Irving - signs for SK Austria Klagenfurt ( updated )

[Dia Liom]

Good luck and thanks for some good performances.  Probably best outcome for both parties.

[Mikey1874]

Brave and enterprising.

 

If you have the chance why not try something different. 

[Pasquale for King]

5 minutes ago, Ford Prentice said:

Good luck Andy. One of the few who could pick out a player with a forward pass. Man marked towards the end of last season because of his impact. 

 

Worst case 2 years in a great City and learns German. Best case picked up by larger German club. 

Brave move - respect.

Spot on, hopefully he will play further up the park for them where it’s easier to do lay those passes into the forwards and behind the defence. 
We may well have been able to negotiate a sell on fee for a smaller compensation amount. 

[1971fozzy]

Good luck to the lad. Seems a very odd move but I wish him all the best 

[i8hibsh]

There is no reason at all for me not to wish him well so I certainly do. That been said I don't rate him so glad we have an opportunity to get someone better in.

[Der Kaiser]

[Pans Jambo]

1 hour ago, GavK1012 said:

Good luck to him, anyone being overly negative clearly is jealous of a young lad trying to better himself or doesn't understand the desire to try new experiences and cultures in general....its easy to see who is pissed off with their lot and decisions in life on this thread alone...

 

Good luck son 👌👍

This. Best wishes lad. Good Luck.

Edited June 22, 2021 by Pans Jambo

[Cruyff]

Hope he does well and gets a move to a bigger club. Perhaps we make some cash of that in the future. He certainly has a lot of potential. If he can play a bit further forward and add goals, improve his passing choices and his set pieces, I don't see why he can't get a bigger move. Certainly will keep tabs on his progress. 

[Jambos1983]

All the best to him but what a really strange move

[loveofthegame]

If he really thinks a German 3rd division side, which averages 200 fans a week, is the right move then we're better off without. It might be small minded but **** him, what a ridiculous move. 

 

Would rather have players that want to play for club, so better off rid.

[vegas-voss]

Average for us in a shit league like so many others.Workrate not enough for Scottish leagues.Guy might do well in Germany and come back to Scotland a completely different player so good luck to him for trying his luck there.

[Armageddon]

Does the level he goes to determine the development fee? 

I mean, if he went to Chelsea v German Bund 3?  I'm thinking there could be more to this weird plan if that's the case, stick it out in Germany for 3 months then goes out on loan to the club who actually wanted him in the first place without paying for him.

[Lone Striker]

4 minutes ago, Jambos1983 said:

All the best to him but what a really strange move

My thoughts too.    You'd have to imagine that this agent has convinced Andy that starting off at a diddy team won't be a barrier to ending up at Bayern in a few years time.    Can anyone explain how a team with only a few hundred fans can pay the sort of salary which Hearts can't ?     

[queensferryjambo]

Good luck to him and hope he does well.

 

I do however think that is the last anyone will ever hear about him until he returns to Scotland to play for Cowdenbeath in a few seasons.

 

Reeks of agents putting money before a players career and seems really strange.

 

Either way I hope he proves me wrong and does well. 

[Martin_T]

https://www.anpfiff.info/sites/team/kader.aspx?SK=1&Lg=222&Tm=4614&Ver=2341&Sais=120&Men=19

 

Looks like they play their games down the local Pitz 5-a-side.

[Deevers]

A funny move and one that he might well regret in the long term. 

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

Wish him all the best in his new adventure ! All about who we replace him with now

[Forever Hearts]

37 minutes ago, Smith's right boot said:

 

Utter dross, 2nd place won the play off and celtic/hibs (2/3 best team in the country) couldn't beat us over 90.

 

We done OK for an utter shite, slow, ponderous and turgid team.

Robbie worked wonders if that was all true. 

 

You missed out the most embarrassing defeat in our history and the cup defeat to Alloa. Easy done I suppose.🙄

[HighTimes]

Best of luck to him. Shame he decided not to stay as I thought he was decent, but he no doubt had his reasons which none of us are privy to.

[Bazzas right boot]

Good luck to him. 

 

That league might suit him as he's technically good. 

 

Always thought if true, the rumour of Walker to a Spanish club would have been good for him as well. 

[David McCaig]

Just now, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Wish him all the best in his new adventure ! All about who we replace him with now

He was replaced by the infinitely better  Peter Haring at the tail end of last season.

[Zico]

Good luck Andy, although you should probably be looking for a new agent as well as a new club. 

[GinRummy]

The whole situation is really, really odd now. Doubt we’ll ever get any definite answers on hoŵ this all came about. A shite move for the player, who would apparently prefer to ***** about in  the German lower leagues than challenge for a place with his boyhood side. What the actual **** went on?

Edited June 22, 2021 by GinRummy

[King prawn]

Good luck to him.

 

Won’t play for a bigger club than Hearts. 

[Greedy Jambo]

3rd division German coaching or the coaching at Hearts?

See you later, lads!

😂😂

[Bazzas right boot]

Just now, Forever Hearts said:

You missed out the most embarrassing defeat in our history and the cup defeat to Alloa. Easy done I suppose.🙄

 

We weren't the complete article, I agree. 

 

Utter shite, slow, ponderous and turgid teams don't win leagues tho. 

 

As per, dramatisation by some and attempts to play down any success- to what end only they will know. 

🤷‍♂️

[Newton51]

Wish him well but thought he could have went to a bigger club. Did godinho not sign for a liga 2 team

[Phil D. Corners]

Good luck Andy and welcome to Germany. 
 

The boy needs to play football, and this move should give him that. 

[Bazzas right boot]

2 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said:

3rd division German coaching or the coaching at Hearts?

See you later, lads!

😂😂

 

 

Aye, Now't to do with first team football or financial reasons. 

 

It's the coaching. 

[Phil D. Corners]

2 minutes ago, Newton51 said:

Wish him well but thought he could have went to a bigger club. Did godinho not sign for a liga 2 team

Zwickau are 3 Liga too. 

[Fitzroy Pointon]

6 minutes ago, King prawn said:

Won’t play for a bigger club than Hearts. 

 

This. Have a feeling he'll be at Inverness or similar next year. 

 

Good luck to him all the same. 

[Selkirkhmfc1874]

9 minutes ago, David McCaig said:

He was replaced by the infinitely better  Peter Haring at the tail end of last season.

No doubt about it Peter Haring a level above Andy Irving 

[buzzbomb]

German 3rd tier = SPL standard minus Rangers and Celtic. 

 

The reason Andy leaving is what he heard from Robbie and Joe. There was no real attempt to convince Andy that Hearts was the place for him to stay, play and develop. Robbie told him he still saw him as a development player and never did tell him the 'plan' he had for him that he mentioned in the EEN a few weeks back. Why not tell a laddie you see every day at training? 

 

Joe told him he should sign because he'd done nothing, played against no one, hadn't won anything and no one would pay a fee for him, so sign.

 

Andy only ever rejected one offer despite what was said in the press. Ann Budge was different class and did everything she could.

 

Ultimately, what Robbie and Joe said made Andy's decision for him. Andy was looking for a half-decent offer (the 2nd one was fine) and a 'you're a valued member of the squad and will be a big part going forward'. That would have seen it signed in January.

 

Disappointing the way it has ended up considering Andy has been going to Tynie since he was 2 and half and has been at the club since his 8th birthday. Anyway, that's professional football for you. 

 

Andy didn't 'hold the club to ransom', didn't have his head turned by agents, didn't think he was bigger than the club, the most un-billy big-time person. Just a normal, down to earth laddie trying to make a long-term career in football. 

 

Hearts removed the second offer weeks ago. Munchen came in a couple of weeks back and made Andy a very good offer. Union Berlin were keen to take him with a loan to a 2nd league club, but in the end Munchen were really keen and it seems like a good entry point into German football. Time will tell if this is the right move, but based upon what he heard, staying at Hearts wasn't.

[Pasquale for King]

12 minutes ago, Zico said:

Good luck Andy, although you should probably be looking for a new agent as well as a new club. 

He has just hired this guy who is based in Germany, like Neilson he did the minimum job required of him. 

[Pasquale for King]

1 minute ago, buzzbomb said:

German 3rd tier = SPL standard minus Rangers and Celtic. 

 

The reason Andy leaving is what he heard from Robbie and Joe. There was no real attempt to convince Andy that Hearts was the place for him to stay, play and develop. Robbie told him he still saw him as a development player and never did tell him the 'plan' he had for him that he mentioned in the EEN a few weeks back. Why not tell a laddie you see every day at training? 

 

Joe told him he should sign because he'd done nothing, played against no one, hadn't won anything and no one would pay a fee for him, so sign.

 

Andy only ever rejected one offer despite what was said in the press. Ann Budge was different class and did everything she could.

 

Ultimately, what Robbie and Joe said made Andy's decision for him. Andy was looking for a half-decent offer (the 2nd one was fine) and a 'you're a valued member of the squad and will be a big part going forward'. That would have seen it signed in January.

 

Disappointing the way it has ended up considering Andy has been going to Tynie since he was 2 and half and has been at the club since his 8th birthday. Anyway, that's professional football for you. 

 

Andy didn't 'hold the club to ransom', didn't have his head turned by agents, didn't think he was bigger than the club, the most un-billy big-time person. Just a normal, down to earth laddie trying to make a long-term career in football. 

 

Hearts removed the second offer weeks ago. Munchen came in a couple of weeks back and made Andy a very good offer. Union Berlin were keen to take him with a loan to a 2nd league club, but in the end Munchen were really keen and it seems like a good entry point into German football. Time will tell if this is the right move, but based upon what he heard, staying at Hearts wasn't.

Sounds about right 👍🏽

[Martin_T]

1 minute ago, buzzbomb said:

German 3rd tier = SPL standard minus Rangers and Celtic. 

 

The reason Andy leaving is what he heard from Robbie and Joe. There was no real attempt to convince Andy that Hearts was the place for him to stay, play and develop. Robbie told him he still saw him as a development player and never did tell him the 'plan' he had for him that he mentioned in the EEN a few weeks back. Why not tell a laddie you see every day at training? 

 

Joe told him he should sign because he'd done nothing, played against no one, hadn't won anything and no one would pay a fee for him, so sign.

 

Andy only ever rejected one offer despite what was said in the press. Ann Budge was different class and did everything she could.

 

Ultimately, what Robbie and Joe said made Andy's decision for him. Andy was looking for a half-decent offer (the 2nd one was fine) and a 'you're a valued member of the squad and will be a big part going forward'. That would have seen it signed in January.

 

Disappointing the way it has ended up considering Andy has been going to Tynie since he was 2 and half and has been at the club since his 8th birthday. Anyway, that's professional football for you. 

 

Andy didn't 'hold the club to ransom', didn't have his head turned by agents, didn't think he was bigger than the club, the most un-billy big-time person. Just a normal, down to earth laddie trying to make a long-term career in football. 

 

Hearts removed the second offer weeks ago. Munchen came in a couple of weeks back and made Andy a very good offer. Union Berlin were keen to take him with a loan to a 2nd league club, but in the end Munchen were really keen and it seems like a good entry point into German football. Time will tell if this is the right move, but based upon what he heard, staying at Hearts wasn't.

 

I'm skeptical re the bit in bold. My understanding is that if a contract offer is withdrawn, the player can then move without a development fee.

[Pasquale for King]

Just now, Martin_T said:

 

I'm skeptical re the bit in bold. My understanding is that if a contract offer is withdrawn, the player can then move without a development fee.

If the first offer was more than he’s on then that might cover it 🤔🤷🏾‍♂️?

[Haken]

Good luck, Andy.  Would have preferred we hung onto him, but things obviously haven't worked out for whatever reason.

[BackOfTheNet]

I genuinely wish him the best and think he could have done better. My main concern however is that a player who has come through the academy and is playing for his boyhood club chose a 3. Liga team over signing a new contract. Was he just maybe not up to scratch? Did they offer way more money? Or did he not want to stay and play under the current coaching staff, in that he felt he should have better? I’m not saying any of these are actually the case but seems appropriate to ask the questions.

[vegas-voss]

Realistically where was he going to go.Stay at Hearts where honestly I think his chances would have seen far less games this season.League 1 or 2 in England ? So league 3 in Germany probably seems a better option.He has to now grab this opportunity as a stepping stone and have a great season there and then hopefully is picked up by a bigger team in Bundesliga 2 and from there who knows.Its up to him to knuckle down and work on his game.There is a talent there but for me he looked like he far underperformed in a lot of games he could go from Hollywood pass to not being able to pass to someone two yards in front of him and looked lack lustered a hell of a lot of the time.

[Kidd’s Boots]

Best of luck to the lad, Germany may never come knocking on the door again so make the most of the experience. No regrets only opportunities….

[SpruceBringsteen]

Utterly bizarre.

[Gmcjambo]

19 minutes ago, Newton51 said:

Wish him well but thought he could have went to a bigger club. Did godinho not sign for a liga 2 team

Surely if he could have gone to a bigger club, he would have?     Wish him well too, good range of passing but needed to develop significantly to influence games in SPL in my view.   

[Hungry hippo]

13 minutes ago, Martin_T said:

 

I'm skeptical re the bit in bold. My understanding is that if a contract offer is withdrawn, the player can then move without a development fee.

 

The chat on here was that the first offer was still available and therefore valid for that purpose.

Edited June 22, 2021 by Hungry hippo

[Lone Striker]

@buzzbomb - presumably you're friends with Andy ?       Is this bit actually true  -

 

Joe told him he should sign because he'd done nothing, played against no one, hadn't won anything and no one would pay a fee for him, so sign.

 

Ultimately, what Robbie and Joe said made Andy's decision for him. Andy was looking for a half-decent offer (the 2nd one was fine) and a 'you're a valued member of the squad and will be a big part going forward'. That would have seen it signed in January.

 

So you're saying the 2nd offer was acceptable, and Andy's decision not to sign it was all down to Joe & Robbie not being "nice" enough to him ?

 

 

[Rick Sanchez]

Andy Irving isn't good enough to be an important part of our starting eleven, certainly for where we want to be anyway.

 

I get that he's probably a better player than other players we've paid obscene amounts to with little return and he'll feel he's entitled to better. But this is the start of Joe's reign and things are about to change on that front IMO.

 

Good luck and goodbye.

[Jamhammer]

54 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

There is no reason at all for me not to wish him well so I certainly do. That been said I don't rate him so glad we have an opportunity to get someone better in.

Agreeing with I8. The worlds gone mad I tells ye 😀

[Guest ToqueJambo]

33 minutes ago, Greedy Jambo said:

3rd division German coaching or the coaching at Hearts?

See you later, lads!

😂😂

 

And who coached him to be a player with 100 games by 21 who attracted the attention of these crack German coaches? Didn't his new manager say he can control games and is a good playmaker? So who made him that player?

 

I'm calling BS on all the what Neilson and Savage are supposed to have said to him. IT's the usual suspects having a dig at Hearts.

 

What they likely told him was the truth - he's got a bit to go and needs to work at his game to be an established Scottish Premiership player but he's got the opportunity at Hearts to push on.

 

The fact he had to drop down a couple of levels from the Premiership to get "first team football" pretty much proves they're right. Otherwise he'd have been snapped up by a better team. We saw from Langer and Avdijaj that the quality below the Bundesliga is not exactly stellar, and they came from a higher level than Irving's new team.

 

Good luck to him though. Great life move, and we'll find out if it's a good football move in time. Other players have done it abroad recently - Henderson, Gauld - but none of them dropped to as low a level as this. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by ToqueJambo

[Last Laff]

38 minutes ago, Martin_T said:

https://www.anpfiff.info/sites/team/kader.aspx?SK=1&Lg=222&Tm=4614&Ver=2341&Sais=120&Men=19

 

Looks like they play their games down the local Pitz 5-a-side.

They play between stadiums including the best in Germany. 

[Tokyo Drifter]

35 minutes ago, GinRummy said:

The whole situation is really, really odd now. Doubt we’ll ever get any definite answers on hoŵ this all came about. A shite move for the player, who would apparently prefer to ***** about in  the German lower leagues than challenge for a place with his boyhood side. What the actual **** went on?

Is it a way of avoiding a development fee when he's sold to Rangers in a year's time? It's kind of fishy.