January 2022 Transfer Thread

[AndyWolves]

The same Fabio Silva who got 7 goals & assists in 15 full games in his first PL season?

Edit. In a Nuno team that didn't do a huge amount of attacking

 

[Carsy]

I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted a player to succeed as much as I do Fabio.

Whether its the ridiculous price tag, the fact he seems pretty out of place but with bags of enthusiasm, or he’s really good on FM. Maybe it’s a combination of them all, but the more I see him, the less I see it

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

More to Del's point, which I should've quoted, that there are players coming through who are more premier League ready and at the same age.

That's jumping the gun somewhat in Gelhardt's case!

Danny Cadamarteri and Michael Branch both had more instant impact than he's had, at a younger age, and ended up doing bugger all. He looks naturally talented for sure but he's done less than Fabio, he's played 41 minutes of Premier League football, it's not even Hassan Kachloul at Wolves levels of impact.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The only slight positive I can think of with Fabio is I think he's going to undergo a huge physical transformation in the next 2-3 years. I'm not basing this off anything scientific, other than just looking at him and his shoulders seem massively broad but his body is still quite child like.

I remember bumping into someone I was at school with who this happened to, it was just surreal, in the 2 years I'd not seem him he'd morphed into an unbelievable physical specimen by the age of 20-21. I can't really see Greenwoods body changing all that much to be honest, think he'll always be quite lithe and quick.

Robbie Keane at 18:

Robbie Keane at 21:

Even though he was naturally never going to develop into a physical beast, he still visibly and noticably bulked up in those years.

To pick another example, Alan Shearer was 22 when he joined Blackburn. Five top flight seasons behind him at that point with goal tallies of 3, 0, 3, 4 and 13. Blackburn then made him the record British transfer which it's fair to say raised eyebrows at the time.

My issue with Fabio is I'm not sure he's a particularly naturally gifted footballer, and it's very rare these days for forwards to get by on just being in the right place at the right time without doing much more besides. Even if he were a world beater in that respect, we don't and never will create enough chances for that kind of player.

I mean there's nothing you or I can do about it, we've spent the money now. We'll have to see who's right in the end.

 

[Johnny75]

That's jumping the gun somewhat in Gelhardt's case!

Danny Cadamarteri and Michael Branch both had more instant impact than he's had, at a younger age, and ended up doing bugger all. He looks naturally talented for sure but he's done less than Fabio, he's played 41 minutes of Premier League football, it's not even Hassan Kachloul at Wolves levels of impact.

Maybe on Gelhardt, but Greenwood certainly is ready and miles better.

 

[Del Woppio]

It's obviously the fee, and the stuff like this that came with it:

""When Ronaldo was 17, he played as a centre-forward for Sporting's youth teams," Fernandes began. "I saw him doing things that I'm now seeing a boy from FC Porto do: Fabio Silva. He will be a hell of a player. In a short time, he will be an extraordinary striker."

Like I can't imagine watching Fabio Silva play football, and even likening to the 17 year old Ronaldo even now. Nowhere near as quick, or technically gifted, or aggressive on the ball.

His goal record at Porto youth was brilliant (a goal a game basically, at u17 and u19s), but then franny jeffers had a great youth record too

 

[Alan]

I don’t feel the Greenwood comparison works as they have very different physical tools. At Fabio’s theoretical potential I still don’t see him scoring the sorts of goals Greenwood does.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Unless they're genuine freaks (and be under no illusion that CRon from 2003-2006 didn't look *that* good, he just exploded after the World Cup and for a decade or more has played nowhere near the same position that he started in) then it's a lucky dip when you're assessing youth players.

The reviews of Zeli Ismail and Mark Davies (and indeed Elliott Bennett) weren't VillaTalk wide-eyed gasps of how brilliant the youth were based off Twitter reports and the odd video clip. This was from people who watch Academy football week in, week out, and know their stuff. They all pretty much to a man thought they'd all go to the top. The interest in all of them from the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and AC Milan was very much real. They did not do anything in the end, for a variety of reasons.

Whereas Jack Price nearly got released about three times, not even when we were any good, when he was young there was exactly no interest from anyone in taking him on loan, and he's had a miles better career than any of them.

What I am fairly sure of is that Fabio Silva is not a generational talent, that Jeff Shi shouldn't insult our intelligence by saying he is because we all have eyes, and in fact Jeff can fuck off running his mouth because he isn't paid to give an opinion on players. I wouldn't ask Graham Norton to give me a serious in-depth review of Liam Gallagher's new album just because he's appearing on his TV show.

 

[Alan]

Old Jack is a bloody legend in Colorado these days.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Joe Gelhardt with his 2 appearances and 0 goals? Who is actually older than Fabio, marginally?

Not sure that's a great example.

Doubt anyone on here had even heard of him until last weekend.

 

[Johnny75]

Doubt anyone on here had even heard of him until last weekend.

You'd be wrong.

 

[Alan]

Gelhardt looked world class against us, but he wouldn't be the first to flame out quickly. Danny Rose, anyone?

It's a time will tell situation and, honestly, I don't feel it's fair or productive to hold up other players against Young Fab. He's our player for now, all that matters is that he improves as much as he can as quickly as he can.

Whether that improvement warrants extending his stay here, again, time will tell.

 

[WolfMan]

Unless they're genuine freaks (and be under no illusion that CRon from 2003-2006 didn't look *that* good, he just exploded after the World Cup and for a decade or more has played nowhere near the same position that he started in) then it's a lucky dip when you're assessing youth players.

The reviews of Zeli Ismail and Mark Davies (and indeed Elliott Bennett) weren't VillaTalk wide-eyed gasps of how brilliant the youth were based off Twitter reports and the odd video clip. This was from people who watch Academy football week in, week out, and know their stuff. They all pretty much to a man thought they'd all go to the top. The interest in all of them from the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and AC Milan was very much real. They did not do anything in the end, for a variety of reasons.

Whereas Jack Price nearly got released about three times, not even when we were any good, when he was young there was exactly no interest from anyone in taking him on loan, and he's had a miles better career than any of them.

What I am fairly sure of is that Fabio Silva is not a generational talent, that Jeff Shi shouldn't insult our intelligence by saying he is because we all have eyes, and in fact Jeff can fuck off running his mouth because he isn't paid to give an opinion on players. I wouldn't ask Graham Norton to give me a serious in-depth review of Liam Gallagher's new album just because he's appearing on his TV show.

I see this said alot about youth players and whilst it's true alot of outstanding youth prospects don't reach their potential, to say it's a lucky dip just isn't right.

You can cite well known cases such as Zele, but pretty much every world class player playing today will also have been an outstanding youth player as well.

 

[BillyDee]

Barcelona apparently want DVdB

 

[Tony Towner]

You'd be wrong.

Very

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I see this said alot about youth players and whilst it's true alot of outstanding youth prospects don't reach their potential, to say it's a lucky dip just isn't right.

You can cite well known cases such as Zele, but pretty much every world class player playing today will also have been an outstanding youth player as well.

Lewandowski definitely wasn't.

Guess which position he plays...

Thomas Müller was nothing special either. They were ready to sell him before Van Gaal came in and saw what he liked. Again, next to zero impact on the first team in his teens.

Would we bracket Serge Gnabry as world class these days? Because at 20 he was busy playing a whole one league game on loan at Albion.

 

[YoungWolf]

If there is one thing I’ve learnt while coaching its that development isn’t linear

 

[The Bion]

Barcelona apparently want DVdB

Wonder if that's still the case now Koeman is gone.

They're an absolute shambles at the moment, he might be better off on Utd's bench.

 

[WolfMan]

Lewandowski definitely wasn't.

Guess which position he plays...

Thomas Müller was nothing special either. They were ready to sell him before Van Gaal came in and saw what he liked. Again, next to zero impact on the first team in his teens.

Would we bracket Serge Gnabry as world class these days? Because at 20 he was busy playing a whole one league game on loan at Albion.

I did say pretty much every player, there will always be outliers like Lewandowski who seemingly come from obscurity. The fact it's so rare is a talking point.

Serge Gnaby and Thomas Muller, they were both German youth internationals from the under 16's onwards, it's hardly surprising they've turned into world class players.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I think it's a surprise that Gnabry did considering how little impact he had at Albion.