Burnley give up on Driver

[Ryan Gosling]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7467448.stm

 

Great news.

[Gilberts Fridge]

Who does Owen Coyle think he is with the "we wont be held to ransom". If Hearts set a price its up to them to match it. If not then Driver is not for sale. I noticed in another paper that he has not succeeded in any of his targets.

[ScottishSandstorm]

Coyle is a good manager with an eye for talent. I'm happy to have kept Driver and look forward to seeing him play in maroon come the new season.

[tedp6873]

not according to the EEN!!!!

 

 

Romanian kid returns to fight for Hearts first-team place

 

 

 

Published Date: 21 June 2008

By MARK BONTHRONE

HIGHLY-RATED Hearts youngster Dumitru Copil will jet into Edinburgh on Monday determined to burst into the Hearts first team and make amends for going AWOL last season.

The Romanian youth internationalist left Hearts last term without permission to return to his homeland and spend time with his family after complaining of a lack of top-team chances.

 

Although he did offer to return to Riccarton shortly before the

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end of the campaign, the club were concerned that he was only doing so in order to be paid over the summer months and ordered him to stay away until pre-season.

 

With the player in breach of contract the Jambos suspended his wages and told him he needed to show his commitment by returning after the summer break.

 

And this hard-line approach appears to have worked with Copil's agent, Adrian Stefanescu, revealing to the Evening News that his client is determined to prove his worth this season. The 18-year-old has been sticking to a personal fitness programme at his home in Arad, western Romania, and is hoping that when he returns with his under-19 team-mates next week, he can start to stake a claim for a first-team place.

 

"He will be back on Monday and he is looking forward to returning to Hearts," said Stefanescu.

 

"He didn't have many opportunities last season despite everyone telling him he was doing well. I think that is what was annoying for him. He played in two friendly matches in Germany and did very well in both.

 

"Of course, he did make some mistakes and he is determined not to make these again. He realises these mistakes and he wants a chance in the first team so hopefully won't make these again.

 

"All summer he has been planning on returning and he has been training hard. He is hoping to get a chance in the first team and this is the only reason he is going back ? to get a chance."

 

Meanwhile, Burnley are poised to make a third bid for Hearts winger Andy Driver after they failed to land Rangers midfielder Alan Gow.

 

The Championship side had hoped to tempt Gow south of the border as part of the Kyle Lafferty deal but although the clubs agreed terms the player rejected the switch preferring to fight for his place at Ibrox.

 

The Evening News revealed earlier this week that Burnley had a second offer in the region of ?750,000 plus a series of add-ons rejected by Hearts but they are ready to test the Jambos' resolve with a third offer.

 

Burnley boss Owen Coyle has already stated he won't be held to ransom but rates Driver highly and is hoping that a third, and probably final offer, will be accepted.

 

"We will now concentrate on our other targets," said Coyle.

[Alan_R]

Don't think Coyle has came to terms with the amount of money teams in England spend, still great news one of few players I actually like in our current squad. I hope we keep a hold of him.

[Ryan Gosling]

How is Coyle saying 'We will now concentrate on other targets' him saying Driver is his target?

[PortyJambo]

Who does Owen Coyle think he is with the "we wont be held to ransom".

 

Exactly what I thought. Offering ?750K for Driver is trying to get a good young prospect on the cheap...

[JamboJimmyB]

As sad as it sounds I suspect that Driver will be desperate to get away and dissapointed if the move falls through.

[Dirk Diggler]

So much for the fire sale.

[JamboAl]

Coyle was trying to sell high (Lafferty) and buy low(Driver) which is great if you can pull it off. Unfortunately Owen, you did not get away with it and seem to have given up too easily.

BTW I hope you were serious with your bids and not just price setting for other clubs such as Celtic. If you were, that has not come off either.

[Flux]

http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/news/loadnews.asp?cid=TMNW&id=395753

[scott_jambo]

Maybe Gow wants to stay in Scotland for family reasons.

 

Vlad?

[ScottishSandstorm]

Maybe Gow wants to stay in Scotland for family reasons.

 

Vlad?

 

It has been said that he "priced himself out of the move". meaning his wage demands were to high. If that is the case then I'll pass on Gow. He can be happy with his big fat wage and playing in Rangers reserves or maybe he could find a Championship club that are crazy enough to match his wages.

[Dirk Diggler]

Wonder what the reaction would have been on here if Hearts had accepted?

 

[PTBCAL]

Delighted with this news.

 

Let's keep Berra & Wallace.

 

Get rid of Jose & Elliot (sorry Calum you have talent but need a fresh start elsewhere).

 

Who needs a manager eh?

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Driver can be terribly frustrating to watch. There is a player there though, its important that he is given the proper coaching up at Riccarton to work on his obvious flaws.

 

His crossing when running with the ball is very erratic.

 

Lets hope Frail/whoever can see this and work on it.

[Captain Canada]

If they did offer ?750K then I think that's a fair offer - Lee Wallace has a lot of talent in the same position and Chesney can play there too. I think we're in danger of getting carried away with our valuations in the transfer market (Velicka excluded). ?1.3 million for Jose should have been snapped up and ?1.5 million for Berra was also a very good offer. I don't think we'll always win like we did in the Craig Gordon transfer. As much as I hate it, we do need to be a selling club for some time yet to redress our shocking financial situation.

[jamboinglasgow]

Delighted with this news.

 

Let's keep Berra & Wallace.

 

Get rid of Jose & Elliot (sorry Calum you have talent but need a fresh start elsewhere).

 

Who needs a manager eh?

 

 

I would agree with that, I am delighted with Driver staying, think he was one of the best players for us last season and can only improve. Lethal shot, good pace and if he perfected his crosses then we will have a great player on our hands.

 

think we need to get rid of a few passengers in our team but keeping Berra, Wallace, Jonsson, Driver and Glen from our youth system coupled with Kingston, Ruben, Miko (think he is good back up), Karipidas and Pinilla (with possibly Nade) and find players for other posistions then we could have a great team.

 

Agree with your view on Elliot. Think he has great potential and abilty but needs to get out of Tynecastle as the fans are too against him and the situation is not best for him. If he shines at another club I wont be too sad as he is never going to achieve that level here.

[S.N.T.H.]

I'd take ?1,000,000 for him.

[JamboAl]

I would agree with that, I am delighted with Driver staying, think he was one of the best players for us last season and can only improve. Lethal shot, good pace and if he perfected his crosses then we will have a great player on our hands.

 

think we need to get rid of a few passengers in our team but keeping Berra, Wallace, Jonsson, Driver and Glen from our youth system coupled with Kingston, Ruben, Miko (think he is good back up), Karipidas and Pinilla (with possibly Nade) and find players for other posistions then we could have a great team.

 

Agree with your view on Elliot. Think he has great potential and abilty but needs to get out of Tynecastle as the fans are too against him and the situation is not best for him. If he shines at another club I wont be too sad as he is never going to achieve that level here.

 

Driver's problem is inconsistency but he is still young enough with potential. He also strikes me as one of these wingers, like Hartley, who in time would do well as a MF.

[jamboinglasgow]

Driver's problem is inconsistency but he is still young enough with potential. He also strikes me as one of these wingers, like Hartley, who in time would do well as a MF.

 

thing that impressed me with Driver this season was how much he improved from the previous season. If he can bring that to next season then I think consistency will come. The fact that he was avle to beat right backs and left backs who the SPL considered as the best league was very telling. The fact he was just as comfortable on the right as left when he played against hibs and others.

 

Think selling him for anything less than ?2 million would be wrong.

[colinmaroon]

Really pleased he's staying!!!

 

 

 

Much more to come from him, and it will!!!

 

 

 

.................

[Only a Game]

Really pleased he's staying!!!

 

Who says he staying ?

[Dirk Diggler]

Who says he staying ?

 

Well at this moment in time, he's not going, So I guess he's staying for the time being.

 

Or do you want to argue about that?

[Libertonian_II]

I would agree with that, I am delighted with Driver staying, think he was one of the best players for us last season and can only improve. Lethal shot, good pace and if he perfected his crosses then we will have a great player on our hands.

 

think we need to get rid of a few passengers in our team but keeping Berra, Wallace, Jonsson, Driver and Glen from our youth system coupled with Kingston, Ruben, Miko (think he is good back up), Karipidas and Pinilla (with possibly Nade) and find players for other posistions then we could have a great team.

 

Agree with your view on Elliot. Think he has great potential and abilty but needs to get out of Tynecastle as the fans are too against him and the situation is not best for him. If he shines at another club I wont be too sad as he is never going to achieve that level here.

 

Lethal shot, not. Most times he couldn't hit a coo's erse with a banjo

 

Wallace is no left back, just cover for Driver.

[Only a Game]

Well at this moment in time, he's not going, So I guess he's staying for the time being.

 

Or do you want to argue about that?

 

Get back to me on 9th August on that. Hardly any feckin point in him staying this week if he's not here on 9th August is there ? Thats what "staying" means to me.

[Dirk Diggler]

Get back to me on 9th August on that. Hardly any feckin point in him staying this week if he's not here on 9th August is there ? Thats what "staying" means to me.

 

[Francis Albert]

Whether he ultimately goes or stays (and every player has his price) that's two offers rejected that every previous owner of Hearts would have snapped up. A small entry on the recent sparse credit side of Vlad's books. no?

[Martin_T]

Whether he ultimately goes or stays (and every player has his price) that's two offers rejected that every previous owner of Hearts would have snapped up. A small entry on the recent sparse credit side of Vlad's books. no?

 

Yup and if he'd accepted the second offer it would just about have covered Kingston's annual wage bill, ooops another mark on the debit side....

[GforGallo]

is driver eligible for scotland or only england?

[Francis Albert]

Yup and if he'd accepted the second offer it would just about have covered Kingston's annual wage bill, ooops another mark on the debit side....

 

Another? But wasn't that mark there already? (whatever side of the balance sheet it is on).

[JohnT74]

Coyle is a good manager with an eye for talent. I'm happy to have kept Driver and look forward to seeing him play in maroon come the new season.

 

It would be great if we could hold onto Driver for at least the first half of the season.

[Only a Game]

Still quite a few not getting the message here really.

 

ANY decent Hearts player will be sold by Romanov the moment that ANY club meets the asking price and the player agrees /wants to go. This is not just peculiar to Romanov in our history of course, but Romanov did say, once upon a Grimms fairytale, that it WOULDNT be happening.

 

Andy Driver is still a Hearts player this morning, ONLY because his asking price has not YET been met. As soon as it is met, he's off.

 

The same applies to Berra and Kingston (our only two other sellable assets at the moment IMO)

 

The only question to be resolved with those 3 players is WHEN, not IF. (I reckon at least two of them wont see the start of the season at Hearts)

 

Dont anyone kid themselves on that there is a determination or even a desire to keep these players at Hearts. There simply isnt and the last 2-3 years activity prove it.

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Still quite a few not getting the message here really.

 

ANY decent Hearts player will be sold by Romanov the moment that ANY club meets the asking price and the player agrees /wants to go. This is not just peculiar to Romanov in our history of course, but Romanov did say, once upon a Grimms fairytale, that it WOULDNT be happening.

 

Andy Driver is still a Hearts player this morning, ONLY because his asking price has not YET been met. As soon as it is met, he's off.

 

.

 

 

Are you not talking about nearly every player in proffesional football?

 

Clubs may not be looking to sell a player, but if a bid comes in that equals what the club value him at - more often that not they are moved on.

 

Thats football?

[Only a Game]

Are you not talking about nearly every player in proffesional football?

 

Clubs may not be looking to sell a player, but if a bid comes in that equals what the club value him at - more often that not they are moved on.

 

Thats football?

 

Indeed, I just wondered where the overwhelming sense of relief had come from regarding Driver "staying" when clearly we will sell him in a heartbeat and he's attracting interest

[Gigolo-Aunt]

Indeed, I just wondered where the overwhelming sense of relief had come from regarding Driver "staying" when clearly we will sell him in a heartbeat and he's attracting interest

 

 

I dunno mate.

 

I think some posters were relieved that he was not sold for 750k, as (certainly IMO) he could fetch more money than that.

 

Also think some were relieved that for Drivers faults he is one of the few who can contribute when going forward.

 

We are on the holy quest for a manager still, no players come in yet - loosing Driver to Burnley for 750k would have sent the fragile morale of Hearts fans to a lower level.

 

That said, not so sure he will be here come the Motherwell game at home come the start of the season.

[Only a Game]

I dunno mate.

 

I think some posters were relieved that he was not sold for 750k, as (certainly IMO) he could fetch more money than that.

 

Also think some were relieved that for Drivers faults he is one of the few who can contribute when going forward.

 

We are on the holy quest for a manager still, no players come in yet - loosing Driver to Burnley for 750k would have sent the fragile morale of Hearts fans to a lower level.

 

That said, not so sure he will be here come the Motherwell game at home come the start of the season.

 

Ive got no evidence for this other than my own opinion, but I reckon Vlad is operating a medium range policy of selling every player possible to get the debt down to a level where the club is viable for someone else to buy. He's knocked about ?10 million of it in the last year or so. Another ?10-?15 million off it would see us almost at the stage where someone might think we're worth buying.

 

The failure to appoint a manager or invest in the team and the constant delays re the new stand back this up for me, but its probably a whole new debate outwith the scope of this thread to go to deeply into it.

 

?750k struck me as fair for what Driver is worth right now. He might or might not be worth more than that in 6 months time or a years time.

[Miller Jambo 60]

Ive got no evidence for this other than my own opinion, but I reckon Vlad is operating a medium range policy of selling every player possible to get the debt down to a level where the club is viable for someone else to buy. He's knocked about ?10 million of it in the last year or so. Another ?10-?15 million off it would see us almost at the stage where someone might think we're worth buying.

 

The failure to appoint a manager or invest in the team and the constant delays re the new stand back this up for me, but its probably a whole new debate outwith the scope of this thread to go to deeply into it.

 

?750k struck me as fair for what Driver is worth right now. He might or might not be worth more than that in 6 months time or a years time.

 

Burnley who are they .

[Francis Albert]

Indeed, I just wondered where the overwhelming sense of relief had come from regarding Driver "staying" when clearly we will sell him in a heartbeat and he's attracting interest

 

Where is this "overwhelming sense of relief"? I see a few mostly fairly mildly positive comments on one of JKB's shorter threads?

[Francis Albert]

Ive got no evidence for this other than my own opinion, but I reckon Vlad is operating a medium range policy of selling every player possible to get the debt down to a level where the club is viable for someone else to buy. He's knocked about ?10 million of it in the last year or so. Another ?10-?15 million off it would see us almost at the stage where someone might think we're worth buying.

 

The failure to appoint a manager or invest in the team and the constant delays re the new stand back this up for me, but its probably a whole new debate outwith the scope of this thread to go to deeply into it.

 

?750k struck me as fair for what Driver is worth right now. He might or might not be worth more than that in 6 months time or a years time.

 

How is the policy of "selling every player possible" consistent with not accepting an offer for Driver which is "fair for what Driver is worth right now"?

[Ron Burgundy]

So much for the fire sale.

 

Asset stripping at its worst.

[Only a Game]

How is the policy of "selling every player possible" consistent with not accepting an offer for Driver which is "fair for what Driver is worth right now"?

 

 

Its fair in my opinion, clearly not in Vlads opinion. Was that too hard to work out or did you only selectively read what i posted ?

[Francis Albert]

Its fair in my opinion, clearly not in Vlads opinion. Was that too hard to work out or did you only selectively read what i posted ?

 

So the policy is selling every player but not for less than for what Vlad thinks he is worth. Hardly unusual.

[Surrey Jambo]

According to BBC, Burnley have just paid ?1M plus ?300K add-ons for a 21 year old striker from Scunthorpe after they had 2 bids rejected. So they'll probably be back in for AD.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7468017.stm

 

And that's their club record bid, so they're not using to spending big. Now they've got the money for Lafferty they maybe feel a bit more comfy splashing the cash.

[Dazo]

According to BBC, Burnley have just paid ?1M plus ?300K add-ons for a 21 year old striker from Scunthorpe after they had 2 bids rejected. So they'll probably be back in for AD.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/7468017.stm

 

And that's their club record bid, so they're not using to spending big. Now they've got the money for Lafferty they maybe feel a bit more comfy splashing the cash.

 

?1m plus add ons for a guy who has scored 13 goals in 40apps doesn't seem a good bit of business to me. I think we are entitled to look for a similar fee.

[Surrey Jambo]

?1m plus add ons for a guy who has scored 13 goals in 40apps doesn't seem a good bit of business to me. I think we are entitled to look for a similar fee.

 

Especially when their first bid was only ?450K. They can and probably will bid higher.

[12XU]

Burnley.....I remember them giving HMFC a football lesson early 70s in the Texaco Cup ( Leighton James....Bryan Flynn )

 

Sadly a town less than half the size of Edinburgh attracts a bigger fan base.

 

Driver belongs Oldham -he will be away before the start of the season.

 

He runs fast,good skill........thats about it.Like Bobby Prentice ( but worse )

[Surrey Jambo]

Burnley.....I remember them giving HMFC a football lesson early 70s in the Texaco Cup ( Leighton James....Bryan Flynn )

 

Sadly a town less than half the size of Edinburgh attracts a bigger fan base.

 

Driver belongs Oldham -he will be away before the start of the season.

 

He runs fast,good skill........thats about it.Like Bobby Prentice ( but worse )

 

I remember we beat them on the way to the final in 71, we must have played them again years later.

 

As for Bobby/Rab Prentice, I thought I was the only one who didn't think he was a legend. He was like Andy Lynch on a good day.

[PTBCAL]

Burnley.....I remember them giving HMFC a football lesson early 70s in the Texaco Cup ( Leighton James....Bryan Flynn )

 

Sadly a town less than half the size of Edinburgh attracts a bigger fan base.

 

Driver belongs Oldham -he will be away before the start of the season.

 

He runs fast,good skill........thats about it.Like Bobby Prentice ( but worse )

 

Disagree there.

 

Hearts have a bigger average gate and far superior fan base. Im sure the stats back me up easily.

[Only a Game]

So the policy is selling every player but not for less than for what Vlad thinks he is worth. Hardly unusual.

 

I'd suggest that selling to the extent we do is unusual. Especially given what the owner says are our ambitions.(if anyone still believes it)

 

Normally a club our size, if they had sold Craig Gordon for ?9million, probably wouldnt have felt they needed to sell very many other players. We've sold quite a few either side of the Gordon transfer. All our best players have been sold and we are down to 3 who are sellable (IMO) We've had offers for 2 of those that we know about and the other one doesnt look like he wants to stay long term either so he'll be off soon (problem with him is that we're looking for a hell of a lot of money for him)

 

The debt is NOT a problem, so Vlad keeps telling us. So if its not a problem why do we keep selling our better players and why are we not re-investing that money in the team ?

 

There are two answers that spring to mind for me.

 

1. He's trying to make the impact of the massive spend on the stand complex (which we dont need by the way) little bit easier for the club to cope with financially, because he's realised he's not going to get any outside investment for it.

 

or

 

2. He's furiously reducing the debt to make us more attractive, as a business proposition, not neccesarily as a football team, to another buyer. He doesnt want or need to bring in players on big salaries now because he's got one or two youths coming through who, he thinks, are going to go for big money. Its also the only reason we are keeping Pinilla. The club pays his wage and he's gambling that Pinilla does the business and re-coups far more than we've outlayed for him.

 

I reckon he's selling. Two years time maximum, and no new stand will be in place or started before he does so. Pinilla, Berra, Kingston and Driver could probably knock another ?10 million off the debt.