Let me try a balanced view on the McKenzie / Cotterill debacle.....

I don't blame Doncaster for try to recount the facts of what happened. If you read it carefully, he has just shown us what a lack of clear thinking and forward planning there was.

From everything I've read, its pretty clear that we had a deal for up to ?2M (including add ons) agreed and ready to go. Bristol City have without doubt then hawked the player around the Prem (Jewell had already shown an interest anyway) and got themselves a deal for ?2M up front PLUS add ons! Its Bristol City that f**ked us over! I don't even blame Cotterill that much, who would'nt want to go to a Prem club in his shoes!

I think we've been a little unlucky in that Leon chose the same moment to f**k us as well. His behaviour is a disgrace. Our club cut him all the slack he wanted during his divorce and other personal problems and look what thanks we got. Good riddance to bad rubbish IMO!

No, what this does shoes is that we had put all our eggs in the 'Cotterill' basket and when that went pear shaped, once again there was NO plan B. Leon made it clear ten days ago that he wanted out, so if Cotterill was the player Worthy wanted, why didn't we accept the ?800 up front which Cov offered last week and then do the Cotterill deal before yesterday. Had that not happened, we might still have had a few days to look elsewhere. We are only going to get the full ?1M for Leon based on appearences AND promotion to the Prem, so I'm not holding my breath that we'll see the remaining ?400K anyway.

So now we are a striker short - with Thorne the only back-up if Earnie get injured or suspended. Doncaster may have explained trhe events of this week, but he and the club still have alot of explaining to do as to why we got to this stage, why we got caught short on deadline day again and why they had no back-up plan, knowing that Leon was so determined to leave!!!

Personally, I don't like blowing the transfer budget on loans; can can end up with nothing to show for it at the end of the loan. We were lucky with Hucks, Crouch and Harper, we may not be as lucky again!

I think that between now and next Thursday, Worthy, Doncaster etc, need to put the hours in to sort something out - be it loans, free agents who knows. But to leave us with Thorne as the only back-up for for Earnie when we have had such a promising start to the season would be rank stupidity. They need to sort something before the next home game, cos if Earnie, Drury or Gallacher gets injured, think we can kiss promotion goodbye and I see more unrest ahead.

The disquiet of last season will be nothing if they get this wrong!

Posted By: Kirrie on September 1st 2006 at 09:09:07

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