Gradel back on loan to Bournemouth

[Steven]

The Mail on Sunday are waxing lyrical about him in the small match report they give.

From the Mail on Sunday.

Bournemouth 2-0 Nottingham Forest

Sam Vokes put a two-goal dent into Forest's promotion hopes and left Bournemouth fans simply grateful he is still with the club.

The 18-year-old striker could have gone to League One rivals Crewe in a £200,000 move earlier this week. But the local lad turned down the chance to talk to the Gresty Road club and elected instead to help his hometown club in their relegation battle.

His performance underlined his goalscoring prowess as this double made it four goals in four games for the teenager.

He put Bournemouth ahead after 20 minutes with a precision header from Max-Alain Gradel's far post cross.

And nine minutes later he made it 2-0 after a slick move had torn Forest's defence to shreds. Incisive passing by Gradel and Jo Kuffour put in Vokes and he smashed his 15-yard shot inside the far post.

Vokes had already scared the life out of Forest with a power header that keeper Paul Smith finger-tipped over the bar.

But it was winger Gradel who helped to destroy Forest. He twisted and teased his way past defender Luke Chambers only to blast a shot into the crowd. And his skill after 51 minutes left Chambers and James Perch in his wake but again he dragged his shot wide.

Forest, jeered off the pitch at half-time, gave their fans some hope in the 54th minute. Chris Cohen rampaged 40-yards down the left before whipping over a cross. It eluded striker Nathan Tyson's outstretched boot but that man Gradel snuffed out the threat.

[Shrenchel]

A forest fan I know said Gradel was absolutely cracking yesterday.

[Ric Flair]

Would I rather hear about Gradel tearing apart League One defences each week or hear about 101 questions as to why he's stuck in our reserves as we continue to struggle? I know which one I prefer. Holloway and the coaches at this club obviously feel that this loan spell is better off for Maxi than staying at Leicester this season. It's hard to believe that, i've questioned it several times myself. Especially when we continue to play players out of position on the wings.

I'd rather him have a years experience at League One, build a reputation up as a very talented player and him come back here and give our manager a headache as to whether to play him or not. It's easy for Holloway not to have picked him since he came here, but once he's consistently proven he's capable of driving a relegation threatened team forward, which he's doing, then it will be very hard for Holloway not to take notice and that's what we want.

Well done Maxi, perhaps he should be at the African Nations Cup if Fat Junior Agogo can be picked and shine!

[Thracian]

Would I rather hear about Gradel tearing apart League One defences each week or hear about 101 questions as to why he's stuck in our reserves as we continue to struggle? I know which one I prefer. Holloway and the coaches at this club obviously feel that this loan spell is better off for Maxi than staying at Leicester this season. It's hard to believe that, i've questioned it several times myself. Especially when we continue to play players out of position on the wings.

I'd rather him have a years experience at League One, build a reputation up as a very talented player and him come back here and give our manager a headache as to whether to play him or not. It's easy for Holloway not to have picked him since he came here, but once he's consistently proven he's capable of driving a relegation threatened team forward, which he's doing, then it will be very hard for Holloway not to take notice and that's what we want.

Well done Maxi, perhaps he should be at the African Nations Cup if Fat Junior Agogo can be picked and shine!

It wouldn't be a headache decision for me but we'll see.

[Mark]

"The 18-year-old striker could have gone to League One rivals Crewe in a £200,000 move earlier this week. But the local lad turned down the chance to talk to the Gresty Road club and elected instead to help his hometown club in their relegation battle."

Doesn't sound like Holloway intends to do anything with him here. It's bloody scandalous. £200,000 for ability like his? And what have we got instead?

That's not Max it's Sam Vokes who scored the 2 goals at the weekend.

[Ric Flair]

"The 18-year-old striker could have gone to League One rivals Crewe in a £200,000 move earlier this week. But the local lad turned down the chance to talk to the Gresty Road club and elected instead to help his hometown club in their relegation battle."

Doesn't sound like Holloway intends to do anything with him here. It's bloody scandalous. £200,000 for ability like his? And what have we got instead?

They are talking about Sam Vokes there pal.

[Thracian]

They are talking about Sam Vokes there pal.

Cheers. I knew Crewe had enquired about Gradel hence the oversight. All adjusted.

[Manwell Pablo]

Cheers. I knew Crewe had enquired about Gradel hence the oversight. All adjusted.

Oversight! Gradel is 20 and last time I checked, not from Bournemouth

EDIT: Or even a striker for that matter.

[Thracian]

Oversight! Gradel is 20 and last time I checked, not from Bournemouth

EDIT: Or even a striker for that matter.

Already acknowledged although Gradel probably deserves the title "striker" as much as anyone over the last few years.

I'm still wound up from the Blackpool debacle.

[Ric Flair]

That Sam Vokes is slamming a few in for them. Has a distinct lack of pace though ala Fryatt, but he could be worth a butchers hook.

[Manwell Pablo]

That Sam Vokes is slamming a few in for them. Has a distinct lack of pace though ala Fryatt, but he could be worth a butchers hook.

...hmm like Billy Sharp Freddie Eastwood Matty Fryatt, Carl Hawley etc etc he probabley wont score regularley enough at this level.

[Ric Flair]

...hmm like Billy Sharp Freddie Eastwood Matty Fryatt, Carl Hawley etc etc he probabley wont score regularley enough at this level.

Does make you wonder doesn't it. Eastwood proved last season he's good enough, but working for Mick McCarthy is not a pleasant experience. Sharp has been a massive disappointment, still can't see why he can't score at this level. 50+ goals in 2 seasons at League One is unbelievable, what more do you have to do to play at a higher level? I can't work out why he's struggled. Again, Bryan Robson is a helmet so that might have something to do with it.

[Cobbo]

From a Bournemouth fan on another forum:

"Not sure he'd be up to Championship football anyway because he usually cant cross for toffee. Bloody quick though and quite composed in front of goal, gives full backs nightmares. But his end product is often not quite there.

He started off very quiet and wasn’t very good. But he’s grown more and more confident with more games, and since his return from leave he has been a whirlwind and on a different planet to most defenders.

But he's really passionate lad who really cares about our club, you can tell from the way he plays and the way he acts with his thumping the badge when he scores and getting the crowd going, he's become a real crowd favorite down here.

He is very grateful for the lengthy time off he had for family problems back in France and I think that might give us an edge in persuading him to stay for long should his contract be up in the summer, geographically we'd be better suited for him. He's now head of his family at the age of 19, tragically crazy.

Great lad, decent player, he'd murder League Two if that's where we end up next season."

Surely we won't let him go after this loan appears to have been quite succesful? But we've done stranger things!

[Jonbluefox9]

From a Bournemouth fan on another forum:

"Not sure he'd be up to Championship football anyway because he usually cant cross for toffee. Bloody quick though and quite composed in front of goal, gives full backs nightmares. But his end product is often not quite there.

He started off very quiet and wasn’t very good. But he’s grown more and more confident with more games, and since his return from leave he has been a whirlwind and on a different planet to most defenders.

But he's really passionate lad who really cares about our club, you can tell from the way he plays and the way he acts with his thumping the badge when he scores and getting the crowd going, he's become a real crowd favorite down here.

He is very grateful for the lengthy time off he had for family problems back in France and I think that might give us an edge in persuading him to stay for long should his contract be up in the summer, geographically we'd be better suited for him. He's now head of his family at the age of 19, tragically crazy.

Great lad, decent player, he'd murder League Two if that's where we end up next season."

Surely we won't let him go after this loan appears to have been quite succesful? But we've done stranger things!

I don't know if I heard right but I'm sure Holloway said that we'd offered Gradel a new 3 year deal and he was going to or had signed it? This was said on the phone-in last night but not sure if it was Gradel he was talking about.

[Narborough Bod]

Does make you wonder doesn't it. Eastwood proved last season he's good enough, but working for Mick McCarthy is not a pleasant experience. Sharp has been a massive disappointment, still can't see why he can't score at this level. 50+ goals in 2 seasons at League One is unbelievable, what more do you have to do to play at a higher level? I can't work out why he's struggled. Again, Bryan Robson is a helmet so that might have something to do with it.

Greenacre, Ormrod, Stead, the list goes on.

[Wezleylowski]

I don't know if I heard right but I'm sure Holloway said that we'd offered Gradel a new 3 year deal and he was going to or had signed it? This was said on the phone-in last night but not sure if it was Gradel he was talking about.

Ollie said that Gradel accepted it. I definately heard him. Maxy isn't going anywhere

[Geo V]

Ollie said that Gradel accepted it. I definately heard him. Maxy isn't going anywhere

Yeah thats what I heard. He has signed a new deal apparently and is definitely part of Ollies plans for the future.

[Jimmy]

there we go Thrac, Mark and others, he's staying and just gaining invaluable experience at a decent level which can only do him and us good in the long run

[Thracian]

Yeah thats what I heard. He has signed a new deal apparently and is definitely part of Ollies plans for the future.

We'll see.

[reynard]

We'll see.

Well there's no doubting Holloway actually said on radio that he had been offered and had accepted a new 3 year contract which is pretty good for someone who has yet to play in the first team.

Personally I think this loan spell will be good for him especially if he helps them stay up. we have the chance of a player gaining experience and confidence and learning his trade at an appropriate level. After all beckham was loaned out to Preston and he seems to have done ok since. If Gradel is as good as you say then he will get his chance.

[STUHILL]

Well there's no doubting Holloway actually said on radio that he had been offered and had accepted a new 3 year contract which is pretty good for someone who has yet to play in the first team.

Personally I think this loan spell will be good for him especially if he helps them stay up. we have the chance of a player gaining experience and confidence and learning his trade at an appropriate level. After all beckham was loaned out to Preston and he seems to have done ok since. If Gradel is as good as you say then he will get his chance.

We'll see

[Wycombe Fox]

I watched the local 'Soccer Night' programme down here last night which showed Bournemouth. Gradel was pretty impressive.

The programme also featured a quick-fire interview with Kuffour of Bournemouth who said that Gradel was the most skillful Bournemouth player.

[Ric Flair]

Bournemouth's manager Nigel Bond (or is he a snooker player) is friends with Milan Mandaric, i'm surprised there haven't been more of our player go to Bournemouth on loan this season. Gradel is there because he needs first team football, we could probably do with him ourselves but i'd rather he is guaranteed that football right now for his long term future.

The improvement from when he first went there to now is huge according to their fans and that's what's the important thing. Improvement, what he's learnt at Bournemouth is invaluable. The tragis circumstances he's faced this season is horrible for anyone to deal with let alone a young lad, I feel it may well spur him on even more to make the most of his undoubted talent and care for his brothers and sisters.

We've got a special player on our hands, just like Chelsea have one in Sinclair. But sometimes they are better plying their trade in their early years elsewhere to make that progression to the level of their parent club.

The more Gradel impresses at Bournemouth the more it makes this loan move all the worthwhile.

[Thracian]

Bournemouth's manager Nigel Bond (or is he a snooker player) is friends with Milan Mandaric, i'm surprised there haven't been more of our player go to Bournemouth on loan this season. Gradel is there because he needs first team football, we could probably do with him ourselves but i'd rather he is guaranteed that football right now for his long term future.

The improvement from when he first went there to now is huge according to their fans and that's what's the important thing. Improvement, what he's learnt at Bournemouth is invaluable. The tragis circumstances he's faced this season is horrible for anyone to deal with let alone a young lad, I feel it may well spur him on even more to make the most of his undoubted talent and care for his brothers and sisters.

We've got a special player on our hands, just like Chelsea have one in Sinclair. But sometimes they are better plying their trade in their early years elsewhere to make that progression to the level of their parent club.

The more Gradel impresses at Bournemouth the more it makes this loan move all the worthwhile.

Broadly there's much in what you say except that the current playing level of our club is just about as low as I've seen it, and has been for a while.

You know and I know that Gradel's already a better player than any of our wingers, a point emphasised by Holloway's apparent mission to sign Scott Sinclair.

If we get Sinclair your case strengthens but if we don't and this club does, as I still fear possible, get relegated, then the decision to send such a potentially influential player away will not seem so wise.

On top of that I still fail to understand why we cannot put the final gloss on our own players. To me it's mainly down to fear and to lack of proper close season preparation.

When the season starts our first team should be fully formed and fit. Ours was still a work in progress and successive managers have partially or wholly rebuiilt it ever since. Ridiculous really.

There should be the minimum of tinkering once the season starts and then just relating to the strengthening of certain positions, not wholesale personnel changes.

Gradel started the season quietly at Bournemouth for one reason only, because he hadn't been fully involved in pre-season at Leicester. Indeed I'm not sure many were fully involved.

There were so many players vying for half a game here, half a game there it was a nonsense and may explain why we've never looked particularly fit as a side, or even as a club, up to Christmas.

[STUHILL]

Broadly there's much in what you say except that the current playing level of our club is just about as low as I've seen it, and has been for a while.

You know and I know that Gradel's already a better player than any of our wingers, a point emphasised by Holloway's apparent mission to sign Scott Sinclair.

If we get Sinclair your case strengthens but if we don't and this club does, as I still fear possible, get relegated, then the decision to send such a potentially influential player away will not seem so wise.

On top of that I still fail to understand why we cannot put the final gloss on our own players. To me it's mainly down to fear and to lack of proper close season preparation.

When the season starts our first team should be fully formed and fit. Ours was still a work in progress and successive managers have partially or wholly rebuiilt it ever since. Ridiculous really.

There should be the minimum of tinkering once the season starts and then just relating to the strengthening of certain positions, not wholesale personnel changes.

Gradel started the season quietly at Bournemouth for one reason only, because he hadn't been fully involved in pre-season at Leicester. Indeed I'm not sure many were fully involved.

There were so many players vying for half a game here, half a game there it was a nonsense and may explain why we've never looked particularly fit as a side, or even as a club, up to Christmas.

How can you say that, there could have been a number of reasons, like lack of confidence playing 1st team football, gelling with new team-mates, manager asking him to play in a certain way, nigling injuries etc etc etc etc....List could go on and on. I Know it's not a massively important point, but sometime Thrac ppl have to challenge arguments you raise, as they are just nonsense and one-sided views.