Gradel Watch

[Thracian]

it was extended for the season months ago

In which case we need to sign a quality winger and Gradel might as well leave.

Gradel only went on loan because we elected to have Newton on the right wing and that was a mistake.

But if we sign another winger it will doubtless be for 18 months or more and I cannot imagine Gradel will want to twiddle his thumbs in anyone's shadow a) because he's too good to be doing that and b) because he has a brother to look after and provide for.

I'm not sure that he will remain in England anyway but I am sure that our own situation needs fixing and quickly.

[Jimmy]

In which case we need to sign a quality winger and Gradel might as well leave.

Gradel only went on loan because we elected to have Newton on the right wing and that was a mistake.

But if we sign another winger it will doubtless be for 18 months or more and I cannot imagine Gradel will want to twiddle his thumbs in anyone's shadow a) because he's too good to be doing that and b) because he has a brother to look after and provide for.

I'm not sure that he will remain in England anyway but I am sure that our own situation needs fixing and quickly.

don't talk bollocks he went on loan because he was an untried youngster to get 1st team experience, which he will get a lot more of there then here

[Thracian]

don't talk bollocks he went on loan because he was an untried youngster to get 1st team experience, which he will get a lot more of there then here

Why send him on loan when we needed his skills here so much? There was nothing we didn't know about him, he'd had stacks of match experience, knew everyone at our club and was well used to training with first team.

We'd seen all the options last season apart from Ferreira. It took me two weeks to know that Ferreira wasn't the answer and our representatives should have known that before he signed.

And are you serious in thinking Newton should have been preferred in our right wing role?

Why would you send someone away for experience when he was better than what you had available?

Truth was our leaders preferred a senior and a fat lot of good that has done us.

[Jimmy]

Why send him on loan when we needed his skills here so much? There was nothing we didn't know about him, he'd had stacks of match experience, knew everyone at our club and was well used to training with first team.

We'd seen all the options last season apart from Ferreira. It took me two weeks to know that Ferreira wasn't the answer and our representatives should have known that before he signed.

And are you serious in thinking Newton should have been preferred in our right wing role?

Why would you send someone away for experience when he was better than what you had available?

Truth was our leaders preferred a senior and a fat lot of good that has done us.

oh fook off will you, "tons of match experience" hardly playing for the academy or ressies is not comparable with competitive 1st team football.

as for abilities which, that's all well and good but if he were to be a lightweight he'd be no use, although he's impressed at Bournemouth, he hasn't exactly been an ever present (not including his bereavement leave), it will be much better for him and us in the long term if he were to continue there for the time being, besides there are better alternatives out there than an 18-19 year old winger who has plenty of time to establish himself here for years to come

[Joe.]

Why send him on loan when we needed his skills here so much? There was nothing we didn't know about him, he'd had stacks of match experience, knew everyone at our club and was well used to training with first team.

We'd seen all the options last season apart from Ferreira. It took me two weeks to know that Ferreira wasn't the answer and our representatives should have known that before he signed.

And are you serious in thinking Newton should have been preferred in our right wing role?

Why would you send someone away for experience when he was better than what you had available?

Truth was our leaders preferred a senior and a fat lot of good that has done us.

Come off it Thracian, he's hardly got "stacks of match experience". He'd played at best reserve level ,but mainly with the youth academy. The step up is massive.

The loan spell's probably done him good, he's been successful and I'm sure he's now hungry to come and fight for his place here. And there's no doubt in my mind that he'll get his chance eventually. This team is crying out for wingers at the moment, and when Holloway feels the time is right he'll be in.

I'm looking forward to seeing him in a Leicester City shirt and seeing what he has to offer. Fingers crossed.

[Thracian]

Come off it Thracian, he's hardly got "stacks of match experience". He'd played at best reserve level ,but mainly with the youth academy. The step up is massive.

The loan spell's probably done him good, he's been successful and I'm sure he's now hungry to come and fight for his place here. And there's no doubt in my mind that he'll get his chance eventually. This team is crying out for wingers at the moment, and when Holloway feels the time is right he'll be in.

I'm looking forward to seeing him in a Leicester City shirt and seeing what he has to offer. Fingers crossed.

He's played regularly for reserves and Academy. Other youth players have stepped up well enough without going out on loan.

If we'd had a good right wing alternative, fine, but we didn't and it has been a major hindrance.

It's not "eventually" we need the guy. We've needed him for four months and we needed him today.

You might have "no doubt" he'll play for Leicester but I have lots of doubts that anyone here will show the necessary faith in him.

[Joe.]

He's played regularly for reserves and Academy. Other youth players have stepped up well enough without going out on loan.

If we'd had a good right wing alternative, fine, but we didn't and it has been a major hindrance.

It's not "eventually" we need the guy. We've needed him for four months and we needed him today.

You might have "no doubt" he'll play for Leicester but I have lots of doubts that anyone here will show the necessary faith in him.

Well if he's good enough he will get his chance soon.

Like we both say, this team is desperate for good wide men at the moment, and Gradel could potentially be the solution to this problem.

[filbertway]

Well if he's good enough he will get his chance soon.

Like we both say, this team is desperate for good wide men at the moment, and Gradel could potentially be the solution to this problem.

To be fair I can see Thracians point, we had lord cocaine on the right and didn't even give Gradel a chance before shipping him off on loan.

If he'd been given a chance and made a decent impression we could potentially have had a right winger for the season, if he didn't look up to it then we could have sent him away on loan for the season.

And Thrac, you can't call youth/reserve team football "Match Experiance" It's compeltely different to first team football.

[Thracian]

To be fair I can see Thracians point, we had lord cocaine on the right and didn't even give Gradel a chance before shipping him off on loan.

If he'd been given a chance and made a decent impression we could potentially have had a right winger for the season, if he didn't look up to it then we could have sent him away on loan for the season.

And Thrac, you can't call youth/reserve team football "Match Experiance" It's compeltely different to first team football.

Normally I'd agree about the levels of football but the simple question in relation to Gradel is would he pose a greater threat than Newton, Ashley Chambers, James Chambers, Kaebi and anyone else who's appeared on our right wing?

Gradel's managed five goals in his tragically interrupted half-season just one division down from us playing on the wing for Bournemouth and that, transferred to the Championship, would have made him our second top scorer.

[Flynny]

Normally I'd agree about the levels of football but the simple question in relation to Gradel is would he pose a greater threat than Newton, Ashley Chambers, James Chambers, Kaebi and anyone else who's appeared on our right wing?

Gradel's managed five goals in his tragically interrupted half-season just one division down from us playing on the wing for Bournemouth and that, transferred to the Championship, would have made him our second top scorer.

That in a poor team, too, to be fair to the lad.

[Joe.]

Gradel's managed five goals in his tragically interrupted half-season just one division down from us playing on the wing for Bournemouth and that, transferred to the Championship, would have made him our second top scorer.

:laugh:

Brilliant.

You can't just twist goalscoring stats and say that he would have definitely scored x amount of goals in a different league.

[Thracian]

:laugh:

Brilliant.

You can't just twist goalscoring stats and say that he would have definitely scored x amount of goals in a different league.

I think it a certain bet that a guy who's scored five goals in 14 games (two as sub) in an interrupted Division One would still have finished way ahead of Newton, James Chambers, ashley chambers and Hussain Kaebi as a right wing goalscorer in the Championship seeing as none of those worthies have managed a single goal between them, wouldn't you?

[Joe.]

I think it a certain bet that a guy who's scored five goals in 14 games (two as sub) in an interrupted Division One would still have finished way ahead of Newton, James Chambers, ashley chambers and Hussain Kaebi as a right wing goalscorer in the Championship seeing as none of those worthies have managed a single goal between them, wouldn't you?

I got the impression you meant our overall team goalscorer.

But even still, the Champonship's a different league. There's no gurantees Gradel would score at all, especially when we have a team like ours that seem to be cluess in front of the net at the moment.

[Trumpet]

Why send him on loan when we needed his skills here so much? There was nothing we didn't know about him, he'd had stacks of match experience, knew everyone at our club and was well used to training with first team.

We'd seen all the options last season apart from Ferreira. It took me two weeks to know that Ferreira wasn't the answer and our representatives should have known that before he signed.

And are you serious in thinking Newton should have been preferred in our right wing role?

Why would you send someone away for experience when he was better than what you had available?

Truth was our leaders preferred a senior and a fat lot of good that has done us.

How can you speak so highly of a youngster, with no first team experience, but reckon he'll do well and should start, because of his skills. He may have proven his skill in the youth team / reserves but it doesn't mean he can cut it in the first team. He's been on loan to get that experience of a first team.

Its a bit like Ashley Chambers, he may look skillful in the youth team / reserves, but with the time he's had of late in the first team, he's not looked like the answer to any of our problems.

[Thracian]

I got the impression you meant our overall team goalscorer.

But even still, the Champonship's a different league. There's no guarantees Gradel would score at all, especially when we have a team like ours that seem to be cluess in front of the net at the moment.

Take your pick - I haven't noticed anyone scoring at that rate for our team, never mind a right winger.

And I've never seen Gradel looking clueless in front of goal either.

[Fox You Forest]

I keep seeing this thread his watch must be real good is it a rolex?

[Jimmy]

i doubt we'll be seeing him this season anyway seeing as his squad number was given to Hayles, oops sorry it was Dodds that was given 24 not Gradel

[Thracian]

i doubt we'll be seeing him this season anyway seeing as his squad number was given to Hayles, oops sorry it was Dodds that was given 24 not Gradel

I see he's up to five goals for the season after a goal on Saturday. Bit disapppointing to be honest although he's mostly played out of position. Still makes him second top scorer. Cannot see him ever returning to City.

[Jack]

I see he's up to five goals for the season after a goal on Saturday. Bit disapppointing to be honest although he's mostly played out of position. Still makes him second top scorer. Cannot see him ever returning to City.

Do you rate Dodds, Thracian ?

[Fox You Forest]

I see he's up to five goals for the season after a goal on Saturday. Bit disapppointing to be honest although he's mostly played out of position. Still makes him second top scorer. Cannot see him ever returning to City.

I have him on the first to leave sweepstake , so i hope your right.

[Jimmy]

Do you rate Dodds, Thracian ?

he's been calling for him to be playing for like the past 5 years

[Thracian]

How can you speak so highly of a youngster, with no first team experience, but reckon he'll do well and should start, because of his skills. He may have proven his skill in the youth team / reserves but it doesn't mean he can cut it in the first team. He's been on loan to get that experience of a first team.

Its a bit like Ashley Chambers, he may look skillful in the youth team / reserves, but with the time he's had of late in the first team, he's not looked like the answer to any of our problems.

I don't see him as a bit like Ashley Chambers.

My praise is in relation to the people he'd have been competing against at Leicester and his capabilities have been fairly widely seen with Bournemouth at a level just one division below ours.

I've never claimed that Ashley Chambers was ready for the first team - better than Kaebi yes, but not ready.

I don't remember Chambers ever scoring as many goals as Gradel from the wings - Gradel managed around a goal a game for two seasons as I recall and was our outstanding man in at least two finals that I can recall.

No, Chambers may become a good player but he's had injurty setbacks which have left him trailing in Gradel's wake for the time being.

[Thracian]

Do you rate Dodds, Thracian ?

I've no first hand idea of how he's playing this season but I did feel he was an instinctive striker when he was here and believed he should have been given a chance last season, probably around Christmas time.

Dodds scored goals regularly and from a much wider range of places than Fryatt. He could sniff out the tap ins, bend home a free kick, score with his head, shoot from distance and that's why I think Kelly thought of him as the most natural striker at the club even including the first teamers.

But he's not especially physical for a six footer, he has a laid-back style and doesn't have an eyecatching way of chasing here and there like a maniac to close people down - as does Hume or Billy McKay, a current reserves striker.

Dodds is an elegant player and, to me, simply a specialist goalscorer. His big strength is to spot a shooting opotunity quickly and take it with the minimum of fuss. He passes the ball well too in a general sense.

I just don't think he had the pace or physical presence for Leicester. Ironic that considering the people we have used.

In some ways I think it a pity he went to Lincoln on loan instead of staying put like Sheehan. But then the club had paid money for Cort and Campbell so he probably thought that with Hume an Fryatt in the wings he'd never get a break.

But I'd have preferred him to Fryatt on the bench. To me he had a wider game and was a better team player.

[Flynny]

Do you rate Dodds, Thracian ?

Post of the year contender on Jan 1st. Smashing.

[Thracian]

Post of the year contender on Jan 1st. Smashing.

I did have a chuckle.