Lewis Grabban

[forestfire59]

He has been in Nottingham last few days but his agent playing games

He has been castigated for not really wanting to play for us. I wonder how much of this is down to the agent? I can imagine he asked his agent to get the best deal he could. Do we know for a fact that he’s even spoken to Birmingham? With harry redknapp’s splurge last season, could they even afford him ?

More smoke and mirrors than anything else, methinks.

If he doesn't want to play for Forest then he may as well say 'not interested.'  Neither the player or agent have said that.  (Is this like the Pants deal where the two need to compromise?  Will Forest go closer?  Will the player budge?)  But with a Wednesday timeline lapsing this may start to try Forest's patience.  However, Karanka, at least to the 'Post' said if the rest of the players come in this week or next doesn't matter too much.  But I'd think privately, he wants it done so he can take his players off to the Spanish training camp with the key players installed.

What's Grabban been offered?  25k a week?  He's currently on 29k according to BadDog?  

His agent waiting for someone to offer the extra 4k to make it 29K?  More a week?  In a Championship that has been slow on spending this time around with many staring at FFP restrictions?

Are Birmingham going to offer 29k a week?  Are Villa?

SA.

I wonder if players solely look at their immediate pay packet. If Forest offered £25k and Brum offered £29k, would a player take the bigger pay packet even though the team as a whole might struggle or might they look at project forest and want to be part of a successful team.

Aye.  That's down to the individual player.  Do they see the bigger picture?  Do they even care about that?  Or is money the absolute?  Do they want to be part of Gary Monk's 'progression' from an almost relegation side for an extra few k?  Or do they want to be part of a genuine promotion project with some outstanding talent who could make their star shine brighter and give them a chance at Premier football again? eg. Grabban had relegation material in Sunderland behind him. e.g. 2. He had an athletic and polished Villa side behind him but they were dull. Imagine having Fulham behind him? ie. Where Forest are now behind him..? And that cuts both ways, that vision. Forest can make him a better striker. He can be a better striker and contribute to the team.)

(Caveat.  There was a bit of too and fro' re: Pants transfer.  He clearly seemed to barter for a better pay packet.  There's 'wanting to come to Forest' and that's used against you and you're offered something 'low' e.g. 15k a week when you might be on 25k a week at Watford.  Just examples.  I don't know the actual amounts...  Maybe they met in the middle on 20k a week?  Some may quibble over 4k a week others think ten k  a week difference is too much.  I haven't to say, human nature being what it is, losing even 4k a week sounds like an insane amount of money to me...just for the record.)

Struggle or Success?

SA.

Leeds, Middlesbrough and Now Birmingham have a “Monk” on their back. Will he see the season out, his history would suggest not. Surely players take this into consideration. Even taking away our personal bias, can anyone think of any positives about joining Birmingham? We were both near the bottom last season, but what has changed there to suggest the outcome will be any different for them.