- Dec 14, 2004
- 12,813
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I think he does suffer from the delayed impact of the signings he is responsible for such as the youngsters you mentioned and that is unfair and hopefully we'll see the success of those purchases in the next few years.
Now however it seems he's been made to focus more on the youngsters than on the first team. All the reports on players we've been linked with (most notably the Modric interview) are talking about the players that Ramos wants, whereas I'm not sure that Jol had as much say in the matter. We've had some pretty dud signings in the last two years which were supposed to impact the first team squad (Boateng, Ghaly, Ekotto, arguably Bent etc) and I think Comolli has to be responsoble for those because by most accounts he was the one who went out and found them.
I would feel much more comfortable with Ramos exclusively choosing the players he wants for now and DC sorting out the youth and all the behind the scenes shenanigans. It didn't seem that was the case with Jol but it's looking that way under Ramos (although to be honest we don't know for sure).
Depends how you look at it. Are you of the view point that Comolli had the power to go and sign these with little or not input from Jol, or were they mutual signings after a Jol suggestion or a Comolli find? Personally, and this is just going by what I hear, I would imagine that while Ramos has more say than Jol did, I think people (helped by media shit stirring) underestimate the influence Jol had on transfers. I genuinely believe that if Jol didn't want any of the above, he could have vetoed any deal.
Boateng hasn't had the desired impact in most peoples view (mine included), but there was talk that he wasn't expected to blaze onto the scene this year. I've read before that Boateng was bought with the intention of him making a first team challenge for the coming season. I won't write him off yet.
BAE was my pet hate for a while, but as the season went on, I really started to see something pretty special in him. He had managed to go from my most disliked Spurs player to a lad who I really thought could make it big in just a handful of games. Then the poor fucker got injured long term. I know he was pretty hit and miss (missing more often than not) in his first few months, but I saw signs in his game to suggest that he had it in himself to turn into a bit a bargain for us.
Ghaly I think was a good signing. For £2m, we got a versatile player who played a lot under Jol. We then agreed to sell him for £3m (only for Bruce to send him back, the bastard). If he goes this summer, I can see us getting our £2m back on him, so that to my mind isn't a bad deal.
Bent was a biggy. I like Bent, but he is used to a system that really couldn't be further from the way we play. I would love to see Bent make it at WHL, but that one has got to go down a lack of judgement a lot of levels.
There are pluses, too. Comolli was (allegedly) badgering Jol into getting a new keeper. That's now long ago he identified that issue. He brought us Alan Hutton, who I love :-D He brought Bale in. He strengthened the centre of defence with the signing of Woodgate (showing he can look for experience, and not just youth). He brought in Steed for very, very little. He also, and this had got to be a mega tick in every-one's book, brought Berbatov to the club for under £11m.
He's hit and miss, but so are most managers/sporting directors when you look at their overall records.
If his youth signings come off, Comolli really will have done a very, very decent job.
Good news if true as Hart has looked very promising. Would need someone experienced alongside him though I'd imagine.
Anyway if this is true watch him make an absolute howler tonight...just for fun.
That's the thing - Hart would only leave City for us if he was given the no.1 shirt, and there aren't many Cerny's out there, who are both experienced and happy to sit on the bench for most of the time.
I'd like Hart here, but I really hope we don't pay over £6m for him (which I have a bad feeling we will).