Alfie Pond

[richard_portland]

It’s difficult to judge without knowing how much Rangers or whoever is prepared to pay the player and how much the offer against our valuation figure.

I can understand if the player is being offered a big pay rise he might well be tempted, and this may conflict with his feelings for the club.

 

[andrew p long]

I think the fact that he refused to be loaned out has soured things somewhat and he has put himself and the club in a difficult position. The question is : what do we do with him, and if he does get into the first team will his heart be in it.
If a player gives a kind of ultimatum it makes it hard for everyone.
In my opinion the club should enforce the contract, which Pond was happy enough to sign not long ago. He can't have it both ways If it means he is a lingerer then so be it.

Indeed. I can understand a genuine difference of opinion about whether a particular loan move is right; fair enough to stop and fight for a first team place. Though the club are probably better placed to make the right judgment.

What I really dislike is he hasn't featured in recent games 'because his head is not in the right place'. That's caused by a difference of opinion about whether ECFC should accept a derisory offer. It also looks like blackmail 'if you don't accept the offer I'm not going to play'.
I really hope that isn't Alfie's stance and that any unavailability is for genuine reasons.

 

[IndoMike]

Indeed. I can understand a genuine difference of opinion about whether a particular loan move is right; fair enough to stop and fight for a first team place. Though the club are probably better placed to make the right judgment.

What I really dislike is he hasn't featured in recent games 'because his head is not in the right place'. That's caused by a difference of opinion about whether ECFC should accept a derisory offer. It also looks like blackmail 'if you don't accept the offer I'm not going to play'.
I really hope that isn't Alfie's stance and that any unavailability is for genuine reasons.

I got the impression it was Matt not wanting him to be involved because Alfie was unsettled rather than Alfie not wanting to play, but it could be the latter.

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

I got the impression it was Matt not wanting him to be involved because Alfie was unsettled rather than Alfie not wanting to play, but it could be the latter.

I agree. If he doesn't want to do what the club want him to do then MT will leave him out.

 

[andrew p long]

I got the impression it was Matt not wanting him to be involved because Alfie was unsettled rather than Alfie not wanting to play, but it could be the latter.

Interesting. The reason why I thought it was Alfie,not Matt, who said he couldn't play was MT's heavy emphasis on 'I don't understand why young players don't want to play' Although it can be read either way, I took this to be about why he didn't play for us, rather than about Alfie refusing to go out on loan. Perhaps that will become clearer tonight (or perhaps not!)

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

Interesting. The reason why I thought it was Alfie,not Matt, who said he couldn't play was MT's heavy emphasis on 'I don't understand why young players don't want to play' Although it can be read either way, I took this to be about why he didn't play for us, rather than about Alfie refusing to go out on loan. Perhaps that will become clearer tonight (or perhaps not!)

Yeah I thought 'I don't understand why young players don't want to play' was about the unwillingness to go on loan.

 

[fred binneys head]

Definitely Alfie not wanting to play. He might have to find a new hobby for the next 12 months.

 

[IndoMike]

Interesting. The reason why I thought it was Alfie,not Matt, who said he couldn't play was MT's heavy emphasis on 'I don't understand why young players don't want to play' Although it can be read either way, I took this to be about why he didn't play for us, rather than about Alfie refusing to go out on loan. Perhaps that will become clearer tonight (or perhaps not!)

Yep. I think he meant Alfie not wanting to go out on loan to play "men's football" rather than be on the bench, but that doesn't make total sense either, because the real choice in Alfie's eyes was go out on loan or go to Celtic or Rangers..

 

[iscalad]

Yep. I think he meant Alfie not wanting to go out on loan to play "men's football" rather than be on the bench, but that doesn't make total sense either, because the real choice in Alfie's eyes was go out on loan or go to Celtic or Rangers..

Celtic or Rangers?? Really.

 

[fred binneys head]

Yep. I think he meant Alfie not wanting to go out on loan to play "men's football" rather than be on the bench, but that doesn't make total sense either, because the real choice in Alfie's eyes was go out on loan or go to Celtic or Rangers..

Go to Celtic or Rangers…….and then go out on loan at Elgin or Peterhead.