Elmander - "No obligation" to Bolton

[Lofthouse Lower]

Are you just judging him on this season's efforts, or on a basis of his entire time with us?

[TANGODANCER]

Elmander's (ridiculously high as it turns out) transfer fee and the automatic expectations that more money equals more goals, have always been the biggest problem. He's a good player no doubt; works his bollox off and is capable of moments of magic, but it's all "great expectations/ Jared Borgetti/Helguson etc,etc" all over again. If the goals had come from elsewhere and our league position was higher still I don't doubt his effort would be better recognised. He may make the grade elsewhere, or it may turn out to be a "wish I'd never left Bolton" situation. Either way, que sera.

[a1]

he's only got to score about another 9 goals to beat diouf's tally.

then he'll be good.

[Choppers]

He doesn't have any obligation towards us. We'll offer him what we think he's worth/can afford, he'll either take it or go elsewhere.

I don't see the issue, but I'm sure it'll add fuel to the fire for people who want to give him shit.

He earns a fortune and has been, to put it mildly, pretty shit for at least 50% of his contract.

He had a good few months and won a player of the month award.

Obligation is a loaded word. Loyalty isn't. We stuck by him and have offered him a deal that the club feel is appropriate, he thinks he's worth more (or his agent does) and we're stuck in no mans land.

If that's his attitude though, I'd drop him now and play a combo from Klasnic/Sturridge/Davies, because it's bloody clear Elmander is off in the summer.

Honestly, he's a decent player, but not a world beater. We did okay before him and we'll be fine next season without him.

[Lofthouse Lower]

2008– Bolton Wanderers 81 (17)

Think we've been pretty loyal to the lad. Not unreasonable to expect some back.

At the end of his third season he's likely to hit 90 appearances and have scored 18-20 goals and so has averaged about 30 games each year with a return of 7 goals - so he's had bags of games.

Which is shit.

[Lord Kangana]

...particularly for a total outlay IRO £14.74m - £17.24m.

[Tombwfc]

Again, how have we been loyal to him? We've continued to play him because the manager has continually found him to be better than the alternatives (and clearly still does), not because he's really nice lad. If we could've bought in better players we'd have happily fecked him off, same as any of our players.

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

Sorry if I'm coming across as really stupid, but I need this "loyalty" thing explained to me.

Seems the ones who are negative towards Elmander's loyalty are the ones who are negative towards his contribution to the team. Therefore, wouldn't it more beneficial for all involved if he was somewhere else? Therefore, if he's alerting other clubs to the possibility of an offer, it would be , well, A Good Thing because he'd be off the books come summer? Or am I missing the point and demand he sign a new, £3 a week deal for the next 24 years as penance for not being all what everyone expected?

[Lord Kangana]

Don't give a toss about his loyalty. If you want to discuss obligations, I'm of the opinion that you need to justify earning and having shitloads of cash spent on you.

Because the next time JLO's car is mentioned.....

[a1]

Think we've been pretty loyal to the lad. Not unreasonable to expect some back.

At the end of his third season he's likely to hit 90 appearances and have scored 18-20 goals and so has averaged about 30 games each year with a return of 7 goals - so he's had bags of games.

Which is shit.

that's about the same as super kevin.

i know he cost more but davies wont be around forever , dont know what our owen's plans are , but the only alternate (apart from the swede) is the wolves forward. and i carnt see them letting him go for cheap.

might be more economical giving the turnip his contract . run him a bit longer and evenually replace davies with this mythical goalscorer elmander [unfortuately for some] wasnt , to play with elmander. elmander being the davies type by this point.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Agreed - I'm all for filtering out Davo's influence in the team because within the next 18 months we're going to need a replacement with none being obvious (to me at least).

[a1]

if elmanders up for being the "fetch that , do this , take a lumpin' " sort that kevin is.

it wont be exactly the same and he needs to put a stone on.

it's moot if he does go.

[Prufrock]

Either way, if he has said it, and they've taken the brave step of putting it in quotation marks (wouldn't want the PCC to write them a stern letter now, if the Sun haven't in fact done a 'Desmond' and decided they don't give a shit about the PCC) then it's a needlessly moronic thing to say. Just keep your mouth shut you big mard-arsed bastard.

[Lord Kangana]

Ooh, yes. That. Or this. Or whatever. Loving the use of mard arsed bastard.

[BWFC_Insane]

I just think that if we take this season the goals he's scored, could we replace those with another player within our budget?

We've struggled to find goalscorers who can get 10 or more a season in the past. I imagine it won't be easy.

I think when you compare Elmander to loads of even more expensive signings he doesn't stack up too badly.

What he's said is absolutely true he has no obligation. No more than we do to offer him a bumper deal.

To be honest I'd like to keep him but its got to the point where the nice people who booed the former manager, who moved to booing Taylor (and only really stopped because his high salary, big star replacement turned out to be, well, a bit shite), are now booing Elmander. Would you want to stay in Bolton where everytime you don't score a goal a game you're getting abuse from some fat uneducated tit in the stand?

[CAPSLOCK]

If he was that good to pick and choose he'd be on a pre-contract with a decent club already...

Could you imagine the 'supporters' at the reebok if he'd done that

Good Lord

And madman, spot on

We now have many supporters who realise they'd be such fcuking hypocrites to turn on Coyle that they just have to snipe at players - and if its a Megson signing, all the better

[Wandering Willy]

It's the Sun. A comment made while away with his national squad?

Wouldn't surprise me, nor should it anyone else, if it has been misquoted or quoted out of context. He could quite easily have said " I have no obligation to Bolton after the end of the season but I'd like to stay." He may have said something else but for a player getting plenty of game time at the moment find it hard to believe that he would rock the boat now. If he has made his mind up to leave he'll want to play to be in the "shop window". Probably just a comment saying I haven't agreed anything with Bolton (yet) - which we all know.

I understand the arguments above about his goal scoring record but that opens up a whole other argument re has he been played with the right partner/ system etc., and that's probably on another thread somewhere.

There's no doubt that he has ability , but his form is very sporadic. We need to get the best out of him and that includes some support from us in the stands.

[Tombwfc]

I just think that if we take this season the goals he's scored, could we replace those with another player within our budget?

We've struggled to find goalscorers who can get 10 or more a season in the past. I imagine it won't be easy.

I think when you compare Elmander to loads of even more expensive signings he doesn't stack up too badly.

What he's said is absolutely true he has no obligation. No more than we do to offer him a bumper deal.

To be honest I'd like to keep him but its got to the point where the tw*ts who booed the former manager, who moved to booing Taylor (and only really stopped because his high salary, big star replacement turned out to be, well, a bit shite), are now booing Elmander. Would you want to stay in Bolton where everytime you don't score a goal a game you're getting abuse from some fat uneducated tit in the stand?

Indeed, the likes of Doyle, Johnson, Jones, Tuncay etc. all cost big money and have scoring records around the same 1 in 5 that Elmander has. I am fairly sure people would be delighted if we had the chance to sign any of those for free at the end of this season.

I think if you'd have asked people at the start of the season, most would've said they have been happy with Elmander if he scored between 10-15 goals. Here we are, and the goalposts have moved.

[Lord Kangana]

They would have given that answer based on lowered expectations due to his consistent piss poor performances.

I'd be absolutely amazed if he got to 15 this season. It would have been even more amazing if our record signing striker had managed it in any of the previous 2. He didn't. Hence the criticism.

[Hoboh]

"stump"

Sounds 'bout right!