Freedman: Zaha snub shows our ambition
DOUGIE Freedman says Crystal Palace can no longer be considered a selling club after the Eagles board held firm and refused to part with young winger Wilfried Zaha on transfer deadline day.
The club rejected a series of bids from Premier League strugglers Bolton Wanderers for the 19-year-old on Tuesday, and refused to budge despite Trotters chief Owen Coyle upping his offer to in excess of £7 million prior to the 11pm deadline.
And manager Freedman, who was also able to rebuff Huddersfield Town's £750,000 offer for Sean Scannell and hold onto young defender Nathaniel Clyne, claims the boards stance shows Palace are no longer push-overs in the transfer market.
"This sends out a message that we are not going to be bullied any longer in the transfer market," he said.
"To be honest I have been baffled by how low some of the transfer fees have been for players this club has sold in the past.
"The financial position has meant Crystal Palace has had to be a selling club just to survive. Now we are in a position that if we do sell any of our players it will be for their true market value.
"We have worked very hard to get in this position and it was very satisfying to wake up on Wednesday morning knowing we hadn't let anyone go on deadline day that we wanted to keep."
Freedman had met with the Eagles board last Thursday to discuss a strategy and contingency plans for the end of the transfer window, where it was agreed that the board would not accept any offers without their managers blessing.
However, in the end none of the offers received by the club were taken to Freedman, with the board not even considering Bolton's offer for Zaha as it included very little cash up front with most of the headline figure coming in add-ons and clauses based on appearances and international honours.
"Full credit to our board as there was a lot of interest in our players over the last few days but they held firm," added Freedman.
"They said that if any offer came in that they were thinking of accepting that they would consult me first but I'm pleased to say it never reached that stage.
"We are trying to build a club here not just a team. It won't happen overnight and it will probably take us a few years to get to where we want to be.
"Earlier in this season we made huge efforts in tying down our young players like Sean Scannell, Jonathan Williams and Wilfried Zaha to new contracts and we felt that was more important than going out and bringing in new players."
And, in a busy day at Selhurst Park, Palace were even able to strengthen their ranks by extending loan deals for striker Chris Martin and defender Paul McShane until the end of the season as well as plucking Kwasi Appiah and Michael Chambers from non-league football.
Appiah, 21, who rejected Championship rivals Blackpool to sign for the Eagles, is the leading goal-scorer in England this season having already notched 35 goals for Margate in the Ryman League Premier Division so far.
Palace chief scout Steve Kember watched him at Carshalton Athletic on Saturday and Palace moved swiftly to tie up the deal ahead of a number of sides including Tottenham Hotspur who were also tracking the striker.
Freedman admitted that asking a player to move up five divisions was something of a gamble but claimed the club had seen enough potential in the striker to give him an opportunity.
"There is a risk asking him to move up to this level but it is a minimal risk to us as the transfer fee was relatively small," he added. "We've done our background checks on him and he is hungry for the opportunity and we've given it to him."
On the same day, veteran striker Steffen Iversen had his Palace contract cancelled by mutual consent. The former Tottenham striker played 22 times for the Eagles scoring two goals.
17 Comments
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by wallycroydon
Sunday, February 05 2012, 3:00PM
“gordon12,
I don`t know if that`s a Compliment, to Lee & Myself, or are you being Sarcastic?
I`m a bit old to be going to every home & away game, although i am a season ticket holder, when i come on here, i like to give an honest account on how i saw the game, it is never biased towards the Palace, unlike others on here, come on some of the comments, i think these Cranks, didn`t watch the same game as me, they must have just copied what the Radio commentator`s have said about the game, right or wrong, they, or `he` just repeats what they have said, i can certainly think for myself, right or wrong.”
by loftymaidston
Sunday, February 05 2012, 1:55PM
“Luis, will you use your Good Offices to ask the Guy on the Sports desk at the Croydon Advertiser to check if his reports of Palace Games are actually on their Websight, or is he wasting time Reporting on Palace Games to no avail.
Wake up CA the other papers are showing you up as Cheapskate.
Could be Simon is not happy again, and banned the CA again to stop the CA from reporting Palace Matches.
So come on Luis get onto them, they will no doubt listen to your goodself.”
by gordon12
Sunday, February 05 2012, 1:36PM
“I reckon Lee And Wally from Croydon should go to every home and away game and send in a report to this website so we will all no how ****y we being playing, that way we wouldn't have to wait to comment.
Mind you some of our games been good to watch only some!”
by suttonjames
Sunday, February 05 2012, 8:16AM
“Lofty,
There is a report from the game, in the South London Press, no doubt the Croydon Guardian, but not this *****, we were the better side, but lacked quality again upfront, Easter holds the ball up well, but in front of goal, is woeful, he has never been a prolific striker & never will be, we huffed & puffed, but we could not blow Mowbray`s house down, good point up there, but with more quality upfront, it should`ve been 3 against a patched up Boro, whose home form is suspect.
Let us hope Parish reads the sensible comments on here & splashes the cash in the summer & buys a decent forward or 2.”
by loftymaidston
Sunday, February 05 2012, 7:25AM
“I phoned the CA Sports desk about the Reports, and the Guy said they should be on there somewhere.
Can anyone tell me where Bloody Somewhere is.
Is it really true we attcked Middlesbro, was Dougie affected by the Cold.
Great News may it continue throughout the Season.”
by rambo_3
Saturday, February 04 2012, 9:46PM
“A Hard Fought,0:0,Draw,in Freezing Conditions,Possibly,Unfortunate,Not,to Win,but,if Offered Draw,at 5th Placed,Middlesbrough,would have Taken it.Largely Dominated,After,Slow Start and had 11 Shots,on Target,to Middlesbrough's 6.11,a Piece,Off Target.”
by Leecroydon
Saturday, February 04 2012, 9:31PM
“Wally & Lofty,
exactly, how come at gone 9 o`clock, this 2 bob website, cannot have a report from Today`s game, i listened to it on PalaceIplayer, thank God it was Clive `the Flasher` Walker, commentating & not Norman Collier, who was commentating on the Cardiff game, when i was in Very Sunny Cuba, well it sounded like Norman, those Cuban`s can do a lovely Santiago Rum & Coke, but Internet, no chance, back to reality, it sounded as we bossed most of the game, but yet again, there is no cutting edge in front of goal, mid-table this season, we would`ve all taken that this season, but in the summer, Parish & Co, go & Spend a few Quid & get a decent striker, 20 goals a season 1, there must be 1 out there, the defense has held it`s own this season, the midfield is settled, but we a need a Thomas, Gray, Hughes, Houghton in there, a General & we need a ******* Decent Striker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
by loftymaidston
Saturday, February 04 2012, 6:22PM
“Yes CA what idiot thought of the Rating System.
Did He/She get a nice Fat Bonus to come up with that Tripe.
Poor Luis has got no chance.”
by wallycroydon
Saturday, February 04 2012, 9:23AM
“ThisisCroydonToday/Croydon Advertiser,
need to get in the Real World, putting the Palace v the Enemy in pictures on Thursday & actually putting the report from the game on Friday & what Idiot thought of this Daft, rating the comment thing, it is encouraging the Idiot Palace Fans, you know who you are, on this site, to actually rate their own, Stupid, Daft, Idiotic Comments, how Immature is that, Grow Up, You Idiots, no doubt, when the Daft 1`s, rise out of their Pits, i will have some minus ratings.”
by suttonjames
Friday, February 03 2012, 7:02PM
“Geoffwey2010 & Bmclaygate,
so will Murray`s, Easter`s or ha ha ha Calvin Andrew`s goals get us surging up the league, into the play offs, the lads are suggesting Johnson`s signing would put a few thousand on the gates & the buzz the signing would`ve created & a fit Johnson, would get bucket load of goals in the Championship, we had to 2 shots on target against the Seaweeds, Freedman doesn`t know his best team.
Luis, the Village Idiot, signing young players, what like Pedroza, that has not had a look in all season, we need a ******* goalscorer, Luis, Geoffwey & Bmclaygate, cant you idiots see that, do you actually go to games.”