Boro have turned down a bid for Austrian international Emanuel Pogatetz from Greek league leaders Panathinaikos.
The defender's current contract runs out in the summer, but Boro boss Gordon Strachan has reassured fans that the former captain is staying on Teesside.
Strachan said: "The Greek club has offered money for him. I know he is out of contract in the summer but I know for a fact it would need five times the amount mentioned to replace him with a player of similar ability, so that won't be happening.
"The only way it would happen is if it was right for us, which it certainly wouldn't be.
"Poggy understands that and he's fine about it. He is one of the men we have here and we don't have too many. As a leader as well as a footballer, he is invaluable.
"By a million miles at this time Poggy is better off staying here than us taking the money that's on offer."
Strachan seems to have an obsession with footballers being 'men', by which he seems to mean married and at least 25. But I'm with him on Pogi, the Austrian did not contribute enough to the Boro cause last season, due to injuries and a strange change of attitude which lost him his captaincy, but he is both a leader and a good player and we need to keep hold of our elder statesmen to compliment the energy of the youngsters.
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 8-1-10
No comments:
Post a Comment