Max Gradel

[WHARTON99]

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Opinions?

[IAmAClaret]

£40,000 a week?! Max Gradel?

[ClaretTony]

He will be on that sort of money at Bournemouth

[SGr]

Reckon we can aim higher than a Bournemouth bench warmer to be honest

[Roosterbooster]

If Bournemouth were to get relegated in 2 / 3 seasons (which is certainly not beyond anyone's imagination) will they survive as a club? They offer bigger wages than us, and fork out more on transfer fees, but only have a tiny stadium capacity. They might have a wealthy owner, but with FFP, they have to be relying on PL money. Without this, surely they would have to sell massively to offload wages. It appears a bit of a gamble to me. Granted it's working. But so did Bolton's, and Portsmouth's... etc for a while

[ClaretTony]

If Bournemouth were to get relegated in 2 / 3 seasons (which is certainly not beyond anyone's imagination) will they survive as a club? They offer bigger wages than us, and fork out more on transfer fees, but only have a tiny stadium capacity. They might have a wealthy owner, but with FFP, they have to be relying on PL money. Without this, surely they would have to sell massively to offload wages. It appears a bit of a gamble to me. Granted it's working. But so did Bolton's, and Portsmouth's... etc for a while

Would be interesting to see what would happen if they did go down. They are awash with money with the Russian and now part American ownership, but they broke the FFP rules to go up and just paid the fine, admitting that it had been a gamble that paid off. I don't know how long they will stay up there but should they come down then they might have problems.

Interestingly, they made 11 changes for the cup tie at Millwall on Saturday yet the team they turned out cost £45m in transfer fees.

[aggi]

If Bournemouth were to get relegated in 2 / 3 seasons (which is certainly not beyond anyone's imagination) will they survive as a club? They offer bigger wages than us, and fork out more on transfer fees, but only have a tiny stadium capacity. They might have a wealthy owner, but with FFP, they have to be relying on PL money. Without this, surely they would have to sell massively to offload wages. It appears a bit of a gamble to me. Granted it's working. But so did Bolton's, and Portsmouth's... etc for a while

Same as us, we're also relying on Premier League money. If it hadn't been for Coyle we could easily be down in League One with a squad matching our fairly low matchday income. Before then we'd spent years averaging ~ 12k which is towards the bottom of the Championship.

[MACCA]

Bournemouth's bench/second 11 is usually more expensive than their preferred starting 11.

On a recently telivised game the commentary team informed us that the whole Bournemouth starting 11 cost about 5 million pounds.

Ironically there was over 25 million pounds worth of players sat on the bench..

[Woodleyclaret]

Don't forget Bournemouth have a supermanager who took them up on a shoestring budget.Meanwhile , in the real world away from the Eddie loving press, a manger who wasn't up to managing us, went home and dropped on when a billionaire owner gave him millions to waste
on dubious talents .Jordan Ibe to name but one

[Papabendi]

I'd call bottom of league 2 to Premier League / Premier League safety a pretty good job done. And if they stay up this season, a loss to Millwall in the FA Cup won't look so bad either.

[WHARTON99]

They said they want around 6 million. Dyche said if he wants to join he will have to have a pay cut

[KRBFC]

Don't forget Bournemouth have a supermanager who took them up on a shoestring budget.Meanwhile , in the real world away from the Eddie loving press, a manger who wasn't up to managing us, went home and dropped on when a billionaire owner gave him millions to waste
on dubious talents .Jordan Ibe to name but one

they were under transfer embargo in League Two and near the bottom of the league and I don't think they had big investment in League One either. Their starting 11 costs peanuts, they gained promotion to the PL and invested to stay there and they stayed there so invested again to progress. I don't see the big issue, we're probably paying Defour a lot. Football at the top level is practically a financial game, look at the top 6 Championship sides last season, Us Boro Brighton Sheff Wed Hull Derby, the 6 biggest spending clubs in the league.

[LawsCanalJump]

Is he dyche fit and ready for action? We need players to slot right in

[ecc]

I hope not. He can sit in sunny Bournemouth.

[JohnMac]

He came out of a cubicle with a young 'lady' as I was going into the toilets at Dom Matteo's bar, the Leeds players who were there cheered him.

I'm so glad I never had Daughters.

[bob-the-scutter]

Would be interesting to see what would happen if they did go down. They are awash with money with the Russian and now part American ownership, but they broke the FFP rules to go up and just paid the fine, admitting that it had been a gamble that paid off. I don't know how long they will stay up there but should they come down then they might have problems.

Interestingly, they made 11 changes for the cup tie at Millwall on Saturday yet the team they turned out cost £45m in transfer fees.

That`s why it should be a fine & a large point deduction for breaking FFP!

[yorkyclaret]

No chance, if they did that, clubs would stick to the rules, then no fines so smaller Christmas bonus's.

[Rileybobs]

He came out of a cubicle with a young 'lady' as I was going into the toilets at Dom Matteo's bar, the Leeds players who were there cheered him.

I'm so glad I never had Daughters.

Direct with end product, sounds like just what we need.

[Jakubs Tash]

I'd certianly welcome Gradel but as he probably won't be available until sometime in Feb due to AFCON I would like another wide player to come in too. This would also give us choices so we aren't reliant on just one pacy wide man.

[NRC]

I'd like us to be dependent on one pacy wide man for a tad....

[claretspice]

I don't think a pacey wide man is the necessity if we are playing 4-4-2 predominantly that it is being cracked up to being (although don't get me wrong, pace is always worth having). If we're raiding Bournemouth for someone on the fringes of their first team, i'd be more inclined to tug the heart strings of Marc Pugh, who may not be as quick but whose CV suggests he might offer a little more end product in the Premier League.

[Jakubs Tash]

I don't think a pacey wide man is the necessity if we are playing 4-4-2 predominantly that it is being cracked up to being (although don't get me wrong, pace is always worth having). If we're raiding Bournemouth for someone on the fringes of their first team, i'd be more inclined to tug the heart strings of Marc Pugh, who may not be as quick but whose CV suggests he might offer a little more end product in the Premier League.

Fair points but both pacy wide men wouldn't have to play at the same time if we plyed 4-4-2. You could have one sat on the bench and then there are of course injuries, suspensions and loss of form to consider.

It would also give us more fluency and attacking threat when playing 4-5-1 come 4-3-3. The reason we don't really play that very mch is due to the lack of creativity from the wide areas and not being able to get up the pitch quick enough.

[claretspice]

The other argument against 451 was and remains that we cant get Gray in the team playing like that.

Pacey wingers are a real bonus. But if you are playing 442 with a pacey striker, quality of final ball is more important

[Woodleyclaret]

Bournemouth were allegedly paying Matt Richie £50,0000 per week.Lots of players were paid way over the odds as they signed in the Championship .To say they spent next to nothing is wrong.Eddie is not some highly gifted manager who worked miracles with nothing.

[TVC15]

Bournemouth were allegedly paying Matt Richie £50,0000 per week.Lots of players were paid way over the odds as they signed in the Championship .To say they spent next to nothing is wrong.Eddie is not some highly gifted manager who worked miracles with nothing.

£50k a week ? That is a number I just don't believe to be true.

Bournemouth have a fair amount of dosh and some of Howe's more expensive buys are looking decidedly dodgy - Mings, Ibe and Afobe - almost £35m and none of them regulars.

On the flip side he has paid nothing / very little for Stanislas, Fraser, Arter, Wilson....and the whole of their defence and keeper.....and they look a very decent team, playing exciting football who are going to spend a third season in a row in the Premier League.

No real surprise when you consider he bought Ings, Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Austin, and Vokes to Burnley for a total spend of less than £5m

[clentclaret]

No real surprise when you consider he bought Ings, Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Austin, and Vokes to Burnley for a total spend of less than £5m

....and how much are that lot worth now, unbelievable?
Shackell not much and add junior to that list, his value is going up every week

[minnieclaret]

Big IF Ritchie was on £50k/week how much are Njcassel paying him to drop out of the PL?

[aggi]

Wages were pretty significant at Bournemouth. When they got promoted their wage bill was pretty similar to what ours would have been last year (bearing in mind that we had come down from the Premier League with parachute payments).

However, other clubs (Derby, cough) have done the same with little success.

[ClaretTony]

Suggestions this morning that Gradel's about to sign for Watford for £3 million

[Lord Beamish]

Whatever you think of Eddie Howe, and however much he has been backed financially, what he's done at Bournemouth is pretty incredible. Maybe not the 'fairytale' some say it is, but I am mindful of the fact that Cinders did have a magic Fairy Godmother behind her rise from servitude to royalty.

[NottsClaret]

Watford look to be in a real slump at the moment, I can't see Max Gradel being the man to turn it round. Apart from Sunderland's comedy back four, they're the worst team at the Turf this season.

[Colburn_Claret]

Not bad, but considering his age, wages and delivery we need better. He would have to be on fire to come into the Dyche radar, and he clearly isn't.

[Tall Paul]

Another one we've missed out on...sack the board...etc...etc

[ClaretTony]

Watford look to be in a real slump at the moment, I can't see Max Gradel being the man to turn it round. Apart from Sunderland's comedy back four, they're the worst team at the Turf this season.

I'd agree with you on Watford being the second worst team we've played at home.

[TVC15]

Not bothered at all about missing out on Gradel.

£3m for a guy who has been injured most of this season and when fit on the Bournemouth bench at best.

He`s also had a few injuries since leaving Leeds.

£3m seems to be the new £500k "marvin sordell" type going rate.....drop in the ocean transfer fee for a player who had one decent season a few years ago and there is a 10% chance he might come good again !!

I hope we don`t go down this road again. I`d rather buy nobody than the likes of Gradel.

[ablueclaret]

If we are to sign nobody makes sense to try out a youngster or two, or try Boyd as the second striker. Although we can play with one striker, ideally you need 4 at a club to make tactical changes a reality.
Wingers I fear would have little impact, they invariably take time to settle, Gnnelly would probably do as well as any incomer.