Freddy to leave Cov

[TSG]

The best example of Freddy at his best for me after Swansea away was at Blackpool, January 2nd, 2006.

We were getting battered in the second half, on comes Fred as a late substitute, receives the ball in the final third with a minute left, runs straight towards goal and smacks it low and hard under their keeper, 2-1 and top of the league if I remember correctly.

He's a goalscorer first and foremost but has to have the team built around him which suited Tilly, Maher's pass to him for the Coventry goal was sublime, but not Sturrock's way, wage cut or not.

Neil Harris on the other hand is just what Luggy was looking for, three year contract at turning 34 offered, deal done.

Freddy at only 27 still has a lot to give and should be approaching his peak, if he can be bothered to work at it.

I'd have him back like a shot if we could see anything like the old Fred, not sure anybody ever will though.

 

[Napster]

Bloody gipsies, taking our land illegally.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/1016345.freddy_wins_home_battle/

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Freddy should get a short term contract somewhere until the end of this season regain his fitness then rejoin us as we make our triumphant return to lg1. Hope what WickfordShrimper (i think?) said is true, and he wants to come back to essex, for little money - home could be just the motivation he needs. I know you shouldn't look back but come on....it's freddy!

 

[Beefy]

At least one Coventry fan is sad to see him go:

It looks like a sad end for Freddy Eastwoodl

 

[Ricky Otto]

We are never going to attract a fit player of Freddy's quality!
well worth the gamble in my opinion, he'll be given time by the fans as he's a legend and if any of this hearsay is true he obviously still has love for the club. Can't be too down on him for his last few months, his head had obviously been turned, hopefully if he comes back he'll appreciate the grass isn't always greener.
If we can afford him its a no brainer in my mind

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

But we cant affrod him, he is probably on 3 or 4 times our top earner.

 

[Angell Delight]

We are never going to attract a fit player of Freddy's quality!
well worth the gamble in my opinion, he'll be given time by the fans as he's a legend and if any of this hearsay is true he obviously still has love for the club. Can't be too down on him for his last few months, his head had obviously been turned, hopefully if he comes back he'll appreciate the grass isn't always greener.
If we can afford him its a no brainer in my mind

Thing is I'm not so sure that he would, he was so good for us last time that a lot of fans will just expect him to hit the ground running.

Not gonna happen anyway.

 

[Skyblue]

I also dont think he fits into Luggys style of play either.

Very true...when you see the work that Harris and Dickinson put in closing down deffenders there is no way that Freddy would last 15 mins playing like that. We had the best years out of him and now his lost interest in the game. Cov fans were calling him Dead Wood a long while ago.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

Crikey. 18 goals in 117 games, or 15 goals in 116 games if you take away one home game against Posh in which he got a hattrick.

Dare I say it... but it doesn't sound like his heart is in it any more. If L1 clubs are interested, I'd be happy for him to go to Col Ewe on high wages and bleed them dry for a return of 6 or 7 goals a season (which is what his scoring rate at Cov has been).

We were offered him two weeks ago apparently but John Ward was not interested even for free, I don't think he would want to come to us anyway but who knows.

 

[southendkid]

Sturrock doesn't strike me as a man who gets players based on reputation alone, he won't care if freddy is a legend unless he feels he is good himself, and if the coventry fans are right, then if he did look at him I don't think sturrock would be impressed with what he saw

 

[OldWilliam]

Lee Sawyer wasn't on Sturrocks radar at all. He was given a chance by Sturrock based solely on his past reputation at Southend. Freddy signing could result in 1000+ people buying season tickets for the second half of the season. That would be good business as long as his wages were right

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

. Cov fans were calling him Dead Wood a long while ago.

Regretfully once a player lose's his enthusiasm thats it. Michael Ricketts for an example?. Remember when Lee Trundle went back to Swansea?. Never produced the goods like he did when he made his name first time around for them. Unfortunately i believe the same would happen if Freddie returned here.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

I put it in the ex-shrimpers, because Freddy is an ex-shrimper.

Yeah, really daft I know:thump:

Yep, he used to play for us but always thought the ex Shrimpers thread was re general info etc on ex players.

Players who are up for grabs and a possible target for SUFC however far fetched get put on the main group. This situation applies to Fred and so this thread should be in the main group.

Glad to see you admitted it was a daft mod decision:raspberry:

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Yep, he used to play for us but always thought the ex Shrimpers thread was re general info etc on ex players.

Players who are up for grabs and a possible target for SUFC however far fetched get put on the main group. This situation applies to Fred and so this thread should be in the main group.

Glad to see you admitted it was a daft mod decision:raspberry:

Drewe's just been released. Best we get that thread moved to the main group too!

 

[kentblues]

Look to me its simple...how much does Fredy want back. If his agent came and said look he wants to come home and earn a contract- he will play for 800 quid a week to the end of the season and then he gets a min 2 year contract or we part would we turn him down?
He is a 25 plus a year striker potentially L1 or 2? You would give it a go?

 

[Cy_sufc]

It's clear the Freddy needs the club more than the club needs Freddy at this point.

We however, in recent years have turned into a club which will offer a second or third chance to a player because we haven't been able to attract reputable players. (Sawyer, Hall and Mohsni internally)

Then a Southend legend becomes available, and you say, "Sorry Freddy, you've got too many problems."

Yes attitude is a problem, as well as motivation. I say let him train at Boots & Laces. See if he can prove himself, and see whether it's someone Sturrock can work with.

He has to be humble though...

With the possibility of Sturrock Jnr, Asante and Crawford being released at the end of the season and the potential of having no wage cap next season. There could be some room in the budget.

 

[Cy_sufc]

Just seen the Luke McCormick thread. I posted about Freddy there and Luke here.

Perhaps pure speculation but it proves my point...

 

[rlb999]

Not aware we need a centre forward. Thought we were top of the league?
It's natural that fans always favour former players as they know them and have seen them play before. They think that's all there is out there. A club shouldn't be run like this though - we need to find the next Eastwood by looking at Grays Athletic and similar clubs. In that way we don't stretch ourselves to get players on board, and we make a few quid when we sell them.
The next position we need to improve on is the goalkeeper as ours, all be it on good form, isn't that great in the long run.

 

[Welly7]

Love Freddy, absolute legend and one of my favourite players in my lifetime. Would I want him back? Probably not. It would be great to see him in our shirt again, but what if he really is a shadow of the player he once was? Not sure I'd really want to see him fail to live up to the very high standards he set while he was here.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Its strange how we've had alot of strikers recently that have been crap for us but gone on and done well elsewhere that Freddy has been the opposite, I remember people saying he will play in the Premiership when he was with us!