06 Jul 2024 22:36:13
Donny off to Girona for 500k apparently. Meagre fee but it's clears the wages off the books and gives him the chance for a fresh start elsewhere. Lots of poor signings now needing cleared up by INEOS but we are getting there. Be interesting to see if there's anything on greenwood or sancho this week.

1.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 06:52:18
Do you think if we hadn't been paying huge wages to attract players, it would have been easier to offload everyone?

2.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 07:42:16
That's pretty embarrassing. He has been our worst signing in terms of quality imo in the last 10 years. No idea why we bought him and what we saw to convince us to buy him.

3.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 08:24:44
From Romano:

Small initial fee, easy add-ons up to €4/ 5m and then more add-ons up to €10/ 15m.

In all honesty I'm delighted we are getting anything for him after going on loans that he failed to shine on.

4.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 10:37:55
Girona and Donny might actually work out!

5.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 11:00:16
I really feel for the guy, he is a talented player but for one reason or another it's all just gone wrong for him.

Several injuries and no clear idea of how to play him or where meant that he never got a chance to play a run of games and settle into the team.

His loans have seen similar issues where he has had niggling injuries and failed to play a run of games.

Personally I think a big part of the issue is that he plays best as a second striker, playing more advanced and with more freedom than a traditional No.10. Unfortunately very few teams play with such a player so he's often forced to play a more restrictive role.

In terms of position/ role he is similar to his father-in-law Dennis Bergkamp (obviously not on the same level in terms of quality and technical ability) or Eric Cantona.

He is best suited to a withdrawn striker type role, where he's not a lead the line striker, but he's more advanced than where any of the midfield would play and isn't a midfielder either.

The most similar player currently playing I can think of is Thomas Muller. That player who doesn't have the raw pace to play wide, isn't striker or a midfielder, but plays as the link man between the two, floating around to find pockets of space to facilitate quick one twos to play through a defence. With him often then being that late runner into the box to score.

It's a fairly unique role and really requires the team to be set up around such a player. Yet with Bruno at United he was never going to get to play in such a role.

I wish him well, and we all move on. Hopefully learning the lessons of scouting players for a specific role rather than signing good players because they are available.

6.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 12:10:00
Not sure what we saw to convince us to buy him Ahmed? Simple, he was great in that Ajax team, can’t be denied.

7.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 13:41:38
That team was really a one session wonder. None of them have gone on to excel anywhere. None as bad as dvb though it has to be said.
Hopefully if we do sign de ligt he will buck the trend of expensive moves with the clubs getting little or no return from any of them.

8.) 07 Jul 2024
07 Jul 2024 23:02:37
Donny always tried and must curse the day he signed for us. The guy undoubtedly has talent and most of us were excited when he arrived. Bad managers, teammates who didn't put the requisite effort in and sometimes even deliberately did not pass to him plus his injuries meant he really had no chance to shine. I don't recall him complaining. Can't we just wish him well.

9.) 08 Jul 2024
08 Jul 2024 07:50:07
I wish DvB all the very best at Girona. But we can dress it up and make excuses all we like, fact is, he was rubbish.

{Ed025's Note - i have to agree Fireman, he came on loan to Everton because we were god damn awful mate....and he actually made us worse!!..

10.) 08 Jul 2024
08 Jul 2024 09:47:30
Salford, I like him and wish him well. But that's a lot of excuses for a guy who didn't take his chances when he got them. I can't remember one game where he stood out in any way.