[Albion] Evan Ferguson

[Sarisbury Seagull]

He really isn’t. It all started at Stamford Bridge in 2023. The injury looked a bad one that day and he’s never fully recovered (physically or psychologically). He’s 20 and has to be managed carefully on both fronts.

He really is. He's only been a first team regular for two years and in that time he's he's had more injuries and longer term absences and missed more games than Welbeck. Unfortunately for him, as I said repeatedly at the time, he played far too much high level football for the Albion and Ireland for his age and build and he's paying for it now.

 

[aolstudios]

Everton might need a striker, but psychologically it could be a nightmare - their fans generally seem very angry and vocal.

True.
He'd be getting "new Maupay" pelters after his first miss

 

[The Fits]

Overplaying teenagers is very noughties. Most clubs have learned about the risks. And I’m sure we’ve learnt a few things now we’ve experienced it.

 

[Silverhatch]

He really is. He's only been a first team regular for two years and in that time he's he's had more injuries and longer term absences and missed more games than Welbeck. Unfortunately for him, as I said repeatedly at the time, he played far too much high level football for the Albion and Ireland for his age and build and he's paying for it now.

No bin fest wanted, but - he was smashed by Fabinho & then Chalobah because of his impact and talent. It’s impossible to wrap up a big centre forward of Evan’s talent irrespective of his age. If he hadn’t got banjoed, it’s unlikely he’d be at Brighton now. He’s missed more games than Welbeck because they can’t get on top of his ankle problem. That’s going to affect a young bloke’s psychological state too.

 

[Hiheidi]

West Ham look to be looking elsewhere.

 

[Bozza]

RDZ says "hi, remember me hun x"

 

[Han Solo]

RDZ says "hi, remember me hun x"

Didn't get the impression that those two were the best buddies ever at the end of the RDZ spell but who knows?

Not sure we'd want to loan a young player to RDZ. Too much of a risk he ends up on the bench.

It just seems like a really complicated, intricate and indirect way of once again making Neal Maupay determine our fortunes in the striker role...

 

[Hiheidi]

Didn't get the impression that those two were the best buddies ever at the end of the RDZ spell but who knows?

Not sure we'd want to loan a young player to RDZ. Too much of a risk he ends up on the bench.

It just seems like a really complicated, intricate and indirect way of once again making Neal Maupay determine our fortunes in the striker role...

Yes, I thought someone posted in this forum that there had been problems between RDZ and EF. RDZ even said during a press briefing something about Mark O'Mahony knew our style of play better than Evan - which can't have helped confidence/relationships. Plus, there are a few that blame RDZ for playing Evan through injury, which could be part of the problems he continues to have. Obviously if we do go ahead and loan him to OM, we'll know all of that was total bollox!!

 

[AZ Gull]

Yes, I thought someone posted in this forum that there had been problems between RDZ and EF. RDZ even said during a press briefing something about Mark O'Mahony knew our style of play better than Evan - which can't have helped confidence/relationships. Plus, there are a few that blame RDZ for playing Evan through injury, which could be part of the problems he continues to have. Obviously if we do go ahead and loan him to OM, we'll know all of that was total bollox!!

Yep:-

I must admit I was pretty surprised when De Zerbi said this (about Mark O'Mahony and Evan Ferguson) around three weeks ago:-

"Maybe Evan has a different shot but Mark is better in terms of possession, he understands the play better."

 

[Han Solo]

Yep:-

Certainly seemed (and seems) like a dig but I guess it can't be entirely ruled out that it sounds harsher than it is. Many of the "nah its only language confusion" things were clearly bullshit, but still have to take into account that Roberto after 1.5 years in England had a vocabulary of a dozen or so words.

But most likely their relation isn't great. Sure, Roberto played Evan at lot more than he deserved the last season, but I think that has everything to do with our academy player-game time requirements and very little to do with some sort of deep manager-player trust.

 

[AZ Gull]

Certainly seemed (and seems) like a dig but I guess it can't be entirely ruled out that it sounds harsher than it is. Many of the "nah its only language confusion" things were clearly bullshit, but still have to take into account that Roberto after 1.5 years in England had a vocabulary of a dozen or so words.

But most likely their relation isn't great. Sure, Roberto played Evan at lot more than he deserved the last season, but I think that has everything to do with our academy player-game time requirements and very little to do with some sort of deep manager-player trust.

It wasn't the only surprising thing (not in a good way) that RDZ said, particularly in the second half of last season. I gave up giving him the benefit of the doubt in the end!

 

[Commander]

Yes, I thought someone posted in this forum that there had been problems between RDZ and EF. RDZ even said during a press briefing something about Mark O'Mahony knew our style of play better than Evan - which can't have helped confidence/relationships. Plus, there are a few that blame RDZ for playing Evan through injury, which could be part of the problems he continues to have. Obviously if we do go ahead and loan him to OM, we'll know all of that was total bollox!!

That was me. And I am 100% sure (well 99% I guess) it wasn’t bollocks. I was told RDZ was massively critical and overly intense when things weren’t going well, and that the young players, particularly Evan, didn’t enjoy it at all.

If RDZ calls him up with a sales pitch about how brilliant it is over there and how he is much happier there as Brighton wouldn’t give him what he wanted etc then who knows, maybe he could persuade him. I’d bite your hand off to go on loan to Marseille for the winter, personally.

 

[WSU Dilettante]

My Arsenal supporting mate is convinced by rumours on the Arsenal forums of a loan to buy deal.
I laughed at him.

 

[BevBHA]

My Arsenal supporting mate is convinced by rumours on the Arsenal forums of a loan to buy deal.
I laughed at him.

Not sure about the buy part (my feeling would depend on the agreed price) but, and how mad is this, I actually think a loan to Arsenal would be great. They dont have a recognised striker so I actually think he’d play more there than here, mad!