Eliasson next season

[JackofromSanJavier]

Champions league footy next season for Niclas. AEK have won the Greek super league by 5 points,, despite having been 10 points behind Panathinaikos around Christmas. Having spent many a good time with the Gate 21 crew back in my Athens days, I'm well chuffed for him, the team and the fans. Not city related, I know but will be an opportunity to have a glance at one of our old boys in the Champions league though. 

[Northern Red]

14 minutes ago, JackofromSanJavier said:

Champions league footy next season for Niclas. AEK have won the Greek super league by 5 points,, despite having been 10 points behind Panathinaikos around Christmas. Having spent many a good time with the Gate 21 crew back in my Athens days, I'm well chuffed for him, the team and the fans. Not city related, I know but will be an opportunity to have a glance at one of our old boys in the Champions league though. 

Do you know if that gets them straight into the group stage, or do they have to go through a qualifier?

[Nongazeuse]

I was hoping he was coming back to us - really good player and never worked out why we let him go.

[Silvio Dante]

1 minute ago, Nongazeuse said:

I was hoping he was coming back to us - really good player and never worked out why we let him go.

Because his positional awareness was awful and never showed any signs of progression. Could cross a good ball, but very little outside of that - people bring up his tackle stats but that’s because he was in the wrong place to start with and had to make the tackle. 
 

He left us for a relegated Ligue 1 side, and has subsequently gone to Greece, where the standard is below that of the Championship.

I’m confident if you asked Nige he wouldn’t have him back here - he’s genuinely not that good in the round despite a very good natural attribute. It’s probably why he hasn’t kicked on into the Sweden squad. 

[Nongazeuse]

But he was quite young and in a foreign country - he was a bloody sight better than Massengo turned out to become. 

[petehinton]

Holden played him CM in a 3, never forget

[Super]

Conway would love him in the team.

[Davefevs]

1 minute ago, petehinton said:

Holden played him CM in a 3, never forget

Played him as a no8. If you’re playing 3142 without wingers, you have to play somewhere else. Seem to recall him setting up a couple against Cheltenham in a PSF

[REDOXO]

3 minutes ago, Nongazeuse said:

But he was quite young and in a foreign country - he was a bloody sight better than Massengo turned out to become. 

Ooooh a bit of controversy! 
 

Talking with QPR fans, who all asked about Massengo, they could not fathom how the kid was not a superstar already. My point was Massengo was doing the same little drag backs and dummies at 18 as he was at 21 and didn’t develop as a team player . 
 

I agree with you Eliasson was a better player and provided more, his goal and assist stats will support that!

Elliasson here was one of the many toys LJ threw out of his pram! 
 

I have no idea how good or bad the Greek league is, but I’m glad for the lad he has an opportunity to play on the big stage. 

[hinsleburg]

13 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Because his positional awareness was awful and never showed any signs of progression. Could cross a good ball, but very little outside of that - people bring up his tackle stats but that’s because he was in the wrong place to start with and had to make the tackle. 
 

He left us for a relegated Ligue 1 side, and has subsequently gone to Greece, where the standard is below that of the Championship.

I’m confident if you asked Nige he wouldn’t have him back here - he’s genuinely not that good in the round despite a very good natural attribute. It’s probably why he hasn’t kicked on into the Sweden squad. 

I believe he also only had 1 year left on his contract and wasn't going to sign a new one so was actually a sensible decision from the club!

Always felt he was a player who we missed when he wasn't playing, but then didn't consistently deliver enough when he did!

[maxjak]

IMHO Elliason was an excellent footballer who was poorly utilised.....he would have been a success here .....if he had been managed correctly.   Anyhow he is going to be playing Champions League football, which is a million miles from where we operate...........so good luck to him, I wish him well

Edited May 15, 2023 by maxjak

[Charlie BCFC]

Problem is Holden started with a system that didn’t make the most of him. Made sense to cash in at the time, which is why it was frustrating that the system was quickly scrapped

[JackofromSanJavier]

3 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

Ooooh a bit of controversy! 
 

Talking with QPR fans, who all asked about Massengo, they could not fathom how the kid was not a superstar already. My point was Massengo was doing the same little drag backs and dummies at 18 as he was at 21 and didn’t develop as a team player . 
 

I agree with you Eliasson was a better player and provided more, his goal and assist stats will support that!

Elliasson here was one of the many toys LJ threw out of his pram! 
 

I have no idea how good or bad the Greek league is, but I’m glad for the lad he has an opportunity to play on the big stage. 

The Greek league wasn't overly taxing when I was AEKs token English idiot in the crowd in the. 90s, probably improved now with the Greek economy having recovered (remember Grexit, anyone?). Maybe at our championship level now. I liked Elisson as a raw youngster who had potential. But if you're looking like not signing a new contract, then it's a 'yassas' from me. Good luck to the bloke though. 

[David Brent]

Another LJ vanity project. Signed without a plan for him in the team.

Talented individual so not surprised he’s had a decent career thus far.

[JackofromSanJavier]

51 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Do you know if that gets them straight into the group stage, or do they have to go through a qualifier?

I think Panathinaikos came in at the second qualifying round last year, so probably the same for AEK

[Silvio Dante]

2 minutes ago, JackofromSanJavier said:

I think Panathinaikos came in at the second qualifying round last year, so probably the same for AEK

Third qualifying. Greece 15th on coefficient but get bumped slightly due to Russia exclusion. Would need to get through two rounds to reach group stage

[ScottishRed]

11 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Another LJ vanity project. Signed without a plan for him in the team.

Talented individual so not surprised he’s had a decent career thus far.

Agreed.

In one of Lee’s infamous ‘ throw a player under the bus episodes’, he stated that he would be a great 7-side player!

[Silvio Dante]

19 minutes ago, maxjak said:

IMHO Elliason was an excellent footballer who was poorly utilised.....he would have been a success here .....if he had been managed correctly.   Anyhow he is going to be playing Champions League football, which is a million miles from where we operate...........so good luck to him, I wish him well

 

2 minutes ago, Searles said:

Overly harsh. 

I’m not sure either post here is correct. If NE was an excellent footballer poorly utilised, then other clubs would have seen that, taken him on, and made him a success at a decent level of football. The Greek league, as noted, is 15th in UEFA standings - it’s below the Championship in relative strength and also below Ligue 1. He’s gone down the ladder to a level where he appears to be doing well and fair play to him (although he’s not guaranteed to be playing champions league any more than Celtic are - Scotland being a higher coefficient incidentally). So I don’t agree he’s a million miles from us in a good way - he’s got a title at a lower level and a chance of playing Champ League, but so do Czech Republic and Norwegian champions who are next to Greece on the UEFA list!

However, if he was a championship footballer (or even a footballer at a level or two below championship), he’d be at a higher level at 27, or around the national team. It can’t be everyone in football not seeing it or using him badly.

Great crosser. Signed via stats IIRC (I believe he was LJs “Knockaert”). But one we were right to sell and who didn’t show a sign of improvement - or most key football intelligence - in his time here and the move down the levels bears that out.

[Simon bristol]

7 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

Agreed.

In one of Lee’s infamous ‘ throw a player under the bus episodes’, he stated that he would be a great 7-side player!

Lee johnson is such an idiot!

[Red-Robbo]

34 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Another LJ vanity project. Signed without a plan for him in the team.

Talented individual so not surprised he’s had a decent career thus far.

 

Got to agree, DB. 

We didn't really improve his game other than making him a bit more physically robust, and age probably took care of most of that, but I always thought he might've done better elsewhere. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

He wouldn't have fitted into Holden's preferred system and it was the final year of his contract so that was that in respect of the sale. That aside, some of the critique seems harsh.

He clearly had something, 2nd or 3rd highest Championship assist provider in 2019-20 despite being in and out of the team. He had certain flaws in his game too but would havs been better suited to a genuine 4-3-3 IMO. As would a lot of our players of that era.

I maintain that e.g. Brentford would have got more out of him than we did and same could go for a number of other players, because if you look at their tactical set-up in 2019-20 and a number of their players they are of a similar profile to some we had, of a similar background League wise etc.

His goals v QPR and Bolton in 2nd half of 2018-19 were great too.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[spudski]

He's played one game all season where he lasted 90 mins. Either subbed every game or came on as a sub. 

No where good enough for the Championship. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Stats aren't the be all and end all but his final season here, quite good company.

[petehinton]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Played him as a no8. If you’re playing 3142 without wingers, you have to play somewhere else. Seem to recall him setting up a couple against Cheltenham in a PSF

Or just play the system that suits the players. Him and Co’D as 8s….**** me dead. 
 

Made even worse by rejecting a huge fee for eliasson not too long before then selling him for sweet fa in relative terms.  

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Or just play the system that suits the players. Him and Co’D as 8s….**** me dead. 
 

Made even worse by rejecting a huge fee for eliasson not too long before then selling him for sweet fa in relative terms.  

Interesting, a rejected bid- by whom and how much? Dont remember that one.

[Port Said Red]

51 minutes ago, ScottishRed said:

Agreed.

In one of Lee’s infamous ‘ throw a player under the bus episodes’, he stated that he would be a great 7-side player!

As I remember it, the idea that he had only played 5 and 7 aside football was started on here and put to bed by our swedish contingent. If you could point me to the LJ quote I'll be more than happy to accept that's what he said, but I don't think it is.

 

45 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

Lee johnson is such an idiot!

 

[Henry]

9 minutes ago, petehinton said:

Or just play the system that suits the players. Him and Co’D as 8s….**** me dead. 
 

Made even worse by rejecting a huge fee for eliasson not too long before then selling him for sweet fa in relative terms.  

I’m sure this is the guy you used to gush over on the podcast. Deano’s chinos wasn’t it?

I think he played a handful of games as a 8 under Holden.

Johnson signed wingers but had no idea how to use them. I’m sure he’d only instruct Elliasson high and wide, to pump balls in, but never with Fam. He should have been coached how to come infield and link play, not just from out wide.

[petehinton]

9 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Interesting, a rejected bid- by whom and how much? Dont remember that one.

Will try dig it out but was referenced in the post quite recently 

[petehinton]

2 minutes ago, Henry said:

I’m sure this is the guy you used to gush over on the podcast. Deano’s chinos wasn’t it?

I think he played a handful of games as a 8 under Holden.

Johnson signed wingers but had no idea how to use them. I’m sure he’d only instruct Elliasson high and wide, to pump balls in, but never with Fam. He should have been coached how to come infield and link play, not just from out wide.

The eliasson Fam double sub, or at least some kind of double/triple sub with eliasson in was LJ’s ace card over his last year. Saved his bacon imo. 
 

long live deanos chinos, and the crèche that the club/HPC became in his dying embers!

Edited May 15, 2023 by petehinton

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

 

I’m not sure either post here is correct. If NE was an excellent footballer poorly utilised, then other clubs would have seen that, taken him on, and made him a success at a decent level of football. The Greek league, as noted, is 15th in UEFA standings - it’s below the Championship in relative strength and also below Ligue 1. He’s gone down the ladder to a level where he appears to be doing well and fair play to him (although he’s not guaranteed to be playing champions league any more than Celtic are - Scotland being a higher coefficient incidentally). So I don’t agree he’s a million miles from us in a good way - he’s got a title at a lower level and a chance of playing Champ League, but so do Czech Republic and Norwegian champions who are next to Greece on the UEFA list!

However, if he was a championship footballer (or even a footballer at a level or two below championship), he’d be at a higher level at 27, or around the national team. It can’t be everyone in football not seeing it or using him badly.

Great crosser. Signed via stats IIRC (I believe he was LJs “Knockaert”). But one we were right to sell and who didn’t show a sign of improvement - or most key football intelligence - in his time here and the move down the levels bears that out.

effing  

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

Got to agree, DB. 

We didn't really improve his game other than making him a bit more physically robust, and age probably took care of most of that, but I always thought he might've done better elsewhere. 

Those Judo lessons!

[ScottishRed]

1 hour ago, spudski said:

He's played one game all season where he lasted 90 mins. Either subbed every game or came on as a sub. 

No where good enough for the Championship. 

I have to agree with you.

I always remember when we were chasing a game and LJ would bring him on, and my falsely placed optimism that he would do something to create a golden chance for a striker to equalize or get us the winner.

As I said my naive optimism was ill placed.

I think that those of my generation tend to get excited when a wide player is introduced in the hope that something could be created against a tiring defense - it was the same scenario with Wes Burns for example.

It rarely worked out that way for us.

 

[Nugget]

Did that lovely step over and cross - every single time… but it was a good cross at least 

[Silvio Dante]

6 minutes ago, Searles said:

I mean there are so many flaws here but let’s just focus on one area of complete nonsense. “Didn’t show a sign of improvement”.

17/18 - 13 games 0 goals 0 assists

18/19 - 33 games 2 goals 6 assists

19/20 - 37 games 3 goals 12 assists 

I mean it’s just rubbish and factually incorrect, if you’re going to try and go to so much effort to slate an ex player at least focus on someone who was useless. 

So, which parts are flawed and factually incorrect?

- Greeces coefficient?

- The fact he’s gone down the levels?

- The fact he’s not guaranteed champions league?

- The proximity of Czech Republic and Norway?

Nope. All factually correct. All you have is an opinion. And anyone who knows football will tell you that goals/assists aren’t the full story. Hell, there has been a lot of debate on here (and wider) over Scott’s lack of goals/assists but that doesn’t reflect what he brings to the team.

I watched Eliasson for three years. He left as positionally naive as the day he arrived (which in turn impacted the team negatively). And whether you think he was a good player or not at this level, it’s totally factually correct to say he’s now playing - and not even starting every week  at a level ranked below where we are now, so I’d suggest more established football judges than you or me share my opinion.

But, y’know. Facts. Innit.
 

 

 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Searles said:

I mean there are so many flaws here but let’s just focus on one area of complete nonsense. “Didn’t show a sign of improvement”.

17/18 - 13 games 0 goals 0 assists

18/19 - 33 games 2 goals 6 assists

19/20 - 37 games 3 goals 12 assists 

I mean it’s just rubbish and factually incorrect, if you’re going to try and go to so much effort to slate an ex player at least focus on someone who was useless. 

I don’t think he was as good as those numbers actually play out in terms of team impact.  He was tactically naive, left his full-back exposed, and when you hear players like Jack Hunt say he’d rather have Marley Watkins in front of him, because at least he put effort in and tried to help out, then you get an appreciation of the rounded (or not so rounded) player in front of him.

Eliasson was a lot of oohs and aahs, the player a crowd likes, but who’s teammates are hugely frustrated by.

How many times did he assist Diedhiou in his time here?  Partly Fam’s fault too admittedly.

He wasn’t crap, he wasn’t great either.  He’s potentially gonna play in the Champions League because he’s at a club in an inferior league.  Ben Wright anyone?

[Offside]

I liked watching him play, especially the way he was so quick with his feet to give himself space to put crosses in. But I agree he wasn’t good defensively. 

[maxjak]

6 hours ago, Simon bristol said:

Lee johnson is such an idiot!

A 4 year contract at 10 k a week.................  i wish  to be such an idiot?

[Simon bristol]

14 minutes ago, maxjak said:

A 4 year contract at 10 k a week.................  i wish  to be such an idiot?

True enough!!! Hes been found out though, hes on the downward slope now.

[maxjak]

33 minutes ago, Simon bristol said:

True enough!!! Hes been found out though, hes on the downward slope now.

OK..............Fair enough.............but he is still earning 10K a week on a 4 year contract..Ha!!

[Red Skin]

A lot of blame being put of LJ for signing Eliasson as a vanity project without knowing where to play him.   I'm not convinced it was LJ that instigated a lot of this. 

My reckoning is that it was MA treating the club and a hothouse for turning promising young players into expensive sales a few years down the line without any DoF or philosophy of the type of football or system we wanted to play.  (MA's contract maybe incentivised this or it was pure vanity, I'm not sure which).  The irony being that without such a system players aren't able to develop and realise their potential to achieve those sales. 

I'd have loved to see CO'D and Eliasson in a front three with someone like Conway through the middle.  Both players I feel had all the freedom of playing expansive attacking football coached out of them at a critical stage in their development.  

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Red Skin

[PHILINFRANCE]

16 hours ago, Davefevs said:

I don’t think he was as good as those numbers actually play out in terms of team impact.  He was tactically naive, left his full-back exposed, and when you hear players like Jack Hunt say he’d rather have Marley Watkins in front of him, because at least he put effort in and tried to help out, then you get an appreciation of the rounded (or not so rounded) player in front of him.

Eliasson was a lot of oohs and aahs, the player a crowd likes, but who’s teammates are hugely frustrated by.

How many times did he assist Diedhiou in his time here?  Partly Fam’s fault too admittedly.

He wasn’t crap, he wasn’t great either.  He’s potentially gonna play in the Champions League because he’s at a club in an inferior league.  Ben Wright anyone?

I had to look it up, but I see that ex-City player Ben Wright (I am pretty sure I have no recollection whatsoever of him being at the club) joined his former manager, Benny L, to play for Viking, and scored against Chelsea in the UEFA Cup.

Google is amazing, isn’t it?

[Guest SouthStandSteve]

Our version of Robben  did the same thing every time but worked a fair few times!

[Davefevs]

30 minutes ago, Red Skin said:

A lot of blame being put of LJ for signing Eliasson as a vanity project without knowing where to play him.   I'm not convinced it was LJ that instigated a lot of this. 

My reckoning is that it was MA treating the club and a hothouse for turning promising young players into expensive sales a few years down the line without any DoF or philosophy of the type of football or system we wanted to play.  (MA's contract maybe incentivised this or it was pure vanity, I'm not sure which).  The irony being that without such a system players aren't able to develop and realise their potential to achieve those sales. 

I'd have loved to see CO'D and Eliasson in a front three with someone like Conway through the middle.  Both players I feel had all the freedom of playing expansive attacking football coached out of them at a critical stage in their development.  

 

I’m sure his bonus was linked to financial performance, which isn’t unsurprising really for a CEO, but can of course be a conflict of interests too, ie in his vested interest to sell players to keep losses lower than for the benefit of squad development.

It just so happens that I have a spreadsheet of his Director Salary vs Player Trading / Transfer Profit.

You can make of it what you will!

[NcnsBcfc]

5 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I’m sure his bonus was linked to financial performance, which isn’t unsurprising really for a CEO, but can of course be a conflict of interests too, ie in his vested interest to sell players to keep losses lower than for the benefit of squad development.

It just so happens that I have a spreadsheet of his Director Salary vs Player Trading / Transfer Profit.

You can make of it what you will!

Blimey those figures for 2018/19 & 2019/20 are stark aren't they @Davefevs?

Somewhat potential conflict of interest in driving transfers isn't there?

Edited May 16, 2023 by NcnsBcfc

[Red-Robbo]

58 minutes ago, Red Skin said:

A lot of blame being put of LJ for signing Eliasson as a vanity project without knowing where to play him.   

 

 

While I agree with your post, I'm not sure I'd call the signing a "vanity project" - Eliasson was unknown in England - more of a symptom of the Mark Ashton initiated scattergun "trawl everything up" approach to recruitment.

Someone who is a natural winger brought in to a team that mainly did not play wingers. 

And as has been pointed on, we didn't coach to improve this young player. It was just accepted that 100% of his game was crosses from near the touch-line. If he was limited, we certainly didn't do much to improve his skill-set. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Exception or rule but Eliasson assist to Weimann opening day v Leeds 2019 was definitely not a cross from out wide. He drifted in a bit there. Little bit  before had a more conventional cutting inside and cross. He also won a free kick in a dangerous position , again centrally in these highlights.

We could probably have developed and utilised him better.

08:56-09:33

Edited May 16, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[petehinton]

1 hour ago, Red Skin said:

A lot of blame being put of LJ for signing Eliasson as a vanity project without knowing where to play him.   I'm not convinced it was LJ that instigated a lot of this. 

My reckoning is that it was MA treating the club and a hothouse for turning promising young players into expensive sales a few years down the line without any DoF or philosophy of the type of football or system we wanted to play.  (MA's contract maybe incentivised this or it was pure vanity, I'm not sure which).  The irony being that without such a system players aren't able to develop and realise their potential to achieve those sales. 

I'd have loved to see CO'D and Eliasson in a front three with someone like Conway through the middle.  Both players I feel had all the freedom of playing expansive attacking football coached out of them at a critical stage in their development.  

 

LJ said at a fans forum at AG he found eliasson by wyscout (or something similar) whilst on his laptop lying on the sofa!! and think he was signed without anyone watching him live as well

[Davefevs]

8 minutes ago, petehinton said:

LJ said at a fans forum at AG he found eliasson by wyscout (or something similar) whilst on his laptop lying on the sofa!! and think he was signed without anyone watching him live as well

Was definitely found from a “data brief”…find me a player with similar stats to Knockaert.  I doubt LJ crunched the numbers himself though.

I’m not sure whether he was never watched live or not…there was definitely a tweet from Tins at a stadium in Sweden, a bit before he signed.  I think it was assumed he was watching Engvall on loan at Djurgarden, but Engvall didn’t play and there was a wink emoji added to “wasted trip”, which think alluded to him being out there to watch Eliasson.

Nagy was the one who wasn’t watched I think.

[PHILINFRANCE]

1 minute ago, Searles said:

Shame we never saw the best of Nagy.

I thought perhaps we did, against QPR.

Just a shame it didn’t happen more often.

[Mr Popodopolous]

23 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

I thought perhaps we did, against QPR.

Just a shame it didn’t happen more often.

We did in his first couple of games.

He then got injured literally 1.5 games into his time here. Well maybe nor literally 1.5 but around that.

You couldn't make it up. Building a new team including some existing loanees made percent and then some new players.

Within a month to 6 weeks:

Kalas, DaSilva, Nagy, Afobe especially all out medium to long term.

DaSilva injured between game 1 and game 2, missed half a season. Kalas injured in August out got a while, Nagy 1.5 games in.

Afobe, poor Afobe injured in training after a few weeks. The partnership with Weimann with Palmer behind was giving us an interesting dimension or two.

Knock on effects were that Rowe was less of a threat from LWB than DaSilva, Kalas possibly enabled us to play a slightly higher line, Nagy was just getting settled and Afobe injury reduced our overall threat as Palmer was only really useful behind that strike pair.

Also meant what with the ongoing injuries to Korey that Massengo had to be used more often than planned at that point.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Mr Popodopolous]

26 minutes ago, Searles said:

Shame we never saw the best of Nagy.

Agreed. Don't believe too that we set up in a way that would habe enabled many players we had in that era to flourish, ironically the current version of 4-3-3 would have suited many I'm sure of it.

[Fammyfan]

He was a great signing but at the wrong time and that’s the frustrating thing as we would have got a lot more out of him in our current set up.

That being said, he was a decent signing, brought him in for £2m and sold him for £4m with plenty of assists from the bench.

[Red-Robbo]

19 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

We did in his first couple of games.

He then got injured literally 1.5 games into his time here. Well maybe nor literally 1.5 but around that.

You couldn't make it up. Building a new team including some existing loanees made percent and then some new players.

Within a month to 6 weeks:

Kalas, DaSilva, Nagy, Afobe especially all out medium to long term.

DaSilva injured between game 1 and game 2, missed half a season. Kalas injured in August out got a while, Nagy 1.5 games in.

Afobe, poor Afobe injured in training after a few weeks. The partnership with Weimann with Palmer behind was giving us an interesting dimension or two.

Knock on effects were that Rowe was less of a threat from LWB than DaSilva, Kalas possibly enabled us to play a slightly higher line, Nagy was just getting settled and Afobe injury reduced our overall threat as Palmer was only really useful behind that strike pair.

Also meant what with the ongoing injuries to Korey that Massengo had to be used more often than planned at that point.

 

And we had "Dr Feelbad" leading the medical team that tried to get that lot fit.

Afobe was the real loss. His loss made a massive difference to where the team was going, it was too little, too late by the time he returned. 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Searles said:

Shame we never saw the best of Nagy.

He seemed made to play in a system that Hungary play, a team that concede possession, set a deep block, and rely on counter-attacking play.  Was that was LJ was trying to evolve us into?  If so, I would never have guessed from recruitment and tactics.

I do think there was more to his game than that in fairness, but his lack of heart was so obvious, any opposing CM would be physical with him in the first challenges and that would be that 1:1 battle won.  Whether that was always there or came following his injury I don’t know.  There was no way he was dying for the City cause over Hungary caps.

He was also a master of getting rid of the ball to a teammate under pressure, rather than take responsibility himself.  A nice little 1 pass / 1 successful pass in the stats, but the receiver often had little chance to do anything with the pass.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

And we had "Dr Feelbad" leading the medical team that tried to get that lot fit.

Afobe was the real loss. His loss made a massive difference to where the team was going, it was too little, too late by the time he returned. 

Yes, Afobe brought something different, another level. However not only individually but our threat fell drastically once he was out- but the knock on effect for Palmer to name but one.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Red Skin]

2 hours ago, petehinton said:

LJ said at a fans forum at AG he found eliasson by wyscout (or something similar) whilst on his laptop lying on the sofa!! and think he was signed without anyone watching him live as well

Really?  Never knew that.  I still feel MA has generally been the main culprit.  LJ had far more investment in building a successful team, and more to lose if he wasn't successful in that.  I have no idea what incentives were driving MA, but making the club a financial success had got to more relevant for him.  

[Mr Popodopolous]

14 minutes ago, Searles said:

At the time I thought we had a real player on our hands, but in hindsight I think he was very limited. Very good at mopping up play and passing it on but other than that I think he offered very little. Probably why he is in Serie B. I think he had decent physical attributes in that he had energy and good fitness. Other than that not sure what he has about his game tbh.
 

 

Might have seen better in a genuine and consistent CM 3. Mop up and pass on can be limited in a two, whereas in a 3..there is a wider range, better balance.

Hypothetically:

              Bentley (Maenpaa)

 Hunt (Pereira) Kalas Baker DaSilva

            Smith Nagy(Massengo)

   Weimann  Brownhill Eliasson

                         Afobe

What may have been?

Okay O'Dowda sort of plummeted that year but the bench strength in theory of the other one out of Bentley/Maenpaa, Hunt/Pereira, Moore was possibly hard done by a bit, Rowe, pre sharp downward turn, first reserve out of Nagy and Massengo, O'Dowda, Palmer (In the right shape) Diedhiou. Forget when exactly Williams joined?

It's a little lopsided in parts but I do believe the shape might habe suited us better. Paterson was on loan at Derby of course.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[David Brent]

3 hours ago, Red Skin said:

A lot of blame being put of LJ for signing Eliasson as a vanity project without knowing where to play him.   I'm not convinced it was LJ that instigated a lot of this. 

My reckoning is that it was MA treating the club and a hothouse for turning promising young players into expensive sales a few years down the line without any DoF or philosophy of the type of football or system we wanted to play.  (MA's contract maybe incentivised this or it was pure vanity, I'm not sure which).  The irony being that without such a system players aren't able to develop and realise their potential to achieve those sales. 

I'd have loved to see CO'D and Eliasson in a front three with someone like Conway through the middle.  Both players I feel had all the freedom of playing expansive attacking football coached out of them at a critical stage in their development.  

 

Whoever was responsible for signing him, he was seemingly signed without a plan for how he would fit into our team.

It’s an era that I’m glad to see the back of. 

[James54De]

46 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Whoever was responsible for signing him, he was seemingly signed without a plan for how he would fit into our team.

It’s an era that I’m glad to see the back of. 

We went through three years of this. A squad full of decent/good players which would not or could not play together. 

[JackofromSanJavier]

Niclas and AEK have only gone and won the Greek cup as well on Wednesday.

First season in their 'new' stadium.......built on the footprint of the old Nikos Goumas ground at Nea Filadelfia.  Can't wait to visit the ground next season to rekindle old friendships, especially wih my personal beer sponsors in Monastiraki   

So, when the G*s move into their brand spankng new 'Greengrocerstad' in a few weeks, we must be expecting similar achievements  

[Major Isewater]

On 16/05/2023 at 13:38, Fammyfan said:

He was a great signing but at the wrong time and that’s the frustrating thing as we would have got a lot more out of him in our current set up.

That being said, he was a decent signing, brought him in for £2m and sold him for £4m with plenty of assists from the bench.

I thought we sold him for 2 million? 

[Davefevs]

4 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

I thought we sold him for 2 million? 

Yeah, around that amount, my guesswork from the annual accounts was £2.25m (€2.5m)

[alexukhc]

Adam Matthews will be playing in Europe next year too

[Northern Red]

46 minutes ago, alexukhc said:

Adam Matthews will be playing in Europe next year too

He was this year. Played against Man Utd in the Europa League.

[bcfcredandwhite]

I liked Eliasson and used to be frustrated and annoyed when LJ wouldn’t give him 90 minutes. 
One season he had the top assists in the Championship - despite only playing half the game as a sub. That is very impressive but obviously not to LJ. 
We wasted his talent imho. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

3 hours ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

I liked Eliasson and used to be frustrated and annoyed when LJ wouldn’t give him 90 minutes. 
One season he had the top assists in the Championship - despite only playing half the game as a sub. That is very impressive but obviously not to LJ. 
We wasted his talent imho. 

3rd highest behind Pereira and Wallace IIRC.

All the same that is pretty good, especially as you say with a relative lack of game time or consistent game time. Double figures assists at this level aren't so easy to come by in a 46 game League season (ie disregarding Cups or playoffs).

Edited May 28, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Northern Red]

Just come on as a sub for AEK at Brighton.

Edit: and just assisted for their 3rd goal.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Northern Red

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

2 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

Just come on as a sub for AEK at Brighton.

Lovely assist there.

[BCFCGav]

Didn’t even notice him on the team sheet! Lovely assist - what a man. Couldn’t help but smile!

[Northern Red]

4 minutes ago, BCFCGav said:

Didn’t even notice him on the team sheet! Lovely assist - what a man. Couldn’t help but smile!

I hadn't either until he came on.

[BCFCGav]

30 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

I hadn't either until he came on.

Like seeing a Swedish ghost.