Henri Saivet

[Tooj 17]

Flew in for talks last night according to The Times.

 

Box to box midfielder from Bordeaux.

 

No idea if he's any good or not but either way we desperately need to upgrade things in the middle of the pitch so we can displace Colback and Anita.

[The Fish 10872]

[Andrew 4772]

Seems to be having a good season (according to whoscored).

I thought he was more of a forward but it seems I am well out of date and he is more of a CM these days.

 

According to whoscored...

 

+ Strengths

Aerial Duels

Strong

Holding on to the ball

Strong

Defensive contribution

Strong

Tackling

Strong

 

 

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3900]

I'm just glad we are going for someone with PL experience.

[The Fish 10872]

I'm just glad we are going for someone with PL experience.

You mean like Jonjo

 

 

or Saido

 

Can't wait....

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3900]

You mean like Jonjo

 

 

or Saido

 

Can't wait....

 

I'm just taking the piss, I think we will buy a load of shit no matter where it's from.

[Dr Gloom 21961]

Well, signing French players with no experience of playing in England has been a resounding success so far, hasn't it?

[The Fish 10872]

 

The successes justified targeting that league imo.

 

also, buying from the domestic leagues hasn't exactly been a viable alternative, now has it?

[The Fish 10872]

[ewerk 30656]

Looks like he hasn't yet mastered the art of the sideways pass. Not for me, thanks.

[David Kelly 1245]

Not at all impressed by the thought of signing this guy. We don't need another average Frenchie who has no experiance in this league and done very little in his own league. I've also no confidence in our master scout at picking up unknown (apart from his days as a wonderkid on Champ Man) players from France who can be quality players in the premiership.

 

We spent £13m on Thauvin and he's been a massive flop so far and similar on Mitro and he's also struggling. £2m or £3m on someone that barely anyone has heard of isn't going to be a signing that drags us out of the shit we're in. For all the bollocks that the fat cunt, Penfold and Schteve spout, we're still looking to shop in the bargin basement and do anything but make our own luck.

[The Fish 10872]

What kind of Premier League player can we look forward to? Anyone who's performing well at the minute won't join us and we're gambling on either kids with potential and suspect attitude, or ageing pros who may not work out.

 

Obertan and Campbell.

Gosling and Butt

Guthrie and Smith

 

[David Kelly 1245]

Obviously we'd all like to see us sign quality players from with premiership experience but as you point out it's going to be difficult to get them to come here (although there's talk about Bony going back to Swansea so they shoudl be no reason why we can't compete with them for him if that is true)>

 

But that doesn't mean we should then look to sign a player who's done pretty much nothing in his career and only managed seven league starts last season. Surely there are players out there in other leagues who at least have experience abroad who aren't just also rans. Surely our options aren't just complete duds who have experience here, young kids from abroad with very little experience anywhere or players who have a bit of experience somewhere but have never performed in their career?

[Holden McGroin 6610]

What kind of Premier League player can we look forward to? Anyone who's performing well at the minute won't join us and we're gambling on either kids with potential and suspect attitude, or ageing pros who may not work out.

 

Obertan and Campbell.

Gosling and Butt

Guthrie and Smith

 

 

I thought Guthrie was ok. Scored the odd goal and could pick a pass. He is better than Colback and Anita anyway.

[Happy Face 29]

5 foot 8?

 

Do we have the shortest squad in England?

[The Fish 10872]

Obviously we'd all like to see us sign quality players from with premiership experience but as you point out it's going to be difficult to get them to come here (although there's talk about Bony going back to Swansea so they shoudl be no reason why we can't compete with them for him if that is true)>

 

But that doesn't mean we should then look to sign a player who's done pretty much nothing in his career and only managed seven league starts last season. Surely there are players out there in other leagues who at least have experience abroad who aren't just also rans. Surely our options aren't just complete duds who have experience here, young kids from abroad with very little experience anywhere or players who have a bit of experience somewhere but have never performed in their career?

 

Who dis?

 

To be fair, we haven't solely been signing duds from abroad. We've signed captains, we've signed players of the year, players who've performed. It's just that alongside those players we've signed some shite.

 

*and the people in charge of getting performances from the signings have been largely bullshit.

Edited January 11, 2016 by The Fish

[Dr Gloom 21961]

Fish, the odd good signing from France amid the dross doesn't change the fact that the policy of having a punt on unproven foreign players is misguided. I would have less of a problem with it if we were a solid mid table side but we're battling for survival. We need players with experience of this division, and the right attitude for a relegation fight.

[Dr Gloom 21961]

they don't have to be english by the way. but experience of playing here would help. we need players ready to improve the squad as of this minute, not ones that need 6 months to get used to the pace of the premiership.

[The Fish 10872]

Fish, the odd good signing from France amid the dross doesn't change the fact that the policy of having a punt on unproven foreign players is misguided. I would have less of a problem with it if we were a solid mid table side but we're battling for survival. We need players with experience of this division, and the right attitude for a relegation fight.

 

We've had plenty of good players come into the club. It's not the recruitment that's the issue. It's the management, then subsequent sale of those players that causes us the issues.

 

You say we should sign an experienced Premier League player, with a fighting attitude...

 

The pool of players we need but can attract from the Premier League is... well it's Jonjo Shelvey and Saido Berahino.

 

The mackems buy experienced Premier League players pretty much every season and spend their days praying that we donate them 6 points so that they can limp on for another year. Buying from abroad isn't a guarantee of anything, but there've been enough successes to not dismiss it as a failure.

[David Kelly 1245]

Who dis?

 

To be fair, we haven't solely been signing duds from abroad. We've signed captains, we've signed players of the year, players who've performed. It's just that alongside those players we've signed some shite.

 

*and the people in charge of getting performances from the signings have been largely bullshit.

The player who's name is at the top of this thread.

 

The players we've signed from France or elsewhere who have done well (Cabaye, Debuchy, Janmaat, Gini, Ben Arfa & Cisse to an extent) are all players who have some experience and have performed in their career. Most of the young lads we've signed have struggled because it's obviously difficuly for young lads to come to a better league in a new country and perform from day one. If they're in a team that's struggling badly then it's difficult for them to ever perform. Signing players like Thauvin, Riviere, Cabella, Mitrovic etc is a massive risk because because they don't have the experience to come into a struggling team and turn stuff around. Mbemba is an exception to this (of course he might be nearer to 30 than 20) but you can't expect kids to come here and start as well as him. Then you have signings like Goufrran & Amalfiantano who have never shown any signs of being good enough throughout their career. Saivet appears to be in exactly the same mould to me hence I have no expectation of him doing anything. Carr has never brought over someone like that who's been a success. Obviously if he signs I hope I'm wrong.

[The Fish 10872]

The player who's name is at the top of this thread.

 

The players we've signed from France or elsewhere who have done well (Cabaye, Debuchy, Janmaat, Gini, Ben Arfa & Cisse to an extent) are all players who have some experience and have performed in their career. Most of the young lads we've signed have struggled because it's obviously difficuly for young lads to come to a better league in a new country and perform from day one. If they're in a team that's struggling badly then it's difficult for them to ever perform. Signing players like Thauvin, Riviere, Cabella, Mitrovic etc is a massive risk because because they don't have the experience to come into a struggling team and turn stuff around. Mbemba is an exception to this (of course he might be nearer to 30 than 20) but you can't expect kids to come here and start as well as him. Then you have signings like Goufrran & Amalfiantano who have never shown any signs of being good enough throughout their career. Saivet appears to be in exactly the same mould to me hence I have no expectation of him doing anything. Carr has never brought over someone like that who's been a success. Obviously if he signs I hope I'm wrong.

(but I take your point)

[David Kelly 1245]

Fish were you not waxing lyrical about our new coaching set up in the summer? The players aren't good enough to go straight into the team man. This is what we need not punts on player who might make it and we might be able to sell at a profit.

[The Fish 10872]

Fish were you not waxing lyrical about our new coaching set up in the summer? The players aren't good enough to go straight into the team man. This is what we need not punts on player who might make it and we might be able to sell at a profit.

 

I do still rate Cathro tbh, not convinced by McClaren and don't think I ever was (although I may have been more willing to give him a shot than others)

I think taking a punt on a player who might be good is reasonable

I think future profit should never be the focus

[David Kelly 1245]

(but I take your point)

You think Sissoko has been a success? Personally I consider a signing to be a success if he consistantly plays well. Occasional bursts of brilliance isn't good enough for me. I would much rather see someone who is consistently decent than someone who can be unstoppable for three games a season when he fancies it. Admittedly I don't think it's an ability issue with Sissoko.

 

I also don't think Sissoko fits into the category of player I was talking about as he was pretty young when we signed him and starting to get into the French team. Gouffran and Saivet have never managed that.

[David Kelly 1245]

I do still rate Cathro tbh, not convinced by McClaren and don't think I ever was (although I may have been more willing to give him a shot than others)

I think taking a punt on a player who might be good is reasonable

I think future profit should never be the focus

Taking a punt on a player is fine, as Gloomy says, if we're mid table or above. It's absolutely ridiculous when we're in the shit like we are now (unless it's acompanied with the signing of players who are what we need now).

 

Re the coaching, personally I currently think it's difficult to rate any of them but looking at their records you would expect them to be competent. I actually still think this is the case but you can only work with what's put in front of you. And what the've been given is a squad lacking in confidence, ability and interest.

Edited January 11, 2016 by David Kelly