Bri, if you are using this to show he's a decent player it hasn't really had an affect on me. It's a standard goal where somebody rounds the keeper and rolls the ball in, it happens hundreds of times around the country on a weekend. From what I have seen of him for us, I am happy to let him go. I watched him for one match with Augsburg and he didn't look all that good either. Again, every time one of our lesser players gets sold all of a sudden they are real quality and we should do every thing we can to keep them, WTF!
I never said he was polished. How can you expect that from a player at that stage of his development? If he was the finished article he wouldn't have come us in the first place. He's raw, i don't doubt that, but I haven't seen whickham or DG put themselves in those positions. he was on the wing at one point.
And again some Sunderland fans are completely unwilling to get behind the developmental side of the club. Who write players off on a whim despite having no inside knowledge of the players progress yet profess to know more about a players capabilities than those who do. These fans seem to have no idea how much work and time it takes to develop talent into good footballers and seem to think young players should arrive the finished article and if they're not shout sell sell sell if they aren't first on the team sheet within the first season. It's a completely warped way to look at football. This club is changing, and weather these fans like it or not we're going to get a hell of lot more Ji Dong Wong's through the door(Guaranteed), who are going to take years of work to produce good footballers. You're heads are going to be battered. Ji's contract means we're going to lose him but next time you shout sell sell sell at the next talented footballer who doesn't start more than 10 games in their first two seasons. You're going to be very frustrated when it doesn't happen. Seems some folk need to take a reality check, get with the program and wake up to the direction that the club is taking.
And some folk need to stop with the high and mighty, I am the best fan, I am always right attitude as well. Football is about opinions.
But isnt this all I have been hearing on here regarding the development side. Buy young player from abroad Train him He may not even get 1 1st team appearance (but he might) sell for a profit see Ji ^^ if we do sell him. Personally I believe that if Ausbourg (sp) were the only ones going to buy him, most of us couldnt give a toss, but as soon as Dortmand have threw their hat in the ring, CL runner ups no less, we are "****, he must be better that we all thought". If Dortmand coming in means his price goes up 3 fold then fantastic, if PDC doesnt want to sell him, again fantastic, but if this is what it is like now, this forum is going to be fun in the next 2-3 years with goings from our academy. (if what we have been hearing is true).
Here i was thinking we were already debating our opinions. you started with 'again' **** fella so stop being a ****ing hypocrite eh? And i quote...
We screwed up epicly with Ji imo thanks to the old regime. I'd love it if we could get him to extend his contract, loan him back out and watch millions added his price as he finishes development but we messed it up. Young players I expect to be delt with much better from here on.
I've read that the club are very keen on Ji, so I'd like to see what PDC can get out of him. He scored two goals in very limited appearances for us vs Chelsea and Man City and scored four in Germany. Dortmund have been tracking him ever since he played against them in Germany as he had a good game against them.
The radio commentary is brill, goose bumps everytime without fail [video=youtube;wMpaNF1yr6k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMpaNF1yr6k[/video]
this is now ,whilst i agree 100 % with you comment , but that was then and no such plan was in place, just poor team selection i think
I am not against development and certainly think we should broaden our horizons but those players that come in have to be good enough as well. I'm not against it but just think Ji is a **** footballer.
I don't think he'd hold a place down in our side but there's been a lesson from this lad for the future, one to come from whickham too, We're going to get all levels of footballer coming through our ranks from your hendersons to your Waghorns(best and worse eg i can think of from such poor production). we need to be turning profits from all of them. I think we'll break even on ji and lose money on whickham. Regardless of their level, getting the best out off them and achieving maximum profit is imperative. Don't think we should write players off just because they'll have little to no chance of making an impression on the first team. imo