Joe Davis being chased by Leicester!

[Gazleese]

One of the most baffling transfers ever for me.

 

I've seen every game he's played for vale and he's never even slightly impressed.

 

Good luck and all that, but I would have driven him there myself!

 

He'll on loan with a conf/lge 2 club within months. (As will Hugill for that matter!)

[Andyregs]

If we were that bothered about keeping him, and they thought he had real potential, we would have offered more than 12 months. 12 months mean he was not seen as having any future potential and was probably seen as a squad filler.

[davehartshill]

Odd move.

[Lady_Vale]

One of the most baffling transfers ever for me.

 

I've seen every game he's played for vale and he's never even slightly impressed.

 

Good luck and all that, but I would have driven him there myself!

 

He'll on loan with a conf/lge 2 club within months. (As will Hugill for that matter!)

 

I agree with all of that.

 

Good luck and I hope Joe has a good career but I'm not sorry that we don't have to consider him next season.

 

I'll be surprised if Hugill and JMW haven't made a mistake with their moves too.

[eh up nah]

I reckon he could prove a few wrong to be honest. I actually thought he should have gotten more of a chance with us.

 

There's a decent player in there and Leicester probabl;y have a better chance of getting that out of him.

[CAVALIER]

Always thought he'd be a decent full back. No fee unless he makes the first team I believe

[Phil]

Always thought he'd be a decent full back. No fee unless he makes the first team I believe

 

We shouldn't accept that, we'll get nowt! Stick out for a proper fee, he is under 24, go to tribunal if necessary.

[For Us All]

He's barely played 20-30 in the 3 years he's been here? Lets be realistic had he been a couple of years older he wouldn't of been offered a contract. Had he been a regular starter then yeah I agree but the likelihood is playing reserve team football for vale or reserve team football for Leicester on more money, its a no brainer. This is what they call a good move for all concerned

 

Let's be honest it's all about money at the end of the day,if he wants to play in Leicester's development squad rather than be a squad player with us for less money,good luck to him.He's been advised by his dad at the end of the day and he's no mug.We can't compete with PL clubs,that's why we've lost our physio's.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

This is an episode that has disappointed me a great deal, not so much from a Vale perspective but more so from a wider English football view.

 

I'm one of those who sees the potential for Davis to become a decent player and he has the basic ability to develop into a ball playing centre half. Whether or not he will grow into becoming that player or not remains to be seen.

 

From a Vale perspective we had better get a decent fee or serious questions have to be asked; if there's any truth in the statement we'll only get a fee if he plays in Leicester's first team we would need our heads looking at. Personally I think his leaving us is a blow, I was hoping and expecting Davis would prove himself a regular in our team next season.

 

However, from a wider English football angle I think this epitomises why we don't have English players developing into international quality players. Forget if it's Joe Davis or not, it could be A.N.Other, the point is we have a player at a lower division club who is on the verge of playing league football with the full competitive nature it has who has now given that up in order to play less competitive reserve / development football at a Premier League club with very little prospect of ever making their first team any time soon - or ever. As others have said this is all about money. Davis will no doubt be getting significantly more than Vale can offer but from Leicester's side of the deal they are getting a possible good future player for relative peanuts which means they aren't too bothered if that player doesn't make it and they release him aged 22-23. Surely his potential would be better realised playing proper league football and then moving up the leagues through transfers in the conventional manner?

 

If Greg Dyke's dumbo plan to have Premier League reserve / development teams playing in L1 & 2 goes ahead this sort of thing will happen more and more. Smaller clubs will lose every young player with potential before they've even shown if they're good enough for the lower divisions and they'll never be able to grow a team with any good quality youth in it. This, in my opinion, will result in an even worse outcome for the national team because it will reduce the overall quality of L1 & 2 and all our younger players will be stuck in Premier teams' 'B' sides and won't gain the benefit of playing alongside experienced players or against as good a quality professionals as they might do.

 

These days absolutely everything is weighted against the lower divisions and to some degree the Championship, purely in the interests of more and more wealth and power for the Premier League, the league where clubs are naturally interested in their own welfare and not that of the England team. If the FA really want to develop English players they need to do something to keep them spread across the leagues where they can gain experience of competitive football and progress accordingly. If they're concerned about coaching and development they could hold FA development coaching sessions at St. Georges or something.

 

Good luck Joe Davis, I suspect your path to developing into a Premier League player has, ironically, just got much harder.

[Fosse69]

The FA only do what the Prem League tell them to do, the PL will not be happy until they get all English players for free.

[valeparklife]

I thought this was a wind up at first. Never thought he was good enough. Definitely a 'trier', but I just couldn't see him forging a career in League football. Then he moves to the Prem?! Bizarre, but good luck to the lad.

[Andyregs]

I thought this was a wind up at first. Never thought he was good enough. Definitely a 'trier', but I just couldn't see him forging a career in League football. Then he moves to the Prem?! Bizarre, but good luck to the lad.

 

On a contract twice as long as we offered! As long as we bring in a new centre half I won't be disappointed. I wouldn't want us to use a loan slot up to bring him back, so he can't be that much of a loss.

[fraggle]

I always thought he had great potential, but every time he made a mistake Micky punished him.... Not an appropriate way to deal with someone who is very much learning his trade. I really hope he smashes the opportunity out of the park to become a really good prem or championship player.