[NOT HAPPENING] Jack Rodwell

Not like Barton, no. What I mean is that he is talked about and talks rather than plays. Coleman questioned is mental state, fans question his mental health or are sceptical that he is anymore than a lazy rich boy. But whatever happens he didn’t play for a side desperate to avoid relegation, two years running, even when uninjured. The idea he could be a reliable player for us is eyebrow raising.

 

Yes I have exactly the same concerns. As long as we aren't paying near his old contract I guess it's a move with little downside unless he becomes a problem in our dressing room.

 

It’s now blame HB1.

 

I don’t condone what my mate said and he sure got slammed on social media for his comment. I guess he is just emotional about his club after a few drinks. But the one thing a lot of Sunderland supporters were upset about was the lack of effort. It’s not Rodwell fault the club gave him that contract and for sure I think majority of people would stay at the club but I would be professional to put 100% in every week.


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Why pay anything at all?

 

Clutching at straws a bit but he was great at Everton 6 years ago! If he wasn't home grown he'd have no chance but maybe worth a punt if Javi has been impressed.

 

Maybe he is this year’s Sven Kums and is being considered for Udinese. Both are midfielders we don’t need and both have names that would work a treat in the porn industry.

 

I don’t have an issue with him not walking away from his contract at all. It’s Sunderland’s problem and they shouldn’t be let off the hook for irresponsible behaviour...

But, I remember reading about the situation in a bit more detail and I’m sure he gave an interview during which he declared himself not fit to play for a full 90 minutes.

I think the general issue is that he was picking up £70k a week but essentially didn’t really play football or at least make the effort you’d expect of a player on that wage.

 

Future. Watford. Legend.

 

Agree with those that think he's worth a punt. He doesn't really have any bargaining power with demanding big money after his disaster at Sunderland and arguably Man City too, so that's a big positive for us, he's on a free too, he's still quite young, versatile and he's also Home Grown. We fail to lose on this deal as we won't pay him stupid money - plus he won't be a first team starter unless he earns the right!

 

He's free and hungry. If he's crap, nothing lost but a few meals and sundries. The best players to have are often the ones trying to get a new contract.

 

I’m fine with this, no risk at all our end really.

 

For a long time I thought his name was hyphenated as Jack Rodwell-Outinjured such was the frequency of its use.

So for me I think any chance of a run of games from him are slim because of his habit of picking up niggling injuries.
And if he's used just as cover there'd be a high risk of him being injured when needed.
All that only counts if he's suddenly managed to find the will to want to actually play top-level football again after sitting on his backside for over a year.

His character doesn't exactly shine through with preferring to not play than play either.
He may well bust a gut while on trial but what'll he be like once he's secured another contract?

He showed some talent as a young player at Everton but at 27 now and without regular top-level football for Christ knows how long I just can't see him showing the kind of skill levels we're aiming for with our current crop of midfielders.
They say form is temporary but class is permanent but he was never that good, was he?

If the club like what they see and he signs, good luck to him and WFC but I doubt we'd gain any kind of player out of it..

 

Why do we need to take a risk? He never was that great and I can't see him getting any better, particularly as money seems to be the most important thing in his life.

 

I don't understand why we should invest a few million in his wages when we could more justifiably spend those millions in a younger player with more potential (i.e Hughes and Chalobah). This seems like a waste of time and resources; and he seems like the sort of character I usually despise - total lack of class and loyalty, with money being the only thing on his mind.

The fact that he turned up to train with the lads in Austria gives me that image of the person you dislike so much but ends up lingering around your friendship group because he speaks to one of your other mates occassionally and that he has nowhere else to go.

Plus his face is really punchable... I'm gonna stop rambling now

 

I would rather have a tighter group who play regularly than loads of back up/squad johnnies.

We’re not in Europe & barely in the League Cup.

Has a platoon of malcontents contributed to each season’s drop off in form?

This looks like an asset play. Gracia as a Herbert whisperer who turns base metal into transfer market gold.

 

Ramble on, CMH.

You stopped just at the good bit.

 

Seems to be a lot of people making wild assumptions about Rodwell's character based on little more than press leaks from a disgracefully mismanaged club desperate to get out of upholding a contract that they willingly offered him.

 

Gino, it’s all cool.

 

You may well be right Rodwell may not have what it takes anymore, but that is why we are supposedly giving him a trial to assertain whether he has or not.

I'm sure our coaching staff will make the right decision, and if he turns out to still have it signing him would be quite a coup and we would be quids in, but if he turns out to be a dud and fluffs his trial it will have cost us very little.

 

Less Will Hughes, more Stephen Hughes. A million times NO...

And I've mates who are balanced Sunderland fans who really really dislike this guy for his attitude and lack of integrity and heart.

 

Please don’t use the word “group”.

It’s odious.

What’s wrong with “squad”?

 

Not fussed if we sign him or not, but have to say plenty of people ready to condemn him for not wanting to make himself unemployed due to the Club stupid enough to offer him a mental contract entitling him to be paid mad wages in the circumstances he was in and by their own admission explored legal options to force him out the club and failed. Plenty to suggest in reports easily found on internet to suggest he is a respectful individual as opposed to a raging ego and if he impresses on trial then what’s to lose? Chuck him on a pay as you play and very little risk! Never really know what was in the deal when Sunderland signed him, maybe they had add ons if he played a set amount of games etc and couldn’t afford to play him, maybe he genuinely didn’t want to play - truth his those who truely know will never say and those who don’t can only speculate

 

Well, I was saving up ‘squad’ for later on in my sentence.

I like ‘group’.

It’s European, progressive & collective. It includes the players, the head coach, the other coaches (but obviously not the one who left), the nutritionist, the massage guy & the useless medical staff.

It is everything that Trump isn’t.

For balance, ‘squad’ does conjure up ‘squid’.

Good cephalopod.

And ‘group’ is uncomfortably close to ‘grope’.

Back to Trump.

 

Group is closer to groupie. Which trumps your squid. And too obviously reverts back to you know who.

 

I find that usually the ‘group’ is part of the ‘project’.

 

So he'll revert to cr*p if we offer him one ?
I think he's worth a dabble but I'd be surprised if he becomes a first team regular for us. As long as this is just a sideshow and not distracting us from other signings, I'm in.

 

North-east clubs find it particularly hard to recruit players and their wives. Result is silly contracts when you are trying to attract young talent coming from a big club elsewhere. Both the club and player wanted out in this case. Has anyone considered that if we sign Rodwell it would be cover for CB as much as for defensive mid.

 

It's a good point. I think he was CB through the youth ranks but the only concern is he hasn't played there much at senior level so do we fancy him giving it a spin in our first team? I find some of our strategy a little odd this window.

New contract for Britos. Rodwell as a punt as a senior player for 2 positions we have lots of options. Another right back and winger. Fitting in Success and Peneranda. No apparent progress on freshening our poor striking options (although this may well be behind the scenes).

On the plus side Delefeuou, Foster and Masina look good business. Lots of work to be done in the next 3 weeks getting rid of players as much as anything else.

 

Like using the word team, when you mean workforce.

 

If we had a small squad then I think this makes sense. As it is we should be trying to trim the squad size. Lack of outgoings and no striker rumours a bit worrying but sure Gino will sort it out before the season finishes

 

I think we should be using "collective" or "posse" more.

"Group" is so 1990s.

 

The Pozzo Posse.

 

Gino's Group?