People keep slating Gardos and I have no idea why...didn't put a foot wrong when coming on for Toby at OT.
Are we any clearer on a fee? seen anything from 500k to £3m suggested. Two year contract suggests a low fee and someone to provide back up whilst some of the youngsters develop. We all knew we needed to improve the squad so providing he didn't cost the earth I'm OK with this.
I watched that game again over the weekend (I was really bored!) and you're right, Gardos was terrific. I particularly like how well he makes the decision that so many defenders fail on, namely "should I do something clever with this or is this one for row Z?". Never gets it wrong. Vin
Good signing. Cheap and versatile, exactly what we needed to extend our squad. You can't simply buy only first team players and then put whoever they replace on the bench as it is too expensive to do with every signing. The odd cheap squad player that adds depth across multiple positions is an asset, especially when competing in Europe with an already small squad.
I don't get what's strange about it. We have signed a very sought after, cpabale right back already and this provides much needed back up for us in both full back positions. We don't want/can't rely on players playing 40/50 games a season. The squad needs to be strengthened and we should be celebrating the fact that we are doing it by targetting quality first team signings with a sprinkling of much needed squad players and youth prospects.
It always remains to be seen of course but on the surface this does not seem to be a very good signing at all. Even in the Dutch league he is regarded as, errr....not very good. Don't we have a much praised academy, there must be some of our youngsters who can sit on the bench as emergency back up rather than paying what appears to be over the odds for this fellow? As often happens I could easily be very wrong and I hope so but I'm yet to be convinced.
Last season all at the club said that we would only sign players who would improve the 1st team as we do not want to block the opportunity for one of the academy players to come through. Is this signing really in line with those comments?
We have no recognised right back in our u21 squad. McCarthy and Mugabe can play there, but are primarily centre backs. Can't say I'm excited by this signing, but let's give the guy a chance before we write him of as a bad signing.
Mugabe is being looked at as a rb. He played there a lot last season (which was his first season playing there). He will play more this season.
Just saying that in the last transfer window when everybody was on here going on about a new signings in the January Transfer Window, the club on many occasions stated that they will only bring in players better than we already have, who will strengthen the 1st team. I just feel that this guy does not occur to those quotes? All about opinions.
Koeman, Les and Ralph said it on a few occasions last season. I am fully behind the club, like I said just a personal opinion.
Just watched the video. Erwin knows him and apparently rates him (i.e. he played him). That'll do for me. It is not a Kevin Keegan moment, for sure. But we need a squad.
So Gardos and Alderweireld were both signed to start, despite Fonte being our captain and rock? Elia and Djuricic were not signed as short term options to enhance the squad?
I think the fact that this guy is only on a 2year deal says to me it's purely a squad option until an academy lad comes through.