Cardiff Sign Pilkington

Beauseant

Beauseant

Well-Known Member
I think I may have had a comprehension failure and read a full stop as a comma. I read:

"I don't think he had much choice after Sunday, Archant are unhappy about the way he tried to blame Paddy Davitt to get himself out of a hole"

Instead of...

"I don't think he had much choice after Sunday. Archant are unhappy about the way he tried to blame Paddy Davitt to get himself out of a hole"  

Subsequently thinking that you had implied that he didn't have much choice because Archant were unhappy, rather than that he probably didn't have much choice and Archant were unhappy.

Apologies, but sure you can see how it was an easy mistake to make  B)
No worries! I can see how that could have happened. The capital A makes it easy to miss the comma!
 
Agent Dale Cooper

Agent Dale Cooper

Active Member
Not sure realistically who else would want to buy him. If he's unhappy then he'll hang around all season like a bad smell and then walk on a free, and he'd probably rather take his hefty wages here than move to a smaller club with less money and less chance of promotion. Cardiff are prepared to take a punt on him, pay him what he believes he's worth, and we get a few quid in both wage bill and transfer kitty to reinvest. All good by me!
 
skijumptoes

skijumptoes

Active Member
It's my personal opinion, that no matter how you feel you have been treated you keep it behind closed doors. If you're not happy about being left out of the squad, you knock on the managers door first thing Monday morning and ask him why and what you have to do to get in there. 
He directed his tweet at Paddy, not the club or Adams, and it was based on a public statement - It was not his choice to go public, that had been done already.

However, it's clear this is a very sensitive issue for him, and based on months of asking the question why he's being overlooked i think the camel's back broke.
 
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skijumptoes

skijumptoes

Active Member
I'm actually speechless at us selling him, i find it totally ludicrous to put him out to a promotion rival too.  That million or whatever we get is absolute peanuts compared to the money we get for promotion.

A motivated Pilkington is a fit Pilkington.. We had a manager previously who failed to do that, and now have a manager who's failed him once again without giving a fair chance.  The guy has no reason to dislike us, he's simply been demoralised through the past season, like Holt before him and Hoolahan with him - People honestly want me to believe that Holt and Hoolahan are bad eggs too? Come off it!

Strangely enough our manager has already done the same with Van Wolfswinkel, and will be doing so with Bassong and Becchio too.  I feel like we're having to turn our heads while some in-house 'cleansing' is performed and pretend to not notice it going on in the hope that everything will be rose smelling in a few months time.

Buy i will say, Judging by the 'real eyes realise real lies' tweet that Fer put out between Paddy's post and Pilkington's on Sunday, it's also safe to assume that he'll be leaving soon also, last weekend he wasn't with the first team because he was being conditioned, we'll probably be told it's an injury this weekend, and sold shortly thereafter.

All i can say is that there better be players coming in, because Adams is already going to look pretty stupid if we see Pilks setting the championship on fire (Think we're all agreed that a fit, motivated Pilkington is capable of), and Ricky scoring for fun in france..  It's well and truly his bed to lay on after telling the world that we don't need to sell... In my mind, These are both players actively forced out of our squad.

Pilkington is the kind of player that Adams would love so this willingness to sell, i'm hoping, is based around injuries and not something more sinister/personal.  Like a few have posted on here already, if we knew the full extent to his injury time it may be a surprise as to how many games he WAS available in.
 
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Canaryboy

Canaryboy

Well-Known Member
We won't have any real insight into what has gone on over the past couple of seasons until Russell Martin has retired and is doing the Jarrolds, Club Shop, Waterstones circuit flogging signed copies of his ghostwritten autobiography.
 
CanaryOnTheWire

CanaryOnTheWire

New Member
 I don't think he had much choice after Sunday. Archant are unhappy about the way he tried to blame Paddy Davitt to get himself out of a hole. Two facts that seem to have got a bit lost are that Adams specifically said that Pilkington had a niggle and that Pilkington didn't train on Friday. I notice that someone suggested earlier that that may be because he was in talks with Cardiff. Far from that being an excuse for his tweet it actually makes it more reprehensible and confirms that it was intended to cause trouble.
I thought Adams said 'we've got one or two niggles AND Anthony didn't train on Friday.' If that is correct, then you are wrong.
 
Branston Pickle

Branston Pickle

Member
Well Ski, I disagree fully on Pilks - he was pretty useless last season when he played, injured far too often, seemed rather keen on being disruptive and was potentially a big liability to us this season with no transfer fee at the end of it - it makes perfect sense to cut our losses and sell him. Yes he is capable of more, but we hadn't seen it for a year so were we ever likely to see it again? It may come back to bite us but for me it is far more likely that it won't. The fee being paid is all he is worth, which says it all.

I do hope we have players lined up if we are losing any more (to be fair, Adams has said we have been looking) - though to-date have only had 3 leave and 3 come in, so far only losing one player we wanted to keep, in Snod....though there's still over two weeks of the transfer window remaining
 
skijumptoes

skijumptoes

Active Member
Yup, Adams was never quoted as stating Pilks had a 'niggle', shows some very clever word play by Neil though, if anyone think he's Gunn V2, you are very much misunderstood - He's a smart guy who has a bite behind his friendly persona.
 
skijumptoes

skijumptoes

Active Member
Well Ski, I disagree fully on Pilks - he was pretty useless last season when he played, injured far too often, seemed rather keen on being disruptive and was potentially a big liability to us this season with no transfer fee at the end of it - it makes perfect sense to cut our losses and sell him. Yes he is capable of more, but we hadn't seen it for a year so were we ever likely to see it again?
Yes we could see it again quite easily, a motivated Pilkington is a huge asset at this level, we had a terrible manager and assistant entrusted to manage and develop our players for the past 2 seasons, and in my mind they failed to get anywhere near the best out of most of our players.  Instead they stifled their talent and tried forcing round pegs into square holes.

Hoolahan came through it because Adams considers him 'one of us' and made an attempt on working with him, players like Pilkington, Bassong, Ricky and Becchio however are not considered in this way and so have been left to rot until they get sick, speak out and are labelled a bad egg, or the club gets rid some other way.  In the meantime the club plays childish, unethical games of pretending they don't exist.

I hate to say it, but think he'll do things at Cardiff, the guys got serious talent and is a real threat moving forwards. Even if he's only 'fit' for 20-30 matches, financially this could cost us much more than a million, it only takes a free kick in the play off final vs us, writing could already be on the wall.

I'm most upset to see a talent leave because his face didn't fit, or the management didn't see it worthy of outstretching a hand of peace. If he were available in the open market for 1 million, Adams would be all over him like a fat girl on a yorkie bar.
 
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Agent Dale Cooper

Agent Dale Cooper

Active Member
Hoolahan came through it because Adams considers him 'one of us' and made an attempt on working with him, players like Pilkington, Bassong, Ricky and Becchio however are not considered in this way and so have been left to rot until they get sick, speak out and are labelled a bad egg, or the club gets rid some other way.  In the meantime the club plays childish, unethical games of pretending they don't exist.

I hate to say it, but think he'll do things at Cardiff, the guys got serious talent and is a real threat moving forwards. Even if he's only 'fit' for 20-30 matches, financially this could cost us much more than a million, it only takes a free kick in the play off final vs us, writing could already be on the wall.
This is all complete conjecture. We know nothing about what goes on behind the scenes, how the players (and their agents) have behaved, how Adams has tried (or not) to include people.

And if Pilks scores the winner against us in the play-off final, that's one minute in one match. We have 45 more games, and we have to get a squad that can work together harmoniously; there will inevitably be some turnover of players.
 
Canaryboy

Canaryboy

Well-Known Member
The reason that we have only got £1 million (actually being reported now as £1.25m) for him is because, frankly, the teams who were said to be interested in him in the past (Swansea, Aston Villa, Liverpool) aren't interested any more, a ineffective year and frequent injury problems and his stock has fallen sharply. He wouldn't have been going to Cardiff if any Premier League team worth their salt were an open option, what have people seen from Pilkington is the past 12 to 18 months which suggests he is still a player who can perform in the Premier League?

We got a Championship transfer fee for a player who has a lot to do to convince anybody that he is anything other than a Championship player. Cardiff have taken a punt, may work out for them or may not - but this transfer is a bigger risk for them than it is for us. Various sources claiming he has signed a three year deal. If he can't overcome his injury problems then I'd rather them than us, would anybody have seriously have given Pilkington a contract to 2017?  We either needed to sign him up or sell him. 
 
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W

Wooster

New Member
Everyone seems to have written Pilkington off but he's young enough to do well and to forget about a troubled stay at Norwich.

I will always remember his winning goal against Man Utd and, whilst it's disappointing how quickly fans allegiances switch, I wish him well.
 
morty

morty

Moderator
Staff member
I don't think its about allegiances though, its about facts and stats. Unfortunately theres no room for sentiment, for whatever reason he hasn't been in the team, and hasn't really contributed to the overall team effort in recent times.

However you cut it, he has not provided value for money.

If I was pushed for an opinion and thought either :-

A He will go on to be a very successful player wherever he goes, and will end up back in the Premiership.

or

B He will have an ineffective season and likely be in league one next season.

Then I would be erring towards option B.
 
CanaryOnTheWire

CanaryOnTheWire

New Member
I think it is clear Adams was careful to avoid explicitly stating Pilks was injured so as not to openly lie about his player. Davitt perpetuated the lie by misreading and misquoting what Adams said even after posting a link. Not sure how or why Davitt got it so badly wrong, but Pilkington has a right to defend himself against the perpetuation of a lie, and Neil Adams has done nothing wrong, as all he said was Pilks did not train on Friday, which the player has not denied.

Read a little closer before you comment, people
 
Yellowfuture

Yellowfuture

New Member
Wish him the best of luck ( except against us) as I do all our players that leave. I honestly don't feel to upset about this one, Neil has to be allowed to construct his own squad.
 
Agent Dale Cooper

Agent Dale Cooper

Active Member
Everyone seems to have written Pilkington off but he's young enough to do well and to forget about a troubled stay at Norwich.

I will always remember his winning goal against Man Utd and, whilst it's disappointing how quickly fans allegiances switch, I wish him well.
I don't think it's a case of fans' allegiances switching; these comments are reactive to the situation rather than proactive. People weren't calling for him to be sold, they're just reacting to news that he appears to be signing for Cardiff. If he were to stay here and fight for his place I'd happily keep him, but seeing as he's off I'm being realistic and saying 'oh well, he's had a lot of injuries, he's out of contract next summer, I can understand us cutting our losses'. It's not a case of turning on him.
 
The Great Mass Debater

The Great Mass Debater

New Member
So unhappy about this transfer. Pilks is probably my favourite player and arguably our best player. We've not seen the best of him during the Hughton era, but who could you honestly say we have seen the best of. Dont understand the argument that he's been rubbish for 2 years. Well arguably yes, but most of them have been - why isolate him? I was looking forward to seeing the best of Pilks again, something i thought would come with a change in emphasis and tactics, and a drop in the level of opposition. Not happy

Perhaps I've called this wrong though. I've been crediting Adams with the squad choices and freezing out of players. Perhaps though, this is nothing to do with him. Perhaps Adams has been hired as a 'yes man', someone so keen to be given the job he will basically play ball with whatever the board want, including having his role minimized by a new football board. Perhaps I am wrong to put this at Adams' door. Perhaps it comes from somewhere else...  Maybe the board hire Adams and not a more experienced manager as they wanted a puppet. Who knows? Certainly not me... ;)
 
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Beauseant

Beauseant

Well-Known Member
Everyone seems to have written Pilkington off but he's young enough to do well and to forget about a troubled stay at Norwich.

I will always remember his winning goal against Man Utd and, whilst it's disappointing how quickly fans allegiances switch, I wish him well.
 So will I, but mainly because it was the last meaningful contribution he made at City. Since then its been a downward spiral of injury, poor form and peevishness. As the Americans say "What have you done for me lately?" In Pilks case the answer is "Sod all", I'm afraid.
 
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BarclayBoy88

BarclayBoy88

New Member
 So will I, but mainly because it was the last meaningful contribution he made at City. Since then its been a downward spiral of injury, poor from and peevishness. As the Americans say "What have you done for me lately?" In Pilks case the answer is "Sod all", I'm afraid.
It seems the only argument I've seen regarding the sale of Pilkington being a bad thing,......is his goal against Manchester United. One goal, and as you mentioned, what has he done lately? I really just don't get the love with Pilkington, people saying he's our best player etc etc (Twitter), it really is confusing me.
 
Beauseant

Beauseant

Well-Known Member
It seems the only argument I've seen regarding the sale of Pilkington being a bad thing,......is his goal against Manchester United. One goal, and as you mentioned, what has he done lately? I really just don't get the love with Pilkington, people saying he's our best player etc etc (Twitter), it really is confusing me.
Law one of football forums. Players become better in inverse proportion to how much time they actually spend on the pitch. The perfect example is Becchio who is now regarded by some as a sort of footballing Messiah.
 
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