Rene off

[SBP]

The thing is Andy, most of these modern day footballers love all the speculation and talk. Its not as if they really have to work for a living, they have so much time on their hands. They love it. Rene is probably tweeting some load of s!"t now. I am like you, after a reasonable period of time a decision would be nice to move forward, however they just love all this speculation. I hate facebook and twitter!! Mind you Iam 100 years old.

[Dave]

See both sides of the argument here, loyality is a word that does not exsist in football, Rene does not owe us anything however does appear to be some what playing the game here.

I, like most hope that Rene Howe stays at the club, however he can be replaced if he goes it really is not the end of the world. Therefore our club should not be trying to break the bank to keep him, and even though he is not quite out of contract yet, he has received the clubs best offer and if he really wanted to stay he would have signed it, also if another club had given Rene Howe an offer he couldn't refuse he is able to sign pre-contract for that club, why hasn't he.

My advice to Rene is time to make up your mind what you want to do, he needs to remember he has had his fingers burnt before in his career, being sent out here there and everwhere on loan, unfit and not in the best frame of mind, would he still be a professional footballer today if Torquay had not rescued him and given him a home when our club did, so which is it to be Rene, first team footballer and all round hero at Torquay, or once again risk your career.

[diamondgirl]

Well said Andy.

SBP, agree. A contract, on the table for the last 5/6 months, is ridiculous. It's not fair on the club, or the supporters. I think there should be a max period of say 8 weeks. That way, both parties know where they stand. Take it or leave it.

[AustrianAndyGull]

The thing is Andy, most of these modern day footballers love all the speculation and talk. Its not as if they really have to work for a living, they have so much time on their hands. They love it. Rene is probably tweeting some load of s!"t now. I am like you, after a reasonable period of time a decision would be nice to move forward, however they just love all this speculation. I hate facebook and twitter!! Mind you Iam 100 years old.

I use facebook sparingly and somewhat reluctantly. Twitter is just really pointless IMO. The only thing i can see it's good for is for getting score updates from fans who are at games like Bridlington Town v Armthorpe Welfare in the Northern Counties East or something when i've had a bet on the game and can't find the score from anywhere else. That's it really. Posting about the cup of coffee you've just had at Heathrow Terminal 4 cafe being 'awesome' is a wee bit sad IMO but it takes all sorts. I've just turned 37 and i've hated facebook and twitter for many years! Just another reason for robotic people to carry on staring at a screen and building up thumb muscles. Are things on there SO important that they can't resist logging in for at least a day or so?

As for Rene, i just think as to what i'd do in the same position. I'd make a decision (he already knows what he wants and has done so for some time IMO) as to what i want next and then act upon it. If that be saying to Alan, thanks for everything but my future lies elsewhere for x y and z reasons then fine. Respect to the man for laying things on the line and being true to himself and what he wants. He hasn't done that so either he is thrashing out the fine details of our contract offer to him and he is going to sign and shun everybody and he has always planned to do that or he can f*ck off and he loses any respect i had for him. It's pretty simple.

[Plymouth Gull]

I use facebook sparingly and somewhat reluctantly. Twitter is just really pointless IMO. The only thing i can see it's good for is for getting score updates for fans who are at games like Bridlington Town v Armthorpe Welfare in the Northern Counties East or something when i've had a bet on the game and can't find the score from anywhere else. That's it really. Posting about the cup of coffee you've just had at Heathrow Terminal 4 cafe being 'awesome' is a wee bit sad IMO but it takes all sorts. I've just turned 37 and i've hated facebook and twitter for many years! Just another reason for robotic people to carry on staring at a screen and building up thumb muscles. Are things on there SO important that they can't resist logging in for at least a day or so?

As for Rene, i just think as to what i'd do in the same position. I'd make a decision (he already knows what he wants and has done so for some time IMO) as to what i want next and then act upon it. If that be saying to Alan, thanks for everything but my future lies elsewhere for x y and z reasons then fine. Respect to the man for laying things on the line and being true to himself and what he wants. He hasn't done that so either he is thrashing out the fine details of our contract offer to him and he is going to sign and shun everybody and he has always planned to do that or he can f*ck off and he loses any respect i had for him. It's pretty simple.

...Says one of the highest posters on here.

[diamondgirl]

Exactly what I have have been trying to say Forever, me old mate.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yes Nick but when i leave the house i hardly ever use my mobile phone (probably because i don't have any friends to ring or text ! ). I don't NEED to. If i have to ring soeone then my phone is there to facilitate that, if i am bored waiting for a train i'll people watch (not perversely you'll understand ) or watch the trains go by or maybe get a coffee and and read the paper. I wouldn't be glued to a frigging screen 24/7 and then also do the same AT HOME! I've seen parents at games ignore their own children at half time to whip their phones out and become absorbed in them, scrolling down, looking for scores and this that and the other. Is it really that important that they can't wait until they get home and completely ignore their own children?

If i'm at home doing something on the computer (not looking at porn - behave! ) then i can dip in and out of this forum. When i'm out i never use my mobile. Don't need to.

Message to technophiles - buy a f*cking paper for once, or read a book or even watch the world go by and listen to the birds singing and if you can't live for a couple of days without your assortment of devices then i pity you.

[SBP]

Being 100 years old isnt easy, it just took me 10 min to find my glasses!!

The modern footballer just loves this speculation. Too much time on their hands. They just love it. Maybe we can find some jobs around our houses for them to do!!

I actually thought Rene was a good centre forward destined for better things until i saw him in that friendly against Leicester. There two centre backs made him look silly. IMO he is certainly not Championship standard. Maybe League 1 at a push.

I am not bothered whether he stays or goes.

[SuperNickyWroe]

Well said Andy.

SBP, agree. A contract, on the table for the last 5/6 months, is ridiculous. It's not fair on the club, or the supporters. I think there should be a max period of say 8 weeks. That way, both parties know where they stand. Take it or leave it.

exactly christine.
offer it him for the final time, give till the end of the week and he doesnt sign it, withdraw it.
it'll be interesting to see how many clubs come rushing in for his services.....

oh, and I say your language was a bit ripe about mr howe last night - telling him to p**s off! shocking!

[bixieupnorth]

will he be one who gets booed (when he plays against us) by us if he goes?? i'd imagine he probably would, for appearing to be greedy and above us??

[DevonYellow]

Some of the vitroil being aimed at Rene is quite frankly ridiculous. He has every right to try and secure himself the best possible deal for him and his family - as any of you would do if the chance came to better yourself in your career.

Ryan Jarvis rejected his contract in favour of a better offer from York and gets lauded by some on here for being an all round good guy and and thanked for his efforts. Rene hasn't even gone and is being vilified by some.

Rene scored a lot more goals and contributed a great deal more than Jarvis did and he deserves some respect. Without his goals we'd have gone down - some would do well to remember that.

[SuperNickyWroe]

Some of the vitroil being aimed at Rene is quite frankly ridiculous. He has every right to try and secure himself the best possible deal for him and his family - as any of you would do if the chance came to better yourself in your career.

Ryan Jarvis rejected his contract in favour of a better offer from York and gets lauded by some on here for being an all round good guy and and thanked for his efforts. Rene hasn't even gone and is being vilified by some.

Rene scored a lot more goals and contributed a great deal more than Jarvis did and he deserves some respect. Without his goals we'd have gone down - some would do well to remember that.

i think the problem with rene is that the contract has been on the table for 6 months.
with regard to jarvis, AK said that the contract offer to him "wasnt good" and as he probably expected, jarvis left.
the difference being is that jarvis didnt p**s about and got on with securing himself a deal somewhere else. I think that is what may have impressed some of the posters on here.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I see what you are saying DY but the Howe scenario is different. As many have said he has had an offer on the table since Christmas, it's not about him being greedy or above us (as Bix says) he is more than entitled to want more money and to think he is a better player than to be stuck at Torquay. It's about the manner in which he is conducting his affairs. Jarvis rejected an offer. Fine. Why can't Rene then and all will be ok as we know for definate he will be going and we can plan accordingly. We all know he wants to go anyway so why the secrecy? I just don't understand. Obviously he is well within his rights to wait until the very last day of his contract and then make his mind up but if he should stay do any of you think for one minute that he WANTS to still play for us? No , so he wants to go therefore if he knows then what's the point in not telling us? It's because he doesn't want to be unemployed if all goes wrong and he is covering his arse and using us. If he signed for us again he'd be an absolute disaster IMO because he'll be sitting on a contract and he'll be in the comfort zone, a place he is all too familiar with based on the last 4 months of last season. Oh and smiffy, without Labadies goals we'd have gone down without Jarvis we'd have gone down, without Downes we'd have gone down. You can say that all you like but no one players contribution was the difference between our survival and not. On the flipside you could argue that his lack of goals in the second half of the season nearly saw us go down and it was left to others to bail us out of the sh*t whilst he swanned around getting booked.

I've nothing against Rene, i don't really want to criticise him as i have enjoyed his time with us and he has given me some great moments but in terms of what is the appropriate , fair and respectful way to conduct yourself with regards his future then i can't respect a man that that is as disingenuous as he appears to be. We are Torquay United, we are not a back-up for failed contract negotiations at other clubs, we are a now a strong club with strong decision makers at the helm and we should withdraw our contract offer to him should he not make his mind up by the end of the week. I think that is fair and reasonable on our part, we don't have to offer him a new contract. Threaten to pull out and THEN see what he does, i reckon we'll have some news in no time.

[royalgull]

Our offers been on the table for 6 months....no one elses has.

Rene was always going to be offered something by TUFC it's a good safety net for him to have, well if there's nothing better out there I'll stay. Very reasonable and wise thing to do, he's also very lucky in that aspect as lots of players have been released.

He hasn't mucked anyone around he's done the smart thing in seeing what else is out there, to do that he has to let his contract run down and wait till the end of the season to see which clubs want him and what leagues they are in. The only disappointment for us is we won't get a transfer fee for him but there you go, can't be helped.

Rene should definitely come out and say I really want to leave Torquay, not be offered anything better then re-sign for Torquay and I'm sure you'll all think well fo him for being so 'honest' .

[AustrianAndyGull]

Our offers been on the table for 6 months....no one elses has.

Rene was always going to be offered something by TUFC it's a good safety net for him to have, well if there's nothing better out there I'll stay. Very reasonable and wise thing to do, he's also very lucky in that aspect as lots of players have been released.

He hasn't mucked anyone around he's done the smart thing in seeing what else is out there, to do that he has to let his contract run down and wait till the end of the season to see which clubs want him and what leagues they are in. The only disappointment for us is we won't get a transfer fee for him but there you go, can't be helped.

Rene should definitely come out and say I really want to leave Torquay, not be offered anything better then re-sign for Torquay and I'm sure you'll all think well fo him for being so 'honest' .

but it's fine for him to think it though?

We all know he doesn't want to stay anyway so if he did re-sign then he'd be a fraud in my eyes. If he said he wants to leave and nothing better comes along and he signs for us again then i wouldn't be happy at all but so long as he puts in the effort each week then i can have no complaints and i'd fully support him. He will have been honest, used us as a back up which i don't agree with but then had the decency to put in the effort. We'll wait and see.