[Albion] Knockaert joins Fulham on initial one-year loan

[timbha]

Indeed, there’s definitely something out of the ordinary about the whole scenario, whether we’ll ever find out, who knows? I still feel the fees being reported seem below market value so the club must have been quite desperate to offload him.

Just picking up on your post having not read the entire thread/

Exactly. Potter and his team haven’t had a great deal of time to look at Knocky from the inside but I’m sure they are aware of how he plays and to a lesser extent his behaviour and temperament.

BUT I bet they have had deep and long discussions with the likes of Bruno, Sidwell, Murray and perhaps Rosenior about him before deciding to let him go. We don’t know what goes on at training and in the dressing room so should respect their decisions.

 

[blue-shifted]

Yep. I love AK and will miss him but...he also had the same amount of assists as Solly March, scored only 2 goals last season, like it or not going was due to be 4th or even 5th choice wideman when Izquierdo returns, wouldn't fit seamlessly into a 4-2-3-1 as a 4-4-2 and there's a eye watering loan fee if Fulham don't keep hold of him and a big fee (we don't know how much) if they do.

Nonsense. Predictably.

Why would Knocky go from first team to 4th or 5th choice?
Is Izquierdo going to be back anytime soon? Is he even going to be the same player?
Why is Knocky less qualified to play in a 4-2-3-1 than the other wingers? As far as I remember, he beats defenders on their left or their right about the same amount each.

And don’t worry about the number of assists. It’s misleading. If you put in a beauty of a cross and the striker shanks a volley, you don’t get the assist. If you skew a shot and it deflects off a striker and it goes in you get it. If a team has scored loads of goals you can glean some data from assists. Our goals for column unfortunately gives you too small a sample size to extract meaningful data. Trust your eyes instead.

Oh and don’t keep posting things that you know to be wrong. It puts you in some (presumably) unwanted company

 

[Bozza]

Yep. I love AK and will miss him but...he also had the same amount of assists as Solly March, scored only 2 goals last season, like it or not going was due to be 4th or even 5th choice wideman when Izquierdo returns, wouldn't fit seamlessly into a 4-2-3-1 as a 4-4-2 and there's a eye watering loan fee if Fulham don't keep hold of him and a big fee (we don't know how much) if they do.

For the Minister of Information to be playing down Knockaert's creative contribution is just bizarre.

Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season. I'll say that again: Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season.

To put it another way, he had the same number of assists as Dale Stephens, Davy Propper, Jurgen Locadia, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Pascal Groß and Glenn Murray combined.

He also scored more than Solly March last season. Twice as many if you want to be precise.

(I love both Solly and Knocky and I'm not arguing the toss on whether he should have been retained or not, but your talking down of his stats is just plain weird)

 

[blue-shifted]

With another £105m from the PL, giving total income of £140m, it would be bizarre of Bloom to ignore the cash & to bank on Potter turning our slow, uncreative squad into a slick mid table outfight. What’s the point in being one of several clubs in the Championship with a few bob in the bank and/or a rich owner? Far better to remain at top table with the £105m each season.

Well, yes, a good chunk of that income has already been spent on wages and running costs etc, but I agree with the principle.

 

[Simster]

Clearly?

I would say it's likely, perhaps even highly likely, but there's nothing much clear about this deal at all.

Yes, clearly. If there weren't issues away from football, there is absolutely no way he'd be going. That much is 100% clear to me.

 

[kevo]

For the Minister of Information to be playing down Knockaert's creative contribution is just bizarre.

Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season. I'll say that again: Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season.

To put it another way, he had the same number of assists as Dale Stephens, Davy Propper, Jurgen Locadia, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Pascal Groß and Glenn Murray combined.

He also scored more than Solly March last season. Twice as many if you want to be precise.

(I love both Solly and Knocky and I'm not arguing the toss on whether he should have been retained or not, but your talking down of his stats is just plain weird)

Excellent post. To get rid of him when we are in dire need of improving our attack is just mental.

 

[JCL666]

Many things have been said several times on this thread. One of the other things that has been said several times is that there are clearly non-footballing reasons that have contributed to this move, and yet not many people lamenting his departure have even acknowledged that.

100% this

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

These loan deals are complex nowadays. I would bet my house on it not being a straight forward loan then fee next summer. Clubs are getting more and more inventive in their payment plans to try and balance the books. Even the Lukaku deal saw Inter proposing instalments over about 5 seasons. Clubs VERY often are still 'paying' for players who have subsequently moved on. I remember Leeds were paying for Robbie Fowler WAY after he had left.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if we have received an OK fee this summer and then the £10m or whatever it is going forward as of next summer. The club will also have factored in that we are now saving a BIG commitment to wages over the next 3 years of AKs contract (If he was on 35k a week that is about £5.5m saved?) and also the fact that he would have been 30 by the end of his next deal. Wingers in their 30's are not an attractive buying option.

Sure, it doesn't have the beauty of a lovely "Here's £20m", but I'm sure we haven't done THAT badly out of it.

Personally, although gutted, it felt like it might JUST be the right time for him to go. I'm sure he will be brilliant in that division again and I'd love to see it.

 

[Albumen]

For the Minister of Information to be playing down Knockaert's creative contribution is just bizarre.

Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season. I'll say that again: Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season.

To put it another way, he had the same number of assists as Dale Stephens, Davy Propper, Jurgen Locadia, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Pascal Groß and Glenn Murray combined.

He also scored more than Solly March last season. Twice as many if you want to be precise.

(I love both Solly and Knocky and I'm not arguing the toss on whether he should have been retained or not, but your talking down of his stats is just plain weird)

Well it's lucky we're changing systems with a new manager if only 3 players got more than 1 assist. Who knows why he left yet.

 

[chaileyjem]

For the Minister of Information to be playing down Knockaert's creative contribution is just bizarre.

Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season. I'll say that again: Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season.

To put it another way, he had the same number of assists as Dale Stephens, Davy Propper, Jurgen Locadia, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Pascal Groß and Glenn Murray combined.

He also scored more than Solly March last season. Twice as many if you want to be precise.

(I love both Solly and Knocky and I'm not arguing the toss on whether he should have been retained or not, but your talking down of his stats is just plain weird)

Well the stats are what they are and AK and Solly both had 6 assists. (Some stats sites include a penalty decision as an assist - which i assume is where Solly v Arsenal makes it to 6 when i first looked it up)
Anyway I can make a logical case for why they've loaned him out. (Just about.) That doesn't mean i, like you, agree with it (too premature to pass verdict) , or think the rest of the team were creating or scoring multiple goals . (Of course they weren't.) .
And like everyone I will really miss him as an Albion player. (Who won't ? )

 

[Withdean11]

For the Minister of Information to be playing down Knockaert's creative contribution is just bizarre.

Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season. I'll say that again: Anthony Knockaert was our leading assist-maker in the Premier League last season.

To put it another way, he had the same number of assists as Dale Stephens, Davy Propper, Jurgen Locadia, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Pascal Groß and Glenn Murray combined.

He also scored more than Solly March last season. Twice as many if you want to be precise.

(I love both Solly and Knocky and I'm not arguing the toss on whether he should have been retained or not, but your talking down of his stats is just plain weird)

Worth noting he also had less minutes than Solly.

More assists and more goals in less minutes. He was our best winger last season. The decision to let him go is bizarre.

 

[kevo]

Worth noting he also had less minutes than Solly.

More assists and more goals in less minutes. He was our best winger last season. The decision to let him go is bizarre.

This.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

because Solly had 6. and AK had 6.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/solly-march/leistungsdaten/spieler/209212
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/anthony-knockaert/profil/spieler/149237

In the Premier League Knockaert had 6, March had 5. You’ve found a website that gives March 6 for some reason, most places it’s recorded as 5.

Edit. I see you’ve found somewhere that records a penalty as an assist.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Worth noting he also had less minutes than Solly.

More assists and more goals in less minutes. He was our best winger last season. The decision to let him go is bizarre.

To be fair, it was a 2 horse race last season.

Whether we think he is brilliant or not, Ali J was not played in his correct position under CH and actually barely played at the start, along with Locadia.

Once you factor in the Izzy was ALWAYS injured, that leaves Solly and AK.

Personally, I would have kept Solly over AK and, if Trossard is viewed as a first choice and Potter wants to actually let Ali J play in his real position, suddenly (in his eyes), AK may well be 4th choice before Izzy even comes back.

Just an opinion, like.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

To be fair, it was a 2 horse race last season.

Whether we think he is brilliant or not, Ali J was not played in his correct position under CH and actually barely played at the start, along with Locadia.

Once you factor in the Izzy was ALWAYS injured, that leaves Solly and AK.

Personally, I would have kept Solly over AK and, if Trossard is viewed as a first choice and Potter wants to actually let Ali J play in his real position, suddenly (in his eyes), AK may well be 4th choice before Izzy even comes back.

Just an opinion, like.

The thing is though, the wide positions are almost unique, in that the fourth choice is very often used, on a match day. A third choice centre back, by contrast can collect splinters for months, waiting for injuries or bans to afford him a chance, but without checking, I'd imagine that we subbed on at least one winger in EVERY game last season, and both in many games.

 

[Stat Brother]

But they aren't are they. We stayed up twice. We have been and still are a competitive side.

But the margins are fine. We got 35 points last season and for each one of the wins we got, we were grimly holding on at the end. We can't afford to have a weaker starting 11 than we had last season. Currently we are weaker (Our first choice right back has retired, our main goalscorer is a year older and we've just got rid of one of our only creative players. We may still sell Dunk). The club may well pull something out of the fire in the next 2 weeks. My opinion is that they are going to need to stay up.

Someone ought to tell the club that.
I bet the silly sausages haven't even realised the window is open.

 

[dazzer6666]

Worth noting he also had less minutes than Solly.

More assists and more goals in less minutes. He was our best winger last season. The decision to let him go is bizarre.

It’s only bizarre because you (or anyone else outside of the club’s decision-making circle) don’t know WHY the decision was made. If the facts were public it might not be bizarre at all.

 

[Bozza]

Well the stats are what they are and AK and Solly both had 6 assists. (Some stats sites include a penalty decision as an assist - which i assume is where Solly v Arsenal makes it to 6 when i first looked it up)
Anyway I can make a logical case for why they've loaned him out. (Just about.) That doesn't mean i, like you, agree with it (too premature to pass verdict) , or think the rest of the team were creating or scoring multiple goals . (Of course they weren't.) .
And like everyone I will really miss him as an Albion player. (Who won't ? )

You'll note if you re-read my post that I didn't compare Knockaert's assists with those of March (you had previously). I have no idea who the official statistician of PL stats is, but the PL themselves have Knockaert on 6 and March on 5.

Whether March had 5 or 6 is irrelevant though. You seemed to be talking down his contribution by way of justifying why he had gone. I'm not sure his creative contribution can be dismissed quite as readily as you have.

 

[SollysLeftFoot]

Who has been attacking the club, I've not seen any posts saying that?

I'm not just talking about NSC, but Twitter and Facebook; however, plenty of whingers on NSC alone.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

If he just needed a change of scenery (which would be totally understandable), then why not just a loan, without the option for a sale at the end?

Dont know to be honest, maybe it is his preference to go permanently but has taken advice from others to see how it goes at Fulham first, im only guessing maybe its nothing to do with his mental state, i'm just trying to find something more plausable than were shoving him out the door for next to nothing, which i really cant see.
He's worth far more than the figures quoted imho, and i'm sure if he had actually been listed he would'nt have been short of offers and we would have got more, this just all feels like its been an agreement between all concerned for a guy who is an undoubted talent but is struggling with issues outside of football. We knew Fulham had been after him and perhaps we feel/ he feels there are people at Fulham who will look out for him in much the same way as im sure Chris Hughton and Bruno would have done here.

There is a poster on here who would probably know far better than me, if i am totally wide of the mark, but it is quite sensitive and he may not want to say.