Apparently Ali came off the bench for the U21s V Palace today. So pleased for him and lets hope his injury woes are over and not to be repeated.
I may get flak for this but I'd be very hesitant to give him a place in the 25 man squad next season if we stayed up. He has gotten injured almost on cue for several seasons. I'd probably sneak him in to the squad due to a love of him, though...
Mate... I totally get where your coming from. I would personally as he seemed to play well with Joey and I think he would do well with Fer to. I do take your point though. Just pleased for him to be back playing at all.
You might have a point if this was a hard run business, but clearly it isn't. We have room for sentimentality, see all the stuff about Hill. Pace was never one of Ale's attributes, but guts and skill are, we could do with them wherever we are playing. If fit he would have been an ever present for me this season, exactly what we lack - a midfielder who can win the ball and pass it when he's got it.
Great news, best of luck to him. Stopped to give my son his autograph after the Everton game. Just seems a straight through decent guy with a good personality, no one I'd rather want to succeed than him.
Nor me... would be very happy to see him fit and available - very much hoping, whenever and wherever he plays, he gets a good, injury free stint...
I look forward to Ale's return to the first team next season. Fans favourite and definitely right sort. Can't disagree with AWJM's concern about future injuries, but there are risks everyday, otherwise we'd all be hermits. Heart wins this one over the head.
Okay, I'm prepared to go against the current grain here. He was great in our our promotion winning season, but hasn't featured or done much in the four years since then. ( And four years is a hell of a long time in football. ) He got injured v MK Dons away and that was pretty much that. He went out on loan to Palermo and didn't do anything, came back got injured. Came back and got injured. He's a really nice bloke and all that but sentimentality isn't going to get you anywhere in this game. You're either good enough or you're not. And he isn't. What if he played for let's say Man U under Ferguson under these conditions? Would he keep him on or move him on? I'm afraid that after three cruciate jobbies he isn't even fit for the championship.
Have to agree & probably depends where we playing next year he's clearly a risk but one I'd probably take if in the Championship but probably not if a miracle happens & we're still in the Prem.
Ability wise, I think he's good enough for us in the EPL. But if we're in the championship next season, there isn't a 25 man squad limit. I'd only give him a place next season in the EPL if we were short anyway. Then there would be no harm. But if we had 25 genuinely good players with a decent injury record then we'd have to be sensible and seriously question giving a place to Ale. Having said that, I can't imagine us struggling to choose a 25 man squad... we always come short, so he'd probably get in anyway.
Time will tell and at the moment we have till the end of the summer, hoping he is part of the sqaud whatever division we are in, a true gent and a decent professional
