BREAKING NEWS - Pratley in talks with QPR

whatsgoingon wrote:I don't hold with all this thought process where if things aren't going well on the pitch their whole life gets put under the spotlight. At the end of the day they are still young men who will do what young men do, but within the parameters of being a professional athlete.
That picture just shows him having a laugh with a mate, he is not popping NOS capsules or lay in a gutter with a litre and a half bottle of designer vodka.
When things are bad on the pitch and the pressure is building sometimes a couple of days blow-out can do the world of good as long as it is within the constraints of being a professional sportsman.

Totally disagree.

You lead by example.

If I was the captain of a side in relegation trouble with just one point out of the last fifteen and given a couple of days off, I would be rallying the troops, bonding us more tightly together, building up a fantastic team spirit.

Personally I would be making sure I was in the best physical shape I could be, possibly going in to the club for extra training on my own if necessary.

The last thing I would be doing is pissing it up with my mates and getting off my head and having my picture taken doing it by a complete and random stranger.

He's not a fucking irresponsible teenager for God sake, he's a man who has been given a responsibility.

If it meant something to him he would not be pissing it up at the drop of a hat whilst the club is at the wrong end of the table.

Shows to me that his heart is not in the club that pays him a bloody fortune.

A leader of men - I don't think so.

Considering all things it is time to go for Pratts IMO ......  wages plus the fact he is 30 and has a few more years on the contract. On the field the skills are not getting any better from this point on.

Good luck to him though.

QPR also have a track record of paying top dollar for average players, but I'd be amazed if this deal went though on a permanent basis at least. I suspect that if it's a loan, we'll be subsidising.

whatsgoingon wrote:I don't hold with all this thought process where if things aren't going well on the pitch their whole life gets put under the spotlight. At the end of the day they are still young men who will do what young men do, but within the parameters of being a professional athlete.
That picture just shows him having a laugh with a mate, he is not popping NOS capsules or lay in a gutter with a litre and a half bottle of designer vodka.
When things are bad on the pitch and the pressure is building sometimes a couple of days blow-out can do the world of good as long as it is within the constraints of being a professional sportsman.

We were 5 games into the season, he should be getting fit not on the piss in Ibiza. I know a couple of lads who play professionally we barely see them during the season as they're concentrating on staying fit not going on the piss.

There was nothing to intimate he was on the piss, I may be wrong but I don't think there was any pictures of him drinking.
Just because he was somewhere where other people were pissing it up it doesn't mean he was. You can have a laugh without pissing it up.
That's just my opinion

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but QPR's chairman has said there is no truth in this

whatsgoingon wrote:There was nothing to intimate he was on the piss, I may be wrong but I don't think there was any pictures of him drinking.
Just because he was somewhere where other people were pissing it up it doesn't mean he was. You can have a laugh without pissing it up.
That's just my opinion

Do me a favour, if he was looking for a relaxing weekend why go to a pool party in Ibiza? And does he look sober to you?

Boggersbelief wrote:Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but QPR's chairman has said there is no truth in this

That means nothing to be fair, many people play down reports till there is actually something to report.

Even the bloke pictured with him said he was pissed! ("not as drunk as he looks" - ie, he was drunk but not too bad at that time).

God knows what state he was in at the end of the night though!!!

Don't be in talks, just ring Metro and fcuk off!!

Sluffy wrote:unless of course I was an overpaid pounce

Stop trying to get around my copyright.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Sluffy wrote:unless of course I was an overpaid pounce

Stop trying to get around my copyright.

Not sure Spearing should be castigated over the Ibiza business. To be honest if I was his age and had his kind of money and the time off I'd hop a plane with some of my mates and hit the beach. As to Pratley if he does go then I hope the money we save from his wages gets invested in the squad and not be used solely to pay down debt. I know getting the books balanced is important but at L1 wages we should be able to get at least one decent midfielder AND put some money back into the club for what Pratley earns.

Oddly enough though I agree with Nat in that were it possible I'd keep him because I still think he has something to offer especially at this level. Whether or not that something would be enough to justify his wage is another matter but I do think he's a good 'stopper' who works hard and while he's never going to be a 'flair' player he'd be a solid anchor and free up younger and faster players to get forward.