Sunday 18 January 2009

Battle for Shelvey's signature hots up

Everton are reported to have topped Boro's offer for Jonjo Shelvey with a £3m bid. However, with Sunderland and Newcastle United also in the frame, we may not have seen the highest bid yet. Now the figures are starting to look realistic.

Charlton supremo Phil Parkinson has insisted that he wants Shelvey to remain at The Valley and says that would be in the player's best interests. However, it is difficult to see how he would benefit from the plunge to League 1.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Jonjo has a shred of self-belief or ambition he should take the first bus out of Charlton. As soon as anyone makes any sort of offer he should gladly take it and not look back. Spending any longer with that poisonously, cynically underachieving rabble will only serve to ruin him and his career. Good luck JS if you get to visit the Valley in an unlikely cup tie in the future maybe there will be one or two hardy souls who will remember your lucky escape and will applaud you warmly. Get out lad, you know it makes sense.

Anonymous said...

No matter what amount we sell Shelvey for (I think it's a foregone conclusion he'll go), the amount will just sink into our financial black (or should that be red?) hole and disappear without trace.

Anonymous said...

To stand any chance at all, you need to keep your best players. Surely we've learned that by now.

Anonymous said...

I posted this slightly academic observation when you raised the possibility that Shelvey might be sold in the January window last November (or perhaps early December);

"The key question is what constitutes “sufficiently attractive”? Given what everybody seems to be saying about Shelvey a sale at £2m, say, would not be “sufficiently attractive”. £500,000 would be a joke, but what about £5m, or perhaps even more? Rationally, unless the club are in serious financial distress, and that is not my impression, Shelvey will not be sold because nobody would pay much more than £2m and probably not even that. In his book, “The truth about markets” (worth a read by the way), the economist John Kay uses the “wallet test” to illustrate how information asymmetries can stop markets functioning. The market for young footballers has some similarities; Charlton know far more about Shelvey than anyone else so that if they really believe the rhetoric around him they should wait until other Clubs have seen enough of him so that they can then justify paying Charlton a “sufficiently attractive” price. A sale now at £1m or less, if not driven by financial desperation, would imply either that the hype around the player is “bull” or that the Board are applying an extraordinarily high risk premium to his future worth. Bottom line, I’d be surprised if he goes."

Continuing with the same theme, Shelvey's appearances and perfomances in the home games against Norwich and Forest in particular have reduced the information assymetries and increased the chances that the Club will receive an offer which is "sufficiently attractive". I'd describe the financial situation as very difficult and perhaps even serious, but it is not yet desperate. Nevertheless, with relegation now a near certainty, an offer of £3m combined with an aggressive sell-on clause will obviously be very hard to turn down. I know this viewpoint won't be popular, but if Charlton do sell on these terms then it will help to justify the academy not undermine its purpose.

Dave said...

Man City haven't made their move yet!

Anonymous said...

Hopefully Shelvey's family and advisers have his interests foremost - not sure how much he will gain by joining one of the top teams academies for in effect 4months compared with the experience of paying Championship football (and then in all rpobability being loaned out to someone else next season). Experiencing what it is like playing in a side which is struggling may actually be valuable experience for the future. Perhaps if we had a few more English players who din't stop performing at the first sign of difficulties we wouldn't be such underachievers internationally.

And of course we would love him even more!

Anonymous said...

Sell him and have a clause to keep him here on loan for the rest of the season. Everyone happy.

Anonymous said...

I managed to get into the Charlton email server. The following makes interesting reading:

From: Richard Murray
To Phil Parkinson
Subject: Team Performance

Phil, just to let you know that I am pleased that the continued improvement in performances since the departure of Pardew have been maintained. I have been cajoling my fellow Directors and we have more funds available to get in some loan players.

I was slighly irritated when one so called fan shouted something about pride and actually winning a game. It annoys me so much how uncouth some of these fans can be. You continue to have my full support and I am so grateful that you are in charge and sorting things out. If you could let me know when you anticipate we might win a league match. I only ask as I am planning our holidays and I would not want to miss it when it finally comes along.
Kind Regards

Richard

Anonymous said...

Could we get a manager on loan?

Anonymous said...

.......as long as there is a 'sell-on' clause then we have to let him go, if the price is right for the club.

Addick Afar

Anonymous said...

Has it occured to anybodythat all our teams are bottom of their respective leagues .i.e 1st team reserves,and academy

Anonymous said...

I'll have to take your word for that Re. the academy, Anon.
But it does rather indicate the malaise that's infected our club.

Anonymous said...

Evidently Waghorn went back to Sunderland last week.Why have the OS not mentioned it? With the pending sale of Dickson to the Orient and Todorov lack of fitness we are in a poor state up front

Anonymous said...

I expect they'll be looking to get a loan in!