Dean Ashton
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- bubbles1966
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
It isn't hard to see the logic of selling from the board's perspective might be.
1) Been here 4 years - been match fit for about 6 months
2) Guaranteed top earner according to rumour last summer
3) He is a Cheshire lad - maybe he is homesick?
4) How exactly do he and Cole fit together?
5) Does he fit this 4-3-3 that everyone seemed to think that Zola wants to play?
I'm not advocating a sale, just saying I can see what the argument for it would be.
1) Been here 4 years - been match fit for about 6 months
2) Guaranteed top earner according to rumour last summer
3) He is a Cheshire lad - maybe he is homesick?
4) How exactly do he and Cole fit together?
5) Does he fit this 4-3-3 that everyone seemed to think that Zola wants to play?
I'm not advocating a sale, just saying I can see what the argument for it would be.
- Shminky Malinky
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Plus they will listen to offers for anyone.
"New owner / old owner " where did I read that recently?
"New owner / old owner " where did I read that recently?
- Ted Fenton
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Given Ashton's fitness/availabilty record, it seems a bit of a stretch to include him as a whole '1' senior striker; being charitable, one could class him as '0.4 of a senior striker. A striker on the pitch is worth two in the treatment room, so to speak.Iron Mark wrote:We have two senior strikers left at the club and people want to sell one of them?
I do like the fully fit Ashton, but wonder where even that increasingly mythical beast would fit the reshaping pattern of our play.
- Hambrosia Stu
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Fair play James, as someone else mentioned, you've never strayed much from that opinion as far as I can tell. So you have my respect for thatJames P wrote:And while it's all well and good to say that "If he does even half of what he is capable of.......this, that and the other" the fact is he has to go out and actually do it, something he hasn't come close to doing in the last three years. Of course, he can't achieve anything whilst he's lying on the treatment table, but that doesn't mean he can assume greatness in the absence of producing anything at all.
Dean Ashton has got to go out and earn the praise and distinction he's been granted in the last three seasons. If he does that, fair play to the lad. I'll be the first to hold up my hands and say I was wrong. But this idea that he is a our best player on the basis of a literallya handful of decent performances in 2006 is in my opinion rather perverse. Until I actually see a player who measures up to sky high opinions of many on here, I can't join in the Ashton love-in and I certinaly wouldn't rule out seeking alternatives.
And I pretty much agree with a lot of that, but kind of from the opposite point of view, if that makes any sense
Of course he has to go out and do it. But he hasn't been in a position to do so for a good while now. As for our best player, well that's not what I said. He is our most naturally gifted player, I stand by that. But of course you could argue that Upson, for example, is a better player. Not so naturally gifted (as is often the case with CB's), but even more crucial to our team (certainly in the last couple of years), and so more effective, for sure. But as I say, in terms of natural talent, Ashton has more than anyone else in our squad, imo
Of course you have to apply that talent, and you ain't gonna do that with a bust ankle. But I feel, especially as we've waited this long, and the signs are that he is over the worst of his problems (as he certainly wasn't during the Curbs era), that a player blessed with that much ability is worth waiting for, to see exactly how he shapes up. One more thing, it may take him a while, half a season even, before he gets fully back to speed. If that is the case I hope the fans will be patient (though I doubt it) enough to give him time to fit back in
My opinion of Ashton was formed during the Pardew era. Imo, he never really had the chance to gel, as he had only recently arrived. but I could see he was a cut above all our others, and had he had the time to form good understandings, we'd have seen even more from him. Under Curbs he did nothing, so I refuse to allow my judgement to be swayed by a short period where he played when he was blatantly not fit, and was often played in strange positions (maybe as a result of him not being fit)
But if he can get back to full mobility, he has enough talent to be a key player for us. As such, imo, to sell him before we know how he will perform at the highest level would be foolish, considering the impact he could have
- Happyhammer93
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
If they are prepared to offer anything around £6m for him then I would take it. He has hardly played since moving here and I don't think that he would play well with Cole up front of fit into the 4-3-3 everyone seems to think Zola will want to play. So if we got a good offer for him and we also managed to find a replacement that could fit into the team and has a good injury record then we should go for it.
He is a good player and will score goals when he plays, however he is hardly ever fit.
He is a good player and will score goals when he plays, however he is hardly ever fit.
Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
The Stoke ITK's seem to think it is a done deal and talks ahave gone well!
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/yoursa ... 05,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Absolutely gutted - he is our most talented player.... yes, i know all the injury issues...but id just rather have him than not.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/yoursa ... 05,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Absolutely gutted - he is our most talented player.... yes, i know all the injury issues...but id just rather have him than not.
- Memorial Ground
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
their fans are absolutely insane... theyre saying the deal is basically done pending him passing a medical and that it will be an initial transfer fee of 3 million going up to 7 million when he reaches a certain amount of games,goals..
- West Ham Matt
- Karl Pilkington
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
He would NEVER join them :lol:
How has this reached 5 pages?!
If we sell him I would be disgusted, as even if he plays 15 games a season, he is worth it.
How has this reached 5 pages?!
If we sell him I would be disgusted, as even if he plays 15 games a season, he is worth it.
- claret parrot
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Firstly I agree with pretty much every word posted by Hambrosia Stu on this thread. Deano has suffered a shocking injury (and I know he has had injuries before it and was probably never going to be one of those ultra resilient types) and all the problems he has suffered since are all a part of that same injury.
We have now got him to the stage where given patience, he might, just might, show us all why we bought him, and why he got that England call up. If we sell him now we won't get much money, we probably won't get to see any of it, and who are we going to get for say £5m anyway? Potentially this man can be dynamite. He's already ours let's give him a chance.
And for the naysayers among you I say this: If he is finally over that ankle injury and starts banging them in for whoever paid us peanuts for him, how are you going to feel then?
We have now got him to the stage where given patience, he might, just might, show us all why we bought him, and why he got that England call up. If we sell him now we won't get much money, we probably won't get to see any of it, and who are we going to get for say £5m anyway? Potentially this man can be dynamite. He's already ours let's give him a chance.
And for the naysayers among you I say this: If he is finally over that ankle injury and starts banging them in for whoever paid us peanuts for him, how are you going to feel then?
- hammerjohn
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
I very much doubt we will get £6 million for Deano,
The powers that be in the Club know more about Deano's likely return than we do, and by the looks of it they have reached the decision that he will never be a player who can play any more than a couple of months in a Season.
What nmakes me think this is that when in March it was announced with great fanfare that Dean was fit again...
I expected him to be back in the team..
We were trying to hold 7th spot... Europe.
We had Cole out injured and were struggling to get a goal with DDM & Tristan.
Deano was not risked.
Had he played and had a recurrance then he would be un sellable...
Sorry chaps much as we are his biggest fans , the Club has decided he is finished.
The powers that be in the Club know more about Deano's likely return than we do, and by the looks of it they have reached the decision that he will never be a player who can play any more than a couple of months in a Season.
What nmakes me think this is that when in March it was announced with great fanfare that Dean was fit again...
I expected him to be back in the team..
We were trying to hold 7th spot... Europe.
We had Cole out injured and were struggling to get a goal with DDM & Tristan.
Deano was not risked.
Had he played and had a recurrance then he would be un sellable...
Sorry chaps much as we are his biggest fans , the Club has decided he is finished.
- Memorial Ground
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
He was never going to come back before the end of the season, it wasn't a case of deciding whether to risk him or not.
- Bobby Orangeboom
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
He's from Swindon Mrs Devere... :lol:bubbles1966 wrote:It isn't hard to see the logic of selling from the board's perspective might be.
1) Been here 4 years - been match fit for about 6 months
2) Guaranteed top earner according to rumour last summer
3) He is a Cheshire lad - maybe he is homesick?
4) How exactly do he and Cole fit together?
5) Does he fit this 4-3-3 that everyone seemed to think that Zola wants to play?
I'm not advocating a sale, just saying I can see what the argument for it would be.
- West Ham Matt
- Karl Pilkington
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Oh and if anyone thinks selling Bellamy and Ashton within 6 months of eachother is a good thing, you're wrong.
This club is ****ed at the minute....
This club is ****ed at the minute....
- HarlowHammer
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
The Stoke message boards claim to have seen him at their training ground, presumably for his medical. Could just be a load of rub though.BLT319 wrote:the stoke fans seem to this it's basically a done deal.... would be pretty shocking .... could stoke even afford his transer fee??
Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
Zola has been singing about Dean Ashton returning for a long time, he will not want to see him sold!
Unless it is silly money 12-20m he won't be going.
Hack seems to think he is ready for next season, the club will want to give him one more chance because if he stays fit he could be a 20-25m pound player next summer....
Zola wants to work with Ashton!
Unless it is silly money 12-20m he won't be going.
Hack seems to think he is ready for next season, the club will want to give him one more chance because if he stays fit he could be a 20-25m pound player next summer....
Zola wants to work with Ashton!
Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
more the fact that we wont see his potential realised in a West Ham/England Shirt.... if selling him is admitting that he will never be fully fitMemorial Ground wrote:What are you gutted about?
I am not "gutted" by the prospect of selling a permanently injured player
- Memorial Ground
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- Memorial Ground
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Re: Ashton top of Stoke's shopping list
I just meant that it's probably b*llocks and there's no need to be gutted, cheer up mate :lol: