Josh King

[DeadleyLedley]

Price drop according to @Hercules in the ITK thread.

Strange amount of negativity around a player who scored 16 league goals in a not exactly free scoring Bournemouth team last season. Ok the original price we were quoted was steep but I don't think we should write him off.

 

[King of Otters]

Inevitable that this will be our 'pacy forward' option. Same story every year.

 

[Ruffinthepuffin]

Price drop according to @Hercules in the ITK thread.

Strange amount of negativity around a player who scored 16 league goals in a not exactly free scoring Bournemouth team last season. Ok the original price we were quoted was steep but I don't think we should write him off.

I think it's more to do with his absolutely woeful scoring record for a number of seasons before his impressive performance last season.

Would be a good addition if last seasons form could be repeated.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Janssen is younger and has spent a year adapting to our system. I don't see the point in selling him and starting again with King. I'm not a huge fan of King and don't see how buying him would be an upgrade. If Janssen is still poor buy end of the season or Jan then maybe we could think of changing things up, but right now I don't see why we should be buying another 2nd striker.

 

[thinktank]

This'd be a downer.

 

[scat1620]

"Fuck off, Josh King", is my eloquent response to today's update from Hercules.

 

[Hercules]

Did not say we were signing him though. Just his price has dropped

 

[rossdapep]

Wasn't it only last week that JJ disagreed with someone who suggested we would end up with King and Gray?

 

[DeadleyLedley]

I think this hatred of him is more than a bit over the top. His record prior to last season wasn't up to much. So what? Last season he proved he could more than cut it in the PL, scoring 16 goals (more than Benteke, Vardy and as many as Hazard) for a pretty average Bournemouth side. If he scored 16 goals a few years ago then done nothing since, fair enough, but what he's actually showing is that he's developed and improved as a player. Granted he was younger, but there were plenty of people who thought Kane had no chance of making at this level, until he did.

Even if you're sceptical about him, which is fine, the negativity smacks more of snobbery than anything else. Yes, we all want big names or exciting foreign signings but, as has been proven, they aren't easy to get over the line. We need options going forward and if Poch believes he can work with King, then I'll get behind that. He's shown he can do it at this level, why can't he do even better with a far better team?

I think I post this mainly in hope he doesn't become another boo boy before he's actually been given the chance.

*Braces for negative ratings*

 

[scat1620]

Did not say we were signing him though. Just his price has dropped

To be fair, I'm still a little bit gutted that we'd have him even on the shortlist of 4 that you mentioned for his position. I'd rather we weren't looking in his direction at all, even as a last resort backup option.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Josh King would play then fool at Pochettino's court.

 

[scat1620]

Even if you're sceptical about him, which is fine, the negativity smacks more of snobbery than anything else. Yes, we all want big names or exciting foreign signings but, as has been proven, they aren't easy to get over the line. We need options going forward and if Poch believes he can work with King, then I'll get behind that. He's shown he can do it at this level, why can't he do even better with a far better team?

I think I post this mainly in hope he doesn't become another boo boy before he's actually been given the chance.

*Braces for negative ratings*

What if you just flat-out don't rate him, in the same way that you flat-out didn't rate Sissoko long before he came to Spurs? What then?

 

[rossdapep]

I think this hatred of him is more than a bit over the top. His record prior to last season wasn't up to much. So what? Last season he proved he could more than cut it in the PL, scoring 16 goals (more than Benteke, Vardy and as many as Hazard) for a pretty average Bournemouth side. If he scored 16 goals a few years ago then done nothing since, fair enough, but what he's actually showing is that he's developed and improved as a player. Granted he was younger, but there were plenty of people who thought Kane had no chance of making at this level, until he did.

Even if you're sceptical about him, which is fine, the negativity smacks more of snobbery than anything else. Yes, we all want big names or exciting foreign signings but, as has been proven, they aren't easy to get over the line. We need options going forward and if Poch believes he can work with King, then I'll get behind that. He's shown he can do it at this level, why can't he do even better with a far better team?

I think I post this mainly in hope he doesn't become another boo boy before he's actually been given the chance.

*Braces for negative ratings*

It's not hatred - at least on my part.

The problem with this signing is that it doesn't take us to that next level. People want (and rightly IMO) to see a player who has the potential to be world class, not someone who may just chip in. Unfortunately, King does not fit that description.

Perhaps we are getting ideas above our station, perhaps it's not possible for us to attract a Martial, for example. But I would much rather be bringing in a 20-year old who has the potential to be a star rather than a squad filler.

 

[DeadleyLedley]

What if you just flat-out don't rate him, in the same way that you flat-out didn't rate Sissoko long before he came to Spurs? What then?

What about him do you flat out not rate? I get not rating Sissoko - he had a long history of underwhelming performances. But I'm genuinely interested to know what's so objectionable about King? He's quick, strong and scores goals at this level.

 

[scat1620]

What about him do you flat out not rate? I get not rating Sissoko - he had a long history of underwhelming performances. But I'm genuinely interested to know what's so objectionable about King? He's quick, strong and scores goals at this level.

I think he's reasonably quick but an otherwise mediocre player. I can't analyse it in any more depth than that: he just doesn't look like a footballer of the standard we need (even as a squad player) to my eyes. And his goal record last season doesn't win me over, as there have been countless one-great-goalscoring-season-and-then-done players who have proved to be duds over the longer term in the Premiership.

Sorry I can't give you more detail, he just doesn't look like a player to me, and hence I will be very put out indeed if we sign him.

 

[DeadleyLedley]

It's not hatred - at least on my part.

The problem with this signing is that it doesn't take us to that next level. People want (and rightly IMO) to see a player who has the potential to be world class, not someone who may just chip in. Unfortunately, King does not fit that description.

Perhaps we are getting ideas above our station, perhaps it's not possible for us to attract a Martial, for example. But I would much rather be bringing in a 20-year old who has the potential to be a star rather than a squad filler.

I get the attraction of what you're saying but, on the flip side, you're asking the club to gamble on someone who *might* be a star at this level instead of someone who has proven he can do it. What I find harder to understand is why everyone is so desperate for someone like Balde to sign, a player with a questionable attitude and a complete unknown in the Premier League, yet so down on King?

We all want a signing that will push the club to the next level but we also have to be realistic. The cost of someone who would come into one of those AM positions and improve the first team immediately is astronomical and likely out of our range. Arguably, what we actually need are different types of forwards - pacier, stronger, more direct - to give us options either from the start or on the bench. Eriksen, Alli and Son were all awesome last year - we'd have to pull off a miracle to bring in someone at their level.

Anyway, I'm mainly playing devil's advocate here. I liked what I saw of King last year and I think he could do a job for us.

 

[DeadleyLedley]

I think he's reasonably quick but an otherwise mediocre player. I can't analyse it in any more depth than that: he just doesn't look like a footballer of the standard we need (even as a squad player) to my eyes. And his goal record last season doesn't win me over, as there have been countless one-great-goalscoring-season-and-then-done players who have proved to be duds over the longer term in the Premiership.

Sorry I can't give you more detail, he just doesn't look like a player to me, and hence I will be very put out indeed if we sign him.

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion but, and I mean no offence, 'he doesn't look like a footballer of the standard we need', doesn't really justify being so against bringing him in, or indeed telling him to 'Fuck off'. And that's before we get to 'even as a squad player'.

 

[rossdapep]

I get the attraction of what you're saying but, on the flip side, you're asking the club to gamble on someone who *might* be a star at this level instead of someone who has proven he can do it. What I find harder to understand why everyone is so desperate for someone like Balde to sign, a player with a questionable attitude and a complete unknown the Premier League, yet so down on King?

We all want a signing that will push the club to the next level but we also have to be realistic. The cost of someone who would come into one of those AM positions and improve the first team immediately is astronomical and likely out of our range. Arguably, what we actually need are different types of forwards - pacier, stronger, more direct - to give us options either from the start or on the bench. Eriksen, Alli and Son were all awesome last year - we'd have to pull off a miracle to bring in someone at their level.

Anyway, I'm mainly playing devil's advocate here. I liked what I saw of King last year and I think he could do a job for us.

Fair comments. I agree about the different type of forwards.

 

[scat1620]

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion but, and I mean no offence, 'he doesn't look like a footballer of the standard we need', doesn't really justify being so against bringing him in, or indeed telling him to 'Fuck off'. And that's before we get to 'even as a squad player'.

Looks like you're misreading my quote. I'm saying that I don't think he's of the standard to even be a squad player in our squad, let alone a first team player. Hence my vehement opposition to the idea of wasting any of our painfully finite resources on a player who - and I don't think I could have been clearer - I don't believe would even cut it as a backup player here.

 

[DeadleyLedley]

Looks like you're misreading my quote. I'm saying that I don't think he's of the standard to even be a squad player in our squad, let alone a first team player. Hence my vehement opposition to the idea of wasting any of our painfully finite resources on a player who - and I don't think I could have been clearer - I don't believe would even cut it as a backup player here.

Nope, I'm not misreading what you're saying at all. You're just doubling down on a very strong opinion you've justified with (effectively) 'I don't like the look of him'. And to say he wouldn't even cut it as a back up player is just wrong. I get the debate about whether we should be aiming higher than him but saying stuff like that is just silly.