24 Feb 2022 12:16:54
Raph is clearly still pissed off with his lack of January move and feels as though he is stuck in a team below his standards. His childish performances since the window are him saying, I must be picked, but I will not try. It doesn't bother me as I will be long gone in the summer so, survive or relegate, it just doesn't matter. If I was Bielsa it would certainly be a time for clearing the air and if no satisfactory outcome the unthinkable must happen, for the sake of the team, he must be dropped.
Let's see then Bielsa living up to his reputation and putting faith in Jimmy or Miller or Gray. Untried untested I know but surely no worse than the current waste of a shirt.
24 Feb 2022 12:42:56
Raph gone in summer no matter what, he knows it and so do club (IMO) . Thing that I can never get in these situations is if he had carried his pre Xmas form into new year he could have asked for whatever he wanted in salary at his next club. This disinterested Raph will not have such a strong bargaining position. Seen it before with other players and no doubt will see it again, but I just don't understand it.
24 Feb 2022 13:37:13
Leo Think you're very wide of the mark. He's not angry at all at not leaving in January. He's just biding the time and let's Deco do all the contract and transfer stuff. Certainly he's not as focused but he and Deco always knew he would not be moving in January. Chances of him signing an extension with us even if it contains a suitable release clause are currently zero though. I can see him ending up at Chelsea in the summer.
24 Feb 2022 13:41:34
Playing like he is gone now.
24 Feb 2022 14:26:01
has Raph been that bad or is he just being scape goated? We have been in awful form yet he has still been one of our few goalscorer and against Devon he come on and made a difference, as a winger can he affect a game if we are not in the game?
24 Feb 2022 14:41:15
Let’s face this is pure speculation about Raph, believe what you want, there could be a multitude of reasons why his form has dipped.
24 Feb 2022 15:47:38
if we get relegated we will not see as large a fee wither - maybe £25 million as opposed to the £60/ £70 we could get if we were still in the Prem.
24 Feb 2022 17:45:11
read that Raph has a 20 million release clause if relegated not sure how true but if we lose him for that I will cry my eyes out.