Not sure where this figure has come from but it is featured in one report on the web. The £3m offers for JT were complete jokes, but could we afford to reject an £8m offer?
In the current market, that figure looks a bit tasty. Tomkins is good and has the potential to be very good - so we should certainly have tag ons to cover future international caps and a share of future transfer fees - but £8m up front seems about right in the current market.
The trouble is, we are already desperately short of defenders and there don't seem to be many good ones knocking about. Faye, Reid and McCartney can do a job in the Championship, but would you fancy our chances in the Prem with these guys at the centre of our defence? And then there's the issue of the left back spot if McCartney is moved inside. Potts did well in his first game but looked stretched against Birmingham - which is hardly surprising given he wears shorts to go to school when not playing football!
The squad is too thin when all is said and done. In the rush to cut the wage bill, we overlooked the fact that players get injured and suspended. The sale of da Costa was stupid because it so obviously left us short in the centre back positions. If Tomkins goes too, I reckon we can kiss goodbye to automatic promotion.
So should we sell Tomkins? How much is promotion worth exactly? But then how much would promotion cost us if we have to buy in a completely new team? Decisions, decisions. And thus far, Sullivan and Gold have not got many decisions right. Who, you wonder, will be the 2012 equivalents of Mido, McBenni, Bridge and O'Neil? I'm sure Sullivan is scraping the bottom of the barrel as we speak, whilst Princess Karren has a damp gusset at the thought of £8m for Tomkins.
January will reveal just how serious we are about winning promotion at the first attempt!
8 comments:
I think it'd be crazy to sell Tomkins. He's been one of the few constants at the back. If we're serious about seeking promotion, we should put up a 'not for sale' sign over him, and other key players. We need to add to the squad, not reduce it by selling off our best players. The fact that Newcastle are interested should be warning enough that we shouldn't sell him.
I'd even take as low as 5m if they chucked Shane Ferguson in...that is provided Pam has some decent defenders in his list of 25.
We need to nab Hoilett from Blackburn and McCarthy from Wigan if both get relegated. Three promising young talents.
For 8 million, I'd snap their hands off. Tomkins is a Championship player at best and has dropped plenty of howlers already this season. Everyone seems to have overlooked that miskick against Brum, indeed, many of his calamities are readily overlooked. By all means put on addons, but like the last Geordie team we mugged off, ala Anton...... Take the money.
You're right. Letting DaCosta go was the big mistake.
Not really interested in going back at first attempt as we'll only come straight back down again. Not even Big Sam could keep us up with our tight fisted owners. No. Lets bring in a few unknowns, consolidate, and enjoy a little half decent successful spell in the Championship. The West Ham Way. Give your Dr Evil half a chance. Anyone who signs the likes of Campo, Anelka, Yourri Doiff (or however you spell it) etc.must be doing something right. Baldock looks a step in the right direction.
Bringing in players from relegated teams rarely works Stani. They are scarred.
We've already sold our soul to Fat Sam's 'percentage football' and the chance to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the next few years so it was only a matter of time before our academy players were sold off to be replaced by has-been and mercenaries.
With the club's debts in such a dire state I understand the owners' desperation to get back to the EPL pig trough but at what cost? A loss if identity is just the start.
The poor quality football will only get worse when (if) we get promoted and play against much better teams. Some fans are under the illusion that Fat Sam will suddenly change 20 years (?) of his brand of football because it's what we want. The reality is more long ball, more John Carews and even more unlikely highlights of seeing an academy player pull on a first team shirt.
Good luck Tomkins, there's no future for you here.
To the earlier contributor, Baldock is a step in the right direction but why recall Robert Hall from Oxford United and then not give him a chance but, instead, persist with Piquonne and Carew as either starters or replacements. Fat Sam also has Montano and Montenegro for the chance to play a different way but he's too blinkered with his 'lump it up to the big men' style of play. He doesn't know any other way and if, as a West Ham fan, you're happy with the way things are, then see how you feel in 2 years time paying £1000s to watch a Bolton/Blackburn hybrid.
23:32 I love the happy bunnies that visit this blog
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