Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Swello]

Les Hutchinson has got a mixed legacy at Fir Park - but by (a) allowing us to pay small transfer fees for genuinely promising players (Moult and Johnson) and (b) putting them on long contracts, we are actually in a position of relative strength in these types of negotiations for the first time in years. 

Johnson won't be on a stellar wage even by diddy club standards - but he seems level headed enough to understand that he'll get a better move than Oxford if he continues to play well. I think I'm right in saying that we've got both Rangers and Celtic before the window closes - I'm sure his agent will be mentioning to him what a couple of good performances there could mean..

[Ya Bezzer!]

On 04/08/2016 at 07:47, capt_oats said:

 I still have my doubts that we'd actually get £1m cold hard cash but equally for the market you'd think we'd be wanting to sell to (top half English Championship) it's not totally prohibitive, so the club are hardly pricing him out the market. In that respect it's a fair position to take.

He's worth around £500,000 - 650,000 currently buy he could put a couple of hundred grand on that with good and consistent play up to the mid season break.

People should remember that he's no teenager.  He has potential but he's running out of time to find it, at 25 years old his peak years are only a couple of seasons away. 

I said before that Motherwell shouldn't even listen to offers now, he won't become any less desirable up to Christmas but he could become a lot more desirable if his improvement arc continues, which it has been doing.

I know he has 3 in the league cup but he hasn't scored enough goals up till now, he should be aiming for 10 by December, ever goal he scores probably contributes to getting a bigger and better move.

[Desp]

30 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

He's worth around £500,000 - 650,000 currently buy he could put a couple of hundred grand on that with good and consistent play up to the mid season break.

Based on what?  He's only worth what a club is prepared to pay. 

I agree with the other points in your post, though.

[capt_oats]

If a top half Championship club wants to take a punt on a player at c.£1m then generally speaking, they can, in that respect the fee quoted in the press isn't necessarily prohibitive. Whereas for a League 1 club, for all the chat about money in England, they won't pay that sort of money. Oxford's record transfer is £470k from 1998 and of the teams in League 1 last season I think the historic record spent by a club in that league was something like £600k. I'd imagine that in quoting a £1m price at the moment both McGhee and Motherwell are fairly safe in the knowledge that the player would seem unrealistic to League 1 club and would be enough to put them off but at the same time wouldn't see Championship level clubs completely dismiss it. Equally it's not a figure that's totally mental like Golac and his £10m for Jerren Nixon. As Desp says, a player is worth what another club is prepared to pay.

I could be miles out but looking back at McGhee's press conference yesterday it seemed very much a sales pitch to Championship clubs, with Oxford helping out as useful idiots in giving him the opportunity to make the pitch and further put him in the shop window. Realistically given what a League 1 club would probably be willing to spend on a player and the feeling that, as McGhee has gone on to say, Johnson is a better player than League 1 level then I'd say it's a pretty fair assumption that there's no actual appetite from the club to sell to Oxford, given the relative worth of Johnson to the team at the moment (especially with Moult out) it's not a great stretch to say that it's not too much of a risk for Motherwell to knock back £500k from a League 1 side (the difference in prize money between 5th and 8th last season was what? c.£300k), especially if the player is settled and the club have already received income from both Hall and Pearson's moves. Similarly if Motherwell and the player/agent have an idea that Championship sides are interested then as McGhee says why would Johnson "settle" for a League 1 move.

Having said all that the club seem to be happily exploiting the interest. Agree completely that (barring injury) he won't be any less desirable come Christmas and the fact that he can add to his value in that time but nevertheless it's is a refreshing change to see/hear the club/manager taking this sort of stance and be willing to actually use the media. With his "I'd be amazed if Oxford could afford him" line McGhee's not only trolling the club he's also making sure people notice the statement and the discussion about the player. He gave them their headline right there.

Indeed, that's McGhee speaking to the Evening Times today saying that the "minimum" level Johnson should be looking to move to is a Championship club. For me that's what's interesting about this whole discussion, it seems to very much be about ensuring that if/when Johnson moves then it's to a level that's reasonably considered a step up rather than just Motherwell being seen as having cashed in on the first offer that came in. It'd seem to be the case that it's very much about further establishing the idea of the club being a platform for players to develop their career.

[Gianfranco]

Scott Mullen is tweeting that Marvin's fee will double if he stays till January.

Edit to add it's just McGhee talking shite.

[Casagolda]

Oxford United give up on Marvin Johnson after Motherwell reject another bid

Apparently rejected a 2nd bid from Oxford of around 300k.

Makes you wonder how shite their first bid was, no wonder McGhee was ripping the piss out them.  

[capt_oats]

16 minutes ago, Casagolda said:

Oxford United give up on Marvin Johnson after Motherwell reject another bid

Apparently rejected a 2nd bid from Oxford of around 300k.

Makes you wonder how shite their first bid was, no wonder McGhee was ripping the piss out them.  

After McGhee pretty much told them to f**k off last week and the club leaked their valuation to the press Oxford went back with a "very, very good offer" of £300k?

[Indyboy]

After McGhee pretty much told them to f**k off last week and the club leaked their valuation to the press Oxford went back with a "very, very good offer" of £300k?

Hahaha! Loving that gif. 300k ! Cheeky b*****ds [emoji41]

[mjw]

I never had capt oats down as a gif man.
Good work .

[Desp]

Me either.  thisGRAEME's influence rubbing off on others, I see.  

[Swello]

It's interesting to see just how much contempt english clubs with Murdoch's grubby pound in their back pocket have for scottish clubs. On the way home from the game, I heard on Sportsound that Killie had turned down Charlton's (?) third bid for Magennis which amounted to the vast sum of £100k. 

Down south, clubs are now paying more than that for the guy who picks up the pants in the dressing room.

[Del_Superwell]

Now apparently its the turn of Brighton at 500k according to the herald, I think they are just pulling teams out a hat now.

[Indyboy]

Now apparently its the turn of Brighton at 500k according to the herald, I think they are just pulling teams out a hat now.

Just seen the same story on BBC Sport Scotland. Where Charlton not in for the Killie striker as well ?

[Del_Superwell]

Yeah they were in for Magennis and the offer was rejected but I can still see him leaving Killie before the window closes.

[capt_oats]

10 hours ago, Del_Superwell said:

Now apparently its the turn of Brighton at 500k according to the herald, I think they are just pulling teams out a hat now.

It's not too much of a stretch to see where the Brighton thing has come from. McGhee spent a fair bit of his press conference talking about how he'd been at the Brighton v Lazio friendly and used it as an example to talk Johnson up. They also signed Ben Hall much to McGhee's chagrin.

Whether Brighton are genuinely interested or just being "helpful" in keeping Johnson's name out there is a different question. Most of the reaction from their fans on their social media is asking why they'd be in for another winger, they already have 4 on their first team books as it is including Jamie Murphy. Either way it's certainly a better look for the club to see their player being linked with a Championship side that was in the play-offs last season than Oxford.

In fact going by some of the press tweets that have just been posted, presumably, from his pre-game press conference McGhee's saying he's not aware of any interest from Brighton.

[Indyboy]

I thought it was Charlton in for Johnson not Brighton [emoji51] Made an arse of that.

Don't think speculation is going to end about Johnson till the window closes or he leaves.

[Swello]

It all helps generate a rare bit of hype for a Motherwell player - Johnson himself seems unaffected so far, so it's all good. I genuinely can't see him being at the club on Sept 1st, I just hope it doesn't all happen too late to get his replacement in....

[capt_oats]

Interesting to hear McManus quite forcefully pushing the line that Johnson shouldn't even be considering League 1 or League 2 clubs, saying he'd be wasted at that level and that any move he makes should be to the "right" club.

For all it's clear what's actually happening in terms of the club actively talking the player up the way they've dealt with the McDonald enquiry and the Johnson speculation has definitely been a refreshing change.

[Swello]

Just some pitch porn for use next time our pitch is lazily referred to as an example of a shite surface because it was shite 5 years ago. It's actually frightening how much better it's got recently - I can see our groundsman getting a move to the Championship...

 

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Swello

[capt_oats]

That's yer Craig Clay signed permanently. 2 year deal.