The All Blacks perspective - and Chris Martin

[Kentish Gent]

I saw a great piece of film the other day about New Zealand's rugby union team the All Blacks - unarguably the greatest rugby side in the world for many years, and possibly the best team in any sport worldwide.

A key part of their success is that they will only pick players who have the right attitude and the right character. If a player suddenly decided not to turn out for the team, he'd never be picked again.

If you accept that honesty, integrity and commitment to the cause are all essential characteristics which apply to every member of a team, and believe it is the right philosophy for Fulham, then where does that leave Chris Martin? 

[fulhamben]

In the reserves

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

In the reserves

Emigration to New Zealand ?

[H4usuallysitting]

Send him too Derby......he can fight for his place....while we can move on

[toshes mate]

Martin is an irrelevance to Fulham FC until he makes himself relevant.  Let him beat himself up until he cures his mystery injury.

[sunburywhite]

IF he does play for us again what sort of reception do you think he will get?

[toshes mate]

IF he does play for us again what sort of reception do you think he will get?

That's largely up to him isn't it.  If he can get over himself he is a useful Championship striker.

[HectorWeso]

IF he does play for us again what sort of reception do you think he will get?

judging by the f*ck off chris martin we dont want you here chant against Brighton, not a particularly great one Id guess

[Riverside]

Now there is an idea

Get train with the All Blacks

( He would not last 5 minutes and we can be assured he really would be injured not faking it ) 

[Riverside]

Seriously though
There is no way back for us or I guess for his team mates after the last 2 weeks
And I agree with the attitude mantra of the All Blacks .

He should go and sadly as he is a loan he can only go to Derby .
So we need to get the most we possibly can from Derby for him.
At least the loan refunded ?

And then we move on .........

[snarks]

To be blunt, I'm in the position where I back Slav. If he wants him to stay and he then picks him, I'm fine with it. If he wants him to stay and let him play with the development squad that will do me too.

[Woolly Mammoth]

I saw a great piece of film the other day about New Zealand's rugby union team the All Blacks - unarguably the greatest rugby side in the world for many years, and possibly the best team in any sport worldwide.

A key part of their success is that they will only pick players who have the right attitude and the right character. If a player suddenly decided not to turn out for the team, he'd never be picked again.

If you accept that honesty, integrity and commitment to the cause are all essential characteristics which apply to every member of a team, and believe it is the right philosophy for Fulham, then where does that leave Chris Martin? 

Up the creak without a paddle.

[FFCFOREVER]

Chuck him back to Derby we dont want players that dont want to wear the badge with pride

[fulhamben]

Chuck him back to Derby we dont want players that dont want to wear the badge with pride

doubt they would have him back now they have nugent. Unless they unload someone else

[Fulham Tup North]

I think he has burnt his bridges with us. Hoping Derby sign a few more strikers then he can sit in their Reserves. Saving us money

[Carborundum]

I thinking it probably leaves Chris Martin older, wiser and ruing the day he took a decision not to play.  This had very little upside for him, openly confronted a very rich man with a rock solid contractual right and assumed the loyalty of a club that only let him go a few months previously.  He has no good cards left to play and is absolutely stranded, dependent on the wishes of others he cannot control nor influence.  The next six months may go well for him, they may be abject.   The only card he can play in the bad scenario is to eat public humble pie to ask for forgiveness in return for playing some games.  Fulham can quite reasonably let him stew.

I feel uneasy about commenting on other people's character, especially when I haven't met them.  A charitable perspective might be to reflect that reaping the just consequences of bad behaviour often serves to strengthen character.  Mine included.

[bobbo]

He certainly didn't give his actions a lot of thought before he made them.
To say he's shot himself in the foot is an understatement.

[sunburywhite]

He certainly didn't give his actions a lot of thought before he made them.
To say he's shot himself in the foot is an understatement.

Only trouble is when he shot he missed - AGAIN

[Chesh]

It's a real shame that this has happened, because Martin was a very effective piece of our jigsaw.

Apart from his own mis-guided actions, the other people who come out of this with zero credit are:

1) The absolute idiot who advised him to do this, whoever that may be.....

2) The 'wally with the brolly' for blatantly encouraging his actions in the press (i.e. 'lets leave it to the 2 clubs', as if Derby had the right to bring him back, just because he wasn't the manager when he was contracted to us.

I'm not a vindictive person, but if Fulham back down, then it gives the green light for any player to do like-wise, and so if Martin suffers as a result of us not giving in to his disrespectful behaviour, then that is an unfortunate necessity.

If Martin effectively sits on his lardy backside for 5 months, then he only has himself to blame; because unless he eats a massive piece of humble pie (very soon), apologises in a big way for being a complete imbecile, and pays us back with goals, then that is exactly what should happen.

Slavisa's Black & White Army!

[FFCpmd]

Why does everyone think he should play with the reserves, or just stew? I suggest we get him working in admin until the end of the season - perhaps in the ticket office, so he can take our calls....