Cole Stockton Generally?

[black morse]

Alan Nixon having a go at the club on twitter

Saying we have stopped Cole making money out of football

As I see it he signed a contract no club came in with good enough bid so the club not selling simple as

Hopefully Cole doesn't throw his dummy out and buckles down and scores a few goals

It's in his own interests to do so. If he plays poorly for the next 4 months a) he won't be in the first team and b) no one will want him at the end of that time.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Alan Nixon having a go at the club on twitter

Saying we have stopped Cole making money out of football

As I see it he signed a contract no club came in with good enough bid so the club not selling simple as

Hopefully Cole doesn't throw his dummy out and buckles down and scores a few goals

That could be because Nixon may receive a back hander from an agent for pushing stories about various clubs having an interest in Cole and creating a market.

[CityShrimp]

Anyone else feel a bit frustrated with Cole after all this?

We got him scoring goals during his first spell with us and he left at the first opportunity - fair enough. He then struggles and returns to us for a second spell - we welcome him back and get him scoring again, achieving promotion and survival in league one.

He then spends this summer pretty openly wanting to leave (again)... to go to - not a big championship club - but Fleetwood. Or Shrewsbury.

The saga drags on all summer, distracting everyone and Cole doesn’t play for us because of a mystery illness, followed up by an injury (which lets just say is quite a coincidence, bearing in mind he’s played nearly every game for two years and never really been injured before).

Now we have journalists and fans of other clubs criticising us, suggesting that we have stood in Cole’s way by refusing to accept a destroy offer for him to move to Fleetwood (a competitor for us in the league and not exactly a career defining, dream move). What a joke.

We owe Cole a lot for keeping us up last season but I hope he remembers how much he owes us and honours his contract by working hard for the club until the end of the season.

[vvm]

He's been liking a few tweets pitying him on Twitter so clearly not happy and can see him sulking a while longer.

[black morse]

Anyone else feel a bit frustrated with Cole after all this?

We got him scoring goals during his first spell with us and he left at the first opportunity - fair enough. He then struggles and returns to us for a second spell - we welcome him back and get him scoring again, achieving promotion and survival in league one.

He then spends this summer pretty openly wanting to leave (again)... to go to - not a big championship club - but Fleetwood. Or Shrewsbury.

The saga drags on all summer, distracting everyone and Cole doesn’t play for us because of a mystery illness, followed up by an injury (which lets just say is quite a coincidence, bearing in mind he’s played nearly every game for two years and never really been injured before).

Now we have journalists and fans of other clubs criticising us, suggesting that we have stood in Cole’s way by refusing to accept a destroy offer for him to move to Fleetwood (a competitor for us in the league and not exactly a career defining, dream move). What a joke.

We owe Cole a lot for keeping us up last season but I hope he remembers how much he owes us and honours his contract by working hard for the club until the end of the season.

Derek will sort him out one way or another.

[Redalert1970]

Could be another Ellison situation

[Angler1]

He will get his big money move at the end of this season but only if he pulls his socks up and gets stuck in and score 20 goals.. its totally up to him now .....

[redrobo]

Only way he will get good move now is ro buckle down and play his heart out for his club,

[red shrimp]

This will end up being similar to what happened with Dion Charles at Accy last season. Late bid came in for him in the summer, club rejected , player spits his dummy out and doesn’t play another game for Accy and is sold in January. The polar opposite to what happened with Colby Bishop (Accy again) bid comes in, doesn’t meet his value , club rejects , instead this time the player knuckles down , has a great season and is sold this summer ,as promised by Andy Holt. A proper professional doing it correctly. I’m shocked at how Cole has handled this, I thought he’d have a bit of class about him after all he’s been through with the club and the way the fans idolised him. He’s been piss poor at every other club apart from Morecambe and a bit of loyalty would have been nice. He went about it in the totally wrong way , and now I reckon he’ll rot in the stands and leave on the cheap in January. Shame it ended like this but no one is bigger than the club.

[Little Shrimp]

Michael Smith is 31 in October. He still got his big money move to Sheffield Wednesday on a free this summer. If Stockton has another good season (double digits and good performances should do it), then it's quite likely a big League One or potentially Championship club will be happy to give him a go on a free with very good wages.

Obviously there's more risk attached (can't 100% guarantee that he'll have a good season) so I do get why he wanted to cash in now, but surely he has to reasonable and appreciate we can't accept such a ludicrously low bid for him. Sounds like £150k was the maximum. If he wants to sulk, sulk at Port Vale, Fleetwood and Shrewsbury for offering insulting bids!

[CityShrimp]

If he wants to sulk, sulk at Port Vale, Fleetwood and Shrewsbury for offering insulting bids!

True. Cole should question how interested these clubs actually were in signing him, considering the offers made.

The attitude of ‘yeah we want you but only if we don’t have to pay very much’ wouldn’t fill me with confidence if I were him.

[Westgate Wanderer]

Don't think many teams would want to sign a player who puts his own doctors note in to say he's unwell! Not something I've ever heard of before. After all the club has its own doctor and medical team. Very strange goings on

[KenH]

If he wants to sulk, sulk at Port Vale, Fleetwood and Shrewsbury for offering insulting bids!

True. Cole should question how interested these clubs actually were in signing him, considering the offers made.

The attitude of ‘yeah we want you but only if we don’t have to pay very much’ wouldn’t fill me with confidence if I were him.

I think they were just wanting him as a "bit" player, maybe some kind of impact sub or to warm the bench as a backup for their regular striker(s) and happy to pay a modest transfer fee to get him. If they'd genuinely wanted someone to start every game and play most of it, they'd have offered more.

[SEASIDECLARET]

I think it’s a little bit of the mark to suggest that the offers from the 3 clubs would have been higher if they had really wanted Stockton, don’t know the exact figures I respect of each club, but don’t think any of them have paid a fee in excess in a good many years

[Keith]

Stockton is either still 'not well' and/or 'still not recovered from his injury', in which case, don't play him, or, he can't be arsed, in which case really, really, don't play him.

Either way, I hope the board has taken back the improved & extended contract offer. The last thing we need is a player on an improved & extended contract who doesn't regain his form, because he is either physically or psychologically not up to it. If we are to have any hope of surviving in League One, we need every player giving 100% commitment, we can't be starting games with ten men.

[BerlinWaller]

Stockton is either still 'not well' and/or 'still not recovered from his injury', in which case, don't play him, or, he can't be arsed, in which case really, really, don't play him.

Either way, I hope the board has taken back the improved & extended contract offer. The last thing we need is a player on an improved & extended contract who doesn't regain his form, because he is either physically or psychologically not up to it. If we are to have any hope of surviving in League One, we need every player giving 100% commitment, we can't be starting games with ten men.

I agree that Cole is well short and doing himself no favours in securing a big move in Jan or at the end of the season. It really is the case scenario for everyone involved.

He isn't the only one not putting a shift in though

[black morse]

Stockton is either still 'not well' and/or 'still not recovered from his injury', in which case, don't play him, or, he can't be arsed, in which case really, really, don't play him.

Either way, I hope the board has taken back the improved & extended contract offer. The last thing we need is a player on an improved & extended contract who doesn't regain his form, because he is either physically or psychologically not up to it. If we are to have any hope of surviving in League One, we need every player giving 100% commitment, we can't be starting games with ten men.

Totally agree Keith. Could it be that DA thinks a half fit Stockton is better than the other option(s)? I doubt that is the case. In which case I am very disappointed in Cole. I can understand that he wanted a move but the fact remains that he signed a two year deal and the offers that came in were nowhere near the asking price. He should have accepted that and knuckled down to give his best as he is not helping the club or himself. As you say, his performances this season will result in no club (of any note) wanting to risk signing him in January or the end of the season.

Great shame after last season.

[RapidShrimp]

Thought he’s been doing fine if I’m honest. It’s so easy for keyboard warriors to bring up the “not arsed” card. He’s playing in an unfamiliar system, first time he’s played in a front two at the club, and thus is naturally seeing less of the ball. His flick-ons looked sharp yesterday, and certainly better than his awful spell in winter last season. The next player who “isn’t working hard enough” will undoubtedly by Love, despite him running up and down the line all game.

[BerlinWaller]

Compare the performance we saw from Smith when he played for Sheff Wed or the performances of young Phillips with what Cole has been producing. Cole is well off it and blowing after 60mins. He is short of fitness because of his self imposed exile when we needed him to be fit and firing and not whinging and hiding.

I really hope he does get it right but you can't seriously say he is at the level he should be.

[Keith]

Thought he’s been doing fine if I’m honest. It’s so easy for keyboard warriors to bring up the “not arsed” card. He’s playing in an unfamiliar system, first time he’s played in a front two at the club, and thus is naturally seeing less of the ball. His flick-ons looked sharp yesterday, and certainly better than his awful spell in winter last season. The next player who “isn’t working hard enough” will undoubtedly by Love, despite him running up and down the line all game.

Stockton's entire body language looks that way, and he doesn't appear to be 'putting himself about' either. I'm not a big fan of Love, but that's not down to his work rate, I simply don't think he's better than Cooney. He can run up and down the line all game, but if there is no end result and/or he's then caught out of position, then that's not a positive contribution. Cooney is a better passer & crosser of the ball in my opinion, and defends equally well. Too many of Love's passes go astray. I do think Love has improved, but no significant difference between the two. The remaining starting players all consistently 'put in a shift'. Would Love be more suited to a flat back four?

[Little Shrimp]

I thought Ironside completely showed Stockton up yesterday. Was an absolute menace and constantly caused our defence problems. Reminded me of Stockton's performances against Aaron Pierre and Ryan Tafazolli last season, gave them absolute hell all game. Way off it yesterday, don't think he's really deserving to start at the moment.

[CityShrimp]

I thought Ironside completely showed Stockton up yesterday. Was an absolute menace and constantly caused our defence problems. Reminded me of Stockton's performances against Aaron Pierre and Ryan Tafazolli last season, gave them absolute hell all game. Way off it yesterday, don't think he's really deserving to start at the moment.

Agreed. The way that Ironside held the ball up and brought others into play was impressive, and reminded me of the Stockton of old.

I accept that it’s difficult role that at times will involve feeding off scraps but Cole needs to be chasing down every lost cause and putting in 100% effort to reassure the manager (and fans) of his commitment - and to try and earn the move he desperately wants. For me, he’s not doing that and should be benched.

[Keith]

[
Cole needs to be chasing down every lost cause and putting in 100% effort to reassure the manager (and fans) of his commitment - and to try and earn the move he desperately wants. For me, he’s not doing that and should be benched.

Once a player has formally handed in a transfer request, his motivation will always be questionable and commitment is clearly known.

It's down to professionalism now. Or not.

[Ntini]

Last season we were all filled with excitement and anticipation every time Cole got on the ball. Now it's the complete opposite.

It's clear he's unhappy with how things panned out but, for all parties involved, I hope he can get his head down and recover something of the form we know he's more than capable of. Otherwise I can't see this working out well for anyone.

[red shrimp]

A goal or two against Accy would be a nice start.