Quote TommyEagle at 09 Jun 2003 8:33pm

The point I was trying to make though, is that it is bad management to go round in public announcing your lack of faith in any one player (see my points about Ferguson and Houllier earlier in the thread).

TommyEagle - I can see your point, but come on...OK, Ferguson and Houllier wouldn't have 'done a Kember' but that's only because they've got the luxury of not being in Kember's position. They're long term managers in Premiership clubs. You can't compare the two. Kember's the new kid on the block, taking over from the unpopular Francis and he has a squad that is definately underperforming. And lets get it into context, underperforming with sod all money, with a huge wage bill and a player that cost 2.5 million who aint banging in the goals. And hes asked, as his first role as manager at the fans forum, about the one player that sums up our underperforming season.

If he had sat at the fans forum and told us that AA was a cracking player and was central to his plans for the next season I would have been reaching for the panic button under the seats and phoning social services.

Thankfully he told it as it is. And when he gets the squad that he wants then Im sure, like Fergie and Houllier, he'll back them to the tilt. But he's got Francis' squad so, in my mind, he can be a straight as he likes with me.

Finally, on the subject of Alex 'Mr Nice Guy' Ferguson, do you remember the little cut Beckham got from the flying boot situation because of a not-very-good-performance from the team? Can you imagine what he'd have done to Akinbuyi if he had been our manager? By the time Fergie had had a few 'tactical' words with him in the dressing room at half time Ade Akibuyi would have been the first player in history of Football who had to be bought onto the pitch by the St Johns ambulance mob.

 

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When the time comes, I want die just like my Dad - at peace and asleep.
Not screaming and terrified.
Like his passengers.

Quote TommyEagle at 09 Jun 2003 3:15pm

Beagle and Snapperkain, good posts and good points (take note KAOS). I would agree with you both - in the time that AA has had at Palace I don't think he has shown himself the be the quality of striker we need. I would also agree that it is by no means certain that he possesses that quality. However, I maintain that Ade has not been given a fair chance at our club. I won't go into the reasons behind this yet again as I think we've gone over and over that ground.

AA's past form suggests that he could do a job for us though, and he should be given the chance to do it. I want to see him given a go when he is fully fit. It would be totally fair to expect him to work his way up through the reserves (and hopefully build up some confidence) as every other player would have to after a serious injury.

The other point is about Kember. Clearly he is in a better position to judge the player than any of us - as you rightly point out beagle, he works with the lad every day. However, I don't understand what "style" of player he thinks AA is. He certainly isn't a target man - he seems to want to beat players with pace and power. Ignoring quality for the moment, surely that sounds like the kind of "number 9" that SK keeps banging on about.

But even if we accept that AA just isn't going to be a part of SK's future plans for Palace, I can't see how it helps anyone to say that Akinbiyi doesn't "fit in" at our club. You just make the player lose confidence, and you bring down his (already low) price by telling the rest of the world that you don't want him. SK would do better to keep schtum, and work with Akinbiyi to get him back to full fitness. As I've said above this would be a no lose situation.

My reservations are about the way AA has been treated by the fans, and now the management.

Edited by TommyEagle (09 Jun 2003 3:17pm)

Quote beagle at 09 Jun 2003 9:59pm
TommyEagle - I can see your point, but come on...OK, Ferguson and Houllier wouldn't have 'done a Kember' but that's only because they've got the luxury of not being in Kember's position. They're long term managers in Premiership clubs. You can't compare the two. Kember's the new kid on the block, taking over from the unpopular Francis and he has a squad that is definately underperforming. And lets get it into context, underperforming with sod all money, with a huge wage bill and a player that cost 2.5 million who aint banging in the goals. And hes asked, as his first role as manager at the fans forum, about the one player that sums up our underperforming season.

If he had sat at the fans forum and told us that AA was a cracking player and was central to his plans for the next season I would have been reaching for the panic button under the seats and phoning social services.

Thankfully he told it as it is. And when he gets the squad that he wants then Im sure, like Fergie and Houllier, he'll back them to the tilt. But he's got Francis' squad so, in my mind, he can be a straight as he likes with me.

Finally, on the subject of Alex 'Mr Nice Guy' Ferguson, do you remember the little cut Beckham got from the flying boot situation because of a not-very-good-performance from the team? Can you imagine what he'd have done to Akinbuyi if he had been our manager? By the time Fergie had had a few 'tactical' words with him in the dressing room at half time Ade Akibuyi would have been the first player in history of Football who had to be bought onto the pitch by the St Johns ambulance mob.

Quote kav at 10 Jun 2003 11:05am

lol.Agreed(y).

Oh,Kaos mate,it`s eejit-remember.