Hoilett

[savage90]

Alan Nixon say's he's been asking for 75k per week from clubs abroad.

[Steve Moss]

Alan Nixon say's he's been asking for 75k per week from clubs abroad.

Good luck to him with that. He's a one or three successful seasons from being able to demand that fee.

[Eddie]

If we were sensible we would offer him big money and try to convince him to stay. Even if we overrate him slightly it would undoubtedly take at least 7-10m to find someone of equal quality. When you then throw in the wages that you would then have to play that player and the fact that we will not get Hoilett's true value for him leaving, we would be better of simply overpaying him to stay. If he hasn't had many serious offers at this point and 75k is his going rate, throw out a big money offer and see what happens.

[roversoutsider]

£75k is way too much. We are not a premier league side anymore, and if we fail to go up, we may financially crumble. Actually, i think, we may not miss him as much as people think. We have Rochina and Formica who can play in the hole, and i believe they will be just as successful in the championship. Yes, we failed to capitalise on jr, but tbh he never really showed any graft or interest in playing for us towards the end of last season. Had his head turned and that showed in his performance.

[bennyboyt11]

75k a week? He's good but no where near that good.

[bluebruce]

75k a week? He's good but no where near that good.

He isn't. But I might hazard an offer in the 60-65k region if it was about 3 years to give us some protection this time (with no stupid clauses). Let's weigh this one up. A player who, under contract, we probably could have got 8 million upwards for, even after relegation (though will struggle to get this going forward unless we get promoted). A 3 year deal on those terms would cost us 9-10 million. Murphy has been brought in on wages of (depending where you believe) either 30k a week or 50k a week on a 2 year deal (so, 3-5 million), and will be finished in 1-2 years, with no resale potential. The theoretical 3 year deal for Hoilett would make more sense to me than that. Flog someone like Pedersen, probably still on about 25k per week after the relegation wage cut, and I'd be keen to give that a shot if the finances can take the strain. Hoilett's pace would utterly terrify Championship defenders. Not the most physical lad, but coped in the physical Prem. As for how his heart wasn't in it near the end of the season, his head wouldn't be so turned if he had been secured to a longer contract.

However, I doubt the lad or his dad is daft enough to stay even if we're offering him about 10k more than anyone else (I don't doubt he will get 50k p/w offers, can't see him getting 75k though). So it's moot really.

[joey_big_nose]

Very sad to see that he is so money orientated this early in his career. Doesn't bode well for him developing as a player to be honest. Wrong focus. He should be looking to do the best he can to improve his game. Money will come in the long run.

As for what we can afford..... Assuming what we would be willing to pay as 35k (same as what is reported for Murphy) 75k equates to 40k more a week or 2 million more a year. That's a lot of cash. I suppose it adds up as a sound investment if he either gets us into the prem or we can flog him next summer for 2m+ which, barring injury, we should be able to do.

Problem is having a player on more than double of anyone in the rest of the squad, with a money focus and not a team player you have to ask what the effect on the dressing room would be.

I think if he stayed it would be for the wrong reasons, and there would be a decent chance he would both be disruptive and have a poor season. We can ill afford that.

[roversoutsider]

Exactly my thought. The lad has clearly set his sights on the big clubs. Even if he is pestered to stay at rovers, i am sure we will not see the same player. Absolutely no passion towards the shirt.

[bennyboyt11]

Hoilett's pace would utterly terrify Championship defenders. Not the most physical lad, but coped in the physical Prem. As for how his heart wasn't in it near the end of the season, his head wouldn't be so turned if he had been secured to a longer contract.

The Championship isn't a turtle race, there are players faster than Hoilett already plying their trade there so I don't think he'd be quite as devastating as people would like to believe.

[pick32]

He would be by far the best player in that league, we should of tied him down when we had the chance.

[Hughesy]

Slipped up when Big Sam only gave him a 2 year deal....should have been 4 year deal with the amount of talk they were doing about his talent!

[Ricky]

But you can't make him sign a 4 year deal. I'm pretty sure it was highlighted at the time that it was a 2 year deal or nothing.

[roversoutsider]

I dont think this is Big Sam's fault. He was unproven at the PL and a 2 yr deal was ideal. There was no guarantee he would succeed. He could have turned out to be a Linganzi or Slew. He should have been tied down by Kean long before last summer. Kean should have understood his potential and made him sign a contract before he tore up the PL. After that last match against wolves, there was no looking back for him.

[HemelRover]

He would be by far the best player in that league, we should of tied him down when we had the chance.

No he wouldn't. He is inconsistent, often disinterested and selfish and his decision making is terrible. He really isn't as good as people seem to think he is.

He has a bucket full of talent, dont get me wrong, but he is miles away from being that good.

[joey_big_nose]

But you can't make him sign a 4 year deal. I'm pretty sure it was highlighted at the time that it was a 2 year deal or nothing.

Yup - as you can see with this whole 75k business he is very money focused and well advised in this area by his dad. He knows that the best way to inflate your salary is short contracts. He was never going to sign more than 2 years.

His problem he will run up against is that big clubs will notice this lack of commitment and incorrect priorities and it will hurt his career opportunities... sad. It's not good for his own psychology. Look at Anelka, Sturridge, Adebayor, Chimbonda. Players who money orientate themselves become wealthy but have very choppy careers and a lack of direction which curbs their ability to meet their potential.

[Earlydoors]

Someone needs to give him a nice 4 month injury in training. That'd focus his priorities on signing a deal.

[Mattyblue]

Our own fans are blaming Sam for this?

Christ, 18 months he was on the 'verge' of signing under Kean.

[roversoutsider]

Big Sam would be blamed by me, but that would be for appointing Kean as coach, not for the hoilett deal.

[Mattyblue]

I wonder how things would now be if Sam had have looked through the man's blarney when interviewing him.

[cn174]

The Championship isn't a turtle race, there are players faster than Hoilett already plying their trade there so I don't think he'd be quite as devastating as people would like to believe.

Turtles can't run at all!

[Guest Rovers4Good]

Hoilett's too good for the championship and who could blame him if he left?

He's been our stand out player last year and a player that made you sit on the edge of your seat when going forward and we've not had that since Duff and Bentley.

If anyone's to blame for him going and at a cut down price then it's Kean and Venky's nobody else.

[pick32]

I think he is exceptional talent, not a lot I players can beat 3/4 men. Him tugay an duff have been the best players to watch at rovers over the last decade.

[Eddie]

Duff was better than Hoilett. Could beat his man, cross and shoot. Hoilett can get past his man, but often doesn't know what to do after that and is also very lazy when it comes to getting back or being consistently involved in matches. Not a patch on Duff.

[savage90]

I would happily offer him very high wages simply to get him tied down to a contract with the intention to sell him. Offer him a 5 year deal 50k a week. Watch him tear up the championship for a year, then sell him next summer for what he's worth... well, that's what I'd do on football manager at least and if it was New star soccer, I'd buy him a boat, a holiday villa, an SUV and a silver chain.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Duff was better than Hoilett. Could beat his man, cross and shoot. Hoilett can get past his man, but often doesn't know what to do after that and is also very lazy when it comes to getting back or being consistently involved in matches. Not a patch on Duff.

Agreed. I would argue Bentley was a better player as well though a very different style overall.

Hoilett has a lot of potential but is very erratic in terms of consistency. One week he looks like a world beater the next he looks like a lower division player.