Antony Knockaert

[Da Man Clay]

I feel sorry for [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=494]Kosh[/MENTION] . I hope everything in day to day life doesn't have the same 'glass much lower than half full' outlook. You'd think from reading their posts we had already sold the entire team as apposed to turning down offers for the only player who has had a bid made.

 

[Kosh]

Yes I'm sure that there were other factors at play. From the little that I understand of it, he missed the hurly-burly of the English league, and probably just as importantly, the riches that a successful career here can bring.

Indeed with the right club, in the right division - well the riches are unimaginable for us mere mortals. It makes the bitter end to last season so hard to take.

One thing is for sure: one or two of our prize beauties, well soon they'll be gone. The key will be replacing and replicating the relative success.

Glad it's not my neck on the line!

 

[Kosh]

I feel sorry for [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=494]Kosh[/MENTION] . I hope everything in day to day life doesn't have the same 'glass much lower than half full' outlook. You'd think from reading their posts we had already sold the entire team as apposed to turning down offers for the only player who has had a bid made.

Heh heh.

Listen; I'm merely trying to be cautious - Naturally we'll seek to replace any departures with similar quality, but it's highly unlikely that one or two won't leave for bigger clubs, money, fame etc. Prior to a ball being kicked.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I don't dispute that particular instance, simply that had he performed as he spectacularly did initially then we'd have gone up automatically.

And if our strikers had contributed even a distinctly average number of goals per striker before Xmas i.e. before Knockaert even signed for us, then we'd have gone up automatically a month early.

 

[Kaiser_Soze]

We've been in the mix for promotion in 3 out of the last 5 seasons. Arguably we were unlucky to not go up automatically last season. There seems to be a massive desire among the squad to reach the PL #Together. Why would Knockaert leave us to go to Toulouse? If it was a PL club then yes, I could the attraction. That said, I would be expecting CH to be asking the likes of Knockaert and Kayal to give the club another season. If we don't go up then we'll listen to reasonable offers.

You don't get promotion by coming so close then selling the players that got you there.

 

[Icy Gull]

Who then went to Sunderland

My point was that he didn't want to go!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I sincerely hope that he begins the season in the same vein as he commenced his Albion career, I felt that his form tapered off a little as 2015/2016 reached a climax.

I don't dispute that particular instance, simply that had he performed as he spectacularly did initially then we'd have gone up automatically.

We accrued more points than every other club in the Championship, from when he signed until the end of the season. I really fail to see how he could have contributed any more than he did. All that happened further into the season was that he got constantly double-marked. Had we had another of his like (a winger in sparkling form) then that other player would have destroyed teams. Sadly Murphy and Lualua were below their best, and Jiri, much as I love him, isn't that kind of wide man.

If March (first half of the season) and Knockaert (second half) had played all season together, we'd have won the league by ten points.

 

[Seagulls1984]

Did seem to play better when we were on sky .

 

[Icy Gull]

I feel sorry for [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] and [MENTION=494]Kosh[/MENTION] . I hope everything in day to day life doesn't have the same 'glass much lower than half full' outlook. You'd think from reading their posts we had already sold the entire team as apposed to turning down offers for the only player who has had a bid made.

Don't bother feeling sorry for me I love all things Albion, I just don't see that we can just presume that we can hold on to all our players who are coveted by other clubs. Dunk aside we have sold every player that bigger clubs have wanted for as long as I can remember.

I am not depressed or pissed off I just don't have the same blind faith that so many appear to have that nobody will be leaving whilst more quality players will be incoming. I think there will be a balance between the two.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

And if our strikers had contributed even a distinctly average number of goals per striker before Xmas i.e. before Knockaert even signed for us, then we'd have gone up automatically a month early.

We scored more goals than Middlesbrough. Our problem was conceding goals especially when ahead, so therefore drawing games we should have won.
Twice we let a two goal lead slip to draw.

 

[Ernest]

My point was that he didn't want to go!

Still went though

 

[Icy Gull]

Still went though

Forced out of the door for the money I believe ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

We scored more goals than Middlesbrough. Our problem was conceding goals especially when ahead, so therefore drawing games we should have won.
Twice we let a two goal lead slip to draw.

By the end of January 2016, Hemed had scored 8 league goals. Baldock had scored 2 league goals. Just won't do

By the end of January 2017, and probably WAY earlier than that, Murray will have suitably embarrassed them both.

 

[Eggman]

I will cry if he goes. What a man. Who else have we had that flair that talented and that determined as well. Gotsmanov is the closest and he wasn't around for long. Vicente doesn't count on the determined vote although I would still suck his balls

 

[Black Rod]

We've been in the mix for promotion in 3 out of the last 5 seasons. Arguably we were unlucky to not go up automatically last season. There seems to be a massive desire among the squad to reach the PL #Together. Why would Knockaert leave us to go to Toulouse?

Money

No matter what we are building here or however #Together we are, if a club comes in and offers a player more money then 8 times out of 10 they will go

 

[Machiavelli]

Yes I'm sure that there were other factors at play. From the little that I understand of it, he missed the hurly-burly of the English league, and probably just as importantly, the riches that a successful career here can bring.

From the limited amount I've gathered, he went to Liege because:
-- he felt badly treated by Leicester
-- he wanted to be close to his father, who still lives in northern France, and was ill.

 

[Da Man Clay]

Don't bother feeling sorry for me I love all things Albion, I just don't see that we can just presume that we can hold on to all our players who are coveted by other clubs. Dunk aside we have sold every player that bigger clubs have wanted for as long as I can remember.

I am not depressed or pissed off I just don't have the same blind faith that so many appear to have that nobody will be leaving whilst more quality players will be incoming. I think there will be a balance between the two.

I equally don't think we'll hold on to them all - it's just the relentless negativity anytime someone is rumoured with one of our players. Even with such a nothingness story as this for AK. Every single club in the world (bar one or two) will have to sell their best players if the money is right. We have done remarkably well under this regime to get the appropriate value when the time comes - and telling clubs to stuff it if that valuation isn't met. I can't think of a single sale in the last 3 years that we haven't got right. The last poor one was Barnes. The other thing this particular incarnation of the recruitment network does is manage to find quality players for reasonable prices. I think we'll lose Stephens If someone offers 5million. I've got plenty of faith that we'll replace him adequately for less than that . The only players in our team which I think are irreplaceable are Kayal and Knockaert. We can manage everything else.

 

[Machiavelli]

We accrued more points than every other club in the Championship, from when he signed until the end of the season. I really fail to see how he could have contributed any more than he did. All that happened further into the season was that he got constantly double-marked. Had we had another of his like (a winger in sparkling form) then that other player would have destroyed teams. Sadly Murphy and Lualua were below their best, and Jiri, much as I love him, isn't that kind of wide man.

If March (first half of the season) and Knockaert (second half) had played all season together, we'd have won the league by ten points.

Spot on. And what a quite thrilling prospect to think that we could have both of them in tandem for the vast majority of the season.
♯prayfortheoppositiondefences(ornot)

 

[Ernest]

Forced out of the door for the money I believe ?

Dick Tight has a lot to answer for

 

[Thunder Bolt]

From the limited amount I've gathered, he went to Liege because:
-- he felt badly treated by Leicester
-- he wanted to be close to his father, who still lives in northern France, and was ill.

I thought the same thing from what I've read. By the time we bought him in January, his father had recovered.
Wages at English clubs are quite a bit more than French teams.