side of the shop window?

When we buy from the lower leagues the manager / club get ****** on for not being ambitious enough.

I am sorry but I don't get your point. Obviously the lower down the league you go a player who becomes too good for that level the club will be quite happy to sell that player. Very often clubs can live off that bit of business for a long time afterwards, like Poole Town for instance. This particular instance we are debating a hypothetical scenario concerning Bishop but the next step up for him would be another League One club or one in the Championship, the place where we want to go. A club focused on promotion should not be worrying about their peers taking our players. As I say, as things stand, this situation concerning Bishop is hypothetical but I would have thought for a club aiming for promotion the talk should be more about getting players to do just that and not about losing players to other clubs wanting the same outcome.

[GreenBlue]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

Why can't we stand on the other side of the shop window?

When we buy from the lower leagues the manager / club get ****** on for not being ambitious enough.

I am sorry but I don't get your point. Obviously the lower down the league you go a player who becomes too good for that level the club will be quite happy to sell that player. Very often clubs can live off that bit of business for a long time afterwards, like Poole Town for instance. This particular instance we are debating a hypothetical scenario concerning Bishop but the next step up for him would be another League One club or one in the Championship, the place where we want to go. A club focused on promotion should not be worrying about their peers taking our players. As I say, as things stand, this situation concerning Bishop is hypothetical but I would have thought for a club aiming for promotion the talk should be more about getting players to do just that and not about losing players to other clubs wanting the same outcome.

Have I misread this thread? From my reading and understanding, I got the impression that we were considering the possibility of losing Colby to a team from a higher division (including those from ours who get promoted this season) rather than a sideways move. I agree, it would be disappointing to lose him but even more so to a team playing in the same division as us next season.

As mentioned previously, times are very different from the days when clubs and players honoured their contracts to the letter and these days it is more likely that a club will cash in if a player gets itchy feet regarding the possibility of immediately playing in a higher division on increased salary. Unfortunately, this is even the case when the club in the higher division is a smaller club like Wigan, Ipswich (if they get promoted) or, of course, Southampton.

[NSRailings]

The thing is that if the club really is ambitious for promotion they would not consider letting a player go that can score the goals to get them where they supposedly want to be. Obviously if a prospective buying club offers ridiculous money then considerations need to be made

What if Bishop wants to go?

He is under contract. I would think that any potential club that wanted him would be a club aiming for the Championship or already there. If the club he already plays for can convince him that they share his ambition then he should be happy to honour his contract. By suggesting they may not be able to keep him the club is already saying that their ambition does not match the players.

Bishop will be 27 this year. If a Championship club comes in that appeals to him and he wants to leave then he has to go. I agree that selling to a rival league club is frustrating but if a player wants to go then so be it.

If a club has decent recruitment in place (Brentford, Brighton for example) then success can be achieved. But those clubs also have decent infrastructure in place - something that we're working on. Going by Cullen's latest Q&A it could take a long time. On the other hand, the owners have said they'll push the boat out for the right player. They've been burned by it in the past (Marquis) but hopefully the current coaching staff, Cullen and Hughes will be the team that make it work.

[Pompey1984+1]

I'd not be surprised if our club (and others) manage to sign some of the players they do by 'not standing in their way' if reasonable deals come in for the player.

We are a good shop window for players looking to progress.

Why can't we stand on the other side of the shop window?

We are for those below us in the pyramid or those like Bishop.

[Pompey55]

My reading of the situation is that Eisner was asked the question and his answer was “we want to keep him and get to the Championship with us be it this season or next however if we receive offers we will have to consider them as we would for any asset like any other business”
There we go that word “asset” again which gets people’s back up. Sorry but we are a mid tables league one team and any player we have is considered an asset by our owners and as such if they like an offer they will realize that asset value, it’s what the do with the proceeds that is most important if it goes on recruitment fine but if it just gets into general turnover it’s not
I think they should come out a be clear if fees received are to be ring fenced for new players
I’m more concerned to yet again hear this business model Hughes and Moushino are working to basically Crewe by the sea
You only have to look at Crewe and to a similar club like Plastic Dons to see what that means

[Pompeymack]

For my thoughts, if the clubs vision aligns with Bishops he will stay for say another year. Bishop stayed at Accrington, an agreement was reached to sell him if they didn't reach the play offs(I think it was the play offs)

Bishop almost joined Blackpool before he joined Pompey, so there is a desire to move up to a higher level. If a club from a higher division comes in and its right for club and player, I'd be disappointed but accept that this is where we find ourselves as a club. If the money gets reinvested in the playing squad it could be the catalyst for a stronger squad like the sale of Peter Crouch.

I think the quotes from Eisnier and the Mous are two different conversations, one from an operational view point and one from a playing view point.

The Mous is saying of course other clubs will be looking at a striker who has scored over 20 goals and if a bid that is too good to refuse he'll be sold.

[NSRailings]

The Mous is saying of course other clubs will be looking at a striker who has scored over 20 goals and if a bid that is too good to refuse he'll be sold.

Exactly - c'est la vie for most clubs Prem League downwards. As for us turning into another Crewe or MK Dons I think our club has far more potential and ambition than that. We're just trying to be as sustainable as possible.