If we get Walace from Udinese and use some of the Capoue money to sign a half-decent forward on a loan with an option to buy I would be happy.
So farewell then Etienne We won't be seeing you again. You've gone to play your trade abroad Sad but your wages we couldn't afford. You're in the region of Valancia But will you take your electric car? EJ Thribb aged 17 & 3/4
On his day, one of the best players I’ve had the pleasure of seeing represent us. Feels quite sad now looking back on the summer following our promotion, as we all hoped we’d sign some genuine quality (unlike our two previous entrances into the PL) and we were excitedly rewarded with the likes of Capoue, Behrami, Pr*dl etc. I believe we really played the market well that summer, and Capoue was top of the incomings. So it’s another part of that happy era coming to an end. Weird too that we feared we’d lose him last summer, and you could argue he’s hardly been a stand-out since then, so maybe it’s a little surprising he’s gone now rather than back then. Wish him well. Thanks for everything. And as others have already said, fingers crossed we replace him well, because if we don’t I fear for our promotion hopes.
Oh lol I only just noticed that, It could be my Maltese font. I really should see a doctor about that.
I like Whiteman too and have touted him a few times. But Transfermarkt is wrong; his contract actually expires in 2023. Think that £1.5m-2m would be enough though. Still seems to me like the best realistic domestic Capoue replacement.
I have no idea about Whiteman. But now deceased father in law, a NCB employee in South Yorkshire said they were renaming the local team Doncaster Roves Nil. Can’t believe we have sunk to the pits of signing Belle Vue players. I would have hoped our recruitment would ha e started on a richer seam than League 1.
I suspect the plan was to get fees for Deeney, Capoue, Pereyra and Delofeou in the summer. Perhaps Sarr too. There was potentially 100m of fees there that would have balanced the books and enabled rebuilding. Instead the Pozzos faced the stark reality that a combination of the underwhelming performances from most of those, combined with wage expectations and a depressed market, meant there were no buyers. That is why they readily sold their young hopes. That is why they are shifting Capoue now. That is why Deeney and Gray are bleeding us dry, whilst giving terrible performances surrounding maybe one adequate one every 10 games. The mess made over the past 3 seasons is still hurting us.
Hope he re-signs whenever we play Palace next. The way he used to boot Zaha in the air in the first five minutes of every game was brilliant.
I DMed the club about signing Gueye then losing him to Marseilles, but never addressing the fact. Didn't think they'd actually do it!
Coincidence ? I DMed the club about buying him. However after further research I changed my mind and told them to ditch him. Fortunately they found a Gino loophole to walk away from the deal at no cost to us. The lad was devastated but business is business. I’ve suggested deleting the original website post and pretending they were a victim of hacking but I gather the social media team are too busy at the moment targeting our Chinese fan base but will action this later in the year.
They usually do listen TBF. It was my mistake in taking a step back in Spring 2019. Selling Doucoure for £20m instead of the £50m they could easily have sold him for was the final straw. I’ve told them I’m here again if they need me. For now I’ve suggested that they just sell Sarr for £60m this window and reinvest in 5 excellent forwards at £2m each who can hit the ground running. Use the rest to pay down debt. I’m disappointed they don’t see these opportunities themselves.
Capoue was an absolute joy to watch at his best. An absolute animal who dominated the midfield and with a huge amount of quality. as people have said , possibly the best midfielder I’ve ever watched at the Vic. It was time for him to go though, as he’s been well below his best this season and I can’t help feeling his heart wasn’t in it.
So the FTRE boys have made smooth-braining their official party line, it seems. Always good to be aware of.
Yeah, I dare say 99% of this forum love Abdi more, but Capoue at his best was absolutely different gravy
Yep you cannot compare Capoue and Abdi in terms of football ability. Capoue was world class on his day. Abdi was outclassed in almost every Premier league match he played in.
Loved Abdi in the champ (and his goal at Stoke in the prem) but Capoue just oozed class at prem level. Like McClelland he barely ever seemed to sprint but covered so much ground. His languid style made him look like he wasn't giving 100% but be was a hell of a player at his best.
Hold on, there’s some rewriting of history here. Yes, Capoue had terrific attributes, but for whatever reason he infrequently used them to the max. So he was rarely the “hell of a player” you describe, which was the great frustration that I will remember him for. He certainly can’t be compared for consistency with someone like McClelland, which I realise you didn’t do, but the two of them will certainly not be held in the same regard by those who saw them both.
...which is why I said "....at his best". Difficult to compare him to JM given the different positions and eras. The quality of the football is way way above the quality in JMs era.
