03 Feb 2020 11:16:51
Hi Ed001,
Do you rate Odion Ighalo and is he a good short term option?
I see many already bashing him without even kicking the ball.

{Ed001's Note - on form he was excellent and Man Utd wanted to sign him from Watford. However he is very inconsistent and often tries to do too much. If you get the on form Ighalo, then he will be a great signing as a short term loan, as I can't see him maintaining his form for long. The main worry would be that he puts in everything to win a permanent move and then coasts if he gets it. As a loan I don't really see him being a problem. He certainly suits a counter attacking style.}


1.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 11:36:36
Thanks Ed001. Relieved to hear that.

{Ed001's Note - I think most people are just unhappy about bringing in a loan of any kind, as it is seen as something 'lesser' teams do.}


2.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 12:55:45
At the end of the day, if he scores 10 plus goals then he has been a good signing. If not, he goes back to China. Martial is hardly making a case to play up top.


3.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 13:47:20
The agent link should go unnoticed. Same at Cardiff he signed all his agents clients.


4.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 13:58:49
i for one think we have done some good business this last window. Yes, we dragged it out for a bit but in the end we got 2 players who solve out current needs but don't drag us away from what the manager wants to do with the squad. ighalo could be a good loan even if begets and the initial signs from bruno are good.


5.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 15:15:06
The way I see this Ighalo deal is simple. We needed someone, world class options and top targets were not available. So we either rhad to look at a cheaper option which would impact our ability to sign someone in the summer or a short term loan. Again not many world class players are available on loan. The last one I could think of was Falcao who struggle both with us and Chelsea. Nor do teams loan out a free scoring striker in good form in the middle of a season.

So our options were simple:

1, sign a lesser player for a "smaller" fee and not sign someone in the summer. (Josh King, 30m) .

2, sign a player on loan who is playing for a European side but is either out of form or has been a disturbance in the squad so their club is happy to get him off the books mid season. (Slimani loan from Monaco) .

3, sign a player on loan from a league that is not currently playing. This way the player isn't in good or bad form and the club might be prepared to let a player go when their league isn't being played. (Ighalo loan from China) .

4, sign no one and expect an 18 year old Greenwood to play 90 minutes of practically every game between now and the end of the season. while praying that Martial doesn't pick up another injury.

Out of the four options signing Ighalo seems like the best solution. Plenty can be said about the club allowing such a situation to happen. Lukaku should have been replaced in the summer when top targets would have been available. But considering where we were in January, I think the signings of Bruno and Ighalo (on loan) are about the best we could have hoped for. Plus Spurs did try and hijack the Ighalo deal so we aren't the only club to rate him as a good short term solution.

The only way the Ighalo deal could turn sour is if he has a storming 6 months scores 15 goals which convinces the club to sign him on a long term deal.


6.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 15:47:22
First time he scores we'll probably sign him up on a five year deal . i mean we're dealing with the same geniuses who gave Moyes a six year deal, made OGS permanent manager at a time when there was no need to, sold Lukaku and did'nt replace him etc. etc. etc.


7.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 16:24:36
First goal, and we’ll sell Rashford too.

Why do we need two players that can score a goal?


8.) 03 Feb 2020
03 Feb 2020 21:48:16
Shappy if he scores 15 he deserves a deal why would that be it turning sour?
That doesn't make sense at all.