I realise there are already numerous posts about Ash at the moment however I would like to know how much influence footballers have over their own destiny. I get the feeling that Ashley Young is quite happy to stay with us but as the bids get larger and larger the incentive for a club of our size to sell is becoming huge. So my question is, no matter how high the offer, if the player doesn't actually want to move, can he simply say no or would he make a rod for his own back by staying and consequently depriving the club of a vast sum of money.
Well like any employer/employee relationship it depends on numerous factors. Legally speaking Watford can't make him leave - they signed the contract as well as he did. However the club do hold his registration making it impossible for him to play anywhere else in the world without their permission and obviously hold all the cards when it comes to the football side of things (whether he plays, for example). The player can reject the move but he would have to accept all the bad feeling that would come with such a decision.
The clubs need to agree terms of sale of contract, then the player needs to agree terms of employment. Hence we could offer a club squillions for a player but unless we could offer the player a decent wage and a club to progress their career, they would be unlikely to sign.
There is also the factor that we as a club not only cant turn down that sort of money but we cant create bad feeling between us and him as this would jeopardise any future contract negotiations should the harmony that the player and the club enjoy breakdown. Could we afford to lose him for free? no chance.
I doubt that if the offer came up and WFC accepted it Ash would reject it. Since I am willing to bet that whoever makes the offer will pay him more than he is getting at WFC and probably considerably more.
Who's to say there would be bad feeling should we accept a bid and Ash turns down the bidding club. He'll know that every player has his price and he's been here long enough to know our best talents usually get snapped up. If the club is West Ham, will he really fancy a move to a club, although bigger than ours, is in just as much trouble relegation wise as us. If he was to reject the move, Aidy is hardly going to banish him to the reserves. In my opinion its a win-win situation, we either get £8 million or we keep a quality player. Admittedly it's a bit of a short-sighted view, when we're relegated, should he stay his value will drop, but if he turns down moves away once, why not again? Personally i think he'll be gone by the end of the week.
Good point, i agree that it's a win-win situation! Although saying that i'd much rather have the money than the player! If I was watching Ash yesterday as a scout of West Ham, Villa etc i'd have wanted to see more from him! If he's rated at £8,000,000+ i'd like to see him dictate the game and make things happen! He's not good enough to do that, hence the reason why I think he's overrated and over priced!
Have to agree with everything you've said there. We could sign 3 or 4 top quality players, championship wise of course. One player doesn't make a team and with that money we could replace him suitably alongside replacing the weaker members of the side.
I still think people are being too hasty to praise him. There are 15 or so days left in the window and at least two known interested clubs.
Very true, but in my opinion he deserves credit for not jumping ship at the first smell of a big contract, especially if the 50k a week rumour is true. I've no doubt he'll be gone by the end of the window, but he's gone about it in the right way and looks like he'll be choosing a club based on his career rather than bank account. And it's finally a chance for us to clear the cloud hanging over us....Paul Furlong record sale, need i say anymore considering the talent we've had here.
Not yet, if he doesn't do an interview saying i love Watford / I am going to stay 2 mins before signing on the dotted line elsewhere we shall have no problem. That is not to say i just wish at that money he would just hurry up and go.
