Richie Wellens

[thrillbert]

Paul Gallagher’s low left foot shot settled a drab relegation encounter though Wayne Brown could have silenced his terrace barrackers in the last seconds of stoppage time but the former Leicester centre-half, who departed in acrimony during the summer, headed woefully wide.

“I’m just glad it fell to Browny, I don’t think he’s scored in five years,” said Willens with a laugh.

What a moron. When was the last time you scored, eh pal? I bet a lot of teams are glad when the ball falls to YOU with a shooting chance. Jesus.

The sooner this guy is dropped the better, IMO. King is far superior going forward (clearly our standout midfielder), Abe can provide defensive cover with greater pace and vision, and I am confident Oakley, Moussa and Moreno (at a push) can stand in if needs be (even if we have to change system to strengthen up when Oakley plays).

While I don't think he is being deliberately racist with his comments, what he says tells me that this guy has a nasty streak, which is something you can see in his on pitch antics. He also clearly has a very high opinion of himself, which probably explains why he is always attempting Hollywood passes and flicks which I have seen come off a grand total of TWICE.

Like others have said, I also think he has been one of the main instigators of trouble in the squad this season, and by the looks of things his attitude is all wrong. As far as I'm concerned he can go. I completely agree we need hungry players looking to prove themselves - he clearly isn't one of them.

[SMX11]

Wellens has always been a bit outspoken in the press but I agree with the gist of what he is saying. But he generally goes over the top though.

[Corky]

What a moron. When was the last time you scored, eh pal? I bet a lot of teams are glad when the ball falls to YOU with a shooting chance. Jesus.

What's he said there that's wrong?

I can see why some are picking up the main things he's said but that just seems pedantic to me.

[conradno1]

What a moron. When was the last time you scored, eh pal? I bet a lot of teams are glad when the ball falls to YOU with a shooting chance. Jesus.

The sooner this guy is dropped the better, IMO. King is far superior going forward (clearly our standout midfielder), Abe can provide defensive cover with greater pace and vision, and I am confident Oakley, Moussa and Moreno (at a push) can stand in if needs be (even if we have to change system to strengthen up when Oakley plays).

While I don't think he is being deliberately racist with his comments, what he says tells me that this guy has a nasty streak, which is something you can see in his on pitch antics. He also clearly has a very high opinion of himself, which probably explains why he is always attempting Hollywood passes and flicks which I have seen come off a grand total of TWICE.

Like others have said, I also think he has been one of the main instigators of trouble in the squad this season, and by the looks of things his attitude is all wrong. As far as I'm concerned he can go. I completely agree we need hungry players looking to prove themselves - he clearly isn't one of them.

i called him racist (as a joke) on the first page i think what you just said was a tad harsh to wellens he was only having a laugh with brown as a ex team mate

[marbelladave]

All of this turning up just as Wellens starts to hit a bit of form...

i thought yesterday was his best performance in a while, his play was much more team orientated and disciplined and he moved the ball on quicker with shorter more effective passes. As a footballer, he went up in my estimation quite noticeably.

However it is fairly well documented that he was 'unimpressed' with the Sousa regime and now he is having a go at our foreign players, whilst I accept that there is some truth in the suggestion they may need time to adapt surely that would be helped if some of our players were more welcoming.

The crack about eating dog (chihuahua?) was outrageous and offensive to a team mate and the 'big time charlies' given as examples were both foreign but a center half who has been picked for England is just one of the lads...

I think the racist comments are over the top but he sounds rather intollerant and to be honest a bit dense. Football is a multinational game and top players understand this and work hard a getting along with their team mates, professionally at least.

You don't need to be best mates but working together is not going to be helped by distasteful comments to the press, Wellens is known to be a bit 'mouthy' behind the scenes, I can only hope that he behaves better in private than he does in public, but somehow I do not think that is the case.

[thrillbert]

What's he said there that's wrong?

I can see why some are picking up the main things he's said but that just seems pedantic to me.

As far as I can see, he was laughing at Brown's mediocre scoring record whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that his own record is absolutely disgraceful. This, despite the fact that others in our midfield (notably Kingy, but also Gallagher and dyer) have chipped in with important goals for us for years now. Those in glass houses and all that...

I suppose it was the arrogant laughter after he said it which wound me up. Like I said, other teams must be delighted we have such a non-threat playing in our side.

[Roy Cropper]

Has the gobshite withdrawn his transfer request yet? The fact that Vitor and Abe are a million times better than the fat northern twat and apparantly can't communicate with anyone else in the team shows just what a **** he is.

[thrillbert]

i called him racist (as a joke) on the first page i think what you just said was a tad harsh to wellens he was only having a laugh with brown as a ex team mate

Like I said, I don't think he was being racist.

However, having read the two links I DO think he has an attitude problem which we could do without at the moment. As for having a bit of a laugh, you could well be right. It just came across as a very smug statement from an entirely limited footballer.

[MC Prussian]

I like David McVay's bit in the Telegraph the best, because it uses a valid counter-argument to Wellens' statements:

To Wellens' piece of

"It has been easy for Kyle Naughton and Curtis [Davies, two of Eriksson's on-loan signings thus far] because they are not shy, have a bit of banter and get involved in the dressing room," said the Lancashire lad.

"It comes easy to them but for the Portuguese lads [Vitor and Moreno] and Yuki [Abe, from Japan] it is a longer process. They can't communicate so they have to learn English because we have to have everyone pulling together."

They follow it up with

No such language barriers for Darren Ferguson and his Preston North End squad, whose most notable confusion was in trying to identify each other when passing the ball.

Brilliant.

It has to be added (and that's what McVay deliberately exclamates for a more subtle comedy effect) that North End had NOT ONE single non-English speaking foreigner on their teamsheet for Saturday's game.

Then again, we're talking Preston here.

[Fez of Mahrez]

All of this turning up just as Wellens starts to hit a bit of form...

i thought yesterday was his best performance in a while, his play was much more team orientated and disciplined and he moved the ball on quicker with shorter more effective passes. As a footballer, he went up in my estimation quite noticeably.

However it is fairly well documented that he was 'unimpressed' with the Sousa regime and now he is having a go at our foreign players, whilst I accept that there is some truth in the suggestion they may need time to adapt surely that would be helped if some of our players were more welcoming.

The crack about eating dog (chihuahua?) was outrageous and offensive to a team mate and the 'big time charlies' given as examples were both foreign but a center half who has been picked for England is just one of the lads...

I think the racist comments are over the top but he sounds rather intollerant and to be honest a bit dense. Football is a multinational game and top players understand this and work hard a getting along with their team mates, professionally at least.

You don't need to be best mates but working together is not going to be helped by distasteful comments to the press, Wellens is known to be a bit 'mouthy' behind the scenes, I can only hope that he behaves better in private than he does in public, but somehow I do not think that is the case.

I agree that he's improving and he played well on Saturday. I've rarely known a player to divide opinion as much as Wellens though. I think it's partly because he doesn't score any goals. Some people find it harder to appreciate midfielders who never score.

He's never said anything about eating dogs or anyone being a "big-time Charlie" if you read the quotes. You can attribute the latter to a sub-editor at The Sun.

All he's said is that it's taken the foreign players a while to settle in, which is completely true. We have seen Abe and Vitor's true quality in the last couple of games but we didn't in their first few weeks with the club.

Perhaps we're just not used to hearing footballers speak their minds any more.

[Finnegan]

What a moron. When was the last time you scored, eh pal?

... fairly... recently...?

[AmyLGK]

I agree that he's improving and he played well on Saturday. I've rarely known a player to divide opinion as much as Wellens though. I think it's partly because he doesn't score any goals. Some people find it harder to appreciate midfielders who never score.

He's never said anything about eating dogs or anyone being a "big-time Charlie" if you read the quotes. You can attribute the latter to a sub-editor at The Sun.

All he's said is that it's taken the foreign players a while to settle in, which is completely true. We have seen Abe and Vitor's true quality in the last couple of games but we didn't in their first few weeks with the club.

Perhaps we're just not used to hearing footballers speak their minds any more.

Bruno made this EXACT same point though on an interview on the OS and did not in anyway come across as arrogant, prejudice or racist. Players are able to speak their mind and still come across as decent team players - I just don't think Wellens has achieved this from reading those interviews!

[Roy Cropper]

Reminds me of when Steve McManaman went to Real and the 1st phrase Michel Salgado tought him was "fill in for me" before he went bombing on the overlap. Im suspecting Sven has taken the same approach with Naughton and Abe - basic simple commands and saturday showed we are reaping the benefits form that pairing.

Someone needs to have a word in Wellens ear and remind him the class players at our club aren't the ones troughing down pre match meat and potatoe pie.

[conradno1]

Like I said, I don't think he was being racist.

However, having read the two links I DO think he has an attitude problem which we could do without at the moment. As for having a bit of a laugh, you could well be right. It just came across as a very smug statement from an entirely limited footballer.

yeh fair point imo nothing to do with today i dont rate wellens imo abe is better in the same role im not just saying that because hes had 1 good game iv said from the start to me wellens seems like his personality thinks he is ronaldo and hes really not he dosent pass quick enough hes a average at best championship defender and asked for can the big boys do it yes they can that is why there in the leage above

[thrillbert]

... fairly... recently...?

First and only goal was Middlesbrough. He has never once looked a goal threat to me.

I take other people's points about scoring not being everything, but beyond the "grit" everyone seems to attribute to him (which I personally see as being crap at tackling and insolent with referees), what are his attributes?

EDIT: I'm guessing you were alluding to the cup, which is a fair point. I didn't think of it off the top of my head.

[Bert]

Pretty sure wellens has scored twice this season.

[Wymsey]

Having read the two articles, i see nothing of any sort of racism from Wellens. He can speak in a harsh way but its just how he is brought up. He won't change his attitude, i'll tell you that now.

[marbelladave]

I agree that he's improving and he played well on Saturday. I've rarely known a player to divide opinion as much as Wellens though. I think it's partly because he doesn't score any goals. Some people find it harder to appreciate midfielders who never score.

He's never said anything about eating dogs or anyone being a "big-time Charlie" if you read the quotes. You can attribute the latter to a sub-editor at The Sun.

All he's said is that it's taken the foreign players a while to settle in, which is completely true. We have seen Abe and Vitor's true quality in the last couple of games but we didn't in their first few weeks with the club.

Perhaps we're just not used to hearing footballers speak their minds any more.

I have not been a great fan of Wellens as I am sure you know, but goalscoring is not the issue for me. I am more concerned with how he dwells on the ball slowing down our attacks, then hits long balls that our so 'telegraphed' that they are cut out with ease along with his generally 'haphazard' style of defending.

The 'big time charlie' is the headline and it seems to sum up the piece quite well though I accept that it could well be the invention of the jounalists. The dog eating quote appears to be hearsay too, so fair comment. I do not usually read the tabloids so I 'sort of forgot' that what they write often bears no relationship to the facts, my fault.

The settling in and aclimatisation comments are so obvious that I find myself looking for a subtext, again, might be my fault but I think there are undertones in what he did say that are not particularly nice.

[Flynny]

When people shout possible racism at this kind of thing then it puts back the cause of people who are genuinely being discriminated against years and years. Wellens is talking genuinely about the difficulty of fostering a team spirit when you can't communicate with some of the members of the squad. He's not said they should go home, he's not made cracks about Abe eating dog, (which means he's no worse than our home crowd), and he's not said they shouldn't have been signed - just that it's difficult. He also doesn't sound resentful, which he could have done if he was properly having a go.

Also reading his comments in the telegraph he seems a lot more moderate as compared to the Sun, which suggests to me he's been taken out of context a little bit.

To be honest he seems genuinely sympathetic, and even if he's taken to shouting at them loudly in English in the time honoured fashion, then at least he seems to care about them, and fostering a team spirit in general.

EDIT: Well i've just seen Fez quoted above and he's said everything I said better

[Bert]

Well said flynny. Massive over-reaction over nothing. Think wellens would be fuming if he read some people's comments. Get a grip.

[Bert]

Regardless to your opinion whether he's been good, bad, or a disgrace, i'm pretty sure there's no need for him to be called a racist, especially when there's no proof he is.

How would you like it if I started calling you a racist with no substantial evidence to back up my comments?

[Wymsey]

I agree with some on here Wellen's performances haven't been his usual best. Perhaps that is because he apparently handed a transfer request in when we were struggling under Sousa and is still unhappy?

[cc_star]

Wellens highlight's the problems with making wholesale changes to the squad, what's the point in signing 5-10 player or whatever people seem to be clamouring for, if it pisses off the other 5-10 players who then under-perform.

Look at ManCity struggling with their players even having arguments on the pitch, compared to ManUtd digging in through a difficult spell and turning it around

You just can't buy a whole team in January and expect them to walk it.... teams have to be built not bought and once you build a team you can then make incremental changes to make it better.

[marbelladave]

As it goes I have already said in here it wasn't racist and you could call me whatever you like, but then I am not a sap concerned with what people think of me.

If you were refering to him being upset about being called racist then I misread your sentiments and was wrong. However, I stand by my comments if it was in relation to his playing ability and performances for us.

Two issues, two replies.

I do not feel his comments were racist, just insensitive and unhelpful. As a senior player he should be doing as much as possible to help them integrate, not making comments that can easily be taken the wrong way and possibly cause problems. He should be positive about his team mates or say nothing at all.

Taken overall his performances have been poor, under Sousa he was disinterested and moody, he was unfit and mostly ineffective, slow in possesion and reluctant to defend. He looked much better on saturday, but he has a long way to go before I will be convinced he has much of a future at this club.

[CosbehFox]

Opinionated footballer in uneducated comments shocker.

The essence of his point is correct regardless of how he's illustrated.

Without doubt, Wellens possess an attitude but that's what makes him. You can't say he was alone in not performing under Sousa whose shambolic management has been crapped on by at least five other members of the squad.