Charles N'zogbia update

[PaulWinch again]

What's odd is Lambert says that we shouldn't read anything into the lack of squad number, but he doesn't actually explain the reason for it does he?

[Clampy]

Let's face it, N'Zogbia or KEA?......no brainer!

They're two totally different players who play in two totally different positions. No brainer really.

[Somniloquism]

What's odd is Lambert says that we shouldn't read anything into the lack of squad number, but he doesn't actually explain the reason for it does he?

The player originally looked like he wasn't going to play at all this season so it was decided he didn't need one when we re-declared the squad in January?

[l_mckay]

Be good to get him back,can be a very good player on his day it's just a shame them days don't happen often enough. But as someone else has said would be a lot better option than Tonev.

[pauliewalnuts]

A bit pathetic, but I remember about five years ago seeing something on Twitter or somewhere frivolous on the internet, where people were changing footballer names to insert the names of animals, and someone said Charles N'Dogbia, and ever since then, every single time I see his name written, I read it "N'Dogbia".

[Louzie0]

Be good to get him back,can be a very good player on his day it's just a shame them days don't happen often enough. But as someone else has said would be a lot better option than Tonev.

I would love to see CN'Z back for the Villa.

[Somniloquism]

A bit pathetic, but I remember about five years ago seeing something on Twitter or somewhere frivolous on the internet, where people were changing footballer names to insert the names of animals, and someone said Charles N'Dogbia, and ever since then, every single time I see his name written, I read it "N'Dogbia".

So not N'Somnia then?

[eamonn]

I'd like to think Joe and Charlie made-up and are now sipping cocktails in the West Indies laughing at every one of us.

[willywombat]

I'd like to see him get a decent run in the team, he's got the ability without doubt

[Matt C]

Hope to see him back, we've had enough expensively acquired players discarded already.

[Somniloquism]

Expense should not be a reason to keep a player if they are not doing it week in week out. However, I would like to think we could use Nzog and whilst he wasn't ripping up tress, he definitley had some telling contribution in our good results from Jan last year.

[sid1964]

For me he has been a total waste of money, I hope that some French club take him off our hands in the summer

[Ads]

I think there is something in there to suggest he could be a good option either behind Benteke or out wide. Especially away from home, with Gabby on the other flank; that is a lot of pace.

I have some symptahies as he was the star man for the Wigan team the season before be bought him and it was really not fair to expect him on his own to repalce both Young and Downing.

That said, the purchase at the time, when you look at how much Given and Hutton were bought for too and how much all three were paid in wages, it doesn't really chime with what the club have done since (August 2012 being ground zero for Aston Villa).

The whole McLiesh debarcle has been done to death, but really, that summer, where £5 million was piad in compensation to Small Heath and probably just shy of £18 million in fees. These fees being spent on players who aren't really up to it and the 6 or 7 million in wages we pay out to them annually, shows just how costly those few months of bad decision making was.

I imagine Lambert would very much welcome the extra 6-7 million flexibility in the wage budget. Not to mention the £18 million transfer fund to spend on more Okores, Vlaars, Kozaks and Betekes, rather than having his hand forced to pick out cheap gems like Bacuna or gamble on the likes of Luna.

I think thankfully the madness of that summer will be washed out by the work that Lambert has done these past two summers. We can only hope, and the April accounts will be telling, that he will have now given himself the opportunity to spend bigger fees and offer bigger contracts on players that will be an asset to the first XI and less of a risk.

I think my opinion of N'Zogbia will always be tainted by what he symbolises.

[Mister E]

I have some symptahies as he was the star man for the Wigan team the season before be bought

IMO, just half a season of real quality with Wigan, and not much before or since. You can see why the Barcodes offloaded him.

The whole McLiesh debarcle has been done to death, but really, that summer, where £5 million was piad in compensation to Small Heath and probably just shy of £18 million in fees. These fees being spent on players who aren't really up to it and the 6 or 7 million in wages we pay out to them annually, shows just how costly those few months of bad decision making was.

It's the 5 year contracts that TSM was authorised to give that is the real killer.

I think my opinion of N'Zogbia will always be tainted by what he symbolises.

What does he symbolise? - the madness of the TSM year or more generally the Lerner naïveté?

[Phil from the upper holte]

I don't remember many complaint's when we signed him to be honest