08-11-2021, 10:11 AM
(07-11-2021, 10:43 PM)Pedalo_menders Wrote: I'm still fuming we didn't keep whatmough. Probably the divisions best CB.
Burgess was prone to the odd error but was a decent CB too. Ten times the player Raggett is, despite his improvement. I was also fuming when Catlin let his contract run down too. Thought Downing was an adequate replacement FFS. Unbelievable.
Pompey offered Burgess a new contract, it was the player's decision to move on to a new challenge - nothing to do with not being wanted or encouraged to stay by the club. Not that that would have been Catlin's decision anyway, the manager makes the decisions on which polayers to offer contracts to. And the manager will have selected Downing as a potential replacement, not Catlin. Jackett courted Downing over several months and with hindsight (only) it must go down as his worst bit of transfer business during his tenure.
And I'm still fuming that Whatmough chose to go too. But football careers are short, his potentially more so than most, and the desire to experience different things obviously quite strong in some players, but I thought Jack was disloyal to turn his back on the club that had stuck by him during his dark days when they did not have to. He said as he left that the money on offer was the same, it was the length of contract and added security for his family that swung it.