NRC, Pires and Carew amongst Ten Players Released

[Concrete John]

No contract for NRC. Unbelievable that we are releasing a player who never let's us down and was mainly responsible for our last two big wins and MotM IMO against Liverpool.

There was a contract for NRC, but he wanted more money.

[Villafirst]

Really disappointed to see NRC go. That's it: keep Ireland and let go one player who gave a damn last season - great logic the board! They really know how to sell season tickets! So 10 players out, Walker back to Spurs and Young on his way and possibly Downing and the 'small' squad quotes will start to resurface. I predict a smaller, weaker squad come August. I'm not renewing my season ticket until this club displays some proper forward thinking, ambition and leadership.

[Eigentor]

He won't be coming back as manager for next season. There may be a period of hand-over but that's all.

Ok, but even so, I'd thought that the board wouldn't approach potential successors before GH leaving was official.

The possibility exists that it is official internally, with Gezza OK about everything, and they're just waiting for the right time to announce it.

The possibility exists, but it seems like a complicated scheme, as I'd imagine most serious candidates would be wary of starting talks about a position unless they were 100% certain that there is a vacancy.

[citizenDJ]

Really disappointed to see NRC go. That's it: keep Ireland and let go one player who gave a damn last season - great logic the board! They really know how to sell season tickets! So 10 players out, Walker back to Spurs and Young on his way and possibly Downing and the 'small' squad quotes will start to resurface. I predict a smaller, weaker squad come August. I'm not renewing my season ticket until this club displays some proper forward thinking, ambition and leadership.

I'm going to stay positive and say we'll have a smaller, stronger squad. NRC aside, none of the ten who have left really made too much difference.

[TopDeck113]

Like most people, I'm surprised with the decision to release NRC.  He does an important, if limited job, quite effectively.  The sort of player that every squad needs.

As for the others?  I don't think any of them will be missed, or come back to haunt us.

[murgsy]

I liked NRC's resolve and engine. But tbf - he never fulfilled the early expectations. Plus if he wanted a raise in the current context without having improved - I think it's cheeky.
Well that paves the way for Scotty Parker

[Chris Smith]

Like most people, I'm surprised with the decision to release NRC.  He does an important, if limited job, quite effectively.  The sort of player that every squad needs.

As for the others?  I don't think any of them will be missed, or come back to haunt us.

It's his decision, not ours. I'm not surprised, he clearly thinks he's a better player than he is, he came out with the 'box to box player' bollocks again the other day. He thinks he can earn more elsewhere and get to be Frank Lampard, so fuck him.

[Concrete John]

Really disappointed to see NRC go. That's it: keep Ireland and let go one player who gave a damn last season - great logic the board! They really know how to sell season tickets! So 10 players out, Walker back to Spurs and Young on his way and possibly Downing and the 'small' squad quotes will start to resurface. I predict a smaller, weaker squad come August. I'm not renewing my season ticket until this club displays some proper forward thinking, ambition and leadership.

In what way are NRC's and Ireland's situations at all similar?

One is out of contract and rejected the extension we offered him.  The other is still under contract so nothing happens until and unless another club comes in with an offer for him.   

[dave.woodhall]

Really disappointed to see NRC go. That's it: keep Ireland and let go one player who gave a damn last season - great logic the board!

Ireland's still on a contract; Reo Coker isn't. Presumably they made him an offer and he gives so much of a damn about the club he didn't accept it.

[fredm]

Really disappointed to see NRC go. That's it: keep Ireland and let go one player who gave a damn last season - great logic the board! They really know how to sell season tickets! So 10 players out, Walker back to Spurs and Young on his way and possibly Downing and the 'small' squad quotes will start to resurface. I predict a smaller, weaker squad come August. I'm not renewing my season ticket until this club displays some proper forward thinking, ambition and leadership.

Can't people see what has really happened?  The club have not said to NRC "we don't want you bugger off" - he has let his contract expire as he refused to sign a new one last summer when MON was here and thus is free to walk away now.  The club have, allegedly, offered him a contract but he has said "no thanks I'm off somewhere else (who will offer me more money)".

What are the club supposed to do - offer him a contract that rivals Rooney or say thanks for everything Nige you are only doing what any player can do nowadays in this world where they hold all the aces.

[Bex]

Arguably the value of something is how much it would cost to replace it. Would we prefer NRC to stay, even if only as a squad player rather than a first choice? I would. So how much would we have to pay to replace him? Okay, that's very subjective since views as to his ability vary so much, but if it's a transfer fee of £4m and £25k per week then in theory we could afford to give him a 4 year contract of £45k per week. If he's asked for a lot more, then good luck elsewhere NRC. I just hope we've let him go because we have identified an upgrade.

[Eigentor]

Apparently NRC thought the wages he was on, was what an Aston Villa player could earn without playing. As he has been playing this season, he thought that he should earn a lot more. Presumably the board thought they had to draw a line if the club is ever to get out of the vicious "we pay, you don't play" spiral.

[dave.woodhall]

Arguably the value of something is how much it would cost to replace it. Would we prefer NRC to stay, even if only as a squad player rather than a first choice? I would. So how much would we have to pay to replace him? Okay, that's very subjective since views as to his ability vary so much, but if it's a transfer fee of £4m and £25k per week then in theory we could afford to give him a 4 year contract of £45k per week. If he's asked for a lot more, then good luck elsewhere NRC. I just hope we've let him go because we have identified an upgrade.

This was the theory when Bosmans first started. It soon became clear that if you give a player lots of money because he's on a free then a) he'll be happy to sit around doing nothing until his contract runs out and you can't get rid because nobody else will pay him that much (Hadji, Kachloul) and b) giving a massive rise to one player means everyone else wants the same (Carbone).

[citizenDJ]

Apparently NRC thought the wages he was on, was what an Aston Villa player could earn without playing. As he has been playing this season, he thought that he should earn a lot more. Presumably the board thought they had to draw a line if the club is ever to get out of the vicious "we pay, you don't play" spiral.

Regrettably, he has a point there. If his wages are the same as, say, Beye and Warnock, then you can see how the previous attitude to wages has left a massive problem.

[JUAN PABLO]

Good, at last getting rid of some dead wood,
For all you guys that lament the exit of NRC let's see the quality of clubs that come in for him,
Someone said spurs, are you having a laugh, my gues is  Wolves, certainly no better

im with you..