EE: Mair staying at Aberdeen FC, but Smith may go

[Kowalski]

Mair staying at Aberdeen FC, but Smith may go

Toronto trailing winger

 

By Sean Wallace

 

Published: 15/05/2009

 

ABERDEEN FC defender Lee Mair has provided a boost ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Rangers by revealing he is set to sign a new deal.

 

But injury-jinxed winger Jamie Smith appears to be on his way out of Pittodrie after being linked with a move to Canadian side Toronto.

 

Mair said: “I want to stay at Aberdeen FC and the ideal scenario would be to sign a new deal and play in Europe next season.

 

“The club have said they will come back to me with a deal when they know what position they finish in the SPL.

 

“Obviously the higher up the table the more money they will get from the league, so that would affect the deal.

 

“But I want to stay here, so hopefully that can be resolved next week.â€

 

Smith, however, looks certain to move and is understood to have already opened talks with MLS side Toronto, who are managed by former Scotland striker Mo Johnston.

 

For more on Aberdeen FC, pick up a copy of today's Evening Express

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

Maybe he'll get better medical supervision in Toronto than at AFC.

 

As for  the situation with Mair, the club is fucking well at it.

 

The idea that existing members of the squad being re-signed being dependant on where we finish in the league is patent bollocks.

[Superstar Tradesman]

TF - The club is fucking well at it because they are re-signing bollocks.

 

Full stop.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

TF - The club is fucking well at it because they are re-signing bollocks.

 

Full stop.

 

The quality of the squad is going down further then. Humming and hawing over the signature of Lee Mair (a squad player) kinda implies we can't afford anyone else.

[bilbobaggins]

Maybe he'll get better medical supervision in Toronto than at AFC.

 

As for  the situation with Mair, the club is fucking well at it.

 

The idea that existing members of the squad being re-signed being dependant on where we finish in the league is patent bollocks.

 

No vision, no planning, no leadership. An absolute, total, fucking shambles.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

No vision, no planning, no leadership. An absolute, total, fucking shambles.

 

It is Jimmy's fault. 

 

 

[bilbobaggins]

It's difficult to say who is to blame but this should have been sorted months ago.

[Jute]

The quality of the squad is going down further then. Humming and hawing over the signature of Lee Mair (a squad player) kinda implies we can't afford anyone else.

 

Was just going to say this. If we are having to see if we can afford to sign a guy who is a squad player it does suggest that we will not be getting the comanding centre half everyone says we need.

[Ajja]

If we are going to offer him a reduced deal and the level of reduction is dependant on revenues realised from the season end is it not a sensible and appropriate move to delay. I doubt there is much risk of us having Mair snatched from under our noses.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

What is sensible about not knowing if you can keep on existing playing staff? If we can't afford to keep Mair on the books must be even more cunted than we thought, even taking account of TV revenue shrinkage and the general financial downturn.

[manc_don]

What is sensible about not knowing if you can keep on existing playing staff? If we can't afford to keep Mair on the books must be even more cunted than we thought, even taking account of TV revenue shrinkage and the general financial downturn.

 

I think it raises a few worrying questions. I think he, whilst not a first team player per say, is a decent squad player for the CB position. However, we need to get a replacement for Anderson to play alongside Zander, and fast. We can't have the same amount of blunders which has cost our season so dearly next season. It was embarrassing. Surely with both Smith and Seve off we would have a few squid left over? 

[Ajja]

What is sensible about not knowing if you can keep on existing playing staff? If we can't afford to keep Mair on the books must be even more cunted than we thought, even taking account of TV revenue shrinkage and the general financial downturn.

 

My point was that possibly they are not sure how much they can bend him over and fuck him rather than whether they can keep him or not. I thought the article suggested that he had said he was happy to stay and that the club would offer him a deal at the end of the season. That says nothing of not knowing whether they can afford to keep him. The article (and it is only that of course) only calls into question the amount they are willing to offer not that they are willing to offer at all.

[Jute]

If we are going to offer him a reduced deal and the level of reduction is dependant on revenues realised from the season end is it not a sensible and appropriate move to delay. I doubt there is much risk of us having Mair snatched from under our noses.

 

Should we be offering a deal to a player that is not wanted by anyone else?

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

 

That being the case we'd probably not sign anyone. If anyone wants ANY of our players they will most likely get them.

[Ajja]

Should we be offering a deal to a player that is not wanted by anyone else?

 

In a fantasy land where all the choices are ours then no. In reality then I guess we have to assess our players on the basis of alternatives. We have to match up things like costs, value and ROI on a case-by-case basis and assemble whatever we can in the circumstances. 

 

For the record, I wasn't advocating signing Mair. I was only pointing out that I thought the club could be doing the right thing by holding off on his deal.

[baggy89]

I think what is happening here is what is happening all over the country. Players are holding on at clubs because they know a large amount of players are being released, and they are hoping that their current club misses out in the expected transfer scramble. Then they might avoid having to drop through the divisions and take a large pay cut.

Virtually every "released" player I've read about over the last week or so has said similar things.  

 

I wonder if Jimmy will do a Martin Allen and forgo a holiday in order to steal a march on his rivals for potential transfer targets??

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought not !

[bilbobaggins]

Disagree, a football club not having a budget sorted 2 weeks before the end of the season is beyond pish.

[Superstar Tradesman]

You do realise it's not gonna be their fault though?

 

Yet again we're getting whisperings of first teamers leaving, back-up players contracts being extended and still no pre-season contracts being signed.  But it'll be our fault for not buying enough season books amongst a whole host of other excuses.

 

Eternal treading of water.

[Reekie_Red]

Is it just me who realises we're in a recession?

 

What makes everyone think Aberdeen are immune to financial downturns? I'm sure we're not the only SPL club struggling to keep ahold of the players that fill up our senior squad.

 

 

[Goldie03]

Is it just me who realises we're in a recession?

 

What makes everyone think Aberdeen are immune to financial downturns? I'm sure we're not the only SPL club struggling to keep ahold of the players that fill up our senior squad.

 

 

 

[dave_min]

Disagree, a football club not having a budget sorted 2 weeks before the end of the season is beyond pish.

 

Do you REALLY think we don't have a budget sorted?

 

I still think it's a clever stance from the club.

 

Claim poverty so we can pay less

[bilbobaggins]

It's only clever if you have adequate or better replacements lined up when they tell us to do one.

[dave_min]

It's only clever if you have adequate or better replacements lined up when they tell us to do one.

 

ie.

 

http://www.thedandies.co.uk/messageboard/index.php?topic=8618.0

 

http://www.thedandies.co.uk/messageboard/index.php?topic=8597.0

 

http://www.thedandies.co.uk/messageboard/index.php?topic=8266.0

 

And that's just some of the ones we know about. It's like me, clever