"Wahbi Khazri couldn't even stay loyal to a country, let alone a club, so Sunderland's chances of keeping him in the Championship next season may be remote. Khazri has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract running until the end of the 2019-20 season, but that doesn't matter. He had a four-year contract with Bordeaux that expired at the end of 2017-18, but left on January 30, 2016 in a deal worth £9million. By then, Khazri was a Tunisian international. He played for them at Under 20 level, but got a better offer when selected by Erick Mombaerts to represent France Under 21s. He couldn't get in the team, however, made one appearance against Italy and was taken off after 62 minutes — so it was back to Tunisia in time for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He has now made 22 appearances for his 'country'. As everyone knows, West Ham had never won a football match until Sam Allardyce became manager, so it must have been very disappointing that they chose to win another one when he returned with his Sunderland team on Saturday. Allardyce was particularly frustrated that Khazri attempted a 'rabona' pass during one of Sunderland's last attacks of the game. Desperately seeking an equaliser, Sunderland were in a good position, but Khazri missed the ball completely and it rolled out for a goal-kick. As Khazri looked no great shakes at kicking conventionally — one of his corners went directly behind the goal, another massively overshot and curled out of play on the other side of the pitch — what inspired him to attempt to showboat at such a crucial moment is a mystery. It does, however, reaffirm the problem with Sunderland and so many other failing clubs; too many players are just passing through. Khazri does not seem to be the sort who will expect to be playing for Sunderland in the Championship next season, if that is what the future holds." So it doesn't matter if they go down; he pleases himself. The rabona proved it — Khazri cared more about how he looked than how Sunderland fared. Yet Lionel Messi is 10 times the talent and isn't given to egocentric gestures. The Messi rabonas that litter YouTube all turn out to be FIFA game recreations — or a rabona pass by Marcos Rojo for Argentina, after Messi played him in. Maybe Khazri thinks flamboyant tricks will get him his next move. Maybe he is right. At the time Sunderland bought him, he had scored two league goals since September 11. They paid highly for that fancy footwork; and may continue to do so long after the cheque has cleared. Copied it rather then put the daily mail link. **** giving them hits
Just watched Allardyce comment on that Rabona He says if you're gonna do that try and make sure you're as good as Jay Jay Okocha first and if you're not, you won't get away with it if you mess it up. Still balls deep in his favourite Bolton signing I see.
Probably because he was awesome. You know, Fergie used to name drop Keane a lot after he stopped playing Tel, as you well know
No he was quite the opposite. He'd blame which way the wind was blowing if he thought he could get away with it. He'd blame anything but his players including his own fans, became a clown in the public eye doing so. Still the coward saved all his internal fingerprinting till his book didn't he? Sam did plenty of finger pointing in his book but doesn't shy from putting blame on his own when valid. Sam has done nowt wrong. Khazri did something very stupid. He should pick up a paper and be reminded by his manager he's got ideas above his station. But he did it by biging a great up and not putting him down. That's intelligent, that's grounding him while laying down a challenge. You knock it Tel; but I think it was an intelligent way to get a message across on a subject he couldn't avoid while in the press conference. Some managers know how to use the media, others, hide their feelings no matter how transparent it makes them look, and they'll stick to it blaming everybody else under the sun until they're a national laughing stock. Like Fergie. Big Sam: Dickhead who knows it. Fergie: Dickhead in complete denial. My opinion anyway.
Poor, naive, weak man management skills which is probably why he's never won **** all. In my opinion anyway.
Oh, Fergie was the best tactician the game has ever seen. Sam, though meticulous in preparation, his in-game decision making leaves a lot to be desired. Big Sam has always played the media well imo, he's got balls. While Fergie was a gruesome car crash at best and give an outlet for the country to ridicule Man U while they were dominating on the pitch. Don't think Sam is poor though. I would have though he's quite wealthy.
I'd rather we won stuff than bothered what other people thought to be honest. I think you just like Allardyce mate, if Bruce was saying the exact words that come out of Allardyce's mouth you'd be pounding on him like Ron Jeremy on some Fat Slapper.
There's where you wrong fella. I'm still not sold on Big Sam but accept he was probably the best we could have got. When Di Canio named players in a press conference this whole board went into pure meltdown, people called for his head left right and centre, you'd think he'd ****ed their missus. I was one of the few who didn't see it as a big deal. When Gus did it I brought it to the attention of the board and asked why people weren't kicking off. I got no reply. It happened with Dick too but because he came with a great rep using the media nobody battered an eyelid. Wondering the same here to be honest but what would be the point? People will never own up to double standards. I'm guilty of many things fella but you're so off the mark here it unreal. Plenty of others who are though. In abundance.
Pointless debate, hard model management doesn't work in modern English top flight football, it's been proven time and again and it's only going more the other way every year. People like Raheem Sterling getting his mummy to call in sick for him. That's how football is going. Regardless of how refreshing or positive you may think it is as a fan who buys into old school hard model approaches, it's counter productive in general with modern footballers. The last thing you need right now as a squad is another hissy fit from your players where they decide to bury their heads again. He might have said it and been great about it with the lad himself, but going to the cameras is just not necessary in my opinion.
Im sure the new guy knows he shouldn't do that now either way! Like I said before you signed him, he's got that 'Adel Taarabt' about him, genius but has a tendency to make the wrong choice when it matters sometimes. He'll give you more than enough good times though so he's forgivable. Taarabt maybe not.., wtf has happened to him anyway?
He looks a dangerous player like. Hope he's around next season to see the best out of him. He's like Sess with the drive and determination of Borini. Good combo, workrate and technique, we don't usually see that combo at this club fella. Don't think many teams do of our level really so it goes without saying his negatives will be telling. If that's decision making so be it. I can live with that considering we've got nobody else to really create anything at all. He looks an improvement which is all I can ask.
I never once saw the great Wilf Mannion have a good game at Roker. Many years later, I worked with a lad about my age, a life-long Middlesbrough fan, who told me he'd never seen Shackleton have a good game at Ayresome. We often laughed about it. The point is, if you have a player like that, you can't expect it to come off every time. Sheer brilliance is not a constant. Guys like that play on narrower margins than many would even think about. I'll judge Kharzri on a season's play, not one game where it didn't come off.
I've no problem with what Khazri tried. He's a class player and you have to allow your flair players to cock up like that now and again. It was a silly thing to do with 5 minutes of the game to go, when we were going after an equaliser, but if he's learned from that, then it's fair enough.
Think it's thread worthy but just to highlight the way the Daily Fail are a complete bunch of arseholes - have no idea how that even got published! Not sure who wrote it but it stinks of Adrian Durham to me! Here you go - Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic complete fails! But because they don;t play for us it doesn't warrant a full page article:
