Old Sod's Army-Pat Roberts

[bog]

I am not happy. What is the point of a yoof set up if the best one in years is allowed to leave in what seems such a meek manner. No doubt his agent may have had something to do with it. However he leaving without so much as a first team goal is a bloody pain! Was Symons not interested in giving him proper game time because Khan did not want him risking injury before selling? Or was it because Symons would not give yoof a chance? We all knew he would leave eventually but I wanted to see at least a season of starts.  I am not happy! Is Dembele next!!!!  :dft007:

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[jarv]

Money. No doubt a lot of money for a kid who can only be described as a prospect at this stage.  I do agree that he should have finished his apprenticeship with Fulham. Southampton keep losing their top young players but at least they get a season or two first, and most likely go for much more money when they get the experience to prove themselves. Sad days these days but it is what it is.

[bog]

jarv, exactly. Saints fans must be sick to death of it.   :dft007:


:dft007:

[SKSW6]

The point of a youth system at a club the size of ours is literally to do this. Sell one or two at a high price in order to fund the academy for the next few years, with a few sticking around for longer like LVC, Betts, Williams, Hyndman etc. I really don't get the anger at all considering he had one year left on his contract and would've left for less than 1/10th of the price next summer.

[Twig]

The point of a yoof set up is to make money and occasionally strengthen the squad.  We just have to live with it.

[sunburywhite]

The point of a yoof set up is to make money and occasionally strengthen the squad.  We just have to live with it.

Spot on

[McBride78]

jarv, exactly. Saints fans must be sick to death of it.   :dft007:


:dft007:

He was leaving now, or in a year for free.  We should understand that if we wish to be a PL team, at our size, we must have money and stability to compete.  As you said, Saints fans may be tired of it, but it is what finances them to be competitive.  I would also say that they do a better job of scouting players from other European leagues that transition well to England.  While they did have that nutcase Osvaldo, many of the other signings have translated quite nicely.  That coupled with youth program = sustainable success. 

Our core youth (LVC, Hyndman, Betts) are more valuable in my opinion because they can be multiple year contributors.  We need to lock all down to long deals now, especially Hyndman.  If Hyndman does what I think he is capable this year, he will be on everyone's radar. 

[Nero]

i thought the point of the youth system was to get first team players so you dont have to spend on transfers then flog them for millions, and the ones that arent good enough flog for a few quid to lower league,

strange thing is wasn't it kit who argued with jol about giving the youth a chance in the 1st team

[Fernhurst]

Absolutely agree with your sentiment Captain, but tis the way of the modern football world I fear. A world where an 18 year old can talk about his club in the third party..... "I respect Fulham FC but will speak with my family regarding what's right for me" .... Dembele last week.
I blame George Eastham and Jimmy Hill myself, Eastham, via league action removed the right for a club to hang on to a player after his contract finished and Jimmy got the the maximum wage removed.
The end result is what we have now, Player Power ..... As a business decision it makes perfect sense to cash in as the lad obviously stated he would not sign on again.

All we can do is wish him well and wave him goodbye.

[McBride78]

There will still be players of exceptional character.  They may be more rare now, but they will come along.  Ones that do want to play and have loyalty to a club.  Those are the ones we break the bank to keep.  Hopefully we have some within the club now and one of the guys (LVC, Hyndman, Betts, Dembele, Woodrow) go on to become a captain and legend here. 

[Lighthouse]

He wasn't given playing time last season because he wasn't good enough. When he played he showed why he wasn't good enough yet. City can afford to take the gamble. No club can keep players who want to leave. He wanted to leave once City made their intentions clear.

A player who was a few years away from being a first team regular. Good business and I am afraid we are Fulham and our club will and has always relied on players being sold to balance the books.

[tslyon]

He wasn't given playing time last season because he wasn't good enough. When he played he showed why he wasn't good enough yet. City can afford to take the gamble. No club can keep players who want to leave. He wanted to leave once City made their intentions clear.

A player who was a few years away from being a first team regular. Good business and I am afraid we are Fulham and our club will and has always relied on players being sold to balance the books.

Being over in the New World, it is sometimes very difficult to get the true pulse of what is happening with the club.  However, this is what I ASSUMED based on this forum, the limited times I saw him play and the odd musings on the interweb.

I don't think he was the next coming of Johnny Haynes.  He might prove me wrong in time and become the next great English captain that goes on to win the World Cup.  I think the club did good business in the sale and I hope that he develops into a great player in the Premier League.  City is a tough place to break into and he will have to work very hard to earn a spot.

My $.02...

Cheers,

Steve

[Fernhurst]

Sean summed it up from the gantry one wet Wednesday night when Kit made the decision to substitute him. As he trudged off Sean said he had been " rag dolled".
Far too many rough tough Championship players not prepared to wait around to be nut megged by our Wonderkid.
He was not the boy to help out us in the S### storm we found ourselves in.

[Nero]

its a lot of money to pay for someone that isnt good enough for a team in a relegation scrap, perhaps city can see something in the lad we couldnt. why did we release all them other youngster that weren't good enough we could have sold them to city for a few million each

[MJG]

Let's be clear only one person that mattered deemed him not good enough to contribute between mid Feb and last game of the season.
Others may agree,  others may think he deserved at least some late appearances in what at times was an horrendous run of form.
If you want to look at one reason why he has left, it's no games in that time period.

[Lighthouse]

Let's be clear only one person that mattered deemed him not good enough to contribute between mid Feb and last game of the season.
Others may agree,  others may think he deserved at least some late appearances in what at times was an horrendous run of form.
If you want to look at one reason why he has left, it's no games in that time period.

Well it isn't this one reason is it? We could have played him in every game and he may well have stopped running in circles and learned to play well. City would have come along and Roberts wouldn't have said. ' Oh no thanks. I am playing for a struggling Championship side and playing is much more important than making money and having the chance to play for one of the biggest sides in Europe'. Roberts has potential and that is great. But we were never going to be able to compete with City however many games we Roberts played for us.

[Fernhurst]

Let's be clear only one person that mattered deemed him not good enough to contribute between mid Feb and last game of the season.
Others may agree,  others may think he deserved at least some late appearances in what at times was an horrendous run of form.
If you want to look at one reason why he has left, it's no games in that time period.

Well it isn't this one reason is it? We could have played him in every game and he may well have stopped running in circles and learned to play well. City would have come along and Roberts wouldn't have said. ' Oh no thanks. I am playing for a struggling Championship side and playing is much more important than making money and having the chance to play for one of the biggest sides in Europe'. Roberts has potential and that is great. But we were never going to be able to compete with City however many games we Roberts played for us.

Well said Sir Les

[MJG]

Let's be clear only one person that mattered deemed him not good enough to contribute between mid Feb and last game of the season.
Others may agree,  others may think he deserved at least some late appearances in what at times was an horrendous run of form.
If you want to look at one reason why he has left, it's no games in that time period.

Well it isn't this one reason is it? We could have played him in every game and he may well have stopped running in circles and learned to play well. City would have come along and Roberts wouldn't have said. ' Oh no thanks. I am playing for a struggling Championship side and playing is much more important than making money and having the chance to play for one of the biggest sides in Europe'. Roberts has potential and that is great. But we were never going to be able to compete with City however many games we Roberts played for us.

I said if you want to look for one reason,  but your right it's more complicated than that. But I know many on here want everything to be black and white with no grey,  so I gave them that option to take.

[bog]

All the answers have offered good points. I suppose I am still p***** off with how Jol unravelled us and then we had the Kraught klown who stripped us bare. If we were still a premiership club then we have the platform to offer top flight football for at least a season before moving on. I remember the Eastham saga, Tommy Trinder wanted he to come to Fulham! As you say Fernhurst it is the way times are now. As for Saints' fans how they must wonder where they would be if the club had managed to hang onto the lot!! The season is no where started and already I have got the right a***!!!! I wonder if that player we had on loan from City last season put a word in for his owner club?

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[cmg]

Manchester City see exactly the same in him as we and everybody else does. Potential.
They can afford to take a multi-million pound risk on it. They would not care less that he was not considered good enough for a team in a relegation scrap. They are not planning to be in any relegation scraps in the immediate future.

Yes, there are a multitude of reasons behind this. To my mind getting relegated was a big issue. If we had held on in the PL we might, just might, have kept him interested for another few years.