[Archived] Rhodes- exit clause in contract

[Jimmy612]

good profit on our £8m in the event of a sale.

I'll believe that one when I see it Jim.

[Jimmy612]

Jimmy you've unearthed a list there of 20 or so of the most successful Championship strikers over the last 10-12 years.

How many haven't been so successful? Far more I'd imagine and that's the point with Rhodes. We were looking at going into the season without a recognised front line striker after Best's injury (unless you include Goodwillie who has flopped to date). We needed guaranteed goals, concluded Rhodes was the best available chance of giving us that and he has delivered.

The alternative Steve Kean was looking at was Simon Cox. I've just checked on wiki and he cost Forest 2m and has scored 4 goals in 36 appearances. He might have represented a more normal fee by Championship standards but who got the better deal out of those 2? Us by a mile I'd say.

In the unlikely event Rhodes is still with us next season and scores another 25 goals, would that affect your view of his value for money ratio at all ?

Finally out of your list I'd say off the top of my head many of those have gone on to do rather well in the Premiership.

Well exactly Rev - that was the point. I was hoping to find the best in the Championship - I studied the top goalscorers since 06.

What I want to know is why we chucked £8m at a player who was unproven and who's all round game is a long long way from the finished article. £8m!!! A huge gamble. - As proven from the above list - Goalscorers at this level can be found and unearthed for pittance.

Yes he has scored goals - and as I've said he deserves credit for his effort, endeavor, professionalism and most of all ability to finish - But if we could go back in time 1 year and we had £8m pounds in the bank, I would have told Huddersfield where to go after the first fax reply came through.

£8m is easily the making of a top Championship squad and I fear we could and should have been much more shrewd with it.

Finally - of those that you feel did well in the PL - how many are/were better than Rhodes?

[onlyonejackwalker]

Jimmy's list is interesting. Many players scoring over 20+ goals at this level costing a fraction of the price we paid for Rhodes. Anything less than the goals he has delivered would have not been satisfactory for the huge fee paid for a baby lining striker.

Learnt a long time ago that in team games the sum of the parts was far more important than any particular individual. Suprised Den has come in for so much stick over this issue as we have all seen the games, shocking results and league position. A lack of presence up-front has seen the ball coming back time and time again, match after match, putting strain on the midfield and defence. Its not all Rhodes fault of course, but his lack of ability outside the 6 yard box suprised me initially and disappointed ever since.

I do think he has done better this last two games however, take note of his age, recognise the shocking service at times and lack of support, understand the turmoil at the club and his continued professionalism, the lack of goals from elsewhere and subsequent pressure on him to deliver, love his movement in the 6 yard box and calmness under pressure...but in all my time watching have rarely seen anyone so totally innefective in general play, lacking the core strength to compete.

4-5 million tops. We overpaid big style. He has done what was required for the price tag, but at a cost with regards to our build up and general play. Work in progress, but at a finished article price at this level.

[Tom]

Someone pointed out that Cardiff don't have a striker in double figures for goals yet they have walked the league

Our weakness in other areas isn't compensated enough by Rhodes goals, that is no fault of his at all but it still points to the fact that the money could have been used better

[LDRover]

Who cares about value for money? I love watching him score and anyway value for money might be just keeping us up.

No team in this league spends 8 million on one player to avoid relegation.

Kevin Phillips on loan and a few streetwise snarlers like Shaun Derry and Gary Caldwell with a couple of other shrewd signings would've seen a stronger team with a fighting chance of promotion.

[onlyonejackwalker]

Anyone know how many assists are credited to Rhodes this season? I cannot think of many off the top of my head.

[donnermeat]

No team in this league spends 8 million on one player to avoid relegation.

Kevin Phillips on loan and a few streetwise snarlers like Shaun Derry and Gary Caldwell with a couple of other shrewd signings would've seen a stronger team with a fighting chance of promotion.

Caldwell wouldn't have improved us but Derry would. We've lost every midfield battle this season and second to every ball.

[chaddyrovers]

if Rhodes does leave which i cant see anyone paying what rovers want

i would go for Billy Sharp from southampton who is on loan at forest

[gumboots]

No team in this league spends 8 million on one player to avoid relegation.

Kevin Phillips on loan and a few streetwise snarlers like Shaun Derry and Gary Caldwell with a couple of other shrewd signings would've seen a stronger team with a fighting chance of promotion.

I'm not suggesting we should have spent that amount to keep us up - we all know that with shrewder spending we could have done better even without Rhodes goals. However, given that just about every halfway decent player we had left the club and that most of the players brought in were dross, surely buying one bit of quality - rhodes goalscoring prowess regardless of his all round ability - is making enough difference for us to think well of the guy and not see him as part of the problem. Whilst you are correct that a normal set up would have seen us buying players who would strengthen the overall squad, I'm not sure that in the current set up there was that ability to spot the kind of players that would do the job for us at the price and wages we would have wanted to see paid. Knowing the current mob, they wouldn't have brought in Phillips and whoever else you suggested - they'd have spent money on more unheard ofs who wouldn't have played or past its who would have been like etuhu and Murphy, leeches sucking money from the club in return for almost nothing. I'd rather have the bright spots that are Jordan's goals than watch players of Murphy's ilk wear the blue and white halves.

[Tom]

It should be pointed out that the Rhodes seems to be getting better at his weaker areas, the closing down and hard work that won the corner for the second goal on Saturday is something we wouldn't have seen earlier in the season (however maybe that sort of thing made him more jaded and contributed to him missing a few chances) and the faults in the team is in no way down to his application it's just maybe we would be better off with a slightly worse striker but better support players

[Stuart]

Jordan Rhodes has been, hands down, the BEST thing about this season.

Followed by Kean 'resigning'.

[G Somerset Rover]

No team in this league spends 8 million on one player to avoid relegation.

Kevin Phillips on loan and a few streetwise snarlers like Shaun Derry and Gary Caldwell with a couple of other shrewd signings would've seen a stronger team with a fighting chance of promotion.

Any team with our owners would have failed this season.

[LDRover]

Any team with our owners would have failed this season.

I agree, the club is a basket case.

Taking a loss on Rhodes this summer (which I think we will) and not getting promoted further re-inforces that.

[chaddyrovers]

It should be pointed out that the Rhodes seems to be getting better at his weaker areas, the closing down and hard work that won the corner for the second goal on Saturday is something we wouldn't have seen earlier in the season (however maybe that sort of thing made him more jaded and contributed to him missing a few chances) and the faults in the team is in no way down to his application it's just maybe we would be better off with a slightly worse striker but better support players

maybe this is Gary Bowyer and Terry McPhillps influence on him and his abality to improve him as all round striker not just a goalscorer.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Oh not the tactics excuse again. Our problems over the past two and a half years are down to selling good players while buying tripe.

Yakubu did fine amid all the hoofball claims. There again, he's a far superior player to Rhodes and that isn't criticising Rhodes.

Yes because Yakubu was a player who was good at holding the ball up. What if we had booted balls over the top for him to chase? We would be saying the tactics were wrong, you and one or two others would be saying he wasn't that good, and it was the same kind of excuses that we used to give for Kalinic or something.

You named all the players we had sold which is why we're where we are. The Jones', Samba, Nelsen, Emerton etc......5 wins in 21, 3 clean sheets, 10 games without a win. 7 draws, 9 defeats.....a 3-0 loss away to a Sunderland side who would win only 1 other home game in a year......that's what that team did.......22 points in 21 games.....relegation form......so how come that is?

Yakubu is far superior to Rhodes of course.....but one is the finished article, one is in his early 20s.

[Tom]

According to Yakubu's passport he's 21

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Four Four Two have done their annual Top 50 players in the Football League this month.

Ince and Zaha are joint first.

Rhodes is fourth.

Charlie Austin is third.

[Majiball]

Where's Murphy?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Rhodes has done as much as he could have been expected to do. Could the £8m have been better spent? Probably. To have a 25 goal a season striker up front and be on the brink of relegation says it all.

[sw0808]

maybe this is Gary Bowyer and Terry McPhillps influence on him and his abality to improve him as all round striker not just a goalscorer.

Think thats a spot on observation - I noticed on Tues, GB was giving Rhodes direct instruction/directions

[chaddyrovers]

Think thats a spot on observation - I noticed on Tues, GB was giving Rhodes direct instruction/directions

I notice this aswell the last 2 home games. also telling him to work harder for the team by chasing the ball down more

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

I agree, the club is a basket case.

Taking a loss on Rhodes this summer (which I think we will) and not getting promoted further re-inforces that.

Can't see us taking a loss on him unless he does have some kind of clause in his contract that makes it compulsory. He signed on a 5-year contract, which gives him/his agent a lot less power than usual in forcing a sale. So the only other factor forcing Rovers hand would be if we needed the money. And we only need money when Venkys decide we need money. I think they'll decide we don't in this case for the same reasons they won't let go of Rovers, pride. Rhodes is their marquee signing, the guy they've bragged to all their mates back in India about, it would be a shameful climb-down for them if he were sold at a loss just a year after signing. That kind of thing means too much to people like Venkys for them to let it happen in my opinion.

So if the player can't force a sale at a loss, and we refuse to sell at a loss, all I can see happening is we make a profit or he stays here. Either scenario is great.

[LDRover]

Can't see us taking a loss on him unless he does have some kind of clause in his contract that makes it compulsory. He signed on a 5-year contract, which gives him/his agent a lot less power than usual in forcing a sale. So the only other factor forcing Rovers hand would be if we needed the money. And we only need money when Venkys decide we need money. I think they'll decide we don't in this case for the same reasons they won't let go of Rovers, pride. Rhodes is their marquee signing, the guy they've bragged to all their mates back in India about, it would be a shameful climb-down for them if he were sold at a loss just a year after signing. That kind of thing means too much to people like Venkys for them to let it happen in my opinion.

So if the player can't force a sale at a loss, and we refuse to sell at a loss, all I can see happening is we make a profit or he stays here. Either scenario is great.

My main point is that the signing of Rhodes can only be deemed successful if we get promoted or if we sell on for a profit.

It's my firm opinion that neither will happen but I'd love to be proved wrong. Especially in the first instance.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

My main point is that the signing of Rhodes can only be deemed successful if we get promoted or if we sell on for a profit.

Disagree with that myself. The only point at which time will be pushing us to sell or risk a further loss will be when he's got 1-2 years left on his contract. If he's stayed at the club until then (which I think he will if nobody offers us above £8m, for the reasons in my last post), then I expect he'll have scored at least 100 goals for us by then. Say we then sell him for £5m, he's cost us £3m and scored 100 goals, or £30k a goal. I'd take that, its better value for money than most strikers.

The other point is, if we stay up this season, its down to him. As a rough guess I'd say dropping from the Championship to League 1 costs at least £3m in revenue (possibly more). Plus it would make promotion back to the PL impossible on any near future timescale, so what price can be put on Rhodes simply keeping us in with a chance of it?

I know the comeback argument to that is you don't normally need to spend £8m to stay up. Well I think in our case we did because we can't be compared to normal Championship clubs. We've been so disastrously run this season that we needed a 25-30 goal striker. The rest of our 30-odd man squad have contributed 25 goals between them this season, I can't be convinced thats Rhodes fault. Its a combination of them being lazy, unprofessional, rubbish and badly managed. I don't remember McCarthy doing much outside the box under Hughes but the rest of the side still scored nearly (edit: can't add up) two-thirds of our goals in 2006-07, as opposed to less than half this season.

[den]

Yes, our 25 goal striker is one of our problems.Go home, Den, you are drunk.

Lol. Well I guess to join in the debate of how the teams performances have worked out, the least you need to have done is watched them. 25 goals -yes, he' done more than could be expected of him, but that's a given, we all know that but isn't related to the point being made, not just by me, but by quite a few other fans - including might I add, the respected Parsonblue in his latest match report. Two facts here as far as I'm concerned. Firstly Rhodes has done very, very well. Secondly, as a team, we're completely toothless.

Question for the fans who wouldn't sell him next season. Assuming there's no great amount of money to strengthen the squad, how are we going to move forward in the league? Are you all going to plod on as we have done - or assuming we can get our money back on Rhodes, should we do that and bring in maybe three or four players?