Les Ferdinand has badly fallen out with George Graham and the word from a spurs mate is that GG wants him out.

Should we try and get him back? It would be better than something like a Gayle/Hartson purchase, Les would love it and so would we. Would we?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Answers

Shearer and Ferdinand oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhh. How much would he cost now? He is available for free in the summer!!!!!

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I'd have him......if we could get him for 2mill.....probably wouldn't be the same 2nd time around though would it.....god, I wish we'd kept him.....

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

wasn't really the same the first time around, but he'd be good to have around, would teach Shola some things too. Wouldn't want to pay more than a million though.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

What happened I wonder? I can imagine that Sir Les came into the changing room from training and found the crooked manager going through the players' jackets. Why that man is allowed anywhere near a football ground is beyond me.

Yes - let's try and get him. We can already offer him a contract (to start next season) thanks to Mr Bosman. I suspect we could sign him now for £100k or less in those circs. A good stopgap solution during the current transfer hiatus. However, he's based in London. Would he want to come here and not be very sure of a place once Cort/Shearer are fit? Worth thinking about anyway.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I'm sure we ar not legally allowed to offer anything to Les Ferdinand until the end of the season. He can talk to foreign clubs about signing but not Premiership or any other team in England.

Unless this imbalance has been eradicated in the Bosman rules.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I'd have him back, even if just for the reception he'd get first time out.

Don't think being based in London would be that much of a deterrent - he probably wouldn't be here for much more than a season anyway. Surely he could cope with commuting, or living in a hotel for that short time ? And yes, he probably would be able to show our powder-puffs how to be cattle-prods.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

De Builder

My understanding is that the Bosman rulings allow us to offer a player, whose contract ends this summer, a pre-contract agreement or some such thing, much like Mcmananananaman was signed up by Real before season end. I don't think there is any change in the ruling whether the prospective employer is from the Premier or somewhere else in Europe.

On that basis, any transfer fee should be minimal as we would only be buying the player from Spurs for the remaining few weeks of this season.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Is there space in the treatment room for him?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Jonno.

I still think that MacManaman was not legally allowed to talk to any English clubs about joining them on a Free transfer at the end of the season. Anyone know where we can clarify this?

It's a different matter if we signed him now. Spurs need stikers as much as we do at the minute and won't be eage to release him before the transfer deadline.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

I say let's have him back. I remember there was a discussion about a week ago on which Bosman summer releases we could try for, and I said Sir Les would be the one to take. He's 34 but so is Gallagher, and we're thinking of keeping him I read somewhere. I think he'd be a great model to the up and comers like Lua Lua and Ameobi. Couldn't we do something like pay up his contract at Spurs - if he's on say 15K a week (?) - because his contract dates back to '97 it can't be much more - then that makes about 4 months to mid-May, so about 250 K. Well worth it. Could he do a Domi and go AWOL to Gosforth Park Hotel, or start walking round Tottenham in his toon top like Maric apparently did in Zagreb to force things along a bit?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Les was a god IMO, and it was so sad when he was precipitously and callously shown the door. He was a player who seemed to have real empathy with the fans, and always seemed to be proud to represent us - a real fan's player.

However, he's now 4 years older, and has been rather injury prone more recently. If he was available NOW for not more than £500k, I'd say go out and grab him - for a short period he could genuinely inspire our 'shrinking violets'. However, Spurs also have injuries to their strikers, and have said he's not for sale.

While he's available for free in the close season, IMO there would be no merit in signing him at that point - our desperate need is now; in the close season we should be looking at players who will fit into our proposed team pattern for the next 3-5 years. Sadly, Les doesn't fit that particular bill.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Please everyone , dont start sounding so friggin' desperate , his wages would be astronomical , hed play as often as Rob Lee , and only hinder the progress of the young 'uns( Ameobi and Lua Lua ) as they need as much first team football as possible if theyre going to make it . Lets face it this is another season of ' getting there ' and an auld expensive crock will do nowt , everyone thinking with their hearts again , commendable and inspiring as it is . Ive got to totally disagree . Wouldnt touch him with a bargepole , oh aye and all that Clarky said about London was right too , just couldnt see him even considering it anyway .. why go from one average team to the next if not for loads more money , which we all know Fat Freddie aint got . Rant over :-))

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

100% behind Sting. Smacks of sheer desperation. Lovely fella. Great memories. Suicidal idea. Let's think ahead to 2001-02. Even better, to 2002-03 ...

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001

Why would LEs want to come back , he was treated unfairly by the board so if I was him id think stuff em Im staying in landahn.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001

Just what we need, yet another crocked striker who's past his prime.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2001