The OH Leuven Thread 2020/21

[Bonanza]

8 minutes ago, The whole world smiles said:

@Bonanzawhat's his competition like in center midfield do you see him starting games or being a squad player? 

It all depends on his level of play, I guess.

 

He'll compete with Maertens, Malinov and Hubert for a spot in the starting 11. 

 

 

[FoxFossil]

29 minutes ago, KFS said:

Danny Simpson to join up next? 

And big Wes? Putting the band back together.

[Ric Flair]

Shocked how hard he has found establishing himself at another club, I thought he'd easily waltz in to a Championship club and do well there, so its not a guarantee he will go to Leuven and be influential. The Belgian top league is a good standard and I hope he does the business as it's a great story.

[Bonanza]

 

[Ric Flair]

How longs he joined for?

[Bonanza]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

How longs he joined for?

Until the end of the season

[drofmor55]

Will take a few matches to get up to speed but he will give 100% every time he plays....probably his biggest influence will be in the changing room ,totally professional and a wealth of experience... 

[Jimmy]

57 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Shocked how hard he has found establishing himself at another club, I thought he'd easily waltz in to a Championship club and do well there, so its not a guarantee he will go to Leuven and be influential. The Belgian top league is a good standard and I hope he does the business as it's a great story.

finances are tight and clubs are going for younger cheaper players

[Corky]

2 hours ago, Bonanza said:

Good signing for us, Leicester fans? What type of player is he?

 

I know he's a central midfielder who was a big part of your league winning team.

Probably box to box, a great finisher (had a sensational goal highlights video), keeps it simple, not a great tackler and not too flashy.

 

Off the pitch, pretty much everyone who's worked with him says what a great bloke he is, was with us for over a decade and I don't recall any issues with discipline or a lack of professionalism.

 

A good player and a thoroughly likeable bloke.

[Vardinio'sCat]

10 hours ago, Bonanza said:

It all depends on his level of play, I guess.

 

He'll compete with Maertens, Malinov and Hubert for a spot in the starting 11. 

 

 

 

Even if he doesn't always start, his eye for a goal means he should be useful of the bench, and he is a model pro.

 

I think he would work best as a sitting midfielder really, using his experience to keep things ticking over, but I think he is flexible enough to play any CM position.

 

We would love to see him do well.

[Vardinio'sCat]

10 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Shocked how hard he has found establishing himself at another club, I thought he'd easily waltz in to a Championship club and do well there, so its not a guarantee he will go to Leuven and be influential. The Belgian top league is a good standard and I hope he does the business as it's a great story.

 

I guess it is a lot cheaper to bring a kid through when the finances are sketchy, as they are at the mo.

[Bonanza]

 

 

Rumour has it he's coming to Leuven...

 

[UniFox21]

1 minute ago, Bonanza said:

 

 

Rumour has it he's coming to Leuven...

 

Is there a limit on number of loans a club can have in the Belgian leagues?

[Bonanza]

10 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Is there a limit on number of loans a club can have in the Belgian leagues?

No idea

[sacreblueits442]

28 minutes ago, Bonanza said:

 

 

Rumour has it he's coming to Leuven...

 

...you are aware of the history surrounding Benkovic, how do you feel regarding him coming in to your club?

  I am a big fan of Filip and wonder if he can come back from all the setbacks he has had. There is a very good player there who may just be held back by the mental challenges that he has to overcome.

[Ric Flair]

43 minutes ago, Bonanza said:

 

 

Rumour has it he's coming to Leuven...

 

Now this is a proper signing for you from us, this lad prior to us signing him was playing Champions League football and was one of Zagreb's best players at a very young age. I really hope he does well for you as we have been a nightmare with him.

[Bonanza]

34 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...you are aware of the history surrounding Benkovic, how do you feel regarding him coming in to your club?

  I am a big fan of Filip and wonder if he can come back from all the setbacks he has had. There is a very good player there who may just be held back by the mental challenges that he has to overcome.

First of all, I have to stress that I'm not sure he's actually coming to Leuven. It's just a rumour I've read on our own forum. The guy who launched the rumour usually is very well informed and gets it right about 90% of the time. It's no secret our club wanted to sign a right-footed central defender, so Benkovic fits that description.

 

Despite all the setbacks, the lad is only 23 and can still have a decent career. If Leicester still has some hope/believe in him it would make sense to send him on loan to Leuven where they can keep track of him. 

 

A healty Benkovic would no doubt be a very big signing for us.

 

The only thing that bothers me a bit is that this would be another signing thanks to Leicester. It's a bit "lazy" of our club, to depend on our "big brother" to send us players.

Edited 6 January 2021 by Bonanza

[AjcW]

23 hours ago, Corky said:

Off the pitch, pretty much everyone who's worked with him says what a great bloke he is, was with us for over a decade and I don't recall any issues with discipline or a lack of professionalism.

100% on this. I have a funny Kingy anecdote which I think sums him up.

A friend of mine starting dating him after they'd met in a bar, 2009 this was.

 

She thought he was just a student from one of the Uni's for a couple of weeks. He'd no interest in showing off that he was a footballer when he was on a night out and it didn't come up in conversation until a proper date  

 

I dunno... I think that kinda sums him up really, proper professional and not at all showy or flashy. 

[UHDrive]

Cant say kingy looks thrilled.

[Staff]

9 minutes ago, Bonanza said:

First of all, I have to stress that I'm not sure he's actually coming to Leuven. It's just a rumour I've read on our own forum. The guy who launched the rumour usually is very well informed and gets it right about 90% of the time. It's no secret our club wanted to sign a right-footed central defender, so Benkovic fits that description.

 

Despite all the setbacks, the lad is only 23 and can still have a decent career. If Leicester still has some hope/believe in him it would make sense to send him on loan to Leuven where they can keep track of him. 

 

A healty Benkovic would no doubt be a very big signing for us.

 

The only thing that bothers me a bit is that this would be another signing thanks to Leicester. It's a bit "lazy" of our club, to depend on our "big brother" to send us players.

I can understand how you feel, however the benefit is that you aren't forking out money for signings at the mid point of the season where its difficult to buy. You get a player who is actually fit and ready to play from a club you trust and have a solid working relationship with. For us we hopefully get a player currently out of the first team picture playing games and showing the levels of potential we were hoping for. I don't see it as Leicester helping Leuven, more like helping all parties involved 

[StriderHiryu]

9 minutes ago, Bonanza said:

 

The only thing that bothers me a bit is that this would be another signing thanks to Leicester. It's a bit "lazy" of our club, to depend on our "big brother" to send us players.

Modern football is going this way fast, look at how successful the Red Bull model has been and no doubt will continue to be. Clubs are now becoming worldwide franchises because finding and developing players is so much cheaper than having to spend hundreds of millions to build a team that may or may not work.

 

It will no doubt have pros and cons for OHL supporters. I think your club's results will improve tenfold over the next 5-10 years, as no doubt will performances. But at the same time it's almost nailed on at this point that the first time you unearth a true superstar, that the player will be on his way to England in no time at all. That said I think overall having KP will be a huge blessing and though there will always be a close relationship between the two teams, King Power will most likely want OHL to be it's own entity long term instead of being a feeder club. It's just that this will take quite some time to happen. So in the meantime I think it makes perfect sense to use the "unfair" advantage OHL might have by being able to get players out of favour from Leicester and I wouldn't look at it as being lazy, but rather would embrace it! 

[UHDrive]

I think Benko needs selling this window, even if it's a cut price fee. Hes not doing his career any good and I doubt we want to retain him. Numbers wise we dont need him either and on his salary there is no point letting him rot in the U23's.

[davieG]

http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-admits-thinking-leicester-interest-fake-thankful-foxes-giving-life-another-trajectory/

 

Player admits thinking Leicester interest in him was ‘fake’ – Thankful to Foxes for giving life ‘another trajectory’
By Tom Coast - 6th January 2021
SHARE

Earlier this week, the name Kamal Sowah reemerged with Saint-Etienne reportedly being interested in the versatile Leicester City loanee.

Arriving from the Right to Dream academy in Ghana back in January 2018, the now 21-year-old was immediately sent on loan to OH Leuven, where he remains three years later.

He’s still contracted to Leicester, and yet he still has never trained with them, instead spending time under Nigel Pearson in Belgium.

The transfer, which took place a few weeks after his 18th birthday, came as something as a surprise, and Sport/Foot Magazine decided to find out a bit more about how the Premier League club came to discover him in a lengthy interview in this week’s magazine.

He replied: “My agent had sent them some videos, but I think I impressed them in a game with Right to Dream against them in the Milk Cup in Manchester. Before then, other clubs had contacted my agent but he hadn’t told me anything.

 

“He didn’t want rumours to go to my head. When Leicester came forward, he couldn’t keep it to himself. I was still a bit surprised that a club wanted to give me a contract. I remember telling my mum it was probably fake. Leicester offered me an exceptional chance to give my life another trajectory”.

Bringing his family with him from Zongo, the midfielder hasn’t forgotten his roots, wanting to ‘show people he’s the son of his parents and can be a good ambassador for Ghana’.

That would include playing for the national team, which he came extremely close to doing back in September, only to be dropped at the last minute.

As for his career plan, does it include Leicester and representing his country? “Yeah, but the national team can knock on my door tomorrow and I’ll grab my chance. That being said, I don’t want to impose myself on the manager”.

[sdb]

15 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

I think Benko needs selling this window, even if it's a cut price fee. Hes not doing his career any good and I doubt we want to retain him. Numbers wise we dont need him either and on his salary there is no point letting him rot in the U23's.

His value must be at an all time low. No point selling right now. Could be sought after in 6-12 months 

[Outfox the Fox]

On 03/01/2021 at 19:38, Bonanza said:

After a couple of days off our team traveled to Genk for a trainingcamp. No sign of Daniel Iversen in the clip that was posted today, so he might be on his way back to Leicester.

 

 

 

Apparently Jakupovic is going out on loan to Preston, so I guess Iversen will be coming back to City, as 3rd choice keeper.