It‘s clearly ‘mentality’ (source RdeZ) as much as ‘fitness’, which is an even more damning indictment of him……..
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[Albion] Ansu Fati **Signed On Loan 01/09**
- Thread starter El Turi
- Start date
Presume you feel the same about Barco then? Time up?
De Zerbi said: "Fati and Valentin Barco I didn't decide to play with them in the squad for this game. I wanted them to work alone to improve their physical condition.
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,622
There's a difference with a loan player. He's going back at the end of the season.
If Barco is acting like an arse, (and that's a big if) I support RDZ in keeping him out of the squad for the rest of the season to concentrate the lads mind.
In the summer, the players turn up again for pre season and everyone starts from scratch
De Zerbi said: “Our responsibility is to help him to improve his performances, to improve his physical condition, to improve his mentality, because to play in the Premier League to have to be stronger in mentality, stronger in physicality and then we are ready to play with him in the first XI. When he shows us the right condition, I would be happy.”
portslade seagull
Well-known member
Watched him doing it and getting pushed away towards the tunnel. Looked unhappy with what he was tasked to do
Which implies the experiment is not in fact over as the other poster said?
I just don’t read anything that says this is more than a physical condition issue that the club want to help him move past and succeed. He’s recently returned from a 3 month injury and clearly hasn’t been up to speed since his return, despite the occasional flash.
The Fits
Well-known member
- Jun 29, 2020
- 10,106
He actually hasn't been that much of a waste of money. If the total outlay has been 7 million that's peanuts in modern money.
How much do you think we think we paid to sign Dahoud (signing in fee, agents fees, relocation) plus wages?
Some signings don't work out.
How much do you think we think we paid to sign Dahoud (signing in fee, agents fees, relocation) plus wages?
Some signings don't work out.
Robinjakarta
Well-known member
Nothing to do with the players?Dunno, he started with Trossard, moved on to Sanchez, then fell out with Dahoud and now Fati is in the firing line. Maybe he likes to have a fall guy to keep the rest onside
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,622
Very difficult to know what the dynamic is, but I would always want a manager willing and capable of facing down big name players and I'd want the club to back him up on this.
Thankfully this is what seems to be happening
Robinjakarta
Well-known member
Agree.
"Our responsibility is to help him to improve his performances, to improve his physical condition, to improve his mentality" - yes: for Barcelona.
With just eight matches to go the experiment in borrowing a player for £7M (however it was paid) to improve our team is well and truly over. Waste of 'only' £7M. Barcelona have done very well out of the deal, better than us for sure!
If he plays a part in any of the last few matches, and helps us move a couple of places up the table, it will be worth £7m.
I mean, you're adding words to a quote there. That's not what was said and I very much doubt that's what RDZ was implying.
And as you say, we have EIGHT matches to go. Writing him off as a complete failure right now implies that you think the season is well and truly over. Still plenty of minutes to play, and plenty of moments to make things happen. Fine lines in the top ten, we currently sit 2 points behind 7th with a game in hand. A few contributions from Ansu could quite literally jump us up a few spots in the table and pay that £7m back literally.
That's it in a nutshell. Yes we all agree that he hasn't shone as brightly as we would have liked or expected (for whatever reason), but IF he can get us a few places up the table he would have been worth it. I do have to say though that based on what we've seen of him so far I think the odds are against it .... but stranger things have happened.
Some argument that he's already paid a large chunk of that off with his markedly better Europa League contributions.
The wins vs Ajax = €1.26m
This in part meant that we won the group = €1.1m + €1.2m (Ro16)
So his direct match winning contributions vs Ajax home and away contributed to some extent to over £3m of additional income for the club.
Yes, he's been very frustrating and not fulfilled the promise we expected, but I think arguing that covering his wages is some form of terrible deal for the club is just insane.
He was an alternative signing to Kudus who has cost West Ham £40m in fee and somewhere in the region of £5m a season in wages. He may not have done as well for us playing in a less direct manner.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 14,612
Pedro has a 5 year contract which we amortise- so he's effectively 6-7m a year for his fee and then we pay his wages above that. (probably 3-4m a year) . So he's - i guess - about 10m a year in total. And of course he's our asset so we could sell him on...
Baleba was 25m - so he's cost about 7 or 8m this year too.
Likewise for Igor, Estupinan and so on but slightly lower.
In hindsight its not worked out - i think thats the consensus , and tbf - he had started to look good when he was injured and then out for months - and 7m is still a lot of money but the £7m cost - compared to other recent purchases - is not as eye watering as it seems.
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albionalex
Well-known member
Plus probably sold a few extra shirts with Fati on the back.
Yep, my eldest got one straight away. Normally I'd never let them get a loanee but this was a bit of a one off. I'm gutted it's not worked out so far.
Milano
Well-known member
I'm not sure that this has 'worked out well for Barcelona' at all. Yes they got a % of his wages off their books but I'd imagine that they were hoping that he would get back to full fitness/ form, with another club having done the work, and:
1) They would get a ~$100m elite player back into their squad
2) They would get a mega transfer fee from a 'big' EPL club
3) Worst case if he only did 'OK' then Brighton might offer ~$40m for him
However I now think the absolute best they can hope for is another club taking a loan punt on him
1) They would get a ~$100m elite player back into their squad
2) They would get a mega transfer fee from a 'big' EPL club
3) Worst case if he only did 'OK' then Brighton might offer ~$40m for him
However I now think the absolute best they can hope for is another club taking a loan punt on him
Getting his wages off the books (or most of them anyway) was 'working well for Barcelona'! It was a good deal for them! Yes, it would have been even better fr them (and hugely better for us!) if he'd torn the PL a new one; that hasn't happened, but it's still benefitted Barcelona - just not as much as they hoped.
Don't think there was ever a chance of Brighton offering £40M (or any other amount) for him - not unless he was prepared to take a huge cut in wages. Which, being an elite footballer, he won't!