This is a cracking idea - while we still have a little of the Pritchard war chest left unaccounted for
It's amazing how many people wrote off Christoph and the other new signings early in the season. I'm glad that our latest signings got off to a good start with a win.
Absolutely, Rick. There's nothing like success to get people excited and they must all be thinking "I want to be a part of this."
Ain't that the truth and I think KIO was one of those shouting the loudest and seems to have vanished.
To be fair, although Zimmermann has been exceptional, Marcel Franke, for example, was not hence being loaned back to Germany. Far more pluses than minuses for DF, SW and the scouting team so far though
Zimmermann looked class from his debut. I don't remember many slagging him. A bit like Trybull. They have looked good from the off.
There were quite a few saying how far we had sunk as we had to recruit from the German fourth division. Zimmerman was Dortmund's 4th CB, so he played with Dortmund ll to get game time. He's still young for a CB, as is Hanley.
Just raised my interest and googled Franke to see if he's playing on loan. If Whoscored have got their stats up to date, he's only played one game, and played poorly there too. Which is a worry. I wonder if they are paying any of his wages, or if we've agreed to pay most like Naismith.
It's really looking as though the decision to opt for an SD/HC is starting to 'bear fruit' and if someone had said to me prior to our trip to Ashton Gate - would you take 6 points from your next 3 game, I'd have 'snapped their hand off!!'. Yes, the game against the Blades was pretty poor to say the least, but I can CERTAINLY accept one poor game in 4, especially when you look at the performance against a fairly strong Chelski as one of those 4!! Onwards and upwards and if we don't make the top 6, well only just miss out and I can see that our pathetic GD may well cost us on May 6th.
Franke was the only disappointment in the 10 new players recruited last summer. If you look at Hanley, however, it took some time before he broke into the starting lineup and that could be the case with Franke now. There have been moans about other new players, Vrancic and Steipermann in particular. Vrancic has made the adjustments necessary and silenced most of his critics now that he's playing in his first choice position. Steipermann hasn't had that opportunity yet because of Maddison's success, but he has done well when playing as a wide attacker. Watkins is another player who hasn't lived up to expectations, but though critical, DF clearly wants him to stay and adjust to the new approach. IMO, he's been playing the way he did at Barnsley and that hasn't worked. Coming on as sub yesterday was at least a vote of confidence and he seemed to respond to the opportunity.
On another note, Leitner is currently valued at £675k on TransferMarkt, having previously been valued at £4.5m when at Dortmund. If DF can get him back on track and he fits in, we may pick up a bargain in the summer. At 25, he should be coming into his prime and a deal around £1.5m could be very good business. Bringing him in on loan was a clever try before you buy move.
Husband as well has looked totally out of his depths. Was hoping he would have settled by now. Luckily Lewis has stepped up to the need.
Husband certainly struggled early on when Klose was injured and Zimmerman and Franke were struggling as well. It could be he was seen as a Brady type player, because he has done well enough when playing higher up. He's only 23, though, so has time to develop. He seems ok as a back-up for Lewis and WL as well.
I'm with FML, I think you're being a little too precious on the new players and regime. Husband might yet come good and at 23 has time but so far has been very disappointing, Watkins too has been utter gash, like Franke he could come good but here's the rub, all 3 have been poor so far and it is only speculative to say they may come good but previous evidence suggests not. All of that said, even with 3 misses the hit rate is good, let's just hope the recent attacking reinforcements can be as good because we are still totally dependant on Maddisons brilliance going forward. Bah!
Yes, sorry Rick, but you sound like you're on Daniel Farke's payroll as a media spokesman at times, always finding all the (sometimes slight / non existent) positives and sweeping most negative aspects to one side. Admire the fullness of your glass but a shade of realism por favor
Perhaps I'm just more patient before passing final judgement on players after only a few months. 'Utter gash' to me is well OTT to me, but it seems to be the only analysis GM is prepared to offer in the case of Watkins, whose contributions have been disappointing IMO, but certainly not utter gash. Similarly with Husband, who has had some good points as well as some disappointing performances. I can remember the concerns many had about Pinto's defending in his first few months, but he has adjusted his game accordingly and become team captain. I'm prepared to wait and see how it goes for others as well. I don't think Watkins would have come on yesterday if DF thought he is utter gash, and he did his bit to help see out an important win. Realism works both ways.
Good call, RER, it is all too easy to be overly judgemental after only a handful of games - exhibit A, Mario Vrancic! I guess the fact that Zimmers and Trybull seem to have acclimatised to the pace and demands of this division so quickly, it puts down a marker for the other imports, and if they don't get on it or look like coping from the start, they become kind of scapegoats - fans of most clubs have their golden boys.....and their 'utter gash'.
