QuoteRice might be sold by West Ham this summer also, opening up another midfield spot.
Can see him going back to West Ham as a replacement for Mark Noble. He's West Ham through and through, and they've played plenty of games this season between the league and all the cups so will fancy himself to get enough game time. The nice bump in wages and European football helps too.
Most of the clubs named are probably looking at him as a cheap homegrown squad option too. Burnley, Norwich, Fulham, and Sheffield United are the teams he'd have the best chance of getting into the starting XI.
At 26 this is probably the best contract he'll likely get in his career so don't blame him to take the best offer he can get and fight for a place at someone like West Ham or Wolves we'll say, and if it doesn't work out he can always move on in three years and probably still start for a yo-yo club like Norwich, Fulham, or Burnley depending on how they progress after relegation.
When he does move on would love to see Conor Coventry as a possible replacement for him at Anderlecht. Similar player to Cullen and playing for a top team in Belgium would allow him to showcase his talent like he is at MK rather than slogging it out in the bottom half of the championship. Could do wonders for his career like it has for Cullen.
Rice might be sold by West Ham this summer also, opening up another midfield spot.
To me the Rotherham manager quotes came across like a guy trying say something he thinks a Premiership manager would say. If your a L1 manager you should be over the moon that you have a player that is good enough to play at International level.Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
What he was saying was proven to be BS too. It was going into the Cup final they had and he was trying to say Ogbene would be tired after so many minutes for Ireland... he went on the set up equalizer in 93rd min and then score a screamer in Extra time. I think he was fine!
And in regards to the interest that would be in him now, I bet the Chairman doesnt agree. If you're a L1 club you are guaranteed to sell your best players. Its the nature of the business. Ogbenes performances for Ireland will have increased his value when they do sell
Well he's out of contract in the summer so will be walking on a free rather than sold to the highest bidder. Losing to Portsmouth last night leaves them in third 3pts behind MK Dons. Even with a game in hand they've lost their last three league games so are poor form. All the better for us that MK Dons and Wigan go up imo.
Didnt realize hes out of contract but even so its a still a stupid arguement from the Rotherham manager. Hes basically saying he doesnt want to have good players incase they go somewhere else eventually
Was he being serious though?
Otoh's post said he "joked" about it. I think that's fine
In the coverage of the cup final the panel on Sky sports were talking about how he wasnt happy with Ogbenes minutes for Ireland in previous 2 games
Those comments were more to do with Ogbene not starting the league game before the international break under advice from the medical team rather than his performances attracting attention from bigger clubs.
Yeah the transfer comments were completely unrelated to the ones about his playing time and just your bog standard manager response to growing interest in one of their better players. The point was that Ogbene is perhaps more on club's radars due to his Irish games and not less as third_policeman seemed to be saying. But I'll admit I don't really understand what his point was. He seemed to be hinting that something to do with Ireland has changed and means PL managers aren't signing our players when they have good games for us when the obvious answer is that our players aren't at PL level and haven't been for a while due to the PL improving itself year and year for the past few decades. Our national side operates at a Championship level.
Bazunu if you believe the stories this week profile definitely seems to have been improved from the International performances and interest from Premiership clubs.
In regards to Cullen, we are seeing him being linked with Premiership clubs, would they be looking at him based on his Anderlecht performances alone? I doubt it.
In recent years, because we've been so sh1te our players havent been getting any good exposure from International football. That looks like it could be on the turn now.
Yeah I agree but I suppose both players are or have been on the books at PL clubs as well. I also wouldn't write off Anderlecht as a place that would be on a PL clubs scouting radar. Certainly though their games for Ireland haven't had any negative effect on their chances which is what third_policeman seemed to be saying.
"Once upon a time playing for Ireland would have given players a positive profile and helped to get them a transfer to a higher level. That's no longer the case. He has performed brilliantly for us, but somehow that doesn't automatically register with PL managers in the way it might in the past. "
Arsenal signed a midfielder from Anderlecht for about 17 or 18 million last summer so players there are definitely on the radar. I'd say the Cullen interest is more based on his Anderlecht form than his Ireland form to be honest.
Anderlecht are in the end of season play offs in Belgium, and could go straight into the Champions League group stage, if that is the case, Cullen should stay where he is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E...n_A#Play-Off_I
Yeah I'm not sure on the value of him moving back to England either. He left only very recently after not breaking in to a PL team and he's doing well now. Why change and risk not getting his game at this stage in his career? Hopefully he can get himself a decent paycheck over there as well.
How much would a CL run add to Cullen's salary? A Google trawl tells me he currently earns approx £8500-a-week. He could get that at an ok Championship club. He'd double it or more at a yo-yo club like Fulham, Bournemouth, WBA, Sheff Utd, Norwich, Watford etc. At 26, and without big bucks earned, the money takes precedence.
Last edited by Snapshot; 14/04/2022 at 2:24 AM.
When you are always just one bad injury away from a career ending, or an injury that could greatly reduce what you could earn in the future then you have to Make Hay when the sun is shining.
I think the reality of modern day football is that playing Premier League, even with a bottom end team fighting relegation, trumps playing Champions League with a team from a smaller league like Belgium.
Probably not how it should be, but it's a money game so that's how it is.
Ryan Christie leaving Celtic for a team in the Championship would be another example - the English second tier being preferable to European group stage football for him.
Think even if Anderlecht win the league and qualify for Europe they'll still look to sell him to make something off him and he'd still probably want to move back to England.
Could stay another season and get a bad injury which ruins his chances of getting a good move back home or a good move in general if other clubs in Europe show interest.
It will take a monumental effort from Les Mauves to win the league.
Union are on 37*
Brugge are on 36
Anderlecht 32
antwerp 32
if they don't beat Union in the first game they can pretty much kiss goodbye to any hopes. Union have done the double over them this season already, and relatively comfortably too.
Anderlecht have the cup final here on Monday, which they are favourites for too (and it's sold out).
* Points are halved from the regular season. Union St Gilloise' final game was abandoned 10 mins from the end due to rioting from the opposition fans. I don't think a decision has been made on that outcome yet. They are bottom and relegated, so it is plausible that the RBFF give the 3 points to USG, which would then put them 3 points ahead of Brugge, 7 on the other two.
Last edited by Kingdom; 14/04/2022 at 11:42 AM.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
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