[Albion] Virgil van Dijk for £3 Million! (and why we didn't sign him)

[blue-shifted]

Gus wants another job and he's happy to do a bit of name dropping to do it. I bet he's bought this up in every interview he's had since then. Anyone in the game will know what he said was a misrepresentation. He was manager of a club interested in an up and coming young player. He would have liked to sign this player, but understandably he went to a club with far greater prospects who were offering far greater wages.

The internal working of the club, then are a bit opaque, in terms of when the manager gets involved in the scouting or recruiting a player or whether the interest is based around the relationship with the players agent. In any case it seems fanciful that Poyet personally scouted and identified VVD before he came to prominence and was only blocked in achieving this transfer by the club, if that's what he is suggesting.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Signing VVD at the time would have probably meant losing Dunk.

I remember a very long thread on here and I fairly certain at the time it was down to wages.

It was wages (as I remember it) but I thought it was to replace Greer rather than Dunk.

 

[Icy Gull]

Correct and at the time when I suggested Poyet hadnt signed Bergkamp and was unhappy about control of him being in total control I was completely torn to peices by people on this board.

In fairness the vast majority of fans on here wouldn’t hear a bad word said about Poyet until AFTER the semi final defeat by Palace. Just look back on the thread relating to the end of season event just before the playoff semi final. The vast majority were fawning over him and his talk and anyone suggesting that maybe he was an embarrassment to the club with his incessant touting in the media were castigated for being needy. How do I remember? Because I was of those getting the flak

It turned sour VERY quickly after his comments post Palace second leg.

 

[Munkfish]

It was wages (as I remember it) but I thought it was to replace Greer rather than Dunk.

He may have replaced Greer, but if you look back at at the team then I think Dunky was on the bench and going through the court case issues, it may have meant reduced time for Dunky and subsequent transfer. That of course is pure speculation, you just never know how these things turn out, but the prospect of seeing VVD and Dunky together in the championship, would have been class, saying that Matty Upson was a brilliant player for us and glad I got to see him play for us.

 

[portlock seagull]

I remember this . File alongside Roy Keane and Ian wright.

Not if we couldn’t afford him. That’s entirely different.

 

[portlock seagull]

In fairness the vast majority of fans on here wouldn’t hear a bad word said about Poyet until AFTER the semi final defeat by Palace. Just look back on the thread relating to the end of season event just before the playoff semi final. The vast majority were fawning over him and his talk and anyone suggesting that maybe he was an embarrassment to the club with his incessant touting in the media were castigated for being needy. How do I remember? Because I was of those getting the flak

It turned sour VERY quickly after his comments post Palace second leg.

Agree. And he absolutely blew it the way he departed. Could have been a legend.

 

[NooBHA]

I'm gonna buck the trend and say. Yes he is a decent defender but nowhere near as good as many seem to think he is.

Great footballer but in a struggling side he wouldn't cut it. His body language when the ball came off the bar for Barca's. 2nd goal last night was awful. He just stood there

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm gonna buck the trend and say. Yes he is a decent defender but nowhere near as good as many seem to think he is.

Great footballer but in a struggling side he wouldn't cut it. His body language when the ball came off the bar for Barca's. 2nd goal last night was awful. He just stood there

You are bucking the trend big time, he’s just been voted PFA player of the year. Do you need to rethink?

 

[NooBHA]

You are bucking the trend big time, he’s just been voted PFA player of the year. Do you need to rethink?

Nope. I concede. Good player but in a backs to the wall defending side. I would have Big Shane or Dunky any day

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

We kept within FFP and paid every bill related to the stadium. Tony Bloom spent what he had to, to keep us going on an upward trend, but still had enough to pay everything in full, and converting his contribution into shares.

Fighting for our financial lives was what we did from 97-08, with the Forty note fund, and charging FBS a million pound donation for a parking spot at Withdean. There is a difference.

I don't disagree with you there, but there is also a difference between choosing not to buy someone and not being able to afford someone, based on good financial management and considering all aspects of the business.

 

[Icy Gull]

Nope. I concede. Good player but in a backs to the wall defending side. I would have Big Shane or Dunky any day

You know I did wonder, whilst watching, how they’d cope with Messi, Couthinho and Suarez running at them with quality players laying the ball off for them.

Shall we say I don’t think the score would shown a 0 in the team they were playing for

 

[DJ NOBO]

Not if we couldn’t afford him. That’s entirely different.

A bit different. But if gus is to be believed we let a world class player slip through our fingers.

 

[Gritt23]

One thing he could do was spot a talented player. Absolute shit at spotting forwards though

He attracted players that were totally out of our league and although he was an egostistical **** who irritated the **** out of me with his touting at every opportunity you won’t hear me say a bad word about his ability to talk players into coming to the Albion

I think the alleged refusal of the board to sign Van Dijk hurried along his desire to leave too

I'd also add the ability to instill confidence in a player and get a tune out of them. The contrast in El-Abd virtually from the moment Gus walked in was astonishing.

 

[Giraffe]

Hardly an exclusive, we have known this for years!

Was the start of Gus' ceiling comments.