After saying "No thank you Mr Banker" to an £8m to £10m offer for Carlton Cole, should Sullivan and Gold take the money supposedly on offer for Behrami, or should they play on, hoping for a higher offer?
To my mind, that represents a very good offer for a very average huff and puff merchant. In his first season, Behrami won lots of admirers amongst our fan base, who revealed their East End roots by echoing that old mantra, "Never mind the quality, feel the width". What an engine they purred. Covers every blade of grass on the pitch they argued. Heart of a lion they opined. True, true and true again. But the lawnmower used by the groundsman has an engine, covers every blade of grass and is as about as creative in the final third as our so called Swiss David Beckham. How many goals has Behrami scored? How many goals has he created? Not many! When I had the audacity to call him an Average Joe before Christmas in his first season, I was met with howls of derision. Now, many more accept that he is not "all that".
Like some, I suspect Behrami will look better in a better team. He does have a great engine and his enthusiasm is impressive. Played alongside genuine creative talents, he will serve a purpose; but in Zola's team he just ran around a lot. It's not as if his defensive expertise compensated for his ineptitude in the final third; we conceded 66 goals for pity's sake!
£8.5m? I would take it, depending on the exchange rate of course!
20 comments:
You don't seem to appreciate the not so apparent contribution of some players. Behrami is one of those players and to some extent so is Boa Morte (believe it or not). Behrami would be very valuable to us if we rebuild the team and need his chasing skills in the middle of the field. Moreover, a proper manager would make his talents come out and show more (including some goals too). I would not sell Behrami not even for 15 million pounds. I would sell Cole for less than that. In my mind Cole is easier to replace than Behrami.
Behrami lacks the creative flair and crossing ability to play wide. He does not fit a central midfield pairing with either Parker or Noble. Solution, sell.
Noble cannot help defensively and altough I respect Parker we are talking about totally different players. What we need badly are speedy and skillful players on the wings. But I beg to differ. There is a role for Behrami and we should build around the qualities he brings to the field rather than try to fit them to those of Noble or even Parker.
would definitely keep Behrami. Huff and puff - maybe sometimes, but he has so much more potenial...It's the same with Boa as Savvakis already mentioned. Luis did an excellent job in the second half of last years season. Then he got injured against Tottscum. Some people diddn't appreciate his performance but I did so. Finally against Man City nobody could deny his quality. Back to Valon: New manager, new players, NEW TACTICS...NO DEAL!
why on earth are you not a manger HF, you'd have Oxford playing like Brazil!
I'll use you as a reference in my application to replace Zola!
I'm 100% with Sav & H4MM3R... not many teams in the Prem have midfield players of Valon's quality, which is exactly why there's so much 'interest' being rumoured! His versatility is an obvious asset, but his energy is there for all to see. That doesn't just mean he's super fit...his constant ground coverage enables him to get back and defend and his ball-winning enables him to start attacks from deep! The midfield definitely looks stronger and more balanced with him in it! He's only 25, and he's recovered quickly and well from a serious injury don't forget!
Never heard Behrami referred to as the 'Swiss David Beckham' HF!? But then, VB is a lot brighter than DB and his Missus is much better lookin'!...oh, and the Groundsman's sit-on mower will eventually run out of gas...Valon won't!! NO DEAL!!
same old same old - bet you're the sort of bloke who still pines after his teddy - get over it, move on - why are still harping on about the last season? it's gone mate, finished, try living in the here and now and look forward to future.... but of course you won't as a one trick pony it leaves you with NOTHING.
i would hope we could hold out for 10 million+ he is young, has a few years left on his contract and works hard.
i agree with hammersfan though, we should sell behrami because we need to decent wide midfielders yet everyone we are linked to play cm, a position we already have to many similar players but we should not be in a rush to accept the first bid. man city, juventus and roma were all sniffing around in january.
if nobody is willing to pay the money then keep him, afterall we have 15 or so worse players i would much rather move on
I think there is a lot more to Behrami, than meats the eye. Having someone working his socks off each game gives a positive effect on the whole team. You see someone working hard, you want match that. No deal.
haha meats... i mean meets
And there I was thinking you were being appreciative of his lunchbox!
Apparently HF, it's a certain Elena Bonzanni (no, she's not Billy Bonzanni's daughter!) who's currently appreciating his lunchbox!! Lucky Valon!!
As much as I admire the guy as a player...part of me can't help thinking...'Stiffler' from American Pie?!!
Behrami's agent was already touting his man mid season. His EXACT words were 'Behrami isn't going anywhere (mid season) but we will review the situation in the summer'. As good as gone and hasn't been the same since his injury.
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooo Avaram lets find those massage parlours in Green Street
Our best midfield last season had Behrami and Collinson alongside Parker and Noble. I believe we hit our troubles when we lost B & C through serious ankle injuries. No way should we sell Behrami, who might not score many but definitely harries opponents all day long and at both ends. Beisde all of that we should let the new Manager (whoever that may be--looks like Grant)make his own decisions
Our best midfield last season was shit!
behrami is shit sell him
I love Zola!
You're everywhere HF2!
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