QuoteThey signed 23-year-old Morato from Benfica. A highly rated, 6'4" Brazilian centre-back who was reportedly valued at €70m and wanted by Spurs not too long ago. You'd imagine that's him slipping even further down the pecking order.
Another centre back in at Forest, not ideal for Omobamidele when he already wasn't starting.
They signed 23-year-old Morato from Benfica. A highly rated, 6'4" Brazilian centre-back who was reportedly valued at €70m and wanted by Spurs not too long ago. You'd imagine that's him slipping even further down the pecking order.
End Apartheid Now! One Team in Ireland!
It's a bit clichéd to say it at this point, but Omobamidele is definitely one who could have done with a couple of years on the continent. Then could have come back as a higher profile, more developed player and moved into a starting position in England if he wanted to.
Like Festy, Abankwah, Jack Byrne, Liam Kerrigan, Dan Crowley etc?Originally Posted by Eirambler
The fabled "continent" doesn't magically make you a better player. Just because Jake O'Brien did well at Lyon doesn't mean anything for anybody else. English football isn't holding our players back, their ability is.
I mostly agree, but there are definitely players who either make a bad decision or through a bit of bad luck wind up stuck in a backup role. It's the risk they take every time a player tries to take a step up. He'll be getting good coaching at Forest, but he'd probably be improving more by playing at least semi-regularly. I think he'd have been as well at Norwich as anywhere on the continent, but that's easy to say in hindsight.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Reality ~ ~ Who really wants to live in reality ? !
I generally agree with you actually, I think the "move to the continent" thing gets thrown around far too much. But Omobamidele is one I would probably make an exception to that position for. He's almost too much of a footballing centre back for the Championship, but maybe a year or two away from being ready to start week in week out in the Premier League. Which is why I think a move to a league that's stronger and more technical than the Championship, but not quite as strong as the Premier League might suit him in particular.
I'm sure he took the move that paid him the most with the longest contract and that was forest.
Of course. I don't think there were necessarily any other options even available at the time. That's not the point I'm making - what I'm saying is he's not quite ready to hold down a Premier League starting place yet and he needs games at a decent level to help him continue to develop. He won't be getting many between now and January anyway I suspect.
There's such a big jump now from the Championship to the Premier League, it's a problem because players fall into the gap and end up not playing much. Will likely happen to Omobamidele, Manning, Taylor, maybe McAteer for the next few months.
I agree with that . What drives me insane is the talk from some posters(not you) that irish players somehow are naive children who end up at clubs against their will when in reality players are ambitious driven young men who have through their own ability and hard work made it as professional footballers and who make career choices based on money and longterm security just like most of the rest of us
Linked with a January loan move to Leeds per the Telegraph.
Has only made the bench four times this season - I think injury has been part, but not all, of that - but with Forest bizarrely up to third in the table, they're managing just fine without him, and a loan move may be no harm
His career to date has been a spectacular anti-climax. Since his strong performance away to Portugal, his only spark has been a five-year Forest contract. They paid circa £11m.
The same could be said for £17m Jake O'Brien at Everton.
Meanwhile, Adam Idah - his best game for Ireland was also in Portugal - is currently as occasional a starter in the god-awful SPFL. He cost £9.5m, probably the most expensive Championship benchwarmer ever.
That's £37.5m for not much return.
Go Coillte Mach rachad / ní stopfaidh me choíche /
Go seasfaidh mé síos / i lár Chondae Mhaigh Eo.
Yeah, O'Brien's been another disappointing transfer alright. But another one where arguably the results on the pitch justify the current team selection - only the top six have conceded fewer goals than Everton, and three of those have conceded just one fewer. 7 clean sheets in their last 11 games. Their problems are at the other end of the pitch.
That said, with Lyon's current problems, O'Brien probably didn't have much say in his departure, and he's at least assured his salary will be paid.
Last season was such a massive step forward for O'Brien that I kind of feel as though he's still ahead of where most thought he'd be by now. And at least he's making the bench unlike Omobamidele.
Omobamidele is maybe more disappointing because initial expectations were higher for him. But he is also a year younger so he does have time on his side and a good loan in January could turn things around for him fairly quickly.
But lyon spent the money they received for Jake and added another 10m to sign his replacement Niakhate from forest who is 5 yrs older. The whole Jake O brien transfer makes no sense for Everton or Lyon.
Lyon’s owner was trying to buy Everton and therefore gave Everton favourable deals. 1) O’Brien was wanted by a host of teams and Everton got a favourable deal on the fee. 2) Lyon bought Mangala for £20m this summer having spent £10m on the loan fee in January and immediately loaned him to Everton. Both deals were designed to help Everton be competitive without the deals making any sense for Lyon. He also loaned the club money to cover day to day runnings, while Lyon themselves owe about €400m.
The issue is twofold. Everton expected and really needed to sell Branthwaite to United. United weren’t willing to match the asking price. Everton wanted £70m, United offered £45m and £50m. Everton probably misjudged how United would react. Few other things coincided - Ratcliffe’s new regime trying to be frugal on certain transfers - United unexpectedly being able to convince Yoro to sign for them over Real Madrid and Liverpool (United vastly outbid others on transfer fee, wages, agents fee - and a call from Rio Ferdinand to the player apparently convinced him). Then when their second bid for JB failed, they pivoted to De Ligt, who Ten Hag wanted and was available for £43m.
O’Brien was planned as a replacement for Branthwait and Dyche is really stubborn regarding centre halves and doesn’t trust anyone young or without premier league experience. Branthwaite started last season on the bench and it took a 4-0 tonking by Villa to give him a chance. Dyche had both Tarkowski and Keane at Burnley and loves both of them.
From speaking to Everton fans, they also believe that with Branthwaite aged 22, Dyche wants an older experienced player alongside him, so unless he’s sold, O’Brien will never play. Besides, Keane has had a relative resurgence this season and is third choice ahead of O’Brien
It's Leeds Utd v Sheffield Utd in the pursuit of Omobamidele, according to the press reports today. Of course Farke gave A. O. his senior and then Premier League debuts while both were at Norwich. The Blades need reinforcements after CB Souttar suffered a season ending injury.
Leeds United 'open talks' for £10m Premier League outcast with Sheffield United transfer battle possible
A lot of sense to both options - maybe loan with an option to buy if promoted even. He's going nowhere at Forest.
Apparently moving to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on a permanent (edit - possibly loan) deal.
I said up the page that he's a player that I particularly think would suit a continental league more than the Championship, so hopefully this comes off and goes well for him. Another player playing regularly in a European Top 5 league can only be a good thing.
Last edited by Eirambler; 23/01/2025 at 11:41 AM.
Confirmed now - loan with an option to buy. Hopefully he has a similar experience in France to what Jake O'Brien had and can make a name for himself there.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks