Lot of truth in this I reckon. Fathi's been in England before, does he or gedo speak English? Easier for gedo to settle with Fathi there too.
But why would Fathi agree to come if he knew he was just there as a makeweight? The players have a say in where they go and I can't see Bruce blindly lying to him just to get him to sign. He didn't get a look in at Sheff U, but since then he's gone on to become one of Egypt's most recognizable and reliable players. We can't kid ourselves, Al Ahly are a much bigger team than us and if he's in their first team then he should easily be in ours.
It seems strange that Fathi isn't plaing, especially since as in he's supposed to be the highest rated of the three Egyptians we've got. He must be match fit by now, and would certainly be better in that CDM role rather than Alex Bruce. He's a very tidy player and I think he should get a start to prove his worth and keep him happy. If Bruce doesn't want to play him, I can't understand why he signed him and if it's because Elmohamady came back, Fathi can still play in the holding midfielder position. I for one, would like to see him start the next game, especially since as in Alex Bruce will be back in CB due to McShane's injury and Koren's been off the pace lately so the midfield should be Meyler, Fathi and Quinn for me.
I can see why Bruce at this point in the season is not bringing a player into the starting team who know one really knows if he's good or crap.
Well, that's not strictly true is it? I agree about not unsettling a team, but it's a team that's lost three in five and seems to be stuttering. If we have an international midfielder capable of shoring things up then should he be sat on the bench? He's not really an unknown quantity, just because 90% of City fans don't follow football outside of England doesn't mean that players that come from abroad are nobodies. He's the equivalent of Gareth Bale or Yaya Toure in his home country and probably the rest of Africa. The club he plays for are (I think) the most successful African club of all time. I put it down to nepotism that he isn't in the squad, because I honestly can't think of a genuine reason for him not to be in the team ahead of Alex Bruce.
Bollocks, nobody here has ever seen him play enough to judge him as a player. When he signed everybody said it was a risk because we didn't know what they were like! Watching some youtube videos doesn't mean you know all about a player, it is a risk because who knows he might not be up to the physicality of the championship and the pace the game goes at, its not like bringing a striker into a team because if they don't score than you can still win the game, if a centre midfielder has an awful game it really effects the game, Evans will be fit by our next game and if you'd play Fathi ahead of him at this point in the season then you need to realise it is a big risk. And anyone who would drop Quinn or Meyler for him is barking.
That is a ridiculous stat though. If it was over a season it might matter. Over a 12 month period it rules out all the good strikers from the first half of the year who subsequently got PL moves or promotion that summer. He can't have had much competition. I agree with Diddy on the one-on-ones as most people know, he really is bab at them. I've seen him go through one-on-one against the mighty Ferriby and still fail to actually get a shot off. The good thing about Fryatt is more his ability to create chances from nothing. Most of his goals come from these sudden turns where he beats 3 men with his back to goal. Think Fathi does and Gedo doesn't, which could explain the situation I suppose.
Obviously, but I follow a lot of football abroad and I was fully aware of how good a player he was way before he signed for us, the same with Gedo. In fact, I was surprised they weren't snapped up by a bigger club and we are very lucky to have them both. Nobody was talking about dropping Meyler or Quinn, but with Bruce dropping back into defence and Koren off form there wouldn't be any harm in giving him a start. He knows how to tackle and doesn't get bullied off the ball. We've been losing out in the midfield in recent weeks because (in my opinion), we've been playing with a CB in a MF role. Fathi is a holding midfielder with vast international experience, doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that he'd be a better fit than a central defender who has never played there in his career.
We don't know how Fathi is/isn't performing in training. A lot of good players go to clubs and don't seem to fit in. For those who have watched him for the reserves, how has he been performing in those games?
I watched the 2nd half if the crystal palace game on tigers player, and I thought he looked a very tidy player. He didn't lose the ball and was quite effective going forward. He even set up a chance for Simpson or gedo, can't really remember but it was saved by speroni. Personally I would start him ahead of Bruce.
Diddy You are right, looking good on tv and YouTube videos doesn't make him better than Messi or ronaldo, but I (and most on here I'd imagine) have only seen Messi and ronaldo on tv and YouTube, so how can you be sure they're better than fathi? And fryatt may be a lot of things but lacking control is most certainly not one of them, in fact his fantastic ball control is probably his strongest asset. I'd suggest you actually go and watch a couple of games and find out about our players for yourself before making ludicrous comments like you have, and stop listening to blunderside commentaries and *ringing in saying Bruce out when we lose. *may or may not be true.
I would not be that worried that much by the HDM story. Of course he wants to play but its the standard HDM negative crap. With 2 games in 5 days and Meyler one booking away from a 2 game ban Fathi will get his chance and soon imo. Also with McShane out for the season Bruce wont be used in midfield again imo. I think that Steve Bruce has to think long and hard about who starts @ Huddersfield on saturday week. I would give Fahti Meylers role and keep Meyler under wraps for Watford. It will also be interesting to see who Fahti gets on playing for Egypt this week.
There were only four players who scored more than him in the season too, so he's one of highest scorers in the league, whichever way you look at it.
Fathi is supposed to be the best of the 3 Egyptians we have - plus he has played the midfield holding role - surely a better option than playing a defender in that position. I thought he looked excellent when he came on at the KC.
He couldn't trap a bag of sand. His touch is ****e - which is why he needs about 5 of them when someone passes the ball to him. Agree with comment above re his ability to create and put away a half chance. When he just has to hit it and not about it, he's undoubtedly got talent. When he has more than a second to decide what to do though, he usually makes a bollocks up of it.
That's utter bollocks, his ball control is excellent and so is his finishing, the only genuine criticism that can be levelled at him, is that he takes too many touches in the box.
Not if in the hypothetical situation he's on the bench and you're comparing it to the situation we're in with the 3 Egyptians. There's been no reports of Fathi being injured. He regularly plays ahead of Elmo for the national side, and the fans that have seen them all play say he's the best of the 3 so there's questions as to why he's not even making our bench. If Fryatt wasn't injured, and a manager was playing Simpson and McLean ahead of him we'd be asking questions about it. In neither situation is it a case of the player getting better the longer they don't play.
That did actually happen for a good while under Pearson at the beginning of last season, but it was McLean and Waghorn. We didn't ask questions because Fryatt was woefully out of form at the time. He started playing a lot better again when NB took over.
