Trialist Arrives

[Alright Dave]

i have lived in Belgium for nearly 10 years, never heard of the guy and the teams he has played for other than a few sub appearances for Anderlecht in 2000/2001 are all ****e!

 

Very sad if we are stooping this low! And before you all say don't knock the guy before he's got here! Sorry but i will! as i know Belgian lower league football and its akin to sunday pub league footie in England! To add to that his scoring record is even shocking at that level! Not sure how seriously Wotte could be saying he has seen him and been impressed i honestly find that a load of old bull!

[Alright Dave]

All that above said, i will ask some Belgian footie loving friends a couple of questions!

 

1. Do they know him?

2. Is he any good?

3. What are his strengths? If any?

[buctootim]

i have lived in Belgium for nearly 10 years, never heard of the guy and the teams he has played for other than a few sub appearances for Anderlecht in 2000/2001 are all ****e!

 

Very sad if we are stooping this low! And before you all say don't knock the guy before he's got here! Sorry but i will! as i know Belgian lower league football and its akin to sunday pub league footie in England! To add to that his scoring record is even shocking at that level! Not sure how seriously Wotte could be saying he has seen him and been impressed i honestly find that a load of old bull!

 

 

We dont have sufficient strikers and the first game is in a few days. He's free, he's available and he wants to come to a club who might not be able to pay him. Just how picky do you think we can be? Its only a trial ffs

[Draino76]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1712018,00.html

 

This reminds me of that young graduate recruit turning up for his 1st day at Lehman brothers last year.

[SaintRobbie]

We dont have sufficient strikers and the first game is in a few days. He's free, he's available and he wants to come to a club who might not be able to pay him. Just how picky do you think we can be? Its only a trial ffs

 

To be honest, how many trialists have stayed on recently? I cant name one.

[Alright Dave]

ok guys fair comments. But, i personally think our young lads like Paterson, Mclaggon and a couple of other young lads are probably better. That being said we need backup, so maybe your right, beggars can't be choosers, but this guy could be on a par with our mate Ali Dia!!

[Baird of the land]

I don't get the sneiderlin hate. Personally thought we looked much worse when he was missing from the team injured for spells in the first half of the season. He can pass better than anyone in our team. I liked having someone who could ping the ball 30 yards and land in on a fellow saints foot. Yes he probably needed time to adapt to english football but the problems in the team for me were more more systemic at the back and up front. We never had the right blend of players to be a good team despite having some good players at the club. I'm still desperately hoping he doesn't leave but resigned to the fact he probably will go to a higher division club.

[SaintRobbie]

I don't get the sneiderlin hate. Personally thought we looked much worse when he was missing from the team injured for spells in the first half of the season. He can pass better than anyone in our team. I liked having someone who could ping the ball 30 yards and land in on a fellow saints foot. Yes he probably needed time to adapt to english football but the problems in the team for me were more more systemic at the back and up front. We never had the right blend of players to be a good team despite having some good players at the club. I'm still desperately hoping he doesn't leave but resigned to the fact he probably will go to a higher division club.

 

Ditto.

[offix]

Might as well get Ormerod back

[SaintRobbie]

Might as well get Ormerod back

 

At least we wouldnt need a fred about a song for him!

[L1Minus10]

did you see him?

 

he has good workrate and was mom in two games he played. Injury prone tho

 

Being MoM says that he was the best of an apalling bunch. Also, I beg to differ. Is it really too much to expect a winger to get the the byline at least once a game ? He's the sort of poncy lightweight midfielder we've specialised in for the past 3 years. Fancy dan, lightweight, no end product and can't tackle... oh yeah... and injury prone

[Torres]

 

Very sad if we are stooping this low!

 

Have you been living in a cave in Belgium?

[Nexstar]

Being MoM says that he was the best of an apalling bunch. Also, I beg to differ. Is it really too much to expect a winger to get the the byline at least once a game ? He's the sort of poncy lightweight midfielder we've specialised in for the past 3 years. Fancy dan, lightweight, no end product and can't tackle... oh yeah... and injury prone

 

An "apalling bunch" from which we've made £2.5m from just 2 "poncy lightweight" midefielders. When fit Lee Holmes was one of our best players, Birmingham in the league cup being a prime example. Glad he's injured at the moment, gives us more chance of keeping him.

[Torres]

Being MoM says that he was the best of an apalling bunch. Also, I beg to differ. Is it really too much to expect a winger to get the the byline at least once a game ? He's the sort of poncy lightweight midfielder we've specialised in for the past 3 years. Fancy dan, lightweight, no end product and can't tackle... oh yeah... and injury prone

 

His biggest failing. After all, it's essential that wingers are brilliant tacklers, isn't it?

[Pat from Poole]

It's quite simple. Just get 8 or 9 players in who have decent experience in League 1 or League 2 and aren't ponces who will go missing on an icy pitch in February.

 

It needn't cost much at all. The problem with Wotte is that he keeps going for nonentities from abroad who invariably have one good game and then do nothing.

 

I fear we're going to need a whole new team to even contemplating competing at the higher end of the league (not least a goalkeeper and two players who can regularly score). Do I trust Wotte to get the right players in? Not a chance.

[SaintRobbie]

It's quite simple. Just get 8 or 9 players in who have decent experience in League 1 or League 2 and aren't ponces who will go missing on an icy pitch in February.

 

It needn't cost much at all. The problem with Wotte is that he keeps going for nonentities from abroad who invariably have one good game and then do nothing.

 

I fear we're going to need a whole new team to even contemplating competing at the higher end of the league (not least a goalkeeper and two players who can regularly score). Do I trust Wotte to get the right players in? Not a chance.

 

Yep. Good call Pat.

[St_Tel49]

Really....well have a look at the clubs he has played for.....better or worse than League One?

Hardly prolific is he even in those **** leagues....I love the OS spin...he played for RSC Anderlecht yep 2000-2001 FFS.

 

What exactly is the problem with giving him a trial?

[.comsaint]

I give you Mr Ode Thompson

 

 

Looks like (in that photo) he's extremely puzzled as to what a football boot is!

 

Welcome to Saints then Ode!

 

[oxfordshire_saint]

As some have said above, I can't believe people are writing the lad off before he's even kicked a ball.

 

How many wrote Strachan off before he'd even managed a game, based on the fact he'd got Coventry relegated?

 

Belgian football is horribly slow with little pressing, teams play slowly from the back and by the time the ball gets forward, the opposition have put a lot of men behind the ball.

 

Ode Thompson looks like a stocky fella and may benefit from a quicker, more direct game (which let's face it, pretty much sums up League 1.)

 

Rasiak aside, who I think will scarper when/if someone matches his wages, we have a very lightweight group of young strikers, this guy could be a useful bargain addition.

 

Don't forget, the Toure brothers and Eboue came from Beveren in Belgium, who are a mediocre outfit at best and who have since been relegated to the 2nd Division.

[brightspark]

I'm sure most fans from clubs in League 1 would be excited at the prospect of a player such as this coming to their club. I'm certainly happy to hear the news that Wotte is trying his best to get people to come to our club (even if only a trial), because really it's like asking a professional tennis player to form a doubles team with a cancer patient. Or asking a player to eat sh*t from a bowl. Not many people are going to want to come here at the moment!!!

 

In fact, as painful as it is to here, a lot of foreign players will say "Southampton? Isn't that near Portsmouth". Not good times.

[Give it to Ron]

What exactly is the problem with giving him a trial?

 

Because there are probably a hundred strikers playing in better divisions than him that would come here for a trial. He is playing in leagues that are equivalent to Eastleigh....well perhaps we can ask then if any of them want a game after Saturday.

Are we going to trial any Tom, **** or Ode that is free or cheap...we have to look at what they have been doing and who they have played for surely.

We dont have time and resources to waste on players that have scored a whole 9 goals in 5 seasons in semi-pro football how hard is that to understand?

 

I don't buy all this tosh about no-one wants to come here...we are a decent size club in this league compared to many and have far better facilities than many. Why not?

[Wes Tender]

I'm sure most fans from clubs in League 1 would be excited at the prospect of a player such as this coming to their club. I'm certainly happy to hear the news that Wotte is trying his best to get people to come to our club (even if only a trial), because really it's like asking a professional tennis player to form a doubles team with a cancer patient. Or asking a player to eat sh*t from a bowl. Not many people are going to want to come here at the moment!!!

 

In fact, as painful as it is to here, a lot of foreign players will say "Southampton? Isn't that near Portsmouth". Not good times.

 

We're fans of a club in league 1 and most of us aren't orgasmic at "a player such as this," whatever that is supposed to mean. Are we supposed to be impressed with a player that 99% of those on here have never heard of before?

 

I'm totally with Pat from Poole on this one and would happily see virtually the entire team replaced by players from this country comprising a blend of older players who have seen it all before at this level and higher and promising ambitious youngsters keen to make a name for themselves.

 

But most important of all, we need a manager experienced in football at this level or above, who knows the league inside out and the type of player who could be effective for us at this level. That person is not Mark Wotte.

 

Regarding your assertion that foreign players will think that isn't Southampton somewhere near Portsmouth, I very much doubt it. I think that you'll find that even the man in the street in many places around the World who is fanatical about English football would know perfectly well about us, having been in the top flight for 27 years until comparitively recently, just as they'd know that even in the Fizzy Pop we were managed by Burley. Granted that most of them wouldn't have any idea who Poortvliet or Wotte were, though.

[spank_182]

Fair play, exactly what we need to be doing, taking a look at a few cheap players from abroad (likely requiring much lower salaries) and make them earn a contract (if they're good enough). Unless we get Stern for next year, and assuming Rasiak and Saga go, we're very short up front as McClaggon's out for a while, White is injured and largely unproved, and Patterson i'm not so sure... BWP and Euell i'm assuming are off.

[Ketch]

i have lived in Belgium for nearly 10 years, never heard of the guy and the teams he has played for other than a few sub appearances for Anderlecht in 2000/2001 are all ****e!

 

Very sad if we are stooping this low! And before you all say don't knock the guy before he's got here! Sorry but i will! as i know Belgian lower league football and its akin to sunday pub league footie in England! To add to that his scoring record is even shocking at that level! Not sure how seriously Wotte could be saying he has seen him and been impressed i honestly find that a load of old bull!

 

I also live in Belgium (and have been for the last 12 years) and I really think you are exagerating how "bad" he is. He played for Roulers last season which are a DIVISION 1 team, not lower league. Playing at the top level in Belgium is probably better than League One or at least similar so give the bloke a chance. He's only on trial so lets give him a chance to prove himself instead of criticizing already..

[The9]

when you have lions led by an orange goat never will it be fulfilled.

 

I've been laughing at this statement for about 5 minutes now.

[Katalinic]

I also live in Belgium (and have been for the last 12 years) and I really think you are exagerating how "bad" he is. He played for Roulers last season which are a DIVISION 1 team, not lower league. Playing at the top level in Belgium is probably better than League One or at least similar so give the bloke a chance. He's only on trial so lets give him a chance to prove himself instead of criticizing already..

 

Exactly, the point of a trial is that it's errr...a trial. If he is useless we won't sign him - simple. If we gave him a 3 year contract on 10k a week without seeing him now that would be worth moaning about.

[The9]

Exactly, the point of a trial is that it's errr...a trial. If he is useless we won't sign him - simple. If we gave him a 3 year contract on 10k a week without seeing him now that would be worth moaning about.

 

Quite. In fact if anything we should be moaning that we don't have more trialists at this point. Get 500 people down the Common and bounce some balls off trees...

[Katalinic]

Because there are probably a hundred strikers playing in better divisions than him that would come here for a trial.

 

Perhaps we should hold a trialists trial to see if they can become trialists? Quite a few clubs do it, get in 20 odd at a time and see if any stand out. There must be hundreds of players out of work and I do agree with the other part of your post, Saints are a club that many players would love to come to. You may not drop down a division for Exeter, Yeovil etc but for Leeds, Saints, Norwich etc then I think we have a good chance of getting players of a calibre better than League 1. (Once everything is sorted out takeover-wise)

[Chez]

did you see him?

 

he has good workrate and was mom in two games he played. Injury prone tho

 

I go to pretty much all the games thanks so yes I saw him, too much of him especially when he came back from injury. ****ing overated white boots ****e. So many fans get conned by the old white boots tactic. Flashy boots catching the sun and blinding them into thinking the player is actually tricky and pacey.

 

I don't regard him as injury prone by the way, but the lad simply crossed a few decent balls in using his left foot and that was it. I think we must have spent the rest of the games rubbing our eyes in disbelief (that a Saints player actually got to the byeline and used the correct foot to cross the ball) so much so that this prevented us from seeing that he had usally disappeared after 30 minutes after one kick from a defender.

 

I can't seem to help myself from being overly harsh on the lad, but when I see Surman and Lallana lambasted on here whilst others (probably not the same people I admit) are singing Holmes' praises it just annoys me. Watching Lallana give his all to make himself available and then tackle back whilst Holmes performs the slowest doggies in history between opponents makes me sigh.

 

The drop in division will do him a massive favour. Slower, weaker less talented opposition is what he needs. My fear is the drop in not deep enough.

[Torres]

I don't regard him as injury prone by the way, but the lad simply crossed a few decent balls in using his left foot and that was it.

 

Thing is Chez, that was more than many others could manage to do. I'm not sure that people think he's particularly good, just better than much of the other sh1te we saw last season.

[Chez]

 

Don't forget, the Toure brothers and Eboue came from Beveren in Belgium, who are a mediocre outfit at best and who have since been relegated to the 2nd Division.

 

don't get me wrong I will judge him when I see him but the players you mention spent just a year or two at that club. Eboue was 19 at the time for example and was quickly snapped up by Arsenal. Our fella is 28 and has been knocking around Belgium for years failing to attract anyone. Slight difference.

[Chez]

Thing is Chez, that was more than many others could manage to do. I'm not sure that people think he's particularly good, just better than much of the other sh1te we saw last season.

 

I certainly appreciated what he did when he first started with us but with every game he did it less and less. Other than cross early using the left boot he did nothing. When he stopped doing that he did absolutely nothing.

 

When he came back from injury he was worse than any other player. Worse than Smith.

 

The other thing you have to remember is he played in the 4-3-3 formation so all he had to do was attack. In a 4-4-2 he's going to have to work up and down and I didn't see a lot of that, certainly not in the second spell. Perhaps that was down to lack of fitness, but I'm just as inclined to think that he doesn't have an engine.

 

The problem is there is no on else now so I am going to have to learn to love him.

[Give it to Ron]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1712801,00.html

 

This is the sort of trialist we need...I have been mentioning him for ages..well since he was realeased.

[saintmonkey1979]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1712801,00.html

 

This is the sort of trialist we need...I have been mentioning him for ages..well since he was realeased.

 

Couldn't agree more! its good to see that despite everything we can still attract this kind of player. Its left me feeling quite positive.

[doughnutman]

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1712801,00.html

 

This is the sort of trialist we need...I have been mentioning him for ages..well since he was realeased.

 

Thats more like it!

[The9]

I go to pretty much all the games thanks so yes I saw him, too much of him especially when he came back from injury. ****ing overated white boots ****e. So many fans get conned by the old white boots tactic. Flashy boots catching the sun and blinding them into thinking the player is actually tricky and pacey.

 

I don't regard him as injury prone by the way, but the lad simply crossed a few decent balls in using his left foot and that was it. I think we must have spent the rest of the games rubbing our eyes in disbelief (that a Saints player actually got to the byeline and used the correct foot to cross the ball) so much so that this prevented us from seeing that he had usally disappeared after 30 minutes after one kick from a defender.

 

I can't seem to help myself from being overly harsh on the lad, but when I see Surman and Lallana lambasted on here whilst others (probably not the same people I admit) are singing Holmes' praises it just annoys me. Watching Lallana give his all to make himself available and then tackle back whilst Holmes performs the slowest doggies in history between opponents makes me sigh.

 

The drop in division will do him a massive favour. Slower, weaker less talented opposition is what he needs. My fear is the drop in not deep enough.

 

Holmes was our player of the month for August and completely integral to the 4-3-3 working properly. Didn't defend against Cardiff in the opener but then sorted that in the remainder of his games and contributed plenty going forward.

 

We also spent 6 weeks faffing about trying to work out how to play a system which had been reliant on using Holmes as a counterattacking outlet when he got injured, and the injury to him probably cost us about 20 points last season.

 

Lallana, talented and hard-working as he is, didn't produce half of the end product Holmes managed in 6 weeks over the course of the entire season.

 

Other than that, you're completely right.

[JustMike]

I go to pretty much all the games thanks so yes I saw him, too much of him especially when he came back from injury. ****ing overated white boots ****e. So many fans get conned by the old white boots tactic. Flashy boots catching the sun and blinding them into thinking the player is actually tricky and pacey.

 

I don't regard him as injury prone by the way, but the lad simply crossed a few decent balls in using his left foot and that was it. I think we must have spent the rest of the games rubbing our eyes in disbelief (that a Saints player actually got to the byeline and used the correct foot to cross the ball) so much so that this prevented us from seeing that he had usally disappeared after 30 minutes after one kick from a defender.

 

I can't seem to help myself from being overly harsh on the lad, but when I see Surman and Lallana lambasted on here whilst others (probably not the same people I admit) are singing Holmes' praises it just annoys me. Watching Lallana give his all to make himself available and then tackle back whilst Holmes performs the slowest doggies in history between opponents makes me sigh.

 

The drop in division will do him a massive favour. Slower, weaker less talented opposition is what he needs. My fear is the drop in not deep enough.

 

you may go to pretty much all the games but you couldnt have paid that much attention. Holmes is a good player, quick and gets the ball into the box, is not afraid to shoot either. I hope he stays fit for this season, he will be a key player imo

[david in sweden]

True. 11 goals in 62 appearances. At 28 years old I think he maybe at his peak. Can't see how he will improve on what we have in Patterson or McLaggon, (omitting Rasiak and Saga as I don't think they we be here for long) and would probably be cover. But at the moment we can't afford to be picky.

 

 

If he plays midfield (in the hole) you shouldn't expect dozens of goals. He's a supplier and potential goal maker.

Paterson and and McLaggon are good prospects but they are still under 20 (I think) and don't have a dozen games between them yet....very inexperienced.

 

If he's played for a top side - even for a season or two -at 28 he knows how to take care of himself and we need someone up front who " can put himself about a bit ",and we must trust Wotte's judgment and see if he's good enough.

After all it is only a trial...not a million pound signing !

Edited 3 July, 2009 by david in sweden

[david in sweden]

I really don't understand going for foreign players who have no English league experience.

 

I know we're in no position to be fussy but i'm sure there are loads of conference, L2 and L1 players available for free at the moment who would be a lot more usefull that him.

 

 

There's a good reason that a lot of L1/L2 players are on free's...they don't belong in the league. Giving a trial to Murty is a good choice. A good professional, former captain, 11 years at Reading and Premiership experience -that's better. If Saints sign him ..wait to see him bring a few other Reading players along with him.

 

I recall Saints signing a 32 year old FB from WBA (1962)named Stuart Williams played 4 great seasons with Saints - even won a few more Welsh caps in the process, and was still playing aged 36. Good club man, thats what we need in L1....they' ll help the youngsters along.

[david in sweden]

Are you really suprised we're being sceptical about a new signing?

 

We made like 15 signings last season and at least 10 where unnecessary and ****e.

 

Well ...at least we found 4 or 5 who were worth a second chance.

[david in sweden]

Schneiderlin and Holmes are not sh*te

 

 

Don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

We will likely sell Schneiderlin for a million or more to a Prem.side soon,

.....and you can't denegrate players who've got injuries in the cause !

 

Holmes looked a good prospect until his injury and find me someone who has

a bad word to say about Michael Svensson !!!!!

[teamsaint]

Is there even a tiny chance that pulis might get fit, and be of some use in L1, even as a bench player?

 

anyone actually seen him play?

 

As regards Spiderman, if we were about to sign the French Under 20 captain we would be going crazy. He WAS very poor at times, but he is young, and was playing in a very poorly run team. He may at least bring in a good fee.

 

Holmes, if fit, will be great in L1.