He is so much better then hourihane and browne all be it a different type player
Printable View
He is so much better then hourihane and browne all be it a different type player
Not in Anderlecht squad for their win yesterday. Was he injured? Bad time to pick one up, all though maybe he was just wrecked and rested, schedule had been pretty unreal over last 10 days (played for Anderlecht on Sunday night before flying to Serbia for Wed game).
IIRC he was sent off for 2 yellows in the game just before the international window so may have been suspended.Quote:
Originally Posted by Exgrad
You're right, forgot about that. Guess he could do with the break.
Also, he'd have to quarantine coming back from Int. duty, unless he's got an exemption. probable though.
How's he playing at the moment does anyone know? They got knocked out by Vitesse in Europe, and their league form seems patchy. They sold a midfielder to Arsenal for big money so at least Cullen getting plenty of game time.
I've watched all of his games bar Vitesse on Thursday and Genk yesterday. He's played well up to that, and is first choice in the middle of the pitch. He's moving with the ball in possession more this season from what I can see. Vocally organising those around him (the dreaded pointing) but seems to be a leader from what I've seen.
I’ve watched a couple of league games this season. Seems he plays a fairly disciplined holding role and primarily aims to show for the ball and then move it quickly to more skilled attacking players. It’s nothing spectacular but it’s very functional and effective.
He should be a nailed on starter for us at this point, probably as the deepest lying midfielder.
TeamTalk had noted that Sheffield United and Fulham were both keen on Cullen, who next season will be in the last year of his contract at Anderlecht. GiveMeSport claim (10 April) that no less than 6 PL clubs are monitoring him, not least his former club West Ham! But perhaps a club in mainland Europe would be a better move for him -if indeed he wants to leave Kompany's team.
Its grim that a player of his quality is being linked with Sheffield United or FulhamQuote:
Originally Posted by Demesne Lad
I think Fulham would be fine, they'll be a decent EPL outfit next season. He shouldn't be going anywhere near the Championship though, so unless Sheffield United get promoted I think they can hopefully forget it.
Realistically a Championship team will potentially pay him more than Anderlecht but he's a Premier League standard player.
Once upon a time playing for Ireland would have given players a positive profile and helped to get them a transfer to a higher level. That's no longer the case. He has performed brilliantly for us, but somehow that doesn't automatically register with PL managers in the way it might in the past. Similarly, I doubt whether Ogbene is on anyone's radar or whether Knight or others will get a move as a result of performing well in an Ireland shirt.
As much as we'd like him to continue his continental adventure, he's a former Prem academy player a club from a development league took a punt on so a payday contract will be on his mind, as will probably wanting to prove himself in England ( rightly or wrongly, it could be in his head ) So we might end up fairly underwhelmed on here, with the move but he's 26, needs to make the real money now if its there for him.
Fair point on the money side, but Id hate to see him go somewhere and not playQuote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
fulham would be a brilliant move for him , wtf?
Im confused, are you saying that Fulham would be a brilliant move?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jd2793
Eh? Once upon a time the PL couldn't take its pick of any player in the world. Cullen has already been at a PL club and didn't make the grade. He's still good enough for Ireland and maybe he will get a move back to the PL but saying that him playing for Ireland is holding him back is a bit strange. What do you mean?Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
Ogbene's manager disagrees with you by the way. He joked that his Irish performances were "a disaster" for Rotherham due to the interest that would result him now.
Maybe I'm missing the point you're trying to make?
The money in England now means the league is more competitive than ever - bottom feeding premiership clubs can go to toe-to-toe with anyone who wouldn't make the cut for a European superleague for players. Meanwhile, we have sunk to 47th in the FIFA rankings. If we're a leading team, big teams will pay heed to our players. We're not a leading team.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
well that obviously because the level of talent in the PL is at a level its never been at before. the amount of players available to clubs compared to 20 years ago is incomparable.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
its a better move than staying put at anderlecht once he has some assurances on playing time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Can see him going back to West Ham as a replacement for Mark Noble. He's West Ham through and through, and they've played plenty of games this season between the league and all the cups so will fancy himself to get enough game time. The nice bump in wages and European football helps too.
Most of the clubs named are probably looking at him as a cheap homegrown squad option too. Burnley, Norwich, Fulham, and Sheffield United are the teams he'd have the best chance of getting into the starting XI.
At 26 this is probably the best contract he'll likely get in his career so don't blame him to take the best offer he can get and fight for a place at someone like West Ham or Wolves we'll say, and if it doesn't work out he can always move on in three years and probably still start for a yo-yo club like Norwich, Fulham, or Burnley depending on how they progress after relegation.
When he does move on would love to see Conor Coventry as a possible replacement for him at Anderlecht. Similar player to Cullen and playing for a top team in Belgium would allow him to showcase his talent like he is at MK rather than slogging it out in the bottom half of the championship. Could do wonders for his career like it has for Cullen.
Rice might be sold by West Ham this summer also, opening up another midfield spot.
To me the Rotherham manager quotes came across like a guy trying say something he thinks a Premiership manager would say. If your a L1 manager you should be over the moon that you have a player that is good enough to play at International level.Quote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
What he was saying was proven to be BS too. It was going into the Cup final they had and he was trying to say Ogbene would be tired after so many minutes for Ireland... he went on the set up equalizer in 93rd min and then score a screamer in Extra time. I think he was fine!
And in regards to the interest that would be in him now, I bet the Chairman doesnt agree. If you're a L1 club you are guaranteed to sell your best players. Its the nature of the business. Ogbenes performances for Ireland will have increased his value when they do sell
Well he's out of contract in the summer so will be walking on a free rather than sold to the highest bidder. Losing to Portsmouth last night leaves them in third 3pts behind MK Dons. Even with a game in hand they've lost their last three league games so are poor form. All the better for us that MK Dons and Wigan go up imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Didnt realize hes out of contract but even so its a still a stupid arguement from the Rotherham manager. Hes basically saying he doesnt want to have good players incase they go somewhere else eventuallyQuote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Was he being serious though?
Otoh's post said he "joked" about it. I think that's fine
In the coverage of the cup final the panel on Sky sports were talking about how he wasnt happy with Ogbenes minutes for Ireland in previous 2 gamesQuote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Those comments were more to do with Ogbene not starting the league game before the international break under advice from the medical team rather than his performances attracting attention from bigger clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Yeah the transfer comments were completely unrelated to the ones about his playing time and just your bog standard manager response to growing interest in one of their better players. The point was that Ogbene is perhaps more on club's radars due to his Irish games and not less as third_policeman seemed to be saying. But I'll admit I don't really understand what his point was. He seemed to be hinting that something to do with Ireland has changed and means PL managers aren't signing our players when they have good games for us when the obvious answer is that our players aren't at PL level and haven't been for a while due to the PL improving itself year and year for the past few decades. Our national side operates at a Championship level.
Bazunu if you believe the stories this week profile definitely seems to have been improved from the International performances and interest from Premiership clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by ontheotherhand
In regards to Cullen, we are seeing him being linked with Premiership clubs, would they be looking at him based on his Anderlecht performances alone? I doubt it.
In recent years, because we've been so sh1te our players havent been getting any good exposure from International football. That looks like it could be on the turn now.
Yeah I agree but I suppose both players are or have been on the books at PL clubs as well. I also wouldn't write off Anderlecht as a place that would be on a PL clubs scouting radar. Certainly though their games for Ireland haven't had any negative effect on their chances which is what third_policeman seemed to be saying.
"Once upon a time playing for Ireland would have given players a positive profile and helped to get them a transfer to a higher level. That's no longer the case. He has performed brilliantly for us, but somehow that doesn't automatically register with PL managers in the way it might in the past. "
Arsenal signed a midfielder from Anderlecht for about 17 or 18 million last summer so players there are definitely on the radar. I'd say the Cullen interest is more based on his Anderlecht form than his Ireland form to be honest.
Anderlecht are in the end of season play offs in Belgium, and could go straight into the Champions League group stage, if that is the case, Cullen should stay where he is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%E...n_A#Play-Off_I
Yeah I'm not sure on the value of him moving back to England either. He left only very recently after not breaking in to a PL team and he's doing well now. Why change and risk not getting his game at this stage in his career? Hopefully he can get himself a decent paycheck over there as well.
How much would a CL run add to Cullen's salary? A Google trawl tells me he currently earns approx £8500-a-week. He could get that at an ok Championship club. He'd double it or more at a yo-yo club like Fulham, Bournemouth, WBA, Sheff Utd, Norwich, Watford etc. At 26, and without big bucks earned, the money takes precedence.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
When you are always just one bad injury away from a career ending, or an injury that could greatly reduce what you could earn in the future then you have to Make Hay when the sun is shining.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapshot
I think the reality of modern day football is that playing Premier League, even with a bottom end team fighting relegation, trumps playing Champions League with a team from a smaller league like Belgium.
Probably not how it should be, but it's a money game so that's how it is.
Ryan Christie leaving Celtic for a team in the Championship would be another example - the English second tier being preferable to European group stage football for him.
Think even if Anderlecht win the league and qualify for Europe they'll still look to sell him to make something off him and he'd still probably want to move back to England.
Could stay another season and get a bad injury which ruins his chances of getting a good move back home or a good move in general if other clubs in Europe show interest.
It will take a monumental effort from Les Mauves to win the league.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Union are on 37*
Brugge are on 36
Anderlecht 32
antwerp 32
if they don't beat Union in the first game they can pretty much kiss goodbye to any hopes. Union have done the double over them this season already, and relatively comfortably too.
Anderlecht have the cup final here on Monday, which they are favourites for too (and it's sold out).
* Points are halved from the regular season. Union St Gilloise' final game was abandoned 10 mins from the end due to rioting from the opposition fans. I don't think a decision has been made on that outcome yet. They are bottom and relegated, so it is plausible that the RBFF give the 3 points to USG, which would then put them 3 points ahead of Brugge, 7 on the other two.