Zat to Spurs?

Keep in mind, Martin Jol was on hand to see Zat's "admirable" performance against his club in the FA Cup tie.

 

If we can sign a quality defender or two in the offseason, I don't think we'll miss Zat much.

 

Jol may spend money on young player, and has over-bought 22 year old midfields, but, from watching his purchases - I would say he was a shrewd judge of players and for that reason alone I recon that there is bugger all chance of Knight going down the Lane.

 

Oh, please, please, please let it happen!!! It could be our best transfer move since cashing in on LBM.

Seriously, though, this could be helpful for another reason. One concern I've had about CC is that the young players don't seem to be developing under him. Zat, for all of his faults, has played for England, as well as for some younger English national teams. Somebody has seen something in him.

It would be good to see if he goes to Spurs and developes into a star. If so, that would raise legitimate questions about CC's abilities with young players. In the last few years, none of the transfers away of younger players has really done much (except for arguably Saha), but this might be the ultimate test.

 

While younger players have not developed as well under Coleman as one might like, I think Knight's lack of development comes from within him. He is inconsistent and seems to simply go through the motions on and off the pitch in trying to get better and better. Zat Knight to me is a player who is simply "pivking up paychecks" and could careless about winning and losing and the club.

Don't let the whole "England International" tag fool you. He came on that brief two-game tour of America and while he played, he did very little to impress and on top of that, he only came because of loads of injuries to other, better defenders. He is NOT an England international and he shows us that week in and week out at Fulham with his inconsistent performances.

 

Well, he impressed me in that one game.

But it was more on 'potential' than actual results. Camera angles perhaps, but what I saw was someone who had a gift of ranging/positioning but needed an additional gift of 'vision' in which for him the action will slow down and he will be at the right place at the right time and once getting the ball send it to the sweet spot for the counter rather than just getting rid of it.

And that is probably what Spuds see, or think they see.

 

This speculation is due to a "bust-up" with Coleman. CC seems to get in a lot of the bust ups with players. John, Steed, Boa, possibly Goma though I don't really recall, and now Knight.

So I guess the question is; is CC over demanding, a picky control freak, or is he simply demanding professionalism to which these spoiled millionaires are not responding to very well?

I'd obviously like to believe the later, and its very hard to say when you don't know the details, but its probably some of both. Perhaps Coleman needs to at times be more flexible and the players more respondent and reasonable.

As for the deal its self I suspect Routledge will be rolled into it.

 

I think Coleman holds players accountable for their actions on the pitch. If you are a Premiership footballer and you have lapses of concentration as we have seen on a number of occassions with Zat, I would expect the manager to have a go at him.

Zat is the longest serving Fulham player and as we have seen with Boa and Steed in the last eight months, Coleman seems to be getting rid of the old and bringing in a new look Fulham team with a new attitude and such. Players like Zat Knight are not what Fulham needs. He does not seem to put forth the effort consistently and as I mentioned earlier, he just seems to go through the motions. Perhaps he will succeed elsewhere, but I doubt it with the way I have seen him play.

As for a deal involing Routledge, I do NOT think that is in the cards either. I would like to see that happen, but I would not be surprised if Martin Jol tries to use him next season at Tottenham.

 

Re: RE: Zat to Spurs?

Which is, of course, something we tried to do during the winter window.

 

Will Jol have a "no wrestling w/your brother" clause in the contract??
I defer to the experts on the board who've been following the game all their lives, but Zat to me doesn't seem to have that nasty streak you need to play that position.

 

Re: RE: Zat to Spurs?

Signing players in January is a much harder thing to do than in the summer. When clubs buy players in January, the team selling that player knows that they can jack the prices up and if the club is desperate enough, it will pay whatever is asked. In other words, because some teams are in difficult situations to avoid relegation or being dragged into the relegation mix, they make 'panic' buys.

If anything, Coleman has been cautious with the limited funds he has, but I think after this season he has had enough of his defenders and will seek not one, but two center halves in the summer. I think he will have success bringing two of them in as well.

As I have said, this Fulham team is a work in progress. Fulham does not have the money to build a team in one transfer window. It has taken time for Coleman to get the midfielders he wants. Now he will work on the defense and try to also add to the strikeforce as well. He has a plan I think and if given time to let that plan unfold, good things will happen for this club.

 

Zat is 6ft-6inches tall, but he plays like he is 5-10. You are right that he has no 'nasty streak' and he does not seem to play with the passion and fire that players need to have to perform well week in and week out.

In other words, when opposing strikers look at Zat Knight, he does not put the fear of God in those strikers the way John Terry, Michael Dawson, Ryan Nelsen, Nemanja Vidic and others who will rip your head off if they have to in order to prevent a goal. Knight just goes through the motions and does not seem to push himself to get better. I have a problem with that.

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. At present time and for the foreseeable future, he is a part of the problem. Times up on Knight if I were in charge.

 

Oh NOW I get it.. you mean sorta like......



We should try to get that guy, maybe....

Bwahahahahaahh!

 

Oh what might have been. I personally don't think Glenn Roeder will let Gooch leave. I can't imagine that his loan don't have a buy on clause. If not then he should be one of FFC's top target. Size of a NFL linebacker and the speed too, and the aforementioned "nasty" streak..

Just ask Jared. LOL

 

Maybe we can pick off a CB from a relegated team; perhaps Ferdinad or Neil from the Hammers or Shittu from Watford.

We need a solid guy who can step in and play IMEADITLY! and seeing that Coleman can be so damn slow to give guys who arrive from forgien leagues there proper playing time, I feel we should buy someone within the league.

Also wouldn't mind going after Wes Brown or Silvestre

 

Before the 2005-2006 season, Fulham was rumoured to be after Danny Shittu who at that time played for QPR. Nothing ever came of it though obviously. I am not opposed to bringing him in at all. Fulham was also after Danny Gabiddon as well who wound up at West Ham and has done a nice job for the Hammers.

 

I agree they need to set their sites higher, but we also need to be realistic in our goals of who we can and can't get. There is nothing wrong with players like Lucas Neill, Anton Ferdinand and others that are on relegated sides. Perhaps these should not be our top targets, but getting in center halves who are familiar with the Premiership and their opponents would be a big boost instead of getting newbies who know nothing about the Premiership.

I guess what I am saying is that just because a team is getting relegated does not mean these defenders are the sole reason it is happening. We have to monitor these players with a watchful eye over the next two months. We need defenders, that much we can all agree upon.