Graham Carr has left

Since we are beggars and not choosers we will have to 'stand in line' and wait for the scraps after the bigger clubs have had their fill. Every June we have fans telling us how worried they are because we haven't signed loads of players. Just be bloody patient. At least patient enough that the transfer window has actually opened before moaning about no players having arrived.

 

Correct its early days imo

 

Chill

 

Maybe the new Chinese boss has a scout of his own.

 

Jules: Tell that bitch to be cool! Say 'bitch be cool'!
Pumpkin: Be cool honey!
Jules: Say bitch be cool! Tell that ****in' bitch to chill!
Pumpkin: Be cool Honey Bunny!
Jules: Chill that ****in' bitch out!
Pumpkin: Just be patient. Rafa will make some signings soon, Honey Bunny!

 

While some of our signings under his tenure where poor, I'd imagine he gave the terrible chairmen he had to work under a long list of players for each position and the cheapness of Ashley meant we got our players from the lower end of the list.

We where heavily linked with the following players under Carr and probably could of got them cheap if the money men got their finger out...

Raphaël Varane - We could of got him at Lens before he caught Madrid's eye.
Virgil van Dijk - When he was still at Groningen then ended up going to Celtic for £2.6 million.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - You could tell Carr was pushing really hard to get him in from Saint-Ettiene but Ashley wouldn't go for it.
Dele Alli - Dragged our feet for months before he switched last minute to go to Spurs.

I think Carr had a good eye for a player and overall did a nice job so best of look to him.

 

Not just players. No chief scout. Owners who have a track record of royally ****ing things up. A Chinese takeover deal which is clearly turning Ashley's head. Lack of senior management. A pending tax case. I could go on. I will be patient. But I am allowed to be concerned.

 

This post also backs up my concerns at the top brass men in the ranks. We. Early signed these top players...... but we didn't.

 

Only agree with van Dijk on that list. Varane was always destined for big things, Aubameyang was courted by Dortmund at the time of our interest (hardly unknown), and Alli would have moved somewhere else if we'd firmed up our interest.

What I will hope from this announcement is that the dallying is over. Thing is, Carr's a scout. You don't buy a player because a scout tells you to. We then have a lame first team coach. You certainly don't buy a player 'cos he tells you to. So we're left with Charnley on Ashley's leash, weighing up the sell on value. Ultimately Charnley didn't have any kind of experience so rather than spend his bosses money, he dallied. The hope now is with Rafa in charge, or so it would seem, he will be a bit more directive.

 

I think its easy to be critical about his period at the club. I myself have made jokes about his penchant for young french men.

The reality is that like Pards he was operating in a period of austerity for the club. He was never really allowed to bring in the top class players, he had to go and find bargains. Your hit ratio is gonna suffer. The likes of Cabaye, Debuchy, Ba, Santon, Cisse, Tiote were good finds for us. Sissoko funded our return last year. I'm not saying he was a world beating scout by any means, I just think celebrating his demise is a bit off given the constraints he had to work under.

I'd give him a 6 or 7 out of 10. He along with Pardew operated on one of the lowest net budgets in the PL for 5 yrs solid and never once got relegated. Say what you like, he must have got something right along the way.

Personally I wish him well on his retirement in Nice, with the young french homme prostitué

 

The timing of it is odd. Why now? Same time as Ashley settles his clothes tat argument with Rangers.

 

Carr was a board member donn't forget.
He's slimming down the exec board to fatten the goose to take it to market...

 

I Do believe modric actually had a medical at the club and Ashley cocked that one up as well

 

Yeah, I remember Modric was in the crowd at one of our home matches and expected to sign a contract with us. He then went to Spurs but I'm not sure if it was Ashley or Fat Freddy Shepherd who was the chairman at the time.

 

Fat fred I think.

 

I think he just got a better offer i.e.Spurs/London

Worked out alright for him

 

Hardly's, he's ended playing for some small, two bit Spanish team.

 

You have to remember Carr's influence has been mainly negative for years now.
Pardew didn't get on or agree with his signings.
The man's lived on a hit and miss reputation for all the time he's been here.
The high of Cabaye, the lows of Saivet and Rivierre (and the rest) who we can't get rid of because they're on too much $$$$ and French clubs wouldn't pay a TENTH of that for such crap
Lots of money out of Sissoko and the Dutch lad who only ever bothered his arse at home matches and forgot his name, and not interested enough to look it up.......