Speculation: Euro 2008 players

[Hoop Blah]

We're not in a position to purchase any players from Euro 2008 because we can't compete according to the club. Bristol City and Derby are apparently though.

You'll have to remind me of all the players Bristol City and Derby have signed from Euro 2008. Thanks.

To be fair I think Royalee is probably referring to the fact that we've not sent any scouts to the tournament because it's too expensive and not worth the effort because we don't think we can sign anyone, whereas City are definitely there looking at players.

[Royalee]

Quite right Hoop Blah, as are Derby. I fail to see what sort of advantage Bristol City have over us in being able to attract players - is it the violent nightlife and the grafiti outside crumbling Ashton Gate?

[Wycombe Royal]

Quite right Hoop Blah, as are Derby. I fail to see what sort of advantage Bristol City have over us in being able to attract players - is it the violent nightlife and the grafiti outside crumbling Ashton Gate?

Well it will beinteresting to see if they do sign anyone from the tournament (which I doubt they will) and if they don't it will be a waste of time and money.

I'm sure RFC have their targets already in mind and don't see the need to see a few matches that contain players that are mostly out of our reach when their efforts could be put to better use elsewhere.

[Hoop Blah]

Quite right Hoop Blah, as are Derby. I fail to see what sort of advantage Bristol City have over us in being able to attract players - is it the violent nightlife and the grafiti outside crumbling Ashton Gate?

Well it will beinteresting to see if they do sign anyone from the tournament (which I doubt they will) and if they don't it will be a waste of time and money.

I'm sure RFC have their targets already in mind and don't see the need to see a few matches that contain players that are mostly out of our reach when their efforts could be put to better use elsewhere.

I agree that buying from tournaments is a bit of a bad idea and so maybe it is a waste of money, I think it was Fergie who said he'll never do it again.

I do think it's a shame that we've not been bothered to send a scout out there, considering we've apparently done it before for the ACN and the Euro's. We even heard lots of spin from the club about how useful it was going to previous tournaments, not only to look at players but to make contacts to use over the rest of the year too.

I don't mind so much if they've just given up on bringing in crap players from abroad, but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

[papereyes]

Quite right Hoop Blah, as are Derby. I fail to see what sort of advantage Bristol City have over us in being able to attract players - is it the violent nightlife and the grafiti outside crumbling Ashton Gate?

Well it will beinteresting to see if they do sign anyone from the tournament (which I doubt they will) and if they don't it will be a waste of time and money.

I'm sure RFC have their targets already in mind and don't see the need to see a few matches that contain players that are mostly out of our reach when their efforts could be put to better use elsewhere.

I agree that buying from tournaments is a bit of a bad idea and so maybe it is a waste of money, I think it was Fergie who said he'll never do it again.

I do think it's a shame that we've not been bothered to send a scout out there, considering we've apparently done it before for the ACN and the Euro's. We even heard lots of spin from the club about how useful it was going to previous tournaments, not only to look at players but to make contacts to use over the rest of the year too.

I don't mind so much if they've just given up on bringing in crap players from abroad, but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

I'd have done it for free, tbh.

Fergie said he'd never do it again after Poborsky (1996) and also after Kleberson (2002). I'm sure there's more.

[Wycombe Royal]

but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

It isn't just the money but the time as well. The tournament lasts for 3 weeks, which is time that could be spent better elsewhere.

[Alan Partridge]

but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

It isn't just the money but the time as well. The tournament lasts for 3 weeks, which is time that could be spent better elsewhere.

On the beach

[Wycombe Royal]

but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

It isn't just the money but the time as well. The tournament lasts for 3 weeks, which is time that could be spent better elsewhere.

On the beach

Exactly. They don't get the chance for a holiday at at any other time of the year (and yes I am being serious).

[Roger the Rabbit]

I'd imagine that
a) as most of the games are on tele someone from the club will try and watch some games in case they spot a decent player

b) there won;t be any players involved that the club aren;t already well aware of

c) whilst we may nothave packed Nicky Hammond or Brian McDermott off there themselevs we'll have loads of contacts there (we've got scouts in various parts of Europe who will quite possibly have toddled along and can let us know of any inknown players who emerge).

So not much of an issue really, and a bit silly to suggest it pus us at a disadvantage compared to Derby or Bristol City !!

[Hoop Blah]

but to just not send someone along for the sake of a few grand seems a bit short sighted, and dare I say it a bit defeatest.

It isn't just the money but the time as well. The tournament lasts for 3 weeks, which is time that could be spent better elsewhere.

They use a network of scouts though. It's not just a case of sending Coppell, Hammond or McDermott down there and not letting them recharge their batteries etc.

If most other clubs are there making contacts and looking at a few players then I think we're probably missing a trick somewhere.

In all honesty there isn't really anybody who the club shouldn't be aware of in some capacity playing out there anyway, but from what the club told us last time they went on a trip like this the whole thing was an invaluable excercise. I don't get what's changed now.

[Stranded]

As mentioned above though, all we know is that we have no one there from the club officially....

Hammond and McDermott have a lot of contacts all round Europe who I would expect them to be in contact with regularly, some of them will undoubtedly be at the tournament, so we will have a presence, if only unofficially. If an opportunity arises then they could easily have flown out at that point.

[Roger the Rabbit]

It's not as if any major deals taking people to new clubs happen in the middle of tournaments anyway...

[Hoop Blah]

As mentioned above though, all we know is that we have no one there from the club officially....

Hammond and McDermott have a lot of contacts all round Europe who I would expect them to be in contact with regularly, some of them will undoubtedly be at the tournament, so we will have a presence, if only unofficially. If an opportunity arises then they could easily have flown out at that point.

If the club usually send someone along to these things, surely they've seen a benefit before rather than just relying on word of mouth from a 'contact' about someone's availability etc?

It's going to these things, or at least having a representative there, that helps to build up those links that would get us on that word of mouth trail too. It just seems a bit of a cheap cost cutting exercise to me, and possibly a false economy.

I still think there aren't really any players playing that would either not already be known to us so I can understand it from that point of view.

[Hoop Blah]

It's not as if any major deals taking people to new clubs happen in the middle of tournaments anyway...

I think quite a bit of the leg work behind the scenes to line them up does though.

Just look at the stories surrounding the likes of Deco being given time out from the Portuguese camp to discuss his future. I doubt that's that unusual.

The whole event will probably be like a honey pot for agents and club officials having sneaky chats over a bovril at half time.

[Alan Partridge]

It isn't just the money but the time as well. The tournament lasts for 3 weeks, which is time that could be spent better elsewhere.

On the beach

Exactly. They don't get the chance for a holiday at at any other time of the year (and yes I am being serious).

Dunno, may as well send Hammond, Howe and the rest on holiday during August and January.

[Dawn]

McDermott told the Evening Post: “It is always generally quiet this time of year as most people are still away. You get the odd deal done but normally things don’t happen until July.

"You also have the European Championships coming up.

“We won’t have anyone there this year and there is something to be said for the fact that we are now in the Championship and it is hard to get those players.

“We obviously had targets for the Premiership and we now have targets for the Championship and they are different. That is a matter of fact.

“Had we stayed up then we would have taken in Euro 2008 games.

“But the bottom line is we know most of the players in the countries involved because of the amount of travelling we have done in the last few years.”

[Stranded]

As mentioned above though, all we know is that we have no one there from the club officially....

Hammond and McDermott have a lot of contacts all round Europe who I would expect them to be in contact with regularly, some of them will undoubtedly be at the tournament, so we will have a presence, if only unofficially. If an opportunity arises then they could easily have flown out at that point.

If the club usually send someone along to these things, surely they've seen a benefit before rather than just relying on word of mouth from a 'contact' about someone's availability etc?

It's going to these things, or at least having a representative there, that helps to build up those links that would get us on that word of mouth trail too. It just seems a bit of a cheap cost cutting exercise to me, and possibly a false economy.

I still think there aren't really any players playing that would either not already be known to us so I can understand it from that point of view.

Maybe the club are looking at their past experiences at these things and have decided, on this occassion, that there isn't much benefit from having someone there this time mainly for the reason you state.

Of all the sides there, there are very few if any players there that we won't already know about or will know are now very unlikely captures. Any players under the radar are more than likely not getting many minutes so would be nigh on impossible to get an idea of their worth to move for them before the close of this window.

[papereyes]

Dunno, may as well send Hammond, Howe and the rest on holiday during August and January.

They've been on holiday for the last 9 months, why not?

[Arch]

Alright, enough beating about the bush. You all know we need to sign

RAZVAN RAT

for name value alone. Name of the tournament by a quidzillion miles.

[Streets]

Alright, enough beating about the bush. You all know we need to sign

RAZVAN RAT

for name value alone. Name of the tournament by a quidzillion miles.

"Garn Roland!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeehh"