Albert To Palace?

[herman]

Am I alone in thinking that £3M for Albert is a figure plucked from some sort of fantasy football, surely with the financial regulations coming in, players who aren't exceptional, won't be able to command huge transfer figures and salaries. I might be wrong, but I doubt if he is worth £1m, let alone £3m.

nope, you're not

look at michu in the PL, scoring goals all over the place, cost £2m

although the price for british players is inflated (and albert is british, having been born in london), £3m would be a ludicrous bid and we should instantly accept that amount for ANY of our players

given that we're a long ball team, having a good winger doesn't really help us much, so we may as well sell

[Timbo7]

Albert is without doubt one of the five most talented players I have seen play for this club in the last 30 years - there are few players in the World (never mind the Championship) who regularly show his natural ability on the ball and the sight of him running with the ball at his feet is sublime. In the time he has been here he has been responsible for at least 75% of the pleasure I have gained from watching this dysfunctional team. It is not Albert's fault that most of our opponents know that all they must do is cancel him out and they will win. Second half against Derby, despite our more attacking formation he regularly came up against not 2 but 3 defenders BUT still he was our best player.

Some say he doesn't always perform but who of his type does? Some say he lacks end product but count his assists (compared with others) - and also consider how often he plays with same forward line. Of the strikers he has played with it seems to me that only Brett and Sammy will gamble on the early percentage ball into the box - Micky certainly never did. Imagine Albert with Riley, Neville, Morgan, Cole, Lenny, Thorpe, Lita or even Haynes..

And on top of all that - he plays with a smile - he loves playing football - he never goes missing (even on his worst days) and he makes his team mates smile - even in the situation we find ourselves in now.

If he goes, and surely he soon will, the loss will be massive and the grieving will be long BUT some might get to see him play in a team fit to share the ball with him AND perhaps with the right coaching he might even improve.

However, for me even the pragmatists have got it wrong - a £3M transfer fee next month will help us achieve the FFP target for this season but will it really enable DM to build the team we need? Players rightly commanding seven figure fees can find better clubs than ours leaving us in the same position we already are - attracting only players whose ridiculous wage demands (and certainly well in excess of Albert's) put off better run clubs. More overpaid journeymen cannot be the answer and will also need paying next season when we no longer have an Albert to sell.

Believe me - nothing good will come from Albert's sale - except perhaps the memory that he once played for us when he is setting the World alight for others' pleasure.

[i hate you butler]

So who is the agent ?

Used to be Kentaro.

tony finnegan

[Roger Red Hat]

I'd sell him for 3 million then give Anderson a go. As someone said earlier very inconsistent, but I guess as long as he is running with ball some people will be happy. BUT his final ball and awareness is shocking most of the time.

No it isn't.

[cider-manc]

Walking away from Hillsborough surrounded by Wednesday fans the other weekend all I could hear was them making comments such as "they are as bad as us- apart from their winger" and "if they stay up it will be because of him".

I actually agree with both.

Surely it has got to be worth the risk of keeping him until the summer?

[pongo88]

Albert is without doubt one of the five most talented players I have seen play for this club in the last 30 years - there are few players in the World (never mind the Championship) who regularly show his natural ability on the ball and the sight of him running with the ball at his feet is sublime. In the time he has been here he has been responsible for at least 75% of the pleasure I have gained from watching this dysfunctional team. It is not Albert's fault that most of our opponents know that all they must do is cancel him out and they will win. Second half against Derby, despite our more attacking formation he regularly came up against not 2 but 3 defenders BUT still he was our best player.

Some say he doesn't always perform but who of his type does? Some say he lacks end product but count his assists (compared with others) - and also consider how often he plays with same forward line. Of the strikers he has played with it seems to me that only Brett and Sammy will gamble on the early percentage ball into the box - Micky certainly never did. Imagine Albert with Riley, Neville, Morgan, Cole, Lenny, Thorpe, Lita or even Haynes..

And on top of all that - he plays with a smile - he loves playing football - he never goes missing (even on his worst days) and he makes his team mates smile - even in the situation we find ourselves in now.

If he goes, and surely he soon will, the loss will be massive and the grieving will be long BUT some might get to see him play in a team fit to share the ball with him AND perhaps with the right coaching he might even improve.

However, for me even the pragmatists have got it wrong - a £3M transfer fee next month will help us achieve the FFP target for this season but will it really enable DM to build the team we need? Players rightly commanding seven figure fees can find better clubs than ours leaving us in the same position we already are - attracting only players whose ridiculous wage demands (and certainly well in excess of Albert's) put off better run clubs. More overpaid journeymen cannot be the answer and will also need paying next season when we no longer have an Albert to sell.

Believe me - nothing good will come from Albert's sale - except perhaps the memory that he once played for us when he is setting the World alight for others' pleasure.

Just like Bolasie? He improved 100% after he left City. Albert could do the same

[havanatopia]

I'll have no problem with him leaving for anything above 3.5 million, as long as it gets used to buy some decent players, otherwise I think we will go down.

+1.5

Leroy Rosenior nailed it today when he said if we lose to Trotteries on Saturday we may as well face up to a 4 team league for the rest of the season.. sell Adomah and don't get the best from Anderson and he will probably be bang on the money.

[Gazred]

If we can keep him this coming transfer window, i think we would only want to sell in the summer to a Prem club, i.e not a rival. Thats counting on us still being in the Championship though!

[The Kaiser]

Crystal Palace aren't our rival. They are another Championship club but the gulf between us and them is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. My best mate is a season ticket holder at Selhurst Park and he thinks this is only a go if Zaha leaves, otherwise they don't have the dinaro for 3m

[Gazred]

Crystal Palace aren't our rival.They are another Championship club

That makes them a rival in my book. Why help strengthen any side in the same division? Right now you would probably only consider 3 or 4 other sides rivals, that i understand, but for the bigger picture, particularly at the start of a season before a ball has been kicked, i would consider CP a rival club along with quite a few others.

[Always Believesham]

Just 3 things on this topic;

1. Albert is 10 times the player Yannick is and could still command a transfer fee around £5m from a club in the position to do so.

2. We've got a winger problem, never mind Albert carrying the team, Bryan, Anderson and Woolford are left sided wingers, we have no other option on the right wing bar Foster and we might aswell go 3-5-2 then. They say a good winger canplay on either side, a good winger can also play for a team higher than fighting relegation from the Championship.

3. We have always been afraid of being a selling club and have never sold at the right time, this may be the opportunity to accept an offer and invest in some good young, lower league/foreign/premier league offspring players with a view to developing them and moving forward but not afraid of selling if an offer came in, starting again.

None of them are linked, they're just thoughts that I've had reading through other posts

I don't actually want AA to leave, I could see it happening though and, in Derek's shoes, i'd suggest accepting anything over £3m straight up and from then on, gamble on new players, young players both in and brought into the club, untried players in the club, it's the only way cameraderie and team spirit will build and cumulate in survival.

[Murraysrightplum]

£3-4 million plus plenty of add ons (do we even ask for these!?) and he will go. Would be sad to see him leave though. Excellent player and very down to earth lad. Seems thick as the proverbial though!

[CIDER NOT CIDRE]

I think he would be sorely missed to be honest bu another problem though is attendances will drop as he is entertainment as he has a bit of flair and actually runs at defenders. If you go on the online ticket office and see which parts of the ground are filled most it's a lways the right hand side of each half of the pitch where Albert plays showing people purposefully choose to sit there because he is there so if he isn't playing anymore surely that will affect attendances?

[the frampton balti]

FFS FFP does not kick in till season after next. We are under no pressure to sell . If albert wants to go then fair enough .There will always be carrots but lets make sure there's no sticks. lets give him a contract to hold his value . This club should be at least as ambitious as the palaces of this world. Stop aiming for mediocrity and we might actually achieve something.

As for albert being ten times the player bolaisie is ...thats just sour grapes!

If mcinnes is the boards man then splash the cash mr lansdown and IT HAS TO BE THIS SEASON(FFP)! If not then get him and his apparent shambles out of the club and splash the cash on a new coaching team that can get the best out of this underperforming potential.

[Timbo7]

I think he would be sorely missed to be honest bu another problem though is attendances will drop as he is entertainment as he has a bit of flair and actually runs at defenders. If you go on the online ticket office and see which parts of the ground are filled most it's a lways the right hand side of each half of the pitch where Albert plays showing people purposefully choose to sit there because he is there so if he isn't playing anymore surely that will affect attendances?

Yep - pretty much all that is worth turning up to see at the moment!

[RedRock]

Nailed on.

Pretty obvious replacement. God, how our fortunes have changed since we demolished them at AG!!

[the frampton balti]

£3-4 million plus plenty of add ons (do we even ask for these!?) and he will go. Would be sad to see him leave though. Excellent player and very down to earth lad. Seems thick as the proverbial though!

Unpretentious. Very clever footballer.Probably not the academic type mostly gives an inspiring performance and a heartfelt entertaining interview. fik No!

[Always Believesham]

FFS FFP does not kick in till season after next. We are under no pressure to sell . If albert wants to go then fair enough .There will always be carrots but lets make sure there's no sticks. lets give him a contract to hold his value . This club should be at least as ambitious as the palaces of this world. Stop aiming for mediocrity and we might actually achieve something.

As for albert being ten times the player bolaisie is ...thats just sour grapes!

If mcinnes is the boards man then splash the cash mr lansdown and IT HAS TO BE THIS SEASON(FFP)! If not then get him and his apparent shambles out of the club and splash the cash on a new coaching team that can get the best out of this underperforming potential.

I understand FFP doesn't kick in 'till year after next but everyone at the club is openly, actively aiming to reach it's expectations asap, we all know that it's their financial strategy and its out there for all to see.

We should be ambitious yes, but wise also, Albert would have to be offered a very good contract to accept a longer term deal which, if worst came to the worst, we wouldn't be able to afford in league one. Financial gambles aren't what this club's about.

And just a question, how many players do you believe Yannick has the capability of carrying through a game?

With his work rate at its peak, my answer is one, the full back

And Albert?

He's been able to carry the entire team through games in the past and can only get better.

I'm not saying Bolasie is a bad player, just that Albert is an exceptional player

[dazza247]

Why would we sell Albert to Palace? If a Premier League club come in for him, then fair enough, but Palace aren't a huge draw in this division? They're having a great run at the moment,getting the best out of players like Bolasie and Murray that hadn't previously pulled up many trees. In Holloway they've got a good manager,but hopefully they'll drop away as the season progresses, especially if anything happens to Zaha (injury/transfer).

If Palace do get an astronomical bid for Zaha,then how much will they reinvest in the team? If Zaha wants to go,then this could seriously reduce the figure the press are talking about?

I can understand if Albert does want to leave, and imagine it's inevitable before next season, but I pray it's to a bigger club than Palace, who I consider our club to be on a par with in terms of support and finances (although granted their current form and league position is far superior to ours). Palace's current success and standing emphasises what can be achieved and, with better decisions and management across the board could've been us....

[CIDER NOT CIDRE]

The other thing is Zaha is likely to leave so Adomah would seem like the perfect replacement for him so there is a large chance he will go. Hate to say that but still it makes sense!

[steviestevieneville]

Just 3 things on this topic;

1. Albert is 10 times the player Yannick is and could still command a transfer fee around £5m from a club in the position to do so.

2. We've got a winger problem, never mind Albert carrying the team, Bryan, Anderson and Woolford are left sided wingers, we have no other option on the right wing bar Foster and we might aswell go 3-5-2 then. They say a good winger canplay on either side, a good winger can also play for a team higher than fighting relegation from the Championship.

3. We have always been afraid of being a selling club and have never sold at the right time, this may be the opportunity to accept an offer and invest in some good young, lower league/foreign/premier league offspring players with a view to developing them and moving forward but not afraid of selling if an offer came in, starting again.

None of them are linked, they're just thoughts that I've had reading through other posts

I don't actually want AA to leave, I could see it happening though and, in Derek's shoes, i'd suggest accepting anything over £3m straight up and from then on, gamble on new players, young players both in and brought into the club, untried players in the club, it's the only way cameraderie and team spirit will build and cumulate in survival.

Anderson is right footed

[Timbo7]

FFS FFP does not kick in till season after next. We are under no pressure to sell . If albert wants to go then fair enough .There will always be carrots but lets make sure there's no sticks. lets give him a contract to hold his value . This club should be at least as ambitious as the palaces of this world. Stop aiming for mediocrity and we might actually achieve something.

As for albert being ten times the player bolaisie is ...thats just sour grapes!

If mcinnes is the boards man then splash the cash mr lansdown and IT HAS TO BE THIS SEASON(FFP)! If not then get him and his apparent shambles out of the club and splash the cash on a new coaching team that can get the best out of this underperforming potential.

Sorry to disappoint but I understand the two sanction-free FFP seasons in the Championship are 2011/12 (last season - overspent by £2.4M) and 2012/13 (this season - looking to save £4.4M). This will then be followed by the first season with sanctions 2013/14 (next season - annual overspend to be reduced to £8M). For good measure the sanctions start in League 1 for this season's results to be reported in December 2013.

If we are to disregard FFP for this season - then we better make sure there are a lot of six month contracts offered in January!

[the frampton balti]

Sorry to disappoint but I understand the two sanction-free FFP seasons in the Championship are 2011/12 (last season - overspent by £2.4M) and 2012/13 (this season - looking to save £4.4M). This will then be followed by the first season with sanctions 2013/14 (next season - annual overspend to be reduced to £8M). For good measure the sanctions start in League 1 for this season's results to be reported in December 2013.

If we are to disregard FFP for this season - then we better make sure there are a lot of six month contracts offered in January!

IT HAS TO BE THIS SEASON to spend the money. pay good money for young players on an ffp wage...I'm not disappointed i just think they should.............................................DO SOMETHING MUTLEY!!!!!!

[GodEmperor Palpatine]

According to a mate of mine who is a Palarse, fee for Albert has been agreed.... Can't believe that tbh, I would've thought City would deal less with them after they tapped up Bolasie.

[Lew-T]

If he goes, then I would like no less than 3 million for him. This money will be crucial on how we use it to strengthen the side. If we don't spend it wisely, then we are down.

[GodEmperor Palpatine]

If he goes, then I would like no less than 3 million for him. This money will be crucial on how we use it to strengthen the side. If we don't spend it wisely, then we are down.

I suppose the flip side is should he go, we'll get good money for him to invest long term. I like Albert but it seems he has 1 good game in 5 nowadays and really isnt the finished article yet so at least 3M would be a good bit of business providing as you say we spend it wisely.

[Lew-T]

I suppose the flip side is should he go, we'll get good money for him to invest long term. I like Albert but it seems he has 1 good game in 5 nowadays and really isnt the finished article yet so at least 3M would be a good bit of business providing as you say we spend it wisely.

I don't want him to go but we could really do with the cash at the minute. We need quality at the back and that will come at a cost, so with this money we can achieve that.

[Murraysrightplum]

I've said before I think Anderson was brought in with the view that Albert was on his way. But he didn't go in the summer, miught do in january - we'll see

[Son of Fred]

If the'price is right',ie; 2m+ and sell-on clause,spending this cash wisely may be the difference..spending it wisely being the worry!..

[Sleepy1968]

Take the money and run.

Nice chap but really Adomah is to wing-play* what Fontaine is is central defending.

(*Alan Crawford and Howard Pritchard were putting better balls into the box in the fourth division days.)