Mark Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/4447114.stm Leicester City striker Elvis Hammond has declared his intention to fight for a place in Ghana's squad for next year's African Cup of Nations in Egypt.Hammond, 25, says he left English Premiership side Fulham for the Championship team in August as he wanted regular first-team football. He is hoping the move will help him secure a place in the Black Stars. "I wasn't prepared to sit on the bench because it wouldn't help me fight for a Ghana place" he told BBC Sport. The striker spent a spell on loan at Dutch club RBC Roosendaal last season, where he helped them to successfully fight-off a relegation scare by scoring five goals in six matches. "When I returned from Roosendaal, Fulham promised me a first team place but that promise was not fulfilled so I decided to move [to Leicester]," Hammond said. "I can't just be picked by the Ghana manager because I am on the bench at an English premiership side. "I have to show what I can do to be able to get into the Black Stars." He added he would have loved to stay with Roosendaal to play top flight football in Europe but they were not able to pay for his full transfer fee from Fulham. Hammond has already been called by Ghana back in 2003 but failed to make an appearance because of a knee injury. "I really wanted to make a good impression with the people of Ghana but that injury prevented me from doing so," Hammond said. "If I do get the opportunity I will take it and let my feet do the talking." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 He should try not being sh it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIRFOOT Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 hes got no chance, he wont even be in our starting eleven come new year, + he was promised a first team place at fulham? i doubt that very much, him playing regular premiership football, dont make me laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Different Culture in Africa though... if being offside and scuffing shots is what they're looking for, I'd say there's no one better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gené and Tonic Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 It shows he's striving to improve, and that is good. But judging on what I've seen from him already, he's got a heck of a job on his hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Reminds me of when Ade couldn't score and then came out and said he wanted to play for Nigeria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nationwider Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Reminds me of when Ade couldn't score and then came out and said he wanted to play for Nigeria. He wants the moon on a stick, that Elvis. I want to play for Angola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverFox Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Explain how it makes sense to slag off our own players? What does it achieve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Yeah - you're right. Hammond is really setting the world alight. Ghana are fu cking crazy not to play him. Nevermind, their loss can only be our gain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 If he doesn't want to sit on the bench he should MAKE SURE his boots do some talking cos they've said hardly a word so far. And he should remember that while HE is being indulged beyond any normal manager's patience so that he can fulfil his ambitions in some far off land, others are having to sit on a bench waiting for the same chance he's has so far been wasting. If I were the interviewer I'd have asked him why a kid who's scored plenty of goals this season should be kept in the shadows while someone who has barely scored at all gets chance after chance?. At this moment he can have anything he wants - if only he would start doing his job. And that has sod all to do with conducting media interviews cos so far this season, where football is concerned, he's got nothing worth saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Explain how it makes sense to slag off our own players? What does it achieve? I have two different opinions aboiut quotes like that - I do agree, slagging off our own players doesn't acheive much, However we pay our well earned money going down to watch the players play, WE are paying for there wages, so why shouldn't we slag our players off? They prehaps are trying there best and that is all we can ask of them but at the end of the day we pay there stupid over inflated wages we have our right to say what we want about them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I'd get slagged off if I was sh it at my job. In fact, after a while I'd probably get sacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I'd get slagged off if I was sh it at my job. In fact, after a while I'd probably get sacked. Correct! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westmidsfox Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Explain how it makes sense to slag off our own players? What does it achieve? Yeah it's a really positive thing to do but not unexpected. We had the De Vries is the worst ever striker now followed by the Kisnorbo is crap comments. Hammond is now the latest to suffer the character assasination. When will the collection of dimwits who slag these players off realise that nothing is achieved by the garbage that they spout ? When will the dimwits understand that we do not attract the likes of Frank Lampard or Michael Essien to play in our midfield. We are not a plying our trade in the Premiership. We will have to make do with the standard of players we have. When will the dimwits understand that this is a young, inexperienced and emerging team that will have to learn how to play together. When will the dimwits realise that we have a number of players with little or no confidence in front of goal or in midfield where our players don't want to pass the difficult ball because they hear the derision from the crowd if the pass fails. Elvis Hammond needs games, chances and our support. GIVE THE BLOKE SOME BLOODY ENCOURAGEMENT RATHER THAN DISMISS HIM AFTER JUST A FEW STARTS AND SUPPORT HIS AMBITION. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 When he starts producing the goods, he will get praise etc. If he doesn't and continues to put in inept performances which don't appear to be improving then we won't be praised. TBH he's earning a lot of money. Also he's a professional. If he can't put up with the fact that a few people are questioning his ability on a messageboard then ... well, i'd be very surprised anyway. He has a good first name, I'll give him that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Honcho Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 When he starts producing the goods, he will get praise etc. If he doesn't and continues to put in inept performances which don't appear to be improving then we won't be praised. TBH he's earning a lot of money. Also he's a professional. If he can't put up with the fact that a few people are questioning his ability on a messageboard then ... well, i'd be very surprised anyway. He has a good first name, I'll give him that. But to be fair CL gave him the contract and paid the money for him! What i want to know is! What did Levein see in him? You only have to look at his record to see that he isn't a prolific scorer! The odd goal would be nice but he hasn't even got that in him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 He's a quick runner though. Or maybe Levein fancies him. Erm 'allegedly'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 you have to be careful when looking at so called player stats, they might just be wrong about the number of goals he's scored because they sure as hell haven't got the number of offsides correct - none in 20 appearances for LCFC and only twice in his entire professional career since 2001 Recent History Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I think they actually decided it would be easier to state the percentage of any game he's onside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Yeah it's a really positive thing to do but not unexpected. We had the De Vries is the worst ever striker now followed by the Kisnorbo is crap comments. Hammond is now the latest to suffer the character assasination. When will the collection of dimwits who slag these players off realise that nothing is achieved by the garbage that they spout ? When will the dimwits understand that we do not attract the likes of Frank Lampard or Michael Essien to play in our midfield. We are not a plying our trade in the Premiership. We will have to make do with the standard of players we have. When will the dimwits understand that this is a young, inexperienced and emerging team that will have to learn how to play together. When will the dimwits realise that we have a number of players with little or no confidence in front of goal or in midfield where our players don't want to pass the difficult ball because they hear the derision from the crowd if the pass fails. Elvis Hammond needs games, chances and our support. GIVE THE BLOKE SOME BLOODY ENCOURAGEMENT RATHER THAN DISMISS HIM AFTER JUST A FEW STARTS AND SUPPORT HIS AMBITION. I gather you're happy with Elvis then and that, if you were a manager, you'd put up with such an indifferent scoring record (whether your job was on the line or not). Oh and before you mention it I've given him loads of support. What I'd rather have now is the ball in the back of the net. It's the only thing he's paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I gather you're happy with Elvis then and that, if you were a manager, you'd put up with such an indifferent scoring record (whether your job was on the line or not). Oh and before you mention it I've given him loads of support. What I'd rather have now is the ball in the back of the net. It's the only thing he's paid for. Precisely. We want him scoring for us. Not seemingly taking his place for granted and dreaming of playing at a level where he'd arguably be even further out of his depth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 Yeah it's a really positive thing to do but not unexpected. We had the De Vries is the worst ever striker now followed by the Kisnorbo is crap comments. Hammond is now the latest to suffer the character assasination. He is though. I don't think what is said on here will be read by any of the players so I wouldn't worry about the criticism players receive. I said when I saw Elvis that he's a quick Benjamin and I still stand by that, however that doesn't mean I dislike him or that he doesn't have a chance to change my mind. He seems like a nice guy, that interview makes it seem like he's big headed but all the other interviews I've seen him do he seems just happy to be playing. He's played 20 times and scored once, so he deserves a bit of criticism, but he does (and will) have time to improve (I know the whole '25 and only scored 1 goal' thing, I said something similar when we signed him perminantly, however we've got him now and complaining about it isn't really going to change that.). Personally I'd play Hume and de Vries together for a few games - as everyone seems to be saying - but I wouldn't rule out Hammond completely. Joey is the same age as Elvis and last season was his first playing regular football (before that the most he'd featured in one season was 16 times) and some people said he was poor, others average etc. Now this season he's come back and been one of our most consistant players, regular football does make a difference. Of course unlike a midfielder it isn't just performances that a striker gets judged on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I'd go as far as saying that in my current state of mind... I'd rather have Trev than Hammond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nationwider Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 I'd go as far as saying that in my current state of mind... I'd rather have Trev than Hammond. I'd certainly have Trev back now. I think we treated him pretty poorly (by we, I mean MA and DB - as well as the usual Walkers' boo-boys). He improved significantly in the 02/03 season and never got a fair crack of the whip after that. Even when he got 2 goals early last season, he was promptly sent packing on loan to Basingstoke, or wherever. Elvis needs a goal or two quck to settle him down. When I've seen him, he plays a bit like a speedboat without a driver, but hopefully we won't abandon him like we did with Trev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Honcho Posted 17 November 2005 Share Posted 17 November 2005 What we have is a player who has played only 50 games(half of them this season) in 5 years for about the same number of clubs, whose scored 1 goal. I ask again what did CL see in him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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