[SIGNED perm] Ashley Fletcher

I have to laugh at some of the posts.

Opinions of a player are from a few fans of a particular club, unless there is a poll voted for by thousands of fans. Just like on this forum people have different opinions and using the word universally to describe a mates opinion is OTT.

What we need to see is how AF turns out for us, now and possibly for the next 5 years. The reactions of a minority are baffling. Do they not know how Gino works by now. We sign a 25 year old player, with unfulfilled potential, for free on a 5 year deal to replace (probably ) a player who cost £18m and earns high wages. His wages will be a fraction of the wages of the player he replaces. He will be really hungry to try and realise his potential. If he does well he will earn a place on the bench or in the team. If not he could be sent out on loan and even make us money. If within the 5 years he gets game time and scores some goals he will make us money. This is how a small club like us can survive and compete with much larger clubs.

 

Would be just my luck to have exploded in a tirade of wrath, only for Gino to sign a brilliant and exciting striker instead.

 

Its clear you don't know how Gino works by now.

 

Well, we've got things wrong way if we are bringing in more long term **** before we unload the existing ****.

 

Yes. The chances of getting several negative opinions all of the same nature from fans who watched him ‘week in, week out’ will pale in comparison to those ‘thousands’ of positive opinions we haven’t sought out.

Good to see you’ve also peddled the ‘loan fees’ and ‘hungry footballer who is 25, had loads of chances and failed yet somehow might be good enough at a higher level than all those he had failed at’ into the argument mind you.

It’s not the negativity around this signing that’s baffling - it’s the need for some to come out and claim it’s decent business by using a very unlikely set of scenarios that’s frankly ridiculous.

 

Even if it’s not a decent signing it’s only Mid May so why does anyone think this guy is our #1 striker this summer. If they hadn’t signed anyone yet no one would be worried or frustrated but because they have signed this guy everyone seems to be crying as though this is deadline day and he is our big name signing. Don’t get me wrong, if we sign no other striker I will be up there moaning with the best but FFS this is just a freebie signing who might or might not come good. I’m sure that won’t be it for striking options.

 

Has anyone genuinely claimed beyond ‘tongue in cheek’ their belief that he’s our No.1 striker signing?

Of course there’s more time to do better business - and I expect we will. But the vast majority of negative comments I’ve been reading seem to be based upon why, even if the thought process is about him being 3rd/4th choice, he’s been given an inordinately long deal when we are already struggling to offload a load of tat who were bought in under either same understanding - or even with ideas of them being higher in the squad pecking order.

So if you push those concerns to one side, you ask yourself....IF we manage to sell those who we should have jettisoned before making this deal, does Fletcher improve our options? The evidence on his career to date is no, he doesn’t. It stands to reason that fans are going to point that out.

I admire those who want to see positive in everything the club/owner does. But some things you just have to park the mental gymnastics for, and face up that it’s a very odd deal unless a very particular set of unlikely circumstances come to pass.

 

Because the last thing we needed was another ****, not up to the task striker. The very last thing.

Plus our rumoured business is all at or around a much lower level than we should be hoping for. A league 1 teenager, some bargain Jocks and this no mark. Utterly depressing.

 

I forgot the clumsy palooka linked from grimsby as well.

 

The use of 'small club' speaks volumes. It's a mindset that some will never ever lose, despite the club begging the fans to.

 

I agree 5 years is an odd deal but I don’t understand why everyone is getting SO upset about it. I’m not sure anyone sees good in everything the owner does. But the facts are we’ve been relegated after our first long spell in the top league for decades and they immediately got us back first go. Sure lots of mistakes but there must be more hits than misses? Why do some people only need to focus on and get so upset about the misses ? This guy is a gamble and it may not work out. Hopefully there will be bigger name signings that do. But we are always going to be signing cheaper players and taking more “punts” than most in our league unless we get richer owners.

I think some posters just get off on moaning.

 

Fair enough.

I think it stands to reason that fans, whether they are usually super critical or not, are vocally critical of a 5yr deal for a striker who hasn’t impressed in the Championship and is being added to the stockpile of tat we already have in that area. It’s not as if people are criticising for no reason - the vast majority have backed it up with numbers and input from fans of his previous clubs.

I think the above is entirely reasonable and is pretty much what’s been happening. What does it matter who makes the comments if they are more than likely true?

There were fans last season saying before Xmas that we should ‘sell Sarr for whatever we can get for him’ when he missed a chance or failed to take on a Millwall LB. Those are what I would label as stupidly negative comments because they weren’t based on much at all.

Negative comments on the signing of Ashley Fletcher seem fair to me as they are based on a number of factors. The mental gymnastics a few are doing to dress it up as a positive move are the weirdest thing about this thread IMO. But each to their own.

 

The problem is we know this guy is shyt. If they'd bought some unknown foreigner who is equally shyt, at least we'd have had a few months of hoping he was ace, until we actually saw him play.

With this dud we have no hope whatsoever.

 

I did reach a judgement. And a fair, balanced one at that.

 

Who knows, maybe we will turn him into a gem

 

And if we don't, at least we will pick up those sweet sweet loan fee's. It's like printing money.

 

If this thread is what the summer is going to be like on the forum I might go on holiday for the next few months.

Maybe to the allotment, it's not on the red list yet.

 

Breaking news from the government...

 

As long as he really is replacacing Gray, Deeney or Success, this transfer is an absolute free hit.

 

Already there…nice and quiet early on a Sunday…and as normality is returning, get jobs done, shower…pub

 

Nice.

Bonus points for the mug.

 

Got any sour grapes?
Asking for a Cherries fan.

 

A useless signing. Ok, he was on a free transfer. Let's hope his wages don't top 10k a week.
He has all the qualities Watford look for in their strikers..
Poor attitude
Doesn't score many goals
Lazy on the pitch
Loves a pint or two.
Thinks he is top dog.

I can only think that this is a financial move tactics wise. Off load Gray, Success and Perica ftom the wage bill and fill it with a player that most West Ham and Boro fans think is utterly hopeless.

The Pozzo family do know how to keep us on our toes with these top signings

 

Who gives a **** what West Ham and Boro fans think?

 

Mixer the get in it!!!

 

Fair. Spammers thought Behrami was crap and reckon Dawson is decent. There is a strange myth around fans of certain clubs that "they have good football knowledge". Liverpool and Spuds also come to mind.

 

I imagine we'll get rid of Gray, Perica and Deeney this summer, with huge savings on wages.

Bringing in an CF on a free, who will be worth 5 or so million even if he only scores a few scrappy goals, makes sense. He showed decent potential when we was younger and would be a nice option to have in the Championship if we get relegated.

The question will be if we bring in a starting 11 striker. If we do, then signing Fletcher will seem like a pretty harmless punch irrespective of the outcome.

 

Perica - probably. Gray - maybe, if we subsidise part of his wages. Deeney - no chance. Nobody wants him, nobody would pay him the money and his ego won’t allow him to leave when so many don’t think he’s up to it.

 

I don't think we should be looking to get rid of Deeney. He's said he won't get horrifically out of shape this summer like he has done for the last five years. This could be the year he really smashes the Premier League.

 

Proven PL goalscorer.

 

This guy will be our no.9 and top striker for the next 5 years.

Better get used to having him around.

 

Wow. I was just prepared to give him a chance but you think he will be THAT successful ?

 

No, not really.

Just imagine if he was though, might be a few fans spontaneously combusting.

I've literally no idea what he's like, happy to give him a try over anyone currently on the books except Pedro.

 

Massively wishful thinking.

If Fletcher gets 2-3 scrappy goals, and then is put up for sale in 12 months time, no one will be giving us £5m for him.

 

I wish that was how it works, Gray has scored a few scrappy goals and most of us would rip someone's hand off for £5m.