[Archived] Don't Sell Friedel!

[Majiball]

You might, I just think he's the American Lucas Neill really.

Wierd how people find ways to justify it just because he's decide to break the terms of his contract and the honour of his word behind closed doors, whereas Neill was slaughtered because he decided to oblige the full term of his contract in public.

Neill jumped ship the first chance he had! but that said I doubt that there's many people in the world who would not turn down the kind of offers made to both.

The whole brad situation stinks, I just don't buy this its my choice statement, he's turned down united before, so why now??? I do believe there is alot more to this story than is being let on.

[LeChuck]

You might, I just think he's the American Lucas Neill really.

Wierd how people find ways to justify it just because he's decide to break the terms of his contract and the honour of his word behind closed doors, whereas Neill was slaughtered because he decided to oblige the full term of his contract in public.

Neill would have left us in the sh*t if West Ham didn't have more money than sense and fork out £1.5 million for someone with 6 months left on their contract. We simply can not afford to let players leave on Bosmans, but Neill was quite prepared to let his contract run down so that he could get as much money as possible out of his next contract.

Friedel, on the other hand, has plenty of time left on his contract which puts us in a strong bargaining position. We could possibly fetch an unprecedented fee for a 37 year-old, allowing us to bring in a younger (and therefore long-term) replacement, it could turn out to be a deal beneficial to all three parties involved (my personal view if Robinson is the replacement).

Also...I think that having been a fantastic servant and one of the top goalkeepers in the world for the past few years, Friedel deserves one last big pay day before retiring to his academy (or whatever it is he has). Neill was an average/poor/liability of a right back (and apparently still is, WHU fans have sussed that already) who managed to get lucky but doesn't deserve anything like what he's managed end up with. Neill also, on more than one occasion, showed disrespect to Rovers in the media (usually whilst on duty with Australia) whereas Friedel has been nothing complimentary about his time with us.

And finally (edited this quite a bit), it's quite apparent that this deal came looking for Friedel, he's never tried to force his way out before. In complete contrast, Neill had decided well in advance of his eventual departure that he was getting out.

[American]

Exactly, with Lucas, we knew well in advance we needed to replace him and should have prepared for it. With Brad we thought we had another 2 years until he needed a full time replacement, so were left more high and dry.

[roversmum]

This is quite something that Brad has created

[LWX]

You might, I just think he's the American Lucas Neill really.

Comparing Lucas Neill to Brad Friedel is a no brainer for me.

[thenodrog]

This is quite something that Brad has created

Maybe why he needs the money. I'd imagine the cost of upkeep will be huge. I can only imagine that the income will be from soccer schools will not be enough and that unearthing the odd diamond every year or two and shipping em out to Europe is a major requiremnent. Hence the Lerner link.

[thenodrog]

Comparing Lucas Neill to Brad Friedel is a no brainer for me.

Well you need to get some then.

Nobody rates Freidel more than me but of those two people one stuck implicitly to the terms of his contract that was made between him and then club and satisfactory to both at the time, was completely honest for some time about his intention to leave at the end of it, whilst the other treats his contract made between him and the club just a few months ago and with the ink still wet as just a piece of worthless paper fit for nothing but hanging on the back of the toilet door.

I'm sure that a court / tribunal would view any claim brought before them on those two instances as open and shut cases. Put away your personal feelings and what is left is the nub of it.

[gumboots]

Well you need to get some then.

Nobody rates Freidel more than me but of those two people one stuck implicitly to the terms of his contract that was made between him and then club and satisfactory to both at the time, was completely honest for some time about his intention to leave at the end of it, whilst the other treats his contract made between him and the club just a few months ago and with the ink still wet as just a piece of worthless paper fit for nothing but hanging on the back of the toilet door.

I'm sure that a court / tribunal would view any claim brought before them on those two instances as open and shut cases. Put away your personal feelings and what is left is the nub of it.

I agree with you here. Lucas Neill said he would not be renewing his contract giving Mark Hughes plenty of time to say "Well, as soon as I can get the lad I want, you can go." He didn't stop playing, throw a strop or anything but waited and then left when Warnock was brought in. The fact that he went for the money at west Ham turned a lot of people against him but he did nothing wrong before that. There are those who didn't like his comments about Rovers in the Aussie press, but we all know that the majority of footballers live in their own little world, protected by the clubs over here and do not always appreciate the effect their actions may have. Friedel has turned from a couple of weeks ago endorsing the selection of Ince as manager to I want out at a time that is very inconvenient for the club, when the manager had probably already been told how much he could afford and worked out what he thought he could get with that and now suddenly he's about to be deprived of a senior player, needs to find a player in a position where he thought he was strong, taking time from other possible targets and deals, and is faced with the prospect of an unsettled player if we can't sort things out soon enough.

[rebelmswar]

There is no way rovers will pay 6mil for robinson,spurs will have to bt realistic they want robinson out so they will have to lower the price,rovers should make spurs sweat by backing off and making moves for another keeper like cudicini

There is also no way Spurs will get that from anyone for him except maybe Sunderland

Playing peekaboo with players though is not a style I would associate with Rovers.

Why not add a sell on clause to Robinson to offset some of the inflated price on his head?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Friedel MUST stay until a deal for Robinson is done and dusted....NO other keeper comes close to Brad's ability who is potentially for sale at present aside from Robinson,anyone else would not be good enough to fill his boots.Sorry Brad but you signed a ruddy contract and no way is the club going to cut its own throat to suit your pocket!!

Getting ever so slightly pisshed off with this now

[gumboots]

Friedel MUST stay until a deal for Robinson is done and dusted....NO other keeper comes close to Brad's ability who is potentially for sale at present aside from Robinson,anyone else would not be good enough to fill his boots.Sorry Brad but you signed a ruddy contract and no way is the club going to cut its own throat to suit your pocket!!

Getting ever so slightly pisshed off with this now

I think most of us are with just about every player who's agitating for a move having just signed a contract. Thing is, in real life if you want out you have to agree to work notice and you know how long that will be and what date your notice has to be in by. Obviously people don't want footballers working notice in case their performance level drops but there must be another way to stop this silly sign a contract one month and decide you want out two months later.

[waggy]

in many respects losing freidal is a massive blow,by far the best keeper in the premier but in 3 years he will not be,and there is every chance robinson will be,take the money and thank the man,not forgiven him for missing that cross at ewood when saha scored for foolham

[Greenall_David]

Sky sports news are reporting, that brad will be leaving rovers today and should have more news by tea time today. Let's hope this is not true!!

[waggy]

Sky sports news are reporting, that brad will be leaving rovers today and should have more news by tea time today. Let's hope this is not true!!

sooner he goes the better

[gumboots]

Sky sports news are reporting, that brad will be leaving rovers today and should have more news by tea time today. Let's hope this is not true!!

No point hoping now. Things have gone too far. Far better if he's going, to get it done and dusted and move on. I'm gutted because of the way it's happened but there's no point crying over spilt milk and this has not just been spilt but gone off.

[Ronin]

Better to have the chance to replace him now, when there's a cash offer, than in a couple of years when his contract would've finished (not that that matters these days) and we would NEED to replace him.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Well there goes out 10-15 points saved per season then.

Don't want Robinson at the club, and certainly not for £6 million.

[gumboots]

Well there goes out 10-15 points saved per season then.

Don't want Robinson at the club, and certainly not for £6 million.

Not our choice though is it? I don't fancy Robinson either but the boss does and there comes a point where you just have to accept that and let him get on with things.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Not our choice though is it? I don't fancy Robinson either but the boss does and there comes a point where you just have to accept that and let him get on with things.

I know its not our choice, but I have every right to voice my displeasure.

I'm sure there are better keepers abroad and for a cheaper price, it puzzles me why it appears we have only looked at Robinson and no one else. I thought it would of been prudent to consider several candidates.

[LeChuck]

Friedel MUST stay until a deal for Robinson is done and dusted....NO other keeper comes close to Brad's ability who is potentially for sale at present aside from Robinson,anyone else would not be good enough to fill his boots.

Sums up my feelings too. I can't think of any other keeper I'd be happy with to be honest, but the maximum we should be paying for Robinson is £4 million.

If we could get £13 million + Robinson from Spurs, £2.5m for Friedel from Villa, then secure Castillo and Villanueva I think I'd be very happy.

[Parsonblue]

In the last three years Brad has made the difference between finishing in the top ten and finishing in the bottom half. We are not a prolific goalscoring team and therefore his ability to make world class saves has become vital to the club's progress.

Even if Robinson came in on a free transfer he would not still not be an adequate replacement for Brad. At £3.5 million I think Tottenham are getting away with daylight robbery. If Robinson starts to make the errors he's made at Spurs then I think we will be in for a long hard season.

I guess we'll just have to hope that Robbie Fowler can score 25 or more goals this season to compensate for the extra goals we'll concede

[almuncle]

I would love to know if there is a link between the rejected take-over bid from Brad's mate and Brad's sudden interest in a move away.Surely more than a coincidence?

[BuckyRover]

If Robinson had made that error that Friedel made at Birmingham that ultimately cost us our place in Europe, he would have had his face plastered over the papers. We wouldn't have been able to forget it.

Robinson will be a brilliant keeper for us.

We won't even miss Friedel (just like when we replaced Kelly & Filan etc)

[gumboots]

In the last three years Brad has made the difference between finishing in the top ten and finishing in the bottom half. We are not a prolific goalscoring team and therefore his ability to make world class saves has become vital to the club's progress.

Even if Robinson came in on a free transfer he would not still not be an adequate replacement for Brad. At £3.5 million I think Tottenham are getting away with daylight robbery. If Robinson starts to make the errors he's made at Spurs then I think we will be in for a long hard season.

I guess we'll just have to hope that Robbie Fowler can score 25 or more goals this season to compensate for the extra goals we'll concede

I don't disagree with you on any of those points but there comes a point where you have to accept what's going to happen and take it from there. I don't think Robinson's good enough. i don't really want him at my club but then I'm not paid to make the decisions. Ince is and he'll stand or fall by them. Voice your displeasure by all means but don't keep going on about it because it won't make a ha'pporth of difference to what actually happens.

[joey_big_nose]

I am optimistic about Robinson too. He will get the support he never had at Spurs, and he can rebuild his career at Rovers.Realistically at some point we would have to replace Freidal and this seems like as good a one as any.

3.5m for a keeper as young and as experienced as Robinson is good business. He has real quality which has been seen in the past. Lets turn him back into England's clear and undisputed number one.