Sochaux deal off - Gradel to St.Etienne?

[jakdublin]

Hardly. A press release written by the club. Says nothing and means less.

They hardly made the quotes up. If a player wants to go, he's got to go. What do you do? Pay him double or treble what you pay everybody else? How's that going to work in the dressing room? Beckford was persuaded to stay but you can't expect every player to backtrack once they decide they want out. Gradel was pledging his loyalty not so long ago and was mumbling about a contract, which he obviously knew he wasn't going to get given the wage structure at the club. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that I know at least one former player who said before the season started that he'd definitely be going to France. I wonder did the club know that too, or did Gradel just convince the powers-that-be that he wouldn't move unless the club sold him.

[YorkshireSquare]

Well, there goes one of the conspiracy theories...

http://www.leedsunited.com/news/2011083 ... 85_2436804

Do you think Max said that or do you think Paul Dews wrote that?

[eastyorkshirewhite]

Hang on everybody.

Who says Max wanted to leave?

Who says he asked for a transfer?

The official site - the mouthpiece for our Monagasque chairman, that's who.

Why is everybody accepting it as gospel?

Remember, if Bates always told the truth we'd have bought TA back because "the money is secured".

We're all very keen to slag Gradel off as a traitor - but why was he never offered a new contract? Who could blame him if he did feel unsettled - no contract on offer, other clubs ready to offer him a deal, no investment in the team.

This situation is of Bates' making, 100%. And all day long he has been able to play off Sochaux against St. Etienne to increase the bundle of notes he'll be trousering.

Don't blame Max - put the blame where it truly belongs, with a chairman who would not negotiate a new contract.

Thank god somebody has said no one should trust bates

[Martyn]

They hardly made the quotes up. If a player wants to go, he's got to go. What do you do? Pay him double or treble what you pay everybody else? How's that going to work in the dressing room? Beckford was persuaded to stay but you can't expect every player to backtrack once they decide they want out. Gradel was pledging his loyalty not so long ago and was mumbling about a contract, which he obviously knew he wasn't going to get given the wage structure at the club. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that I know at least one former player who said before the season started that he'd definitely be going to France. I wonder did the club know that too, or did Gradel just convince the powers-that-be that he wouldn't move unless the club sold him.

How touching to meet someone so naive. Have you ever worked with PR agencies or press officers? Of course they make the quotes up, that's their job - in this case, the LUFC press officer comes up with something that puts the club in the best possible light. I suppose you think that footballers write their own newspaper columns and "autobiographies"?

[Dr.Leeds]

Do you think Max said that or do you think Paul Dews wrote that?

Now I've met Max, and he doesn't talk like that, so I'm pretty sure that is not verbatim.

However, again having met him, I'm pretty sure that is a correct paraphrase of what he did say and accurately reflects his sentiments. Whether that was translated by the club or is a statement prepared by his agent I wouldn't know.