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Crystal Palace Transfer Tracker - July 7 2014

Written by Robert Sutherland

The World Cup is almost over, and it’s been exciting. However, we're desperate for the new Palace season to start and, in the run-up to its kick-off, there is a significant buzz with plenty of transfer rumours flying around. Rob Sutherland picks out some of the best rumours from forums and newspapers.

Defence

Steven Caulker – Cardiff City – £8m

Palace are supposedly making a late bid for centre-back Steven Caulker, with the alternatively option seemingly being Harry Redknapp’s QPR. We know what whom we’d sign for…

Liam Ridgewell – West Brom – Free

A decent defender who can play across the back four, Ridgewell has knowledge of relegation battles with West Brom and Birmingham City, but it’s not his playing ability that he’s most famous for. Nope, that honour goes to the image of him wiping his bottom with £50 notes. He has also been linked to the MLS’s Portland Timbers. There haven’t been any further reports however.

Matt Besler – Sporting Kansas City - £3m

27-year-old American centre-back Matt Besler was briefly linked with Palace by the Daily Mail. Besler had an impressive World Cup alongside Omar Gonzalez (a player I liked the look of…) and, despite his lack of height, he looked more than capable against some of the World’s better wingers.

Craig Dawson – West Brom – £5m

There’s a fair bit of focus on improving Palace’s defensive strength, this summer. And rightly so. With no recognised left-back to call upon and one less centre-back for back-up, Palace need some defenders. Dawson would be an ideal signing for Palace, but it’s unlikely that West Brom would entertain a bid.

Brede Hangeland – Fulham – Free

He fits the bill for what Palace should be looking for – experienced, strong, well-regarded and a leader – and Palace have supposedly already made contact with the Norwegian. Hangeland was unceremoniously released by Fulham, who informed him of their decision not to renew his contract by email. Stay classy.

Charlie Mulgrew – Celtic - £5m

Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew would provide Palace with exactly the kind of flexibility that the club needs, with an ability to play in defence or midfield. With Pulis looking for a left-back, Mulgrew is a player he’s supposedly interested in recruiting – and he’s the kind that would definitely improve Palace’s back line. We’ve not heard any more about a potential bid.

Midfielders

 

Steven N’Zonzi – Stoke City – £6m

As Stoke City’s best midfielder, the chances of Palace securing the Frenchman are greatly reduced. However, having previously worked with Tony Pulis, and with Stoke signing Steve Sidwell earlier this month, Palace would be foolish not to at least tempt Stoke with a bid. N’Zonzi also submitted a transfer request last summer, indicating that he’s not entirely happy at the Staffordshire club.

Jonjo Shelvey - Swansea 

The Daily Mail are reporting that TP is keen on the former Liverpool man to bolster the midfield. Palace were linked with Shelvey last summer so the reports make sense and he would be a very good addition, but Swansea could well want a high fee for him.

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov – Spartak Moscow – £1.5m

Left-mid Bilyaletdinov has had a bit of a tough time since his big move to Everton a few season’s ago petered out into a disappointing spell – and his return to Russia hasn’t helped matters much. The winger, fast, direct and with a penchant for cutting inside, would add depth to Palace’s variety of attacking options. The two parties are said to be in discussions.

Will Buckley – Brighton & Hove Albion - £3m

Linked with Palace during the January transfer window, a return move for the attacking midfielder shouldn’t be completely dismissed.

Emyr Huws – Manchester City – Loan

Who needs vowels when you can have Huws? City’s 20-year-old Welsh midfielder is another player who fits the description of what Pulis is reportedly looking for – a strong defensive midfielder capable of breaking up play and picking a pass. He has also been linked with Swansea City (the team Manchester City signed him from) and Stoke City.

Forwards

 

Joel Campbell – Arsenal – Loan

Given his performance in Costa Rica’s amazing World Cup run, which saw them reach the Quarter Finals, Campbell might not be as likely to make a move to Palace he would have prior to the competition. A place in Arsenal’s team next season wouldn’t be undeserved.

Islam Slimani – Sporting Lisbon – Enquired

Palace are said to have made an enquiry to Sporting Lisbon about signing one of Algeria’s better World Cup performers. Slimani, 25, is a pacey striker capable of playing on the wing. West Ham are also said to be interested.

Tommy Oar – FC Utrecht - £3m

Australian national Tommy Oar didn’t have an amazing World Cup but put in a decent shift, and the 22-year-old would be another player capable of adding some quality to Palace’s wing options.

Fraizer Campbell – Cardiff City - £800,000

Fraizer Campbell would be an interesting signing. He didn’t exactly score a vast number of goals last season but, in a poor Cardiff City side, that’s hardly surprising. Capable of playing on the wing or as a striker, Campbell would add some depth to Palace’s attacking options.

Peter Crouch – Stoke City – £4m

Lazy journalism? Probably. Crouch was always likely to be linked with a reunion with Pulis. He’d provide something a little different up front for Palace, but he’s not exactly a signing to get excited about.

Connor Wickham – Sunderland - £5m

With some performances that were crucial to Sunderland’s Premier League safety bid, it seems crazy that Sunderland might sell him. Leicester City are reported to have made a bid and Tony Pulis was desperate to sign him in January – which means a Palace bid wouldn’t be unlikely.

 

Linked but ruled out…

Joleon Lescott – Manchester City – Free (signed for West Brom)

Kyle Lafferty – Palermo – £3m (signed for Norwich City)

Jake Livermore – Tottenham Hotspur - £8m (signed for Hull City)

 

Crystal Palace spygate saga rumbles on - A lawyer's view

Written by Matt Woosnam

The BBC this morning revealed that it had obtained a copy of the letter sent to the Premier League by Cardiff City which claims that Palace, in particular, Iain Moody, obtained their team line-up through unfair means prior to Palace's 3-0 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium. Resident FYP lawyer Andy Street gives his expert view on the situation.

The claims include the suggestion that Palace's sporting director attempted to obtain the team sheet by phoning the Cardiff City performance analyst - who has subsequently been sacked by the club - although he was unsuccessful in his endeavours.

In an even more bizarre twist, Cardiff have claimed that after Moody had discovered the line-up, he mistakenly sent a text message to former Palace boss Dougie Freedman with the information; before Freedman alerted his friend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about the leak. The BBC explained that the document sent to the Premier League notes that Cardiff midfielder Aron Gunnarsson is named as the source of the leak; something which the player and his agent both have denied. 

We asked our resident lawyer, Andy Street to give us his view on the situation, and he believes there is nothing for Palace fans to worry about.

"As all Palace fans will now be aware, Cardiff’s complaint to the Premier League is made on the basis of its allegation that Iain Moody obtained information relating to the Bluebirds’ starting line-up for the match at the Cardiff City Stadium. Cardiff’s complaint alleges breaches of three of the Premier League’s regulations, as contained in its 2013-2014 Handbook. 

The first of those, Rule B.15, imposes an obligation upon Premier League clubs to behave towards one another and towards the League in “good faith”. This provision of the Premier League’s regulations is drafted widely in an attempt to impose a uniform standard of behaviour upon Clubs, not only in their interactions between one another, but also with the League. The second breach alleged by Cardiff arises from Rule B.16. This Rule precludes Premier League clubs from unfairly “criticising, belittling or discrediting one another or the [Premier] League”. This regulation is also drafted in a fairly broad and vague manner with no suggestion as to the level of criticism, disparagement or belittlement required to breach the regulation.

The third alleged breach, of Rule B.17, relates to the disclosure or use of confidential information relating to another club or the Premier League. The BBC report suggests that the most serious allegation is the purported breach of Rule B.17. However, it would be surprising were the Premier League’s board to find that text messages relating to a club’s likely line-up for an upcoming match amounted to confidential information for the purposes of this particular regulation. In fact, B17 specifically mentions business and financial information of clubs and the League, rather than anything relating to sporting matters. While the regulation is incredibly non-specific and could catch a variety of information, it seems a stretch to infer that it applies to the type of information involved in this dispute. This allegation also raises the question of whether, on Cardiff’s analysis that the team line-up amounted to confidential information for the purposes of B.17, the Bluebirds are themselves in breach by disclosing the line-up in the first place.

Rules B.15-B.17 are drafted fairly widely, it would seem, in order to catch various behaviours which relate to the relationship between the League and its member clubs. It seems unlikely that the League, when drawing up its Rules, would have envisaged these particular regulations applying to the type of situation in which Palace now find themselves. My reading of the Rules is that they were drafted to prevent clubs acting in a manner which is contrary to the interests of the League as a whole and to prevent the disclosure of confidential matters relating to the League which may be sensitive, such as EPPP and the previously proposed 39th game. It would seem strange if they were intended to apply to undefined actions which attempt to gain a competitive advantage over other clubs that are not expressly forbidden in the Rules, particularly given that certain types of grave behaviour which are to the detriment of other clubs (such as tapping up) are expressly prohibited.

In terms of the League’s investigatory powers, matters are first investigated by the Premier League Board. The Board can compel Palace or Iain Moody or Cardiff to offer up any documents or to provide further information as necessary, should they believe there may be a breach of the Rules. The Board has jurisdiction to decide whether there is a case to answer and to impose sanctions upon clubs where they are already prescribed in the Rules. So if, for example, a fine for a specific breach is provided for in the Premier League Handbook, the Board is able to impose such a sanction. The Board can also impose a fine of up to £25,000 or refer the matter onto a Premier League Disciplinary Commission. A Commission has a broad set of discretionary sanctions it may impose including points deductions, the replaying of matches or unlimited fines in the most extreme of circumstances.

That said, even in the unlikely event that the Premier League believes that Palace and Iain Moody’s alleged behaviour amounts to a breach of its Rules, the imposition of a points deduction would be completely unprecedented. The Premier League has only ever imposed a points deduction upon a Premier League club once, when Portsmouth appointed an administrator in 2009. The League’s rules impose a fixed points deduction as a penalty for clubs who enter administration, so this was a fairly straightforward decision for the League. In all other instances where the League has had discretion as to the sanctions imposed on clubs for breaches of its Rules, it has avoided deducting points. So even the highly controversial Tevez saga, which was a serious breach across many matches and which had a material impact on the final Premier League table, did not result in a points deduction. It seems unlikely that the Premier League would radically depart from that approach and impose draconian sanctions upon Palace, even if it was satisfied that a breach had occurred.

Moreover, given the extent of Palace’s rights to appeal of any decision of a Premier League Disciplinary Commission, it seems unlikely the League would risk taking such an approach. Under the Premier League’s Rules, clubs can appeal firstly to a Premier League Appeal Board if not satisfied with a decision, and can then enter an independent arbitration against the League itself. The West Ham situation, and the recent decision relating to Sunderland's Ki, proved that the League is reticent to intervene by affecting the outcome of individual matches or the final league table. I would expect that trend to be continued in this instance."

What to expect from Jose Campaña - from Spanish football expert David Cartlidge

Written by Jim Daly

Palace are on the verge of signing Spain Under-20 star Jose Campaña. No, really! But what sort of player is he? We got the low down from Spanish football expert David Cartlidge.

 

Campaña's signing for Crystal Palace is certainly a coup, given the talent/ability of the player, reputation in Spain as seen by his recent captaining of Spain U-20 and the extremely low fee.

The deal does come with it's hazards though. Campaña, while being blessed with a lot of ability has failed to apply himself correctly at Sevilla. At a young age he was highly rated, and always played with groups at the club far older than him. The club placed a lot of responsibility on the player, and in turn he had issues dealing with it. 

Off the field he had little focus, and the story exists he was prominent in nightclubs and such. So much so another played that got him into that scene, was moved out of the club. Sevilla offered Campaña the carrot though as opposed to the stick, with games and the odd first team call-up.

It failed to materialise for him however, and with a contract soon expiring with the player rejecting a new deal he's been allowed to leave. There is a lot of regret at Sevilla, for a player that promised so much but delivered nothing.

Campaña's a subtle, intelligent and technically gifted midfielder. He lacks pace and aggression in midfield but makes up for it in vision and technique. He's a classic organising midfielder, sitting ahead of the defensive midfielder but behind the attacking midfielder. He looks to control, move the ball into wide areas and stretch the field.

My issue with him has been his desire to want the ball, and dictate play. He needs to be more motivated, and want to take control of Palace's midfield. He has the attributes to do so, no doubt, but mentally there is a massive question mark.

Physicality is always an issue and he's not blessed in terms of power/strength/speed. He will look to outwit an opponent though, read the game quicker and move intelligently.

This is an exciting signing make no doubt, but don't expect moments of genius right away. The player will need to adapt, but moving away from Seville might just be the fresh outlook he needs. They didn't handle him right I don't think, at all.

Follow David on Twitter.

 

Crystal Palace Transfer Tracker - Updated June 10th, 2013

Written by Robert Sutherland

Welcome back! Not just the words on the lips of Premier League officials, but also our words, as we herald the return of the FYP Transfer Tracker with aplomb!

Forget Championship budgets, we're in a whole new world of money madness with the club's promotion to the Premier League just a week gone. So, here's Robert Sutherland...

 

In

Javier Acuna

 

Just a day after Palace confirmed their place in the Prem, one football agent made sure his clients name got some exposure. Acuna, a 24-year-old Real Madrid youth player, was immediately linked with a move to the Eagles. He hasn't played a minute for the Real first team but scored 20 goals in two recent loan spells at Girona.

Eagles co-chairman Steve Parish told the South London Press the Spaniard was on the club's radar. We know he's available, he's on our radar - a player of interest," he said. "Acuna was someone we were looking at as a Championship club and we're obviously in a different situation now."

Likeliness: 7/10

Peter Odemwinge

Uh oh! We've talked about character and the way in which Palace's helped the club win promotion, so the possibility of such a destabilising individual signing for the Eagles might go against all of that. The Nigerian international hit the headlines in January for turning up outside QPR's Loftus Road stadium on deadline day without actually having permission from West Brom.

He's been linked with Palace in the Express & Star but expect him to be sat in Sainsburys car park on the last day of this summer's window then, chowing down on a BLT sandwich waiting for that call from Ollie.

Likeliness: 3/10

Darren Bent 

Ah yes, D-Bent, the striker on something like £80,000-per-week at Aston Villa is possibly one of the most lazy links to Palace in a long time (in The Metro). Lazy because, well, Bent hasn't played at Villa, he's possibly looking for a club, and Palace are in need of a striker with the long-term injury to Glenn Murray.

Should Bent take a wage cut (we're talking a cut down to £20-30k per week) there could possibly be a chance. But would Bent seriously consider such a move?

Likeliness: 1/10

Chris Eagles

 

More of a 'we'd like' rather than a 'he'd like', Eagles was a top performer in the Championship and would be an ideal signing for a burgeoning Premier League club (it still feels weird to write that, by the way.) Plus of course we already sing his name each week!

A rumour that's been doing the rounds on Twitter this one, If Palace are to make the climb up a prolonged one, the Ian Holloway and co. would do well to focus on signing Championship players capable of supporting such a stint.

Likeliness: 3/10

Will Buckley/Liam Bridcutt

To add insult to the massive injury that was our 2-0 win at the Amex in the biggest game to have been held there, there has been talk of the Eagles swooping on the Seagulls for two of their brightest stars. Bridcutt was a player Palace perhaps should have signed during George Burley's short spell at the club; the player had been on trial for a few weeks but Burley opted not to take him.

Another Twitter rumour, Buckley is a player who has impressed in the Championship this season (and last), and while the comparisons with Zaha were a bit far-fetched (he's no Zaha...), he would certainly add strength to Palace's attacking options.

Likeliness: 5/10

Barry Bannan

 

Talented with good pace and an eye for a good pass, Bannan is one of the youngsters who saw action at Aston Villa last season. While the likelihood is that he'll feature at Villa more prominently next season, it's nice to see Palace linked with such a player in the Express & Star.

Likeliness: 2/10

David Vaughan

A player Palace were linked with back in the January transfer window, probably based on the fact Mile Jedinak was out injured and Vaughan had worked well with Holloway at Blackpool.

Since then he went on to star in Sunderland's relegation avoidance under Paolo di Canio so could be hard to prise away from the Stadium of Light, despite being linked in the Sunderland Echo.

Likeliness: 4/10

Charlie Adam

 

Another former Blackpool player linked to Holloway, and admittedly the Scottish internatinal worked wonders for Olly at the Seasiders.

And after a troubling time at Stoke it makes sense for the link, seen in various places like the Mirror and Mail, but wages could be a problem.

Likliness: 6/10

David Bentley

We've not seen him mentioned anywhere else other in a Daily Mail piece about Javier Acuna, but a player with immense promise the start of his career, Bentley has looked more like a Trabant (a car reference for you) in recent seasons.

His big move to Spurs was a big flop (promising midfielder, transfers to Tottenham, flops - where have we heard that before!?!?) and was followed by loan moves to various clubs including FC Rostov in Russia and most recently Blackburn. Thirty appearances in two and a bit seasons doesn't do him many favours.

Likeliness: 4/10

Danny Gabbidon

 

Crystal Palace today confirmed that centre-back Danny Gabbidon has extended his contract with the club by another season. The vastly-experienced defender played a crucial role in Palace's promotion-charge with some outstanding performances for the Eagles during the play-offs. 

Status: confirmed.

Amido Balde

A powerful centre-forward hailing from Portugal, Amido Balde is reported to be subject to a bid in excess of £2m from Crystal Palace. The newspapers reporting on the story also suggest that the player is being looked at by Celtic, although there seems to be a hint of an agent’s influence in the reports that we’ve read. He’ll probably end up signing a bigger, better contract at his current club, Vitoria Guimaraes.

Likeliness: 5/10 

Roman Golobart

Young Spanish centre-back Roman Golobart is out-of-contract at Wigan Athletic and, with Palace needing perhaps one more defender to add depth to the strength it already has, a move could be likely. Golobart didn’t feature much for Wigan – making just three appearances for the club since signing in 2009 – spending time on loan with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Tranmere instead.

Likeliness: 4/10 

Tom Ince/Matt Phillips/Alex Baptiste

Holloway Raids Former Club – a predictable headline but one that, given the players he’s looking at, surely makes sense. While the likelihood of signing Ince is reduced due to the supposed interest from Liverpool, there is a reasonable chance that the club might succeed in their bid for Phillips. As a player to replace Zaha, the Scottish winger might just be what Holloway needs. Reports also suggest that former manager Dougie Freedman is locked in a battle of wills with Holloway for versatile, experienced defender Alex Baptiste.

Likeliness: 6/10 

OUT

Jermaine Easter

 

Often crucified, rarely resurrected, Easter has been on his way out from Selhurst Park for some time and it looks like local, Championship-level rivals Millwall are the outfit  ready to offer him an opportunity. He scored a few important goals for Palace, but also scored few goals - a panic signing after CPFC2010 bought the club, he still deserves our thanks for the effort he put in, even if the quality was lacking.

Bayan Fenwick/Kads Daniel/Jack Holland

 

Palace also announced the departure of a number of youth players who weren't offered new contracts. These players are William Johnson-Cole, Kieran Woodley, Aaron Akuruka, Bayan Fenwick and Jack Holland. Kadell Daniel was offered a new deal but turned it down. Of those departing, the most surprising seems to be Bayan Fenwick, who impressed with the club in pre-season last season. With a number of highly-regarded players graduating through the youth system however, the move seems to be a reasonable one.

We wish them all the best in the next steps in their careers!

Whoever comes in or goes out this season, we'll keep you up to date, right here on the FYP Transfer Tracker!

5 sensible transfer targets Crystal Palace should go for this summer

Written by Matt Woosnam

Silly season is upon us, with Palace being linked with every player to have ever been managed by Ian Holloway. With the highly recommended Tim Coe joining the club as Head of Player Recruitment/Scouting, CPFC2010 appear to be learning from previous mistakes in the transfer window.

Co-chairman Steve Parish has said there will be no marquee signings, and Palace will be more sensible and low key. So who should they be signing this summer? Here's Matt Woosnam...

Nathan Redmond

 

At 19 years old and nearing 100 first team appearances for financially troubled Birmingham City, the midfielder could be the perfect replacement for departing Wilfried Zaha. Happy to run at players with pace & confidence, but not limited to deployment as a winger, Redmond could well fit into the current system of tucking inside to be a wide midfielder.

Unlikely to command a fee above £3m this signing would show intent & arguably the youngster could be said to be Premier League quality already. There is little doubt that Palace would face competition for Redmond, but the guarantee of first team football may lure the soon to be England U21 international to Selhurst Park. Flair & pace would excite the fans but would he produce a good enough end product?

Tom Lees

 

Leeds’ England U21 international Tom Lees has made over 40 appearances for the club in both of the previous two seasons, having finally established himself as a regular starter at Elland Road. With Palace only having Quade Taylor and Alex Wynter as potential young centre backs breaking through, as Ryan Inniss needs more time to develop, Lees could be a good buy.

With plenty of experience already at the club in the form of Gabbidon, Ramage and the two Irishmen, Delaney & McCarthy; Lees would surely be assisted in his development. Whether or not he would be prepared to make minimal appearances remains to be seen, but it could be time for Palace to pounce on a promising young central defender.

Hal Robson-Kanu

 

Another winger, with 14 caps for Wales at 24 years of age Robson-Kanu would fit the criteria set by CPFC2010 of buying up and coming talents. Already with Premier League experience, the Welshman hit 7 goals in 25 league appearances for Reading last season, and with their relegation to the championship he is a possible signing for any of the promoted clubs. However, he may want to stay under the tutelage of Royals boss Nigel Adkins after the former Southampton manager allowed him greater opportunities to demonstrate his capabilities.

What of the price tag? Reading wouldn’t allow their academy graduate to leave on the cheap, but it would be realistic to suggest that Robson-Kanu is within Palace’s price range. His greater experience may make him a better target than Redmond for the coming season, with attention to Redmond if we remain in the Premier League, but he would perhaps demand higher wages.

Will Grigg

 

Who? Walsall’s striker hit 20 goals this season in League One and it is rumoured that Aston Villa were courting him in the January transfer window. Grigg has yet to agree terms on a new contract and should he refuse to sign then he would be available on a bosman transfer, arguably at a cost of under £1m.

A slightly risky signing in that the 21-year-old from Solihull only bagged four goals in each of his two previous seasons, but Palace are looking for upcoming talent and sometimes you have to take a punt on somewhat unproven players.

Would he adapt to the Premier League? Grigg would be one for the future, appearing irregularly but still gaining valuable experience. Perhaps he is worth a gamble, a young striker alongside the experience of Wilbraham, Murray and Phillips.

Simeon Jackson

 

Another out of contract player, Jackson was released by Norwich at the end of the season. Despite little Premier League experience, at 26 years of age he could fit into Palace’s squad and will surely be desperate to prove his ability in the higher leagues. Jackson’s goalscoring record at Gillingham catches the eye, but when tested in the Championship or Premier League the goals did not flow for the Canadian.

On a free transfer Jackson could provide adequate cover for the injured Glenn Murray, as well as another option. Given the right service, it’s possible that the former Gillingham man could step up to the plate and find the net more frequently than in his previous crack at the top league in England. Palace may look to sign him as cover, but it is more likely they will turn their attentions to Real Madrid’s Javier Acuna.

Follow Matt on Twitter.

The lowdown on Palace's new striker Glenn Murray - from a Brighton perspective

Written by Guest Blogger

 

After Palace announced the signing of Brighton's Glenn Murray on a three-year deal, FYP went straight to our fanzine counterparts on the south coast - The Seagull Love Review - to see if the 6ft striker is really worth all the fuss.

At the climax of the previous season, our manager Gus Poyet told the post-match hacks that our extremely popular Basque heart-throb and sometime full-back Inigo Calderon had turned down our offer of a contract and was to sign for Southampton.

We were distraught, we thought he loved the club that had rescued him from a trial at Gillingham and turned him into a local hero – he was to be the focal point of flair on which we’d build a new team around for the next campaign, but suddenly he was off, chasing the peseta at St. Marys.

In a twist of fate, the Saints thing fell through, and tale between his heart-melting Iberian legs, he was back and much to our delight we stormed the league.

Fast forward a year and the impending departure of our leading goalscorer, Glenn Murray, has provoked an equally emotive response from fans, though this time it’s spiked with anger and resentment. By all means Glenn, get lost, but come on, not to Palace.

Allow me to introduce you to our number 17. Firstly, he’s a wonderful striker, netting 53 times in 118 injury-hit appearances for us since January 2008. Adept at both leading the line by himself or playing with a partner, his perceived lethargy is off set by a sweet touch, strength on the ball and positional play certainly suited for a higher standard than the English Third Division. Murray can glide with ease between scrappy 6-yard box scrambles and our trademark tippy-tappy possession play we’ve built a reputation for. He can score from corners, he can score from 25 yards, he can score with his head, hell, he’s one of the best defenders at the club and proved himself invaluable at the other end of the pitch when required.

So what’s the problem, right? This guy has it all.

Well, to put it diplomatically, ‘Super’ Glenn has not exactly endeared himself to the fans. In the three-and-a-bit years we’ve had him he’s put in two transfer requests, with some perhaps questioning his attitude on the pitch during darker times. Under the wrong manager he’s a little troublesome (Only Gus has really got the best out of him and even now he doesn’t want to stay) and he’s struggled with injury a lot until this last Championship winning season.

His disinterested, vague and monotone interviews with the press coupled with his hermit-like existence within the team have ensured a steady flow of unflattering rumours surrounding his personal life. Many fans spoke of his desire to move back up north and let’s face it, if he didn’t like Sussex, what’s he going to make of Croydon!

The guy is also high-maintenance; Occasionally petulant on the pitch when things don’t go his way, he is apparently introverted to a level that doesn’t sit easy with the stronger personalities in the dressing room. His shyness was perhaps his downfall at a club where we expect passionate performances on the pitch plus a strong engagement with fans of it.



What really rubs us up the wrong way with Murray though is his miscalculated decision making on advice from his evidently vindictive agent. To go to press with his desire to leave the club midway through a contract has always left a bitter taste in the mouth, but for him to leak the Palace story to the media the day after we’ve won the league is an incitement to riot. Talk about raining on our parade, Murray squatted down and had a big red and blue shit on it!

There was always a good chance that Murray would opt to follow the money at the end of his contract. Whilst happy if he stayed, he’s certainly not irreplaceable. Unproven at Championship level, his lack of pace may raise a few eyebrows come August, and our faith in Poyet means that if he’s not worth 10 grand a week, he’s really not worth 10 grand a week.

What really sticks is the P word though. Millwall? Ok. Southampton? Whatever. Derby? Meh. Palace? You’re effing kidding me? Losing our top scorer on the back of a Championship to a struggling club in the same division is tough enough, for the motives to be driven by money, disappointing, to our bitterest of rivals, rage inducing.

Don’t be fooled into thinking Murray is anything less than a mercenary, and if you don’t work that out for yourselves now, we’ll certainly remind you from the Arthur Waite stand in a few months time.

Oh well, good luck to the lad … Now where did I put that pigs head?

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