"put up his hopes like Laudrup did" Just can't avoid Laudrup bashing. If my memory serves me correct,Donnelly was a Rodgers,(your chosen one),signing. So,what did HE do for Donnelly?
"This was one of Laudrup's hangups in his management skills". So pray tell us,what exactly do YOU know about "management skills"?
I recall Donnelly running around like a headless chicken in one Europa game. He came on as a sub,I think. Rodgers signed him,but didn't actually play him.
What a plonka Who was the manager in pre season you idiot ,who am i suppose to say who included him in games.... why is it laudrup bashing ???
Go back and read all your posts on this thread. Most are Laudrup bashing. You must remember Laudrup. He took The Swans' to it's highest P.L. position. In addition, he led the team into Europe,after winning the Capital One Cup. Any mods reading this. Are you going to accept the insults that are being,yet again thrown around by this poster,Dai?
Dai no need to call anyone a plonker. Vetch is only pointing out that your Laudrup bashing, which you cannot say you are not.
There is an interesting point on dai's noggin at times , I see Laudrup is being linked to another job with the Greece National team . I wonder who he will choose . Beats pretending to manage a team , with an unearned chance ,, while being overan by an overzealous chairman . Just an opinion .
To get this post back on topic, I'm surprised that we never saw young Rory given a chance. I'm pretty sure he was our top scorer during our last pre-season and was looking extremely sharp. One first time, side-footed volley from a cross into the far top corner springs to mind. It seemed strange that after giving Vasquez plenty of chances, we never saw Rory get a valid chance during the season. A big of a shame with the way things turned out in January, but we'll see what happens with him this year. We've shipped out Vasquez and Ngog, so I can see one of those places being occupied by Rory, and we'll probably bring in another out-and-out striker.
Vasquez was persevered with because he had very impressive scoring credentials with the Spanish "Under" teams. You don't get near selection for those sides unless you've got ability and he got 14 goals in 24 appearances. As I said, impressive....... That he didn't hit it off with us is just one of those things. Football is littered with stories of players who flopped with one club then went on to great success with another. A typical example back in the day was Peter Beardsley. Kicked out by Liverpool as not being good enough, they forked out £7 million (a fortune then) to buy him back when his career blossomed elsewhere. Went on to have a great international career as well. Given Vasquez' scoring record with the Spanish "junior" teams, the decision to give him a try was a worthwhile gamble. Shame for all concerned that it didn't pay off.
Of course, I'm impressed with Vasquez's record up until now. I was very excited by his signing and was gutted it didn't work out for him. And I know he's not useless for the reasons you've already stated. It's pretty obvious he'll go onto to bigger and better things under the correct leadership and in the right team. However, Vasquez wasn't really the main focus of my post so I don't want to stray too far. I don't believe that persevering with Vasquez should have necessarily meant the complete alienation of Rory. There were times in the season that we could have used him, especially when Vasquez's confidence was so shot that we could've played me upfront with comparable return. There were times in the season when Vasquez could possibly have been given a rest to re-energise the mind. Maybe. That didn't happen, so I'm intrigued as to what we do with Rory this season. If we decide to bring in a couple of strikers, I'd like to see him on loan in the Championship where he can try and nail down a first team position and score some goals. But if he's settled in Swansea having moved here from Ireland, maybe a loan to someone like Bristol City in League 1 would be a good opportunity for him.
Take your point, kidderz and I'm sure Rory would benefit from a carefully selected loan somewhere because he does have talent. Quickly on Vasquez, he wasn't helped any by that piece of "brilliant" (not!!) captaincy from Ashley Williams who bollocked him in front of everyone and totally destroyed what little confidence he had left. A word in his ear on the pitch would have sufficed followed by something a lot stronger in the privacy of the dressing room if required. And, of course, Williams himself hasn't rucked up has he? I don't think!! Some of his performances and much of his captaincy left a lot to be desired. People in glass houses........
Shame he never showed any ability in a Swans shirt Ivor. It was obvious for all to see other than Laudrup it seems that this kid was not good enough for us after a few months and his confidence was shot to pieces, by which point he should have been dropped until he improved and Donnelly given a chance.
That is a good point about the bollocking ash gave the lad as that was unprofessional by any way you look at it and ash should have had some sort of Bollocking himself behind closed doors i hope. Dai no need to call anyone a plonker. Vetch is only pointing out that your Laudrup bashing, which you cannot say you are not. I can say i am swanselona because i am talking about Rory and not laudrup, I said he had his hopes up after playing a major part in preseason by laudrup and he sat on the bench a few times,he was training with the first team as well. So where am i laudrup bashing ?? Valley has mentioned laudrup and i dont see vetch jumping down for his own amusement on him or anyone else....Open your eyes and see what he is doing with nearly every post a write...If he has a problem with me then let him be man enough to speak to me about it rather than make unnecessary snippets hoping for others to join in with Dai bashing....If we are talking about last season then its very hard for to not mention laudrup is it. Plenty do but i don't see them being modded...strange that and very noticeable too..
Difference is Dai, some of us can criticise Laudrup the manager as part of a wider argument whilst also acknowledging and appreciating everything he did for us in his first season here, something which you have never given him credit for. You on the other hand criticise the man himself personally at times i.e. Calling him a fool or muppet. Yes you can criticise him over football related matters, but there isn't a need to criticise the man himself so personally
There is no difference valley as there are plenty who agree with me for blaming laudrup for our diabolical season. You cant just have the ones backing laudrup to have their say as its one sided. I and many more think that laudrup ruined the club with his ways and im not about to change my views because some don't agree and don't like what is being said about Laudrup and not all by me either....what sort of forum do you call that when you are not allowed to criticize the manager but you can criticize any player you like...
It was a great shame that Vasquez had his perfectly good goal disallowed in the Europa League. I am sure that would have kick started his season. Saw Rory Donnelly score against Cardiff U21's and he may get another chance this season. Re the Ashley. Williams incident, I understand he was only verbalising what the Players felt about the player. They felt that the Manager should have been the one getting that message over because otherwise he was being carried. Vasquez continued selections puzzled the Team hence he was taken out of the firing line by GM when he first took over. The boy has talent but confidence is a huge assets in Sport and his had deserted him.
