Confirmed - Sonko to Stoke

[10539.4 Miles Away]

Hand on heart, who thinks that Sonko will be the last player to leave before the window shuts?

This close season / start of season is one of the most mixed up, messed up I think I have ever known (with the possible exception of post-Bolton). We've had a few individual great performances and others not bothering, we have some fans baying for blood while others seem, as ever, blindly optimistic. In my opinion it comes down to one simple thing the lack of a clear concise statement of intent from the management (Hammond, Coppell, Mr Mad - actually I'd even settle for Downes or Dillon) about what the actual goal for this season is.

No wonder some players are keen to leave, I personally wouldn't be hanging around a directionless ship.

[TFF]

Somebody give Tony Pulis an MBE for his charity work. 8 million for Kitson and Sonko? Stick that in your pipe Pudsey Bear.

Cheerio Sonko. Maybe we can have a footballer playing at centre-half again sometime soon.

LOL

[Yorkshire Royal]

Only guessing, but I would imagine the goal of the season is to achieve promotion...

[TFF]

So this is good business ? We have just sold our top goalscorer and when will OS confirm this ?

How many more would you expect him to score this season?

[Royal Rother]

I'm now rather hoping Convey, Lita and Harper also go in the next 48 hours.

Then there really will be a new feel about the place. Just a central midfielder to come in perhaps - nice small-ish squad to build a new spirit within might just work wonders.

Hahnemann
Armstrong
Bikey
Pearce
Rosenior
S Hunt
Karacan
Matejovski
Kebe
N Hunt
Doyle

Federici, Long, Kelly, Henry, Ingimarsson

Plenty there to build with and a fresh look. Decent enough cover to allow flexibility from the bench should it be required.

[Platypuss]

Looks "a bit skinny" in CM to me, RR.

[floyd__streete]

Goodbye and good riddance Sonko, you've been an utter joke for well over a year now. At any other club you'd have been bombed out straight away forn refusing to play when selected for the reserves so it is typical of the ponderous management at this club that we have to wait 4 months for your departure.

[Royal Lady]

I don't know why you think he'll play Karacan, he didn't play him last Saturday and Lord knows we were crying out for him. He wasn't even on the bench.

[Yorkshire Royal]

I'm now rather hoping Convey, Lita and Harper also go in the next 48 hours.

If we can replace Harper then fair enough. Convey has never been the same post injury.

Be mad to sell Lita though, but let's not go over that again...

[Royal Rother]

The negative is that its one less body in the squad in return for an extra £2m dissapearing into the ether of creative accounting.

It doesn't matter if we get £100m, when it's not reinvested, it's just one less body.

Absolutely cracking point.

It's little wonder your opinions and debating skills are held in such high esteem on here.

Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words pal.

[10539.4 Miles Away]

Only guessing, but I would imagine the goal of the season is to achieve promotion...

And that exactly, is my point, we, as fans, assume that the goal is promotion but I genuinely can not find a quote from the management that states that. Coppell saying "he wants to put the relegation right" is the closest I can find. Really hope I'm barking up the wrong tree here and someone will put me right.

[Royal Lady]

So, RR do you think the £2 million will be re-invested or do you think we'll be one body down?

[M Brook]

This is excellent news. The guy has been a liability all the time he has been with us. I remember the League Cup tie at Highbury the season we went up. Time and time again he was caught in possession. I remember thinking there is no way this guy is good enough for the Prem and so it proved. The Prem found him out big time and, sadly, his confidence has never recovered. A season with Stoke is unlikely to see that confidence recover.

[Royal Rother]

Looks "a bit skinny" in CM to me, RR.

Indeed - I made that point myself. I think Bikey could provide the oomph there but a new face would probably be sensible. (Not that Harper was ever exactly musclebound...)

[Platypuss]

Only guessing, but I would imagine the goal of the season is to achieve promotion...

And that exactly, is my point, we, as fans, assume that the goal is promotion but I genuinely can not find a quote from the management that states that. Coppell saying "he wants to put the relegation right" is the closest I can find. Really hope I'm barking up the wrong tree here and someone will put me right.

"Get us up, so I can sell up".

In the rousing stakes, it's not exactly Henry V.

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Great business. And I won't be weeping when Harper and Doyle go, either.

Just need two CMs now to cover Jem and the Bouncing Cheque (sic).

And a right back.

And a wise old pro centre forward.

[Big Ern]

Sometimes a picture paints a thousand words pal.

Agreed, Just a shame there isn't an emoticon for being 'blinkered'.

[Einstein agogo]

I don't know why you think he'll play Karacan, he didn't play him last Saturday and Lord knows we were crying out for him. He wasn't even on the bench.

reminds me of the shorey > Robinson debacle ... pardew had the fear + stubbonness , which belied the obvious. so many managers do this , until they are forced to see the light ( normally due to injuries ) the talent has to wait it's turn

[silas]

Pearce>Sonko

[Royal Rother]

So, RR do you think the £2 million will be re-invested or do you think we'll be one body down?

Prediction would be pointless to be honest - I'd like to think we'd get a new face in to strengthen up central midfield, but there again I want Karacan to get a chance which he possibly wouldn't if an experienced player came in. (Mind you, we just have to wait for MM's next life-threatening injury to create an opportunity again I suppose.)

Thing is, anyone who seriously believes JM will just pocket the cash, end of, is a fool. However it is used will be to the benefit of RFC, so, as an accountant, whether the money makes the Balance Sheet more secure, (potentially more attractive for future investor) sits in a bank account, pays off a loan or is reinvested in the squad all equals pretty much the same to me.

So I just look at it as a business deal. £2m in, and £1m off the wages bill, when we already had adequate cover in that area IS good business.