Miles better than Elder and a big upgrade on Kenlock for me. Kenlock far too powderpuff in a 1 v 1 and nowhere near strong enough in my view.
Out of interest how many times have you seen Kenlock play? Not a dig by any means as I know not everyone can get to games.. I certainly don't go to as many as I could His opportunities have been very sporadic as he's never been given a run of games in the side, but when I've seen him he's looked like someone who just needs sustained game time.. along with an experienced pro alongside him to keep him organised (Collins would do this) as he's looked better in a defence containing Berra than he has done next to Webster and even Tommy Smith.. Which probably highlights his inexperience, which he can only combat if he's given a run of games
I'd say 5/6 live and a few times on the box. Wolves away last season springs to mind, lost 1-0. Around 1.30 - POSSIBLE foul but jesus christ you have to be stronger than that.
Pompey are apparently in for Harrison on loan. What an incredible situation we’re in where I have more sympathy for the players than our own fortunes and would advise them all to ‘get out while you can!’
I hear there's talk of Pennington going to Derby for 2nd half of season. Seems pretty odd if true. And if there is any substance to this, we need to sign a better RB and get a CB as cover for Collins
It would be a sell on based on profits, which is what we seem to do on most transfers.. Therefore if Bournemouth sold him for £10million we'd get (for example) 10% of the £2million.. But if they sold him for £8million or less than we'd not be entitled to anything... Which I think would be the most likely outcome. He's gone out on loan to Villa, but I think Bournemouth still see him in the long term plans for now at least
Knudsen staying but not playing and I've got to say not impressed at all with how Lambert is handling this.
Pennington leaving to go out on loan to Derby instead.. With us signing James Bree from Villa to take our quota of loan players back up to 5. He is at least a recognised Right Back
Seriously? I think he's handled it as best as he can. Lambert makes a recommendation to Evans to try and tempt Knudsen with new contract, which he refuses to sign. So we've got a wantaway left back with six months left on his deal, who has been playing poorly this season. He wants a new challenge, which is understandable considering the state of the club earlier this season. He has made several rather unwise comments to the press and probably assumed he'd get some interest in this window and move abroad, but he hasn't had a single offer. Probably because clubs are not stupid and realise they can get him in the summer without paying a permanent fee, and his quality and form doesn't warrant splashing the case at this stage. Lambert has rightly moved on and is giving time to Kenlock, who is a long-term prospect, and brought in a young lad who we'd have more chance of signing permanently than getting Knudsen to extend his deal. Seems like you just wanted to crowbar in a dig at Lambert here.
IMO Pennington has been our most consistent performer this year and we send him away? Don’t get that 1. I know we are only allowed 5 loan players in the match day squad but with Knudsen looking likely to stay, I woul much rather send elder back to Leicester
Somebody who contemplates that I would 'crowbar in a dig' at Lambert is also not going to get why this is a problem. The message Lambert has sent out to all the players is, "If you've got something on your chest, whatever you do don't come and talk to me about it." It's a waste of money, it's a waste of resource - Knudsen's not the first and he won't be the last. Deals fall through all the time. If there's a mental issue with the player that affects his performance then I get that, drop him for a while, but that's not the issue here. The 'being fair to players' thing doesn't hold any weight either when a) we have so many loans at the club, we just signed Elder for goodness sake and b) if we didn't treat Knudsen with such contempt then he may well have re-signed. It's juvenile and Town gain absolutely nothing at all from this approach.
I agree Pennington has been far from being our worse defender this Season. It is either 1)PL doesn’t rate him/didn’t sign him so isn’t fussed and would rather make his own loan signing or 2)Everton recalled him from loan because they would rather he played for Villa/Derby (?)or they’ve offered more money/indicated they want to sign him on a permanent. Anyone have any more definite info than that? Either way it leaves us pretty vunerable once Collins gets crocked (as is almost inevitable given our luck so far).
Knudsen clearly doesn’t want to play for this club anymore. Ever since we sacked Mick last season, he’s been unhappy and gone public with that. Since he went to the World Cup, he’s wanted to play at a higher level. He had this season left on his contract and clearly doesn’t want to renew it, because Lambert has asked Evans to open contract talks, but Knudsen has refused. We may have been able to tie him down to a longer deal at the start of the season, but a certain Mr Hurst went public in his comments that he didn’t want to reward Knudsen with a new contract. So if you want to point the finger at blame at somebody, Hurst is ultimately more responsible or the owner himself, whose approach to player contracts has resulted in several good players leaving the club for nothing over the past decade.
