Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[Football] Anthony Knockaert







jcdenton08

Offended Liver Sausage
NSC Patron
Oct 17, 2008
14,359
My prediction is a huge money move to Qatar or China - maybe Turkey, phone in a season or two and set up the retirement fund. He's finished. Great player for us, cheers Knocky.
 


Garry Nelson's Left Foot

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
13,522
tokyo
If his son is in France and his family too maybe it would be better for him to return there? We all know he needs the right people around him, people who will give him the love he needs. Maybe that's back in France. He would at least be able to see his son.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,111
Cowfold
Yeh. No idea what's gone wrong for him. It could be that he needs to be in the right nurturing environment and that isn't Fulham.

Whatever, he needs to be thrilling crowds as he did for us. A move best for all parties

Very much the sort of player who needs a constant arm put around his shoulder l think. Without knowing the man l've a feeling he can be quite a complex individual and not easily managed.

Back in the Chris Hughton days everyone was together, the squad were almost like one big happy family, and that was perhaps the sort of atmosphere that Knocky thrived in.

At other clubs things can be run rather differently, as he is probably finding.
 


ditchy

a man with a sound track record as a source of qua
Jul 8, 2003
5,251
brighton
A season at USG.

Close to home, at least in the orbit of the club he feels at home with, reduced pressure. He can teach the Japanese fella some out of his box of tricks

He can get his head back in football, then have another stab in England or France or stay in Belgium for the last years of his career

this I would love to see
 




Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,111
Cowfold
My prediction is a huge money move to Qatar or China - maybe Turkey, phone in a season or two and set up the retirement fund. He's finished. Great player for us, cheers Knocky.

Yes l don't think we'll ever see Knocky at his best again. Great playher for us, & for Leicester, but he has had his failures too, Fulham of course, and that ill fated loan move to Forest.
 








Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,658
Very much the sort of player who needs a constant arm put around his shoulder l think. Without knowing the man l've a feeling he can be quite a complex individual and not easily managed.

Back in the Chris Hughton days everyone was together, the squad were almost like one big happy family, and that was perhaps the sort of atmosphere that Knocky thrived in.

At other clubs things can be run rather differently, as he is probably finding.

I feel as if all the pieces came together under Chris Hughton. We had Knockaert who needed to be loved and have an arm around him, and we had a team that needed a maverick like him to really spark us into life at times. Knockaert was obviously appreciated by the squad and seemed to have genuine mates around him to keep his head in the game and performing every match. When his father died, that very public show of support was touching for everyone but that picture of Hughton, Bong and some others who had gone to France to be at the funeral was amazing. Knockaert is smiling ear to ear in the picture, despite being at his fathers' funeral which speaks volumes for what it meant to him.

Since leaving, he's become just another player. The fans are expecting miracles because of how he performed for us, and it's getting away from him. He isn't as loved elsewhere and he can't make the sort of impact he did here which is a real shame, but it's no reason to start slagging him off.
 




Recidivist

Active member
Apr 28, 2019
287
Worthing
Yes, fantastic player at his best and one of the most exciting. I used to watch Gazza at Spurs in his heyday and there was the same thrill that went round the ground every time he got the ball.

Think he was doomed when we went up to the Premier league and Hughton went to his ultra-defensive style, which didn’t suit Knocky’s game at all.

Perhaps with a more expansive style at that time he might have flourished with us but his confidence went and that was that.

Still remember him with huge affection though….


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 






Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
8,617
That ship has long since sailed l'm afraid.

Agreed

The idea of a 29 year old club legend, who was instrumental in our promotion season coming back after a disastrous couple of seasons and firing us up the league is too fanciful.

Roy of the Rovers stuff, but not reality.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,111
Cowfold
My prediction is a huge money move to Qatar or China - maybe Turkey, phone in a season or two and set up the retirement fund. He's finished. Great player for us, cheers Knocky.

If he, or his agent can/does broker a move to any of those places, then l can never seem him coming back. Why should he? He will pretty much be set up for life. In any case he would be into his thirties by then, and his best years will be behind him.
 






Baldseagull

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2012
11,839
Crawley
Agreed

The idea of a 29 year old club legend, who was instrumental in our promotion season coming back after a disastrous couple of seasons and firing us up the league is too fanciful.

Roy of the Rovers stuff, but not reality.

Murray of the Albion stuff.
 


Cowfold Seagull

Fan of the 17 bus
Apr 22, 2009
22,111
Cowfold
Perhaps with a more expansive style at that time he might have flourished with us but his confidence went and that was that.

Still remember him with huge affection though….


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Perhaps with a more expansive style at that time the club would have been relegated. Premier League defenders are a whole lot more difficult to beat than Championship ones.
 


um bongo molongo

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2004
3,050
Battersea
I think since losing his Father, he lost some of his purpose. He lost his brother at a young age too. After our promotion, his wife left him and took their son back to France and he has admitted struggling with his mental health at that time, I don't think he is over any of those things.

No player can perform to their best if they are miserable/depressed.

I think this is right. And some personalities can deal with that sort of stuff better than others (or at least not let it affect performances), but Knocky was always an emotional type of player. It’s really sad, and I hope he can find the right fit to get a few good years in - likely that’s outside England.
 




ac gull

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
1,982
midlands
think he got a 4 year deal at Fulham rumoured at the time to be worth more per year than old one at BHA - first year Fulham got promoted - second year they loaned him out - this year now in reserves for Fulham - but rate they get through managers they could have another one in January that plays him every week
 


um bongo molongo

Well-known member
Jul 26, 2004
3,050
Battersea
Was talking to my (82 year old) dad yesterday who was saying he’d lost a bit of interest as ‘all we do is go round in circles and never put the ball in the net’. We got on to talking about how we missed the directness and excitement of the Hughton promotion team (promotion season and the near miss season before that) - and that led quickly to talking about what a delight it was to watch AK in those seasons. Which in turn prompted me to see what he’s up to - such a shame he’s not playing. I sense his mental health issues with his dad passing away were a bigger issue than reported - I maintain he was good enough for the PL, and it was such a shame that happened at that time. He was certainly more than good enough for the Championship so a real shame he’s not still tearing it up there.
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here