Good, cos i'm in the minority it seems to having high hopes for the lad.. SUNDERLAND have turned down offers from abroad for Ji Dong-won and insists he still has a part to play at the club, despite the striker being used sparingly in his debut Premier League campaign. The 20-year-old â a full South Korean international and one of his countryâs hottest properties â has started only one game this season, the match at Wolves last month when former assistant manager Eric Black selected the Asian in what was the Scotâs only game in charge. Newly-appointed boss Martin OâNeill , pictured, watched that game from the stands and has subsequently opted against starting the South Korean, despite injuries to fellow forwards Nicklas Bendtner and Connor Wickham, which have ruled them out of several games. The manager has brought on Ji as substitute in four of his eight games in charge, however, and is interested enough in the strikerâs potential to fend off approaches from overseas. He told the Echo: âWeâve had a few phone calls from clubs abroad that would like to take Ji on loan, but weâve knocked them back. âThe fact is, we canât afford to lose any of our squad at the moment, but besides that, Ji is a player who has done well for us. âThe lad has talent, but heâs just come over here and is still learning the game. We want to see how he progresses and develops. âApart from that, heâs just scored one of the most important goals that I can remember â that amazing last-minute winner against Man City and making himself an instant hero in the eyes of the fans â and myself â in the process.â
I must admit im unsure about him, but i must admit like most people i havent seen enough to make any sort of definitive decision.
Nice little confidence boost there by O'Neill at the end. He needs to get used to the rigours of the PL and then he will shine. He scored against City so can't be that bad!
The lad has potential, and as he cost little, I think it's the right call to keep him at the club this season. If he hasn't clicked, a loan next season may work, but I think he'll make it, long term.
I liked the way he kept his cool in beating Hart. That's the sort of head that slots them away when someone else would blast it. Glad he's staying.
