[SOLD] Philip Zinckernagel

I think his main role was to try to ensure we kept hold of the ball a lot more than might otherwise have been the case, to try to reduce the pressure on the defence. In that role he was quite successful, always accepting anything approaching a progressive forward option seemed beyond him.

 

Not big enough to admit you were wrong with your assumption? Fair enough, you do you mate.

 

Peace and love x

 

Looks like we are in the process of losing any of our players who will do well for a top Championship team. Fantastic stuff.

Looking forward to this being the team next season:

Bachmann
Kiko
Ekong
Cathcart
Masina
Gosling
Cleverly
Kayembe
Kalu
Afobe
Fletcher


We have somehow managed to regress from Pozzo's first season in charge.

 

It's nice to be nice

 

We have sold zero players and signed zero players, and pre season starts tomorrow. Season starts in 6 weeks.

 

Stop moaning. At least we can concentrate on achieving our mid table mediocrity !

 

The Malky Mackay and Sean Dyche teams would have smashed that line up
Loach
Hodson
Mariappa
Taylor
Doyley
Harley
Cowie
Eustace
Lansbury
Graham
(Sordell)

 

Yeah of course we’re gonna sign no one!

 

I would be disappointed to see him leave, think he would be key to us this season.

 

Now being linked with Besiktas too

 

Few million for a player who doesn't want to be here and a ready made replacement in Robert Snodgrass (can do a job in an Edwards system)

Shrewd business

 

The more clubs we hear are interested, the more you’d have to assume that Watford are trying to push him out? Bit odd given his recent Championship success and apparent suitability to Edwards’ FGR style of play.

 

That's how I see it too. I maybe wildly wrong about this, but what it looks like to me is the club are finding it hard to shift Sarr and Dennis for the fees they want, panicking and now going to plan B by selling players like Zinc and Cucho in order to generate some funds. The trouble is, Dennis and Sarr will go at some point, then we'll be left with a threadbare squad, although the bills would have been paid.

 

Lost count of the number of our players that have been linked with Besiktas over the years! Don't think any have actually come to fruition though...

 

Or the more you might assume that he doesn't want to play in the Champ again and his agent is pushing to find another club?

 

Turkish journalists and football fans surely have to be the biggest transfer muppets around - watch any youtube highlights vid for a half-decent player and you can be pretty much assured there'll be comments underneath for "come to Besiktas" or "will sign for Galatasaray!" etc.

 

You say that but I have to take my hat off to the Fenerbahce fans for their co-ordinated banter suggesting that we'd signed the Turkish Pogba and had a real gem in Tufan.

 

I honestly think Gino is just a bit stubborn and blinkered, he gets a hard on for players like Afobe and fletch, and no matter what happens in their careers and how bad they get he can’t resist trying to sign them. Then you get players like Zinc who become available on a free, and he sees them as purely a way of spinning a few mil profit and almost nothing they do can help them work their way into his plans.

 

That kind of supports my point - transfer muppets galore; over-hypes most players, over-hypes their clubs thinking anyone decent is actually going to sign for them, and generally reporting lots of information of very questionable veracity.

 

Totally agree

 

Your point is?

 

That your predicted line up and assertion that "We have somehow managed to regress from Pozzo's first season in charge." may be a little premature?

 

The management of Zinckernagel is absolutely baffling but then again this isn't the first time under Pozzo they have completely ballsed it up.

Whilst he didn't exactly pull up trees when he first joined and seemed to have a slight attitude, he still scored and assisted a few and looked pretty nifty on the ball. 4 months into his 5 1/2 year contract we then decide he doesn't deserve to play for us and ship him off to another club, replacing him with the flattest midfield we've had in years. We were crying out for a spark in midfield that could link the play but all we had was Tufan waddling off the bench. Now we are stuck with someone who is clearly a top championship player, but we binned off at the first chance last time round meaning he doesn't want to play for us anymore. Dreadful decision making from the usual suspects but nothing surprises me with them anymore.

 

It may be premature. The thing is, history tells us that we don't spend money in the Championship. We may get a couple of loans in from Udinese, who are considerably worse than they used to be. The only way we end up with a significantly stronger team is if Pozzo completely changes his approach from recent years.

 

Last time we needed loans from Udinese, they finished 13th the season before. They helped us get promoted. Last season, they finished 12th.

We've finished 3rd, 13th, 2nd and 2nd in the Championship with Pozzo recruitment, so can't be all bad.

 

We didn't have it last Championship season.

 

Fair point, although I would bet a small fortune that they don't have anything like that squad depth anymore.

 

We almost certainly won't get away with such a lack of goals this time around, the league is probably stronger now, we don't have Sarr to scare the living bejesus out of the opposition, and I'd be very surprised if our defence gets anywhere near the record set last year

 

Yeah, nevermind all that nonsense, it worked out in the past so it's a guarantee it will again.

Just like how any player who was once any good in Championship is guaranteed to be again years later, because ageing and athletic decline aren't a thing.

 

You've already said that mate. And again, you're arguing against your own imagination, because no one has said that.

 

We'll see. I don't think the league is massively stronger, and we haven't signed anyone yet.