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Milne: Nobody's for Sale
Sunday, 20th Dec 2015 20:12

Town MD Ian Milne has reiterated that the Blues have no intention of selling any of their players during the January window and says there’s scope for manager Mick McCarthy to add to his squad if he wants to make further additions.

Speaking on Friday, McCarthy said there was “no chance” of January sales when asked whether there might be interest in striker Freddie Sears or other members of his squad and Milne concurred.

“Absolutely, as this time last season when we sold nobody and there was some interest in some players,” he told Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch on BBC Radio Suffolk.

“I’m sure there will be some interest in ‘Hurricane’ Sears, as I call him, but nobody’s up for sale, we want to keep them.

“You never know, if somebody comes in with a huge bid and then it’s a discussion with the player, you don’t want to keep a player back.

“But certainly, as I stand here, there are no plans to sell anybody and I think going forward if Mick needs to complement the team, which I can’t see that he does at the moment, if he wants to complement the team, that’s a discussion that he and Marcus will have.

“I think we’ve shown that where we need to take on players, we’ve taken on some great players.

“It’s a great squad. I was with Mick on Friday and he’s very happy with the squad that he’s got and they’re proving themselves on the pitch.”

Manager McCarthy has repeatedly said that he is happy with his squad as it stands.

Photo: ITFC


Photo: Action Images



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RegencyBlue added 20:29 - Dec 20
“But certainly, as I stand here, there are no plans to sell anybody and I think going forward if Mick needs to complement the team, WHICH I CAN'T SEE THAT HE DOES AT THE MOMENT, that's a discussion that he and Marcus will have."

Not sure there is much scope for MM to improve the squad in January from that statement!
3

ArnieM added 20:37 - Dec 20
Just accept that we won't be selling anyone unless a stupid bid comes in....and only then might we bring someone in ( depending on who departed).
1

Radlett_blue added 20:52 - Dec 20
I reckon Mcgoldrick is still available at £7m.
-1

PhilTWTD added 20:52 - Dec 20
RegencyBlue

Think that is meant in the context of Mick being happy with his squad rather than IM himself believing that Mick doesn't need to strengthen. Have re-edited that line slightly.
2

Tractastic added 21:04 - Dec 20
Is this the same MD that promised us that MM had 9 million to spend of strengthening the squad after the Mings deal? And why highlight that we didn't sell any body last Jan when the clear mistake was not strengthen the squad when we were top of the league! May well have cost us promotion last year after being in such a good position?
And now he says 'if Mick needs to complement the team, which I can't see that he does '
Why ? We have at best a team capable of a mid table position year after year.
Ambition is clearly lacking from the very top and of course they will sell any player when a decent bid comes in...only to be replaced with a free or cheap buy.
That is not emotion just fact.

28

wayway added 21:07 - Dec 20
it's a pity the club is not up for sale, preferably to someone who knows the club and it's history and who wants the club to go forward and not just as a tax relief as Evans PLC
12

BrettenhamBlue added 21:11 - Dec 20
Hopefully we will get a 2m bid for Coke and reinvest it in a right back.
1

essex57 added 21:28 - Dec 20
Yea lets sell it to some arab geezer with bundles of dosh and make us a super club again then everyone on kere will be happy chappies☺
-14

Surco72 added 21:37 - Dec 20
If MM says he doesn't want anymore additions as his squad is so good that is his choice . The club has openly stated money is available for transfers on more than one occasion , the issue is MM thinks we are competing with the top teams as per his comments after the games . If a free transfer works out MM has done wonders if it doesn't it is oh well it was worth a gamble , that is a no lose situation for a manager .
Reality is that we have the worst pass completion record than any other team in the league due to our style of play , could we really attract a playmaker ?
6

SonOfSpock added 21:50 - Dec 20
“You never know, if somebody comes in with a huge bid and then it's a discussion with the player, you don't want to keep a player back."

Mcgoldrick wouldnt want to stay here over Leicester ..7m ...now a sicknote.
1

pablo123 added 22:28 - Dec 20
In other words we are gonna make do with what we've got !! It baffles me that with all the huge riches on offer in the prem from next season , we seem to have no real ambition to get there !! The teams fighting out automatic promotion are all seemingly throwing everything at it this season , and yet we just plod on as usual !! We were in a much better position this time last year and the powers that be decided not to go for it , so this time will be no different
17

jas0999 added 22:30 - Dec 20
Sorry, I know this won't be popular, but I simple don't believe the PR spin machine. We weren't going to sell in the Summer, then we sold Mings. Then, we were going to reinvest in the playing squad. We signed the likes of Coke and Toure. Cheap players, despite offsetting the wages of some high earners like Taylor we were yet again expected to believe money was spent on wages. Then, Backtracking we were told the money was spent on running the club and going towards the debt. A debt bought for an absolute fraction of its current value, something Milne often forgets to mention. The reality is Evans has not invested significantly. I suspect wages from signings didn't outweigh the thirteen players who left in the Summer, let alone get close to the money received from Mings, then there is FFP. Something only we, and our owner believe in. I wonder why! I Said it before, but January will demonstrate Evans ambition. He failed last January and in the a summer. Time to stand up and compete, or perhaps time to sell up? Time will tell.
30

dirtydingusmagee added 22:56 - Dec 20
Another transfer window comes around,and its the same old same old,we dont want to sell anyone , BUT.........bla bla bla !.We will now be getting regular teams and players ''linked''news flashes as usual and probably rumours and counter rumours as usual, and we will end up no better off as usual. Its no good entering a sports car into a race if you if you cant or dont put enough fuel in it,it may start ok but it will never win .Im resigned after over 50 years of supporting the club to believing the club has now settled for 2nd best .
13

warktheline added 22:59 - Dec 20
Why the hell should we believe a word that comes out of his mouth! Sorry but my faith in hierarchy has since diminished.
@essex57, you're unable to construct argument, your post really speaks for itself!
11

StochesStotasBlewe added 23:16 - Dec 20
Essex57, It,s really about sensible investment in key areas of the team. Surely last January & again in the summer, we as a club could have strengthened & pushed on as Jas0999 has continually stated, correctly IMO. However, we get the Giles Cokes of the football world who no disrespect, are league1 standard at best. If the club keep trying to make silk purses out of sows arses, then we cannot make the next step up.
9

bobwya added 23:30 - Dec 20
Everybody seems to have forgotten that we did strengthen the squd last January that none of us would ow do without Freddie Sears Maybe MM will pull another rabbit out of the hat.
5

toxtethblue added 23:30 - Dec 20
Probably a tory so dont be suprised if he tells lies!
-4

HARRY10 added 23:31 - Dec 20
This time last year (22 games) we were on 41 points and in 2nd place. Another couple of games on we were still in 2nd place but were on 47 points. I'm not sure if we will get 6 points from the next two games.

Neither can I see us beating two of the clubs currently above us if we make 6th spot.

But then what do I know. We have a stronger squad (so we are told) this season. There is no need to strengthen it, is there ? Or no money, more like.
2

NSL added 00:02 - Dec 21
In January 2009 we dug deep and bought Marcus Stewart, and the rest was history!
11

NSL added 00:03 - Dec 21
I meant 1999, blimey was it that long ago?!!!
2

Beattiesballbag added 00:38 - Dec 21
It isn't the money that is the issue !
One of Micks supposed strengths is also his weakness, loyalty to his favorites wont allow him to look for better players as it would mean displacing them from the team!
How else can you explain why he only looks at videos that are given to him & hasn't bothered to look for a right back or a central midfield player who can pass the ball.
Either that or we're just to far away from everyone else for him to travel to games to look for potential signings & be home before bedtime.
I know your going to say that's a load of bollocks because when he traveled all the way to Colchester to watch Freddie he didn't get back till after 10pm
5

flyingdutchman added 01:41 - Dec 21
Happy with his squad need a new manager then says it all
7

anotherbloodywhinger added 02:35 - Dec 21
'Hurricane' Sears?? The weather phenomenon that springs to my mind from that depressingly unambitious and unconvincing statement from Mr Milne is 'Hot air'..the definition of which being 'empty talk that is intented to impress'. I'm not convinced the headline matches the story from inbetween the lines of Mr Pinstripe's statement. I wouldn't buy a car off him. Just saying like
2

Benters added 04:21 - Dec 21
Thats that then! we dont need to strengthen our team,we will continue to sit on our hands,whilst the clubs above us who have more ambition look to add to their teams for the final push.
19

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:01 - Dec 21
I think the policy is to not risk anything financially and take a "long term" view, which actually means hoping Mick might just pull something out of the bag on a shoestring, if not this season, then the next, or the one after that.
Milne comes across as a fairly decent bloke, but he's saying nothing here really, and I don't think we should be surprised he is not willing to commit himself to anything on behalf of the owner. But this does tend to support the theory that what we have is a "wait and see" strategy:
We won't sell anyone - but of course we will if the price is right. There is "scope" for investment if Mick wants it. (How much scope, exactly?) Hasn't Mick said on occasion he would love to have the money to invest as Boro or Derby have done? Evidently our "scope" does not reach that far.
I'm not really complaining. I think Mick has done a good job with the resources available. There is far too much money in football, and I respect a cautious approach in many ways. But how I miss the magic of the Burley era - and we didn't spend big there either, come to think of it.
3


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