Its also "a bird in the hand...". Lets say we declined the offer, didn't sell Brown, and then brought in Doyle. Brown is now on the bench as a sub, his minutes going down. Less chance for other teams to see him play and if any are interested his value is less because we don't need him as much. So it takes longer to find a buyer and we make less. Maybe that's worth it if our results make up for it in leading us to the top of the table, driving ticket sales, etc. Or if Brown improves through more training with the team, increasing his value. I see neither of those scenarios as likely. I fully agree with this statement though. I think its clear that Pablo was planning on Brown leaving, given the (lack of) playing time he got in preseason and the time Badji got. But I don't see how Bravo didn't get a deal done before the season and instead is left waiting on Wolves and Doyle.
Not defending the RFO but it says Brown -- i.e. agent -- was shopping himself. It does not imply or indicate the Rapids were shopping him. There is a distinct difference. Agents meet, discuss, and conjure up options and plans behind the backs of their player's clubs all the time. It happens. Clubs are not naïve to think players aren't being watched and essentially "tapped up" -- to use a British term -- but there's not much you can do about that. Now, I will agree that the RFO should have had some inkling of Brown's departure but I doubt, because of the secrecy of how agents work, they knew 7-months ago he was being shopped. I suspect they were approached via his agent or with a formal bid sometime during preseason. Still, an argument could have been made the RFO should have been working on a contingency plan to replace Brown. I hope to God they are because if not the RFO's incompetence is beyond repairable.
I agree with other comments about how the Rapids couldn't be better prepared for this. This makes our problem to solve up top even more of an issue. However, I love the move from the sense that Brown has been playing out of position since OP left. There wasn't a spot for him on PM's team. That we got some transfer money out of it is great.
http://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/vaalerenga/her-signerer-vifs-firemillionersspiss/a/23416585/ Translation of this article says sale price was 4M Norwegian Krone, or about $480k.
I wish the timing was right because it would have been nice to see Brown off with a proper round of applause and a tip of the cap this weekend entering or exiting the pitch at the home opener. He is one of the most frustrating players to watch but there's is no doubt he made an impact with the club. I'm sure he hasn't jetted off to Norway just yet so maybe at halftime they can bring him out for a words.
I was going to guess, or maybe I said it somewhere, that the anything in the neighborhood of $400-600K was appropriate market value. Norwegian clubs have been reluctant to pay transfer fees in the excess of $1M. Most clubs do business with free transfers. That's a nice chunk of change for Valerenga. It's also a nice bit of cash to have at our disposal. Wishful thinking.......Maybe that's enough to entice Wolves to release Doyle earlier from his contract. He will be needed sooner than later.
I know this may sound contradictory to some of my previous posts, but if they turn around and use this money to get Doyle early, someone who will be available for free in a few months, I will not be pleased. That would be a prime example of how you get punished when you don't plan ahead.
Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Wolves, from what I have gathered, are a little reluctant to see Doyle leave as they are a little thin up top and are a just 3 pts. out of the playoff race in the Championship. They don't necessarily need Doyle. We on the other hand.......... While shelling out $500K to get a player who will be free in the Summer is not ideal, it might be the option. You have remember, too, that the next window to get him is in July. Can we wait?? Is $500K a small price to pay for getting him 3-4 months earlier?? That's what the RFO have to figure out and the time is ticking.
Somehow I think Doyle will end up elsewhere on his free transfer this summer. We will probably end up starting mighty mite Serna as a target forward, thats just how the RFO rolls.
If Wolves miss the playoffs there's a week between their last game and the closing of the current MLS transfer window in May. If they make the playoffs though we'll have to wait until the July window.
Interesting. Good looking out. I was unsure of the dates of both the closure of the MLS window and when the Championship playoffs began. Still, more evidence that splashing a little cash to get him earlier should not be ruled out despite not being the most ideal use of money.
agree on spending a little cash to get Doyle sooner than July. Although not ideal, I also doubt the fans will be patient enough to stand losing that many games. Of course this assumes having a solid striker makes a big difference in our scoring woes.
I find the trade (0r whatever it is) to be sad. One of the joys of watching the Rapids in 2013 was the joy of watching the development of a group of young guns--Brown, Powers, Klute, Irwin and O'Neil. It was good for the Rapids,good for the MLS, and except for Brown, potentially good for the US Nat team. Brown and Klute are gone, Powers is devalued, Irwin regressed last year but there is still hope, and O'Neill is a question mark.
Doyle's personal history says he won't be a bust. He's produced everywhere he's been. Of course, the track record of the RFO isn't great. With that said, success will probably be split right down the middle. Good but not good enough. I'm hope, though, because Doyle was quite the player, the unsung hero of sorts, for Reading (and Wolves) during important runs in their histories.
I've come to think of that as OP's doing. He's coached the last two ROY. Seems to have a way with young guys. Actually, he just seems to be a great coach.
You'll get no arguments from me about him at his peak, but 3 goals in 23 games (1518 minutes) in League 1 in 2013-14 suggests he is well past his peak. Lets get someone who is at their peak.
Pablo should just stop talking to the press. I would not say your team is deep when a position is paper thin. "You're never going to have the full deck. You're always going to be playing with a half deck, so to speak," Rapids coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "Deshorn leaving at this time isn't ideal ... Now we've just got to make due with what we have and ask other players to step up and this is why we have a deep team."