Liam Walsh

[Nogbad the Bad]

12 hours ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

I may be wrong, but I thought 'Nige' was keen on LW staying, but was unable to match Swansea's offer.

Nige certainly made it clear how highly he rated Walsh both as a player and a character and later expressed his disappointment that the new contract offer put to Walsh had been declined.

Walsh was indeed released, but due to not accepting the contract offered by City - that doesn't mean Nige wouldn't have preferred that he stayed. There was a long list of players Nige wanted rid of last summer, Walsh wasn't one of them.

The thing about Walsh was he left a greater impression, even in that 45 minutes against Stoke, than many mundane City players have made in 50 appearances.

Huge shame that his career has been thwarted once again by terrible luck with injuries - he's the sort of exciting and skilful player I am happy to pay to watch - there are all too many professional footballers who are little more than great athletes - the likes of O'Dowda - and who do nothing to raise the pulse on match days.

Good luck to Walsh. I hope he comes back from this latest injury and goes on to have a successful career, he's long overdue a change of fortune.

Quotes from NP re. Walsh at the time:

"He’s a player who we decided to allow to go as, as I’ve talked about with Nathan already, some players we felt for the wages they were earning, we couldn’t offer that," explained Nigel Pearson on why Walsh has departed.

"Because of the rules, if you don’t offer at least the same, then you become a free transfer.

"It was not straightforward with Liam because he’s a player who is technically a good player. 

"That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have been happy to keep Liam but as I’ve already alluded to, we have to be mindful of the financial implications."

So City offered Walsh a new contract, but on reduced terms which meant he automatically became a free transfer ('released') if he didn't accept it.

Nige would have been happy to keep him but City were starting to be more mindful of finances and Swansea simply offered the player a better deal.

 

 

[Davefevs]

3 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Nige certainly made it clear how highly he rated Walsh both as a player and a character and later expressed his disappointment that the new contract offer put to Walsh had been declined.

Walsh was indeed released, but due to not accepting the contract offered by City - that doesn't mean Nige wouldn't have preferred that he stayed. There was a long list of players Nige wanted rid of last summer, Walsh wasn't one of them.

The thing about Walsh was he left a greater impression, even in that 45 minutes against Stoke, than many mundane City players have made in 50 appearances.

Huge shame that his career has been thwarted once again by terrible luck with injuries - he's the sort of exciting and skilful player I am happy to pay to watch - there are all too many professional footballers who are little more than great athletes - the likes of O'Dowda - and who do nothing to raise the pulse on match days.

Good luck to Walsh. I hope he comes back from this latest injury and goes on to have a successful career, he's long overdue a change of fortune.

Quotes from NP re. Walsh at the time:

"He’s a player who we decided to allow to go as, as I’ve talked about with Nathan already, some players we felt for the wages they were earning, we couldn’t offer that," explained Nigel Pearson on why Walsh has departed.

"Because of the rules, if you don’t offer at least the same, then you become a free transfer.

"It was not straightforward with Liam because he’s a player who is technically a good player. 

"That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have been happy to keep Liam but as I’ve already alluded to, we have to be mindful of the financial implications."

So City offered Walsh a new contract, but on reduced terms which meant he automatically became a free transfer ('released') if he didn't accept it.

Nige would have been happy to keep him but City were starting to be more mindful of finances and Swansea simply offered the player a better deal.

 

 

Yep - paraphrased - happy to keep him at a wage commensurate to his ability / worth.

Which is pretty much what he did with O’Dowda too.