Joe Sadness

[localny]

Stoke City's Joe Allen heard about Liverpool exit via text from friend

Joe Allen has told the Daily Telegraph he only found out Liverpool had agreed to sell him to Stoke City when he received a text message from a friend.
Allen, 26, joined Stoke for a reported £13 million last month after struggling for playing time under Jurgen Klopp.
"I actually had a text message off a friend congratulating me about making the move when I didn't even know it was happening at the time," the Wales midfielder, who joined Liverpool from Swansea City in 2012, said.
"Not knowing whether the club intend to sell you or keep you, especially when you're trying to ask the question, is disappointing.
"If I'm honest, to find out they accepted an offer through the press isn't the best way of going about business, I don't think. The communication wasn't great but as soon as Liverpool accepted an offer I knew what their intentions were for me.
"It was a bit strange but that's how things happen sometimes. There was no real goodbye, but I'm not the most sentimental person anyway. It's irrelevant now because sitting here I've got the move I wanted."

Joe Allen hopes to establish himself as a regular at Stoke after finding himself down the pecking order at Liverpool.
Klopp had praised Allen as "brilliant" and even told his Liverpool players before one game that he wanted them to play "Joe Allen football."
Allen, though, started only eight games in the Premier League last season and accepts that he would have had limited opportunities under the German.
"Being a regular wasn't going to happen and that's fair enough," he said. "If you look at the quality Liverpool have got in midfield, and maybe the age of the players, I think I'd have been waiting for injuries and suspensions.
"Realistically, if you've been there four years you expect more than that. I'm not going to be happy unless I'm on the pitch on a regular basis. I'm 26 now and the next four or five years are going to be my best."
He is now hoping to help Mark Hughes' Stoke side progress to the next level, saying: "I'm really excited about this move because the ambition is there to get better.
"We've finished ninth three seasons running and the aim now is to look at those places above."

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[Bradley]

When they accepted the bid I knew what their intentions were for me.

No shit Joe!

 

[Frogfish]

It's still not nice - if that's how it went down I'd be truly disappointed.

 

[localny]

agreed

 

[Red Astaire]

Hahaha Er fuck off Joe. As if you didn't know that a move was on the cards. Cheeky bugger. I say it's disappointing that he feels the need for sly digs.

 

[Frogfish]

Hahaha Er fuck off Joe. As if you didn't know that a move was on the cards. Cheeky bugger. I say it's disappointing that he feels the need for sly digs.

Well not really RAs. Imagine how you'd feel if you found out you'd been sacked via a colleague ? The club should have the respect to keep this under wraps until the player has been informed ..and has agreed ! Again, if that's what went down.

 

[Red Astaire]

Well not really RAs. Imagine how you'd feel if you found out you'd been sacked via a colleague ? The club should have the respect to keep this under wraps until the player has been informed ..and has agreed ! Again, if that's what went down.

Respectfully disagree. Obviously I don't know the facts but I think it's fair to say everyone knew he being shown the door (or as the saying goes) Handed his hat at least. It's his agent that should be looked at? Does he have one? Disappointing comments from Joe imo.

 

[Fabio]

Nah, disappointed in the club over this. There should always been discussions with the player regarding any move

 

[Shadey]

I smell a rat.

 

[gkmacca]

I guess in this age of emails and tweets it's not that surprising if news leaks out faster than the club's good old formal fax and phone system, but there's no way Allen's agent wouldn't have been involved in those discussions, so if some mate of Allen's beat his own agent to the news then Joe should tell his agent to wake up. I like him as a player, always have one, but he seems a bit of a sly little whiner off the field.

 

[DHSC]

Maybe his friend is his agent and its all about semantics. [emoji16]

 

[Red Bird]

It doesn't add up. He'd not be going to Stoke without having agreed terms, would he?

 

[Woland]

Well I'll be supporting him today anyways. Hope he destroys the cagoule obsessed meffs this afternoon.

 

[Comical Aly]

Joe Sullen is a dirty manc.

 

[Insignificance]

He could easily refuse their offer and stay fighting for his place. He was not sacked. The club accepted and offer and that happens from time to time. Was Pogba sacked from Juve?

 

[Judge Jules]

The club and the agent should both have kept it under their hats until the player had been informed but, while I don't blame him for being underwhelmed, I also don't see what he's gained by mithering about it in the press now - it's a growing habit among players and a pretty pointless one. Nobody's finest hour IMO.

 

[6TimesaRed]

Once a Manc always a Manc..

 

[Fallon]

He should be pissed at his divvy agent then, who was probably more interested in negotiating his fee than informing his client.

 

[mark1975]

This is the sort of stuff that would have been criticised pre Klopp, now suddenly its all on the player, or the agent. You don't publically label the player brilliant and the sell him weeks later, it makes it look conceited and dishonest. Its this sort of stuff that saw Houllier lose the dressing room.

 

[Red Astaire]

Well I'll be supporting him today anyways. Hope he destroys the cagoule obsessed meffs this afternoon.

Hehehe

 

[hmmmmm1]

The writings been on the wall since the end of the season. Shouldn't have been too much of a surprise

 

[keniget]

This is the sort of stuff that would have been criticised pre Klopp, now suddely its all on the player, or the agent. You don't publically label the player brilliant and the sell him weeks later, it makes it look conceited and dishonest. Its this sort of stuff that saw Houllier lose the dressing room.

Then all football is dishonest.

Pretty much every manager has at one point talked up a player or stated categorically that a player is not being sold only for that player to be sold days or weeks later.

And besides, it may be more on the club than Klopp whose involvement may have been limited to saying "ok".

As for this specific case, Allen must've known his neck was on the chopping block and if Klopp or someone at the club didn't take him to one side or have a conversation at some point to let him know what's what then that's a shame. But as we know, football is pretty ruthless. Dishonest and ruthless.