I’m not sure it is certain he isn’t cut out for the premier league. He isn’t cut out for our style of play. He might have been perfectly fine in a team that defends deeper. Which, incidentally, is likely why despite all the clamouring I have seen we are not going for Mee on a free transfer
Romeu also made that cryptic message about wanting a change or something in the summer. Would be sad to lose him as I'm a big fan and he's been with us a long time!
The experienced thing is a bit of a throwaway comment that people are making. If you said we are signing a 26 year old centre back with what like 150 PL appearances and 50 caps for a national team like Poland for £12m I think most people would be delighted. We just need a leader at the back and being experienced doesn’t necessarily mean leader
I was in the Navy and reached a reasonable non-commissioned rank- don’t think I was a great leader. There were lots of leadership courses but they didn’t necessarily produce the best leaders. So I think a large part of being a leader is intrinsic and experience, although very useful, doesn’t necessarily make a good leader.
Yes, of course not all experienced players have the right character to be a leader but a footballer's peak years are generally thought to be between 25-30 and you keep on learning throughout your career so to my mind a leader has to command respect and be inspirational and lead by example and that is more likely to be someone who has earned that respect, which is likely to be someone older IMO. I think that a good team is a mixture of exciting youth and experience especially at the back and I would worry if Ketchup and Sally-Sue were the CB partnership next season for that reason.
Could well just be a gift from his international teammate Djenepo. Have seen on Djenepos social media over the summer break him back in Mali and giving Saints shirts to people. Not sure another professional footblaller who plays for another team would wear one or not though.
It looks like the away kit from the season before last to me, albeit with last seasons sponsor on the front. When did we go to sportsbet as the shirt sponsor? It was midway through a season wasn't it?
Would have been the best/worst leaked photo of a new signing of all time if it both leaked the new signing and new shirt!
I was thinking the same thing. It's OK to pick up a bar with no weights attached, but with his lack of spatial awareness, he'd be put in Central defence and end up running through the seats in The Kingsland.