Hi Everyone! First time poster, but I've been reading for a while. just wanted to get your thoughts on wheather you think now we've been promoted back to the prem, will Alex Neil give him the same chance as he has to everyone else and also if you would like to see him back.
I definitely hope he gives him a chance, and I also hope he comes back a better player and does well for us, I'm just not too hopefuly of that happening however and really think he'll struggle to get into our team based on what I've seen of him thus far.
We all saw what he could do before he joined us. CH drained any skill, confidence and enthusiasm out of the whole squad. I'd love to see AN work his midas touch on Wolfie. Also, financially, his stock value must be a lot lower now. What's to lose by giving him a go - if it works, we get the top striker we paid for and potentially a tangable return on our investment. If it doesn't then we can loan or sell him for the same as we would get no.
I'm in the "Give him another chance over the summer pre-season" camp. Let Alex Neil assess him and trust him to decide what's best.
Welcome to the forum, squire Considering he didn't exactly set the French league alight with St Etienne, the logical thing would be to get him back, assess / reintegrate him during pre-season and see where we go from there. Shame to take such a financial hit on him, but with what's happened at Wembley this week, any loss will be mitigated by the media rights money, so not so critical either way.
I say give him another chance, it's not like any player was great that season. If anyone could bring out the genuinely talented player we signed it's AN. We have the same question around Lafferty too.
Judging by Neil's approach to Bassong, which I'm sure lots of you have also read in the Press this morning, Neil's approach is that everyone has a clean slate and no judgements As I said on one of the other threads, I hope RvW gets another chance as I do think somewhere in him there's a bit of class, and given that failure of foreign strikers in the £5m-£15m bracket in the PL is so common, particularly with the bottom half where they have to feed off scraps, I think we should try to recoup some of that money. I remember reading a while ago that strikers are best between 19-24 (when they're using instincts and natural ability) and 27-31 (when pace fades but they get wily). Obviously that's a generalisation, but it really does pan out if you look at many strikers. On that basis, RvW might be timing it well to come back in now. And if anyone can get RvW going again, it's Neil. However, I do wonder, like others above, if his confidence is so shot and he's not interested in us anymore. Give him a chance, but I don't want to see it forced like it was in our last season in the PL with him repeatedly starting despite clearly lacking form and confidence.
Yes, let AN see if he can work his magic on him as he has done with Bassong and to a lesser extent Whittaker. Also, Snoddy's gone, so he may get passed the ball occasionally <tongueincheekemoticon> PS - Look at NR's for Jerome's goal at CR - Wolfie would love that type of pass!!!!
I'm firmly in the 'Alex Neil can get more out of a player than Chris hughton' camp. So why not if he wants to prove himself in the prem...
Let him go. The guy is far to lightweight for Prem. We overpaid for the guy,cut your losses and move on.
I'm for him getting another chance, but McNally has been talking about negotiations with St Etienne, who want him but can't afford the £6m that was agreed when he went on loan. Have to wait and see.
Apparently Toffolo is expecting to be involved at Colney preseason so Neil can assess him, I expect Wolfie and everyone else to be a part of the same process. It's a funny one really, as we've a glut of strikers whose suitability for us in the Prem next season is dubious. Of all of them, Jerome is probably the only one nailed on to be involved regularly next season. Grabban? Has pace, works the channels, gets into good positions but his finishing is questionable, particularly with the fewer chances we'll get. Hooper? Excellent finisher but I'm not convinced his all round game suits Neil's system. Doesn't have the pace to scare defences or the aerial ability to win knock-ons and bully defences. As others have remarked before, seems to need a run of games to get into his stride, which he's unlikely to get. Lafferty looks like he could offer something different in a wide position, but arguably the "physical winger" role he plays has been filled by the reinvented Johnson. He doesn't have the goals or assists for us or in Turkey this season to make me think he'll stay. RvW arguably could fit in, but I might be wearing rose tinted specs there. Works the channels reasonably well, with confidence used to be able to finish strongly, but who knows? It also seems likely we'll sign someone new up front, given the doubts over our current strikers and the money we've available. With a single striker system and Loza/Morris coming through the academy, we're probably looking at 3 strikers and keep the youngsters here to get experience on the bench, or loan them both out for a season and have 4 senior strikers. So Jerome, Grabban a newbie and the youngsters, or keep Hooper, RvW or Lafferty and loan the kids out? Going to be interesting. I could still see us being able to get £4m or so for Hooper, and him generating interest (QPR, Burnley?), so might that sway things?
I think Neil's brand of football would work a lot better with RVW, also he hasn't got the wasteful Snodgrass to hog the ball and slow down attacks.
I doubt wolfie will fit in with neil's plans. He has already said that Andreu will need to bulk up to withstand the physical side of playing at Championship level, it's likely the same will apply but more so in the prem. Wolfie is very light weight and besides I really can't see him wanting to try it again. He will certainly be sold on imo
Welcome Alfie. I am not keen on an RVW return although if AN can work the same magic as he has with Bassong then I am prepared to stand corrected. I appreciate that his defenders on here point to the lack of service through the Hughton style but to me he does not have the physical attributes to cut it.
