Luton Bid for Beano

[OUFC4eva]

Half a million for Constable ?

No chance - if LTFC offered me £150,000 straight cash I would be inclined
to sell before the window closes.

Beano has been great for us but I have major doubts about him at at this level.

[Paul Cooper]

Half a million for Constable ?

Beano has been great for us but I have major doubts about him at at this level.

'Major doubts'. To be honest to score what 17 goals last season in his first full season in this Division seems pretty good especially when you consider that beano is hardly a Duffy type player- he gives far more to the team in general.

I am a little surprised that anybody could have major doubts. My view is that he may be better served in a team with a different formation (more of a 4-4-2) and he may do better in such formation, but I ahve no doubts that he is more than capable of doing a decent job in this League as I think he has already proved.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

Is everyone forgetting that he jumped at the chance to sign a three year conteact in May? I know having the captaincy may have upset him, but the guy is clearly extremely passonate about the club, and I don't think that had much to do with being captain.

I'm not sure how much you can read into this though. paticularly these days. I suspect it was as much the club for their benefit to ensure that if he goes, he goes for a fee. That's not to say he didn't want to stay of course.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

Half a million for Constable ?

No chance - if LTFC offered me £150,000 straight cash I would be inclined
to sell before the window closes.

Agreed that £500.000 is probably a bit unrealisitic, but if Kelvin turnd down a bid of £110,000, as 'being nowhere near enough for us to consider' then I don't suppose he'll let Constable go for less than £200,000 at the very least.

[recordmeister]

Half a million for Constable ?

Beano has been great for us but I have major doubts about him at at this level.

'Major doubts'. To be honest to score what 17 goals last season in his first full season in this Division seems pretty good especially when you consider that beano is hardly a Duffy type player- he gives far more to the team in general.

I am a little surprised that anybody could have major doubts. My view is that he may be better served in a team with a different formation (more of a 4-4-2) and he may do better in such formation, but I ahve no doubts that he is more than capable of doing a decent job in this League as I think he has already proved.

17 goals is indeed a good return for a striker. I just wonder how many goal he should / could have scored. Don't take this as an anti-Beano post, it isn't. It is more questioning the idea that you can measure a striker purely by the goals he DOES score and not by his over all game play and missed chances.

Sure, the footballing annals do not have a &quotchances missed&quot or &quotoverall play&quot record (unless Boris wants to add one to here, in which case get ready to see the Bus and / or Derek Lilly at the top of one of those lists... but I think you can look at a players all round ability and not just their &quotgoals scored&quot column (which will become the players legacy). Living in the now and watching him play, we have the ability to judge the player on what we see and not just on what the stats say.

Given all of this, I think Beano still needs a chance to prove himself at this level. He's way too gobby and gets caught off side too much (still, but less in this division as the line-os tend to read the game better and a lot of his runs were too well timed for Conf officials) and he still needs to take more of his chances, in my book. And I agree that he is more of a fox-in-the-box player so may well be better suited to 4-4-2. Does he have the ability to move up a level: I don't think we know yet, and this season will be decisive for him / us to find out.

FYI- my Derby supporting friend who comes to see Oxford a good 6 or 7 times a season with me is unconvinced about Beano. He says that he is a real crowd pleaser of a player, running balls down and putting in the effort, but he spends too much time offside or arguing with the ref which really spoils the flow of his game. Just the POV of an outsider.

[BigCrompy]

Well of course it's pie in the sky, but I've a slightly different take on this - I would dearly hope that we're in a relative position of power and would have no NEED to sell for anything less than half a mil. At this rate no-one can yet say he's out of the picture, no-one can call him a failure - even off the bench he's a vital part of the XVI. He's got to be regarded as more valuable that when he arrived, he's under contract, he has no reason not to be ambitious nor to want to prove himself at the highest level United reach.

As far as I'm concerned Guy is here to cover Craddock (and stay if he's any good). We have no need to sell Constable! So - why wouldn't we set a price in the calibre of 500K and if no-one offers it he stays? I don't think he's surplus to the requirements of a 50|| game season yet, and he hasn't yet quite become a Biggins (that's Steve, not Christopher, or worse still Wayne).

[recordmeister]

Well of course it's pie in the sky, but I've a slightly different take on this - I would dearly hope that we're in a relative position of power and would have no NEED to sell for anything less than half a mil. At this rate no-one can yet say he's out of the picture, no-one can call him a failure - even off the bench he's a vital part of the XVI. He's got to be regarded as more valuable that when he arrived, he's under contract, he has no reason not to be ambitious nor to want to prove himself at the highest level United reach.

As far as I'm concerned Guy is here to cover Craddock (and stay if he's any good). We have no need to sell Constable! So - why wouldn't we set a price in the calibre of 500K and if no-one offers it he stays? I don't think he's surplus to the requirements of a 50|| game season yet, and he hasn't yet quite become a Biggins (that's Steve, not Christopher, or worse still Wayne).

Because

A he might have a release clause of £250k in his contract. But he might not. We don't know.

B if the manager thinks he can bring in more than one better player for the money we'd get for Beano, then it makes perfect business sense, does it not? We're in the game of trading our way up the football ladder, not spending our way up it.

[BigCrompy]

Well of course it's pie in the sky, but I've a slightly different take on this - I would dearly hope that we're in a relative position of power and would have no NEED to sell for anything less than half a mil. At this rate no-one can yet say he's out of the picture, no-one can call him a failure - even off the bench he's a vital part of the XVI. He's got to be regarded as more valuable that when he arrived, he's under contract, he has no reason not to be ambitious nor to want to prove himself at the highest level United reach.

As far as I'm concerned Guy is here to cover Craddock (and stay if he's any good). We have no need to sell Constable! So - why wouldn't we set a price in the calibre of 500K and if no-one offers it he stays? I don't think he's surplus to the requirements of a 50|| game season yet, and he hasn't yet quite become a Biggins (that's Steve, not Christopher, or worse still Wayne).

Because

A he might have a release clause of £250k in his contract. But he might not. We don't know.

B if the manager thinks he can bring in more than one better player for the money we'd get for Beano, then it makes perfect business sense, does it not? We're in the game of trading our way up the football ladder, not spending our way up it.

Hmmm - mainly agree, but I still think my main point endures.

I would still hate to think that we'd take the first price offered to us just because our asset is saleable, when we don't actually need to sell.

I hope we'd hold out for what he's now worth, plus a bit more, even if that means refusing three or four bids - hopefully enough to cover those couple of better players you speak of (most of which this summer were free in any case) plus a bit extra for luck!

[recordmeister]

Does anyone know if there is a sell on clause for Beano? Given that it took quite a while to do the deal with Shrews, then I'm guessing there would be.

[Zeke]

I remember that there was a sell on clause reported. Can't remember the percentage though. 25% maybe?

[Bushy]

A friend of Craddocks is a member at my work.

Apologies to &quotBushy&quot

Looks as if Luton may had made a formal bid after all, just wondering whether Lewis guy has been brought in to give time for Beano to make up his mind, or whether it is cover for Aaron Woodley who is rumoured to being moving to Hayes &amp Yeading on loan.

Thank you, but none needed.

As with other posts, a bid being made by any team can be accepted from any division from any league. Does this mean the player will go to them or even accepted? No.

I was informed of the offer and simply that Beano was currently unhappy and simply sounded Luton out with Craddock. Does this mean he does not want to fight for his place? No.

IMHO I think Beano will stay as he probably knows he is still onto a very good thing at Oxford. Adored by the fans (well most , and a very good chance of playing 30|| games a season with the hope of promotion. To me a no-brainer... but who knows?

[joepoolman]

Jon Stead left (at the time League 2) Huddersfiled for Blackburn about 7 years ago for &quotover £1 million&quot, now Constable hasn't scored quite as many as he did but he's not too far off, I don't know what the inflation has been like in lower league transfer fees (as we always pay &quotundisclosed&quot ones) but going on that you'd think Beano would be worth at the least £500k if not £750k.

[A-Ro]

17 goals is indeed a good return for a striker. I just wonder how many goal he should / could have scored. Don't take this as an anti-Beano post, it isn't. It is more questioning the idea that you can measure a striker purely by the goals he DOES score and not by his over all game play and missed chances.

Last night was a case in point, there were two gilt edged chances to make it 2 - 2 that got blasted over the bar. I'm not sure if they both fell to Beano though.

[theox]

17 goals is indeed a good return for a striker. I just wonder how many goal he should / could have scored. Don't take this as an anti-Beano post, it isn't. It is more questioning the idea that you can measure a striker purely by the goals he DOES score and not by his over all game play and missed chances.

Last night was a case in point, there were two gilt edged chances to make it 2 - 2 that got blasted over the bar. I'm not sure if they both fell to Beano though.

Pittman missed two absolute sitters, one in the build up to Clist's goal and one when he tried to scissor kick instead of simply just scoring.

Beano missed one towards the end when he came at him at waist height. Hardly guilt-edged.

But, guess who got all the abuse from the old blokes sat behind me?!?

[OUFC4eva]

I think a lot would have to happen for JC to leave United by the end of the month. The chances of it happening ? 50:50 for me.

Luton look desperate for an out and out goalscorer at BSP level
and JC could be the final piece in their jigsaw.