On the official website. Permanent transfer to Twente. Good luck. Rafa continues to clear the decks...
Will enjoy himself there, not enough physical attributes for the English league. Shame I thought he'd be bigger than Carroll back int day, then I saw him play....
Can't say the club didn't try; sometimes the mentality isn't there. Biggest criticism of the regime and Carr for me is it's always just been about talent, contracts or potential, current price vs. future price, never about mentality. Read something about Rafa talking to a scout about a player; he rang the scout and said "player x, he's missed that chance, but I don't get his body language - is he upset, angry, or does he just not care?" It's why our model has always been doomed to fail, it's a roll of the dice. Pards got really lucky that Cabs, Ben Arfa, Tiote and Ba were just mentally solid, talented footballers. Then he got unlucky when he was landed with the more fragile Thauvin, Cabella, Amalfitano and a hoarde of others. Rafa's also right about the 70-80% being the best any manager could ever hope for in recruitment. I think most of the very best probably float around the 50/50 mark, right? Fergie bought some stinkers but got the academy right. I'd say Wenger's the best of the bunch for acquiring the right kind of player. Recruitment (from other clubs and via your own academy) is like 90% of football. The other 10% is training, tactics and management.
Absolutely useless player, arrived as one of the hottest prospects in Europe, left as a Rotherham and Wigan bench warmer. Scored lots in the Scottish second tier, which just shows how **** that league is.
Probably around League 1 standard so no good here. Shame it didn't work out but he seems slow, questionable attitude and massively injury prone. Glad to get him off the books finally.
One of the laziest players I've had the misfortune to watch. On the flip side he lives in the same flats as my bro is Gosforth and seems a thoroughly decent young lad. Hope it works out for him.
When Carr's stock was high I remember these very same comments - it's more about getting the right type. Cabaye was held up as the example. They all say it. They're all looking for the same thing. I wouldn't place too much stock in any of it. Bar the odd bargain deal like a Kante, the mentality of the player coupled with ability goes up as the money paid does. That's why they cost more. I mean HBA has the ability of a world beater, the mental capacity is the other end of the scale. So he has never commanded much of a fee.