Movement At Last

Welcome Gary Doherty. A much more reassuring signing for me than that of Sodje Jnr, or McCormack who we have also signed today. No detail of the contract length on the official site for the Southend player yet, but for now I am going to call it as two years, given statements in the press. How long would you give the weaker half of a partnership with Bailey? Actually, I don't need to call Sodje "Jnr" any more do I? After all big brother has gone now, and so indeed has Fleetwood. I couldn't be bothered reporting his transfer as quite frankly he did nothing for us, except take the money handed out by an as usual profligate Pardew.

I can however be bothered to report on Richardson's transfer to the above mentioned Pardew's Southampton for £450k. This is not good, not good at all, but can come as no surprise, given that Charlton are now in a position where they have to sell if any semi sensible offer comes in. So why did he have to go, when surely all that lovely money for Bailey is waiting for us?

What is happening with Nicky Bailey? He passes a medical eight days ago, and yet the oft mentioned move to Middlesboro still hasn't happened. Boyd managed to transfer from Rangers with less fuss, and publicly at least a lot quicker, and all that with a World Cup on as well. I suspect that even if the headline £1.4m transfer fee for Bailey is credible, the reason for the delay is in how it is paid. Charlton will want as much as they can get up front, but I suspect that Boro are playing hardball on the amount of the initial payment. I still struggle attaching credibility to the £1.4m fee, so have to believe at this stage that our North Eastern cousins have probably only offered somewhere between £500k and £750k up front, the amount that I believed we would get for him in the first place.

So, we still only have 12 senior players; (and one of them is Bailey), although I struggle to see Stavrinou in that category, but beggars can't be choosers. I only hope that the Bailey situation can be resolved quickly, as I suspect the credibility of the squad Parkinson can put together for the forthcoming campaign will be seriously compromised if he cannot move in the market immediately. The delay in moving Bailey on will almost certainly be the material factor in causing that compromise. Middlesboro know that, and I do wonder if the sale of Richardson has something to do with it as well.

Contract End 2011

Bailey
Llera
McLeod
Racon
Semedo
Sodje A
Solly
Stavrinou
Youga

Contract End 2012

Doherty
Elliott
McCormack

First Pro Contract

Davisson
Jenkinson
Mambo
Perkins
Tuna