It sounds like Puerta & Altaze will unfortunately be leaving; hope I'm wrong. We need someone to play CM until Matazo and (maybe) Zambrano are available & fit. Shelvey, assuming he's fit, which I'm sure is a question Dublin and Hodges will have fully considered, could be a great shout for a season or two. Not only quality, but also vast experience to help the above 2.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/b...ttingham-forest-lewis-obrien-transfer-demand/ £8M price tag for O'Brien
I don’t want us to sign Shelvey for several reasons but if he ‘read the room’, I don’t think it would convince him not to sign him. Lots of City fans on social media think it would be a good signing. Based on some of the things said about Shelvey, I’m convinced lots of those who want us to sign him haven’t seen him play or are misremembering the sort of player he is.
If people are expecting Shelvey to be a mature head to organise the midfield, work hard and protect the defence then they will be bitterly disappointed I think. He’s not that type of player at all. I suspect people see a 33-year-old midfielder with a bald head and imagine he’s a similar player to Ian Ashbee or Roy Keane. He couldn’t be further from Ash or Keane if he tried.
No doubt Shelvey can ping a ball, But I don't think he has the attributes to compensate for his age and the decline that goes with it. As a Championship team that just avoided relegation by the skin of our teeth, I don't think it's the best idea to bring in one of the most immobile players out there, surely we can do better?
That is my view as well. For balance, he does have his qualities. Pros: - Great long passing - Got one hell of a shot on him Cons: - Lazy as **** (seriously, one of the laziest midfielders I’ve ever seen) - Poor attitude and lack of professionalism - Never really been ‘fully fit’ in his entire career (poor diet and lifestyle choices) - Slow as **** and lacks mobility - Really poor defensively - Poor discipline
What to signing for Birmingham? It depends on who can pay in the most suitable manner to satisfy Villa's PSR requirements.
Emre Belözoğlu’s racist incidents were even longer ago and many supporters kicked off enough for the owner to reconsider appointing him.