Dahnsouff

Both

Anyone know how long it took Pearson to a) clear the decks, and b) implement his style on the misfits he took over? Understand Pearson was obviously a more appealing no-nonsense persona mind.

Certainly think the partnership element has something to do with continued reluctance to play Ben, and to a lesser degree Okoli.

If the rumours that Faes was being sold were true, it may well have scuppered Ben's potential loan.

Not sure in one breath we can lambast our recruitment whilst we were in the top flight, and then suggest being in the top flight was to our conclusive benefit.

Just fail to see why we would not play him if the management team felt he was good enough, especially given the horror show from the incumbents. Yes they could be wrong. I do rate him as a prospect, but you look at what age youth CBs break through typically and he is on course. (Ignoring outliers)

A farewell game today on FM24, sold them all, pennies on the pound.

Literally have no idea how much Faes is worth 3m? 5m? Same contract length as Ben. And yes I do realise we generally regard Wout as having a negative value.

Huijsen cost Bournemouth 20m from Juve who got him from Roma Restos 17.5m, but he had played European football and half a domestic season before his move. Anselmimo, yes fair enough from Boca to Chelsea, they who are always a good barometer of transfer fees. I am not trying to run Ben down, but neither am I interested in stoking unreasonable expectations.

Plenty predicted it. Although perhaps half in jest.

So you think Ben should be regarded as a generational centre back like those two? Sorry, not generational, but Fofana already had a season in Ligue Un didn’t he?

Said to @Tommy Fresh, I get it - plenty think Ben would fetch more and perhaps you are both right. Would not be my first poor call.

Nah it’s ok, sometimes find it hard to see past the partisan nature of comments on here, but if you reckon so, fair enough.

Maybe, but seems very unlikely too me. (And not because he used to be a Belgian international, and they were good once…) Just struggle to think of a youth defender who has not yet broken through, who would fetch a higher price than Wout would get. Probably not a massive amount in it though due to the assumed potential.

Nelson’s value is not currently higher then Wout, so can see he would get the nod ahead of Ben to preserve his value. Don’t agree that Ben is better at football than Wout now, that’s just silly. but every chance to become so in the future. The bit about walking for free irks a lot tbh, as we should not let any player walk for free, even if means taking a reduced fee or paying a portion of wages, it just seems we are determined to die on the ridiculous hill of player value.

How can anyone know if they are not in the building? So much hyperbole around football, and not sure how much anyone can or should trust it from just looking in.

Isn’t it more likely that It looked like Faes was gone, this was known quite early, so we began introducing Nelson via the bench. The Faes move collapses, Faes is reintegrated, it’s too late to get Ben out on a decent loan anywhere worth his time, and here we are?

Because some think we should be doing better, at least on the pitch if not in the table. It’s fair, but suspect it takes longer to right this particular ship.

Agree, even when Wilf left we still had the industry of KDH to set the tone, but now we are football by numbers with occasional highlights. Personnel is an issue but Marti has to cope, and if what @BKLFox suggests above is tried, would hope we can be more secure and open the door a little wider for youth.

He wasn’t as he thinks he is now better than the championship, and he is probably correct after all this time. Does not make him Premier League quality mind. However, I realise we are not scoring, but I would love a defence savvy coach who can enforce some serious structure and pressing on this team, at least boring has an end product that way! Right now we cannot out score teams, so we have to be better at the other end.

Was being a sarky bugger, he has been given a poisonous task, so he needs time.

Another in-your-face team. Not optimistic, but…

Also Ayew Jannik BDCR Viktor Skipp Winks Luke Daka Hamza etc

Why doesn’t he get given time? Expecting a rapid turnaround after a few horrid years, coupled further poor transfers and a couple of dubious management appointments, was always unlikely. Give him time I say, as if he does not clean house, it will only be the next person. Then we will just repeat this cycle of expectation, disappointment and trying and failing to fill gaps.

Did he say he would?