Courted to the point of receiving an offer we couldn't turn down e.g Bent is what I was getting at in that statement. I have said this on countless occasions since as well in order to clear that up.You said :
A quote from Sbragia about Richardson bid being turned down and the Jones interest from Spurs on several occasions now shows that statement to be untrue. You can dispute the fee's as long as you like, it doesn't make any difference.
The two players even now aren't proven to be better than him and certainly weren't at that point. Like I said it was a poor buy and panic, but whereas I look at the situation at the time, you simply look at the end result.
Again I never said that. I said that some don't make the step up, not that they don't want to.
It's a shame your memory has given up on you or maybe it's being selective, but the form of Malcom Crosby's side was allover the back pages (back when the tabloids had regional variations - maybe they still do) and programmes like Saint And Greavsie were on, of course with Football Focus etc. We had just been relegated, we'd been expected to come back up anyway. Of course things got bigger as we progressed, but we'd been making news all season sacking managers, appointing caretakers, selling Marco, Signing Beagrie, Byrne and Byrne himself was a headline maker.
I said in one particular game over a season and a half earlier the crowd were heckling him pretty badly when playing left back. There was also an incident about two to three seasons earlier where he looked to fake injury and was taken off. The former was simply how he looked playing at left back and frustrtation at the ground at the time, the latter was bloody bad form, which he'd recovered well before Reid came in - you're talking a difference of at least two seasons and countless appearances here and there, not a long spell of form.
More games top flight, more years top flight, more international caps, World Cup final regular, European and CL appearances, many of which were won when Phillips had dropped down to level two whilst he should still have been in his prime. It's the kinda bullshit you're claiming on players Keane was left with (with actually more substance even if it's untrue), even though some were complete shite by then.
Delaps career at Stoke was entirely down to his long throw and no he didn't play just about his whole career in the top flight or anything close to it, when a player of his quality would have been Championship form most of his career without it. Yes he was a better player than Cunnington, but it's not as simple as you're suggesting. Cunnington was almost frozen out completely by then, probably more in line with someone like Tommy Miller under Keane and had a similar non existent playing style.
Iand at least six months after selling the striker showed we were trying to strengthen other areas first.
They did, but whilst Lawrence went onto Stoke and completely recovered his form (maybe he'd have done that here but the video ruined it for him), Elliott scored a few goals for us that season, but never looked the player he had and a promising career filtered down the leagues. He scored 15 goals in the league first season here, but has never scored more than 8 league goals in a season since and has spent the majority of his career in the SPL.
McCarthy's initial squad wasn't 'probably' stronger than Keane's it was miles stronger. Realistically McCarthy didn't need money to spend as the squad he had was that big. One or two signings and many younger lads looking to prove theirselves meant any relegation hangover was quickly forgotten. Even his side struggled first few games though until Breen was in and up to speed. And why do you keep ranting on about players who had previously got out of the division? It barely matters a jot when they've just been promoted and had their arses handed to them week in week out, some never recover.
Paul Stewart was shite, he was playing up front on his own for the majority of the time, who was he going to hold the ball up for - Ball and Bracewell. Out of our options at the time he was probably the worst one for the role, he should have been partnered more often by one of the younger lads, then it may have made sense, because Quinn and Stewart wouldn't have done owt either. Noticably Stewart played for Stoke the next season and is seen as one of their worst players ever and he was only 30/31. The season after he was at Workinton, I think that says it all.
Proof of the pudding is in the eating and regardless of how you take the situation at the time it has subsequently proven to be the wrong move and I'm not saying this with hindsight as I wasn't happy with it at the time.
What world do you live in perry? Yes newspapers have their regional variations but to suggest we were all over the back pages due to a good run of form in the second tier is utterly ridiculous! I accept we started to make headlines as the cup run progressed but that isn't the argument here. Of course I remember Saint & Greavsie and football focus but again they were too top heavy with the big boys to worry about us. Wel have no doubt got a mention when sacked Smith or Sold Marco but again that isn't the argument. This is the best bit though. We made headlines by signing an Everton reserve on loan and a lad who was playing for Brighton? You've gotta be taking the piss now surely? My version of events regarding the local rags banging the drum and the usual rallying calls from the players on the back pages of the Echo is much closer to the mark! Neither cut any ice with me as it was never on as it proved.
You said he was being heckled a season and half before Reid arrived and rarely featured under Buxton who was in charge for much of that period. I'm curious as to how he went from that to maturing nicely just in time for Reid arriving?
Probably played about 50 more games top flight than KP. Never played in the champions league and I dare say if Killa decided to throw his hat in the ring with England he'd have a nice empty shelf where his Irish caps now sit. A totally ridiculous comparison.
Delaps racked up hundreds of top flight games man! He played for years at Derby and Southampton before he arrived here and then went on to play a boatload for Stoke after. I'm not saying he was a superstar but you don't play that many games at the top level just because you've got a long throw! Dave challinor and Andy Legg could hurl it just a long as Delap and don't think they've got a top flight appearance between them! Cunnington was frozen out for a reason (hopeless) and to then say Miller was better than Delap is once again utter rubbish. You're obviously an intelligent bloke (more so than me) but whenever your rhetoric starts drifting away from internet facts and stats you seem to have absolutely no grasp of football. No disrespect meant there by the way.
Your observation regarding Angell totally proves my point regarding waffling on about the cost a player. Just because Reid walked into a reserve strike who cost a few bob it doesn't give any indication whatsoever as to the strength of his squad. Perhaps due to injury Angells best (which was perhaps better than what Browns ever amounted to) was way behind him whilst as Brown has proven to have still had some miles in the tank.
His career upfront only started when Reid came in. The odd (and I mean odd) time he played upfront certainly didn't give any indication to suggest he'd be the player to fire us up the following season and Reid has to take enormous credit for that .
Pretty sure Scott was signed prior to goodman leaving mind as it was around Xmas 94 when the Don left and I'm certain Scott was here before that. Agnew came in for about 250k which left the majority of budget spent on the striking position which you claim we could do without. December to March doesn't equate to six months either.
It was Keanes decision to let Lawrence go but the fact remains he was still a decent enough player and one who'd have walked into the side Reid inherited.
The side McCarthy inherited had just had as you put it ' their arses handed to them' the previous season as well and he done a good job much like Keane did in having them challenging at the top end.
I don't think Reids idea was to pair Quinn and Stewart though it would've been Quinn with either Russell or Bridges but due to Quinns injury he was the next best option. To even get that squad which was pretty awful in grand scheme of things to within a whisker of safety was a fantastic effort.