[quote author=keniget link=topic=38485.msg1037143#msg1037143 date=1263827873]
[quote author=Delinquent link=topic=38485.msg1037075#msg1037075 date=1263823771]
He'd made only 18 appearances for PSG scoring just one goal though so there was absolutely no reason to assume he'd be ready to play in the Premiership, never mind at a top club and never mind as a lone striker. He has no pedigree at all other than a fairly decent record at youth level, which we all know means relatively little.
And nowhere have I said he's shit - simply that he's not good enough to be playing for us, which it seems we're largely in agreement on. He shows the odd bit of skill every now and again, but then so do a lot of average players. I just find it slightly disappointing that some seem to think he is an acceptable standard to be here. I'm sure he's a great lad, but I wish people would stop deluding themselves that he'll ever be good enough, because he won't.
As for him being a worthwhile buy if we make a few bob on him, well, I think that's debatable. I'm certainly not convinced he was 'worth a punt' as he'd done nothing in his career to suggest that he was ever going to make it here. You may be right, but it just depresses me that we consider making a couple of million on a player who patently isn't good enough a worthwhile use of our time and resources. Particularly if the player (through no fault of his own, admittedly) is damaging our prospects by playing for us. We really should be concentrating on players of a much higher calibre as far as I'm concerned.
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Firstly, I suppose I should clarify that the "shit / angry" comment wasn't really directed at you. I'm just a little frustrated by some of the attitudes on here that on the one hand clamour for youth to be given a chance and then on the other, slate the fuck out of them at the first opportunity.
As for N'Gog's record prior to joining and whether he's good enough, it's largely by the by and I'm not even interested in debating that. As I've already said, many clubs take punts on players and then sell them on without them ever really getting much game time.
The main reason you're all going on about it now is because he's getting a lot of game time and it appears that we're genuinely looking at him for the future - why.. I don't really know. It's plain as day that the only reason we're seeing these fringe players as much as we are is because the squad is fucked. The 1.5M we gambled on N'Gog carries no real significance in the grand scheme of things and the decision to sign him has not been a contributing factor to our current state.
The way y'all are carrying on anyone would think we spunked 10M on the guy and he is genuinely being groomed as the successor for Torres... or wait, do you actually believe that to be the case?
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You seem to be under the impression that my frustration is directed at the player. It's not. It's at the manager for having nothing better available to him.
In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have cared less if we'd never seen him and was sold without much exposure. Strangely enough, his exposure here will probably result in us making a small profit on him, but that doesn't alter the fact that he shouldn't be getting such exposure at a top club in the first place.
I feel like I'm labouring the point now when it was really little more than a passing comment in the first place. The bottom line is, we sold Robbie Keane and haven't replaced him. If it appears I'm blaming N'gog for that then I haven't explained myself very well. I don't blame N'gog for anything. The buck stops with the manager.
