So in your world Manga didn't want him as he doesn't fit the right profile but Bilic really did, so instead of just telling him that it wasn't going to happen, we tried to get him over several weeks and then Manga pulled the plug? Wouldn't that be a monumental waste of everyone's time?
Or the club became less minded on bringing in an extra midfielder because Louza, Kayembe, Cleverley are close to returning. But Bilic still wanted the player. And then the club compromised and decided to to see if it could be done on the cheap.
All I'll say is that Mogi Bayat would have helped with the move to Nantes and that Pozzo has built one of our oldest squads over the last 5 or 6 years. Manga may have been happy to go along with this but for me it points to a Pozzo pick and that's exactly what we should be moving away from.
Or the fact that we have bought lots of promising youngsters this window meant that Manga felt we maybe could have done with one more experienced head ? Who knows ??
Well there is the fact that the article says that talks were underway well before the window opened. Manga was over here early December so was probably working before he was officially announced a few weeks later, just depends how early the Sissoko talks began I guess.
Yes. I also like Pozuelo and there’s a Brazilian lad who left RB Bragatino who could be a decent punt on a free. But I’d imagine we just revisit in the summer, especially once we have to replace Pedro in the 10.
Anyway …. Anyone know of any players available as free agents that might appeal to us … I see Jordan Ibe is without a club still - I know he hasn’t fulfilled his potential but still 27 (I think) and I wonder if he is worth a deal to the end of the season - even just as cover ?
I believe he has unfortunately suffered with depression in recent times, so I wouldn’t recommend Watford as the best place for him to come to.
He’s dog **** and you’re only saying it because he played for Liverpool. You may as well recommend Jerome Sinclair, there’s a reason it’s never worked for Ibe and there’s a reason he’s a free agent.
Lewis O'Brien's move to Blackburn has been blocked and now he's not being named in the Forest 25-man squad.
Presume they will appeal, a few crisp notes will be passed under the table, and it will be waved through ??
How do you know why I suggested him ? It had nothing to do with him playing a couple of games for Liverpool anymore than it did him having played for Wycombe. He isn’t that **** … but he certainly hasn’t developed as expected. do you have any suggestions for players without a club ?
Aside from half a season, where he was genuinely good, I wish we’d followed contract law and never employed the useless moany ****
Alan Sonora, Alejandro Pozuelo or Miguel. All attacking midfielders. The latter is the most raw with the highest ceiling. Pozuelo is old but I think would have the best short term impact. Sonora somewhere in the middle.
So if it had nothing to do with him playing football anywhere what are you basing it on is kinda my point! It’s just a name we recognise. I overreacted a bit to you directly with my football snob behaviour so I apologise, I just get infuriated when players who have literally not been successful at any single point in their career are assumed good because they were at a good academy. Sign a kid from League One or Two who works incredibly hard and nothing else and I bet he’d still offer more than a perennial disappointment like Jordon Ibe. To answer your question, nope, I think most the free agents on the market have been there for a while for good reason. Ta*der could’ve been fun, Mangala could be hilarious and probably still not worse than Kabasele. Vrsaljko & Arias are probably better than Ngakia and Zaza is probably still better than Manaj. I would’ve had Thauvin but our brothers beat us to that.
Wait. Whilst I respect you defending your view, he’s only ever looked half-decent at Liverpool? He was dross at Bournemouth and worse at Derby, and has a self-admitted litany of personal issues. So it’s easy to be confused about the suggestion if it’s not based on him playing for Liverpool to be fair!
I’d rather we concentrate on what we have now the window is closed - it can’t be good for morale in the squad that we routinely don’t fill the gaps in the window and seemingly go cap-in-hand to the free agency market. Leave well alone I say. And concentrate on trying to make an actual team out of what we have.
Oi ! I missed this post ! Of course I don't think all Gino's decisions are good, and all good decisions are Gino's. Likewise I don't think all his decisions are bad or that any bad decision must have originated at Gino.