brighton_tom
Well-known member
- Jul 23, 2008
- 6,252
Get him back with us in the summer, see how pre-season goes, and if no space in the first team get him out on loan to a top end championship team.
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[Albion] Evan Ferguson **Loaned to West Ham 03/02/2025**
- Thread starter greachain
- Start date
Just being able to put it in the net isn't enough. He needs to improve the other areas of his game and work hard during a game too.
I saw West Hams first half yesterday.
Without Kudus they are firmly the 17th best team in the league.
They've had a situation for years where their attacking output has been down to Bowen or Antonio working their arses off to compensate for Soucek etc having no playmaking skills whatsoever.
Ferguson is never going to be that type of player.
The deal is a mistake from everyone involved, Potter, Fergie, Weir etc.. not what was needed
Ultimately there's no club or coach that will take Evan to the top. That's in the hands of Evan himself. And at this point I hope he has realised he need to swallow his pride and play a season in a different league. He's not good enough to play regularly in the Premier League.
Without Kudus they are firmly the 17th best team in the league.
They've had a situation for years where their attacking output has been down to Bowen or Antonio working their arses off to compensate for Soucek etc having no playmaking skills whatsoever.
Ferguson is never going to be that type of player.
The deal is a mistake from everyone involved, Potter, Fergie, Weir etc.. not what was needed
Ultimately there's no club or coach that will take Evan to the top. That's in the hands of Evan himself. And at this point I hope he has realised he need to swallow his pride and play a season in a different league. He's not good enough to play regularly in the Premier League.
GloryDays
Well-known member
Feel sorry for EF. He’s a good player down on his luck. The miss last night wasn’t great, but a player in the habit puts it away, takes it with their left foot etc. I’ve seen worse. Possibly worse in last nights game from other WH players.
Agree he needs to look to players like Fulkrug while on loan, but when back here he should be Danny Welbecks shadow for a few while. It’s so important these days (atm) not just to be able to play the hold up role but to show these flashes of nuanced skill and deft touches. Kinda like Joao Pendro but without as much showboat. I think he’s just overthinking it all atm. He is a good player and ppl need to give him a break but he does need a reset and to fine his organic and natural instinct again. Missing a pen for Ireland kinda illustrating it all quite aptly.
Agree he needs to look to players like Fulkrug while on loan, but when back here he should be Danny Welbecks shadow for a few while. It’s so important these days (atm) not just to be able to play the hold up role but to show these flashes of nuanced skill and deft touches. Kinda like Joao Pendro but without as much showboat. I think he’s just overthinking it all atm. He is a good player and ppl need to give him a break but he does need a reset and to fine his organic and natural instinct again. Missing a pen for Ireland kinda illustrating it all quite aptly.
- Oct 12, 2022
- 3,141
I watched the first half of the game last night, and other than the chance (which tbf was slightly behind him) he jogged about uninvolved in play. He stood out as a passenger.
There’s still a great finisher there, but the rest of his game is not where it needs to be. He’s the only one who can bring himself up to scratch.
Until he can make runs, bring other attacking players into play, make spaces for himself to shoot and defend for the team, he’s not PL level. He doesn’t seem aware of how much he stands out among his teammates when he’s on the pitch. There doesn’t seem to be any fight or purpose in him.
There’s still a great finisher there, but the rest of his game is not where it needs to be. He’s the only one who can bring himself up to scratch.
Until he can make runs, bring other attacking players into play, make spaces for himself to shoot and defend for the team, he’s not PL level. He doesn’t seem aware of how much he stands out among his teammates when he’s on the pitch. There doesn’t seem to be any fight or purpose in him.
Have to agree about West Ham's squad and the deal being a mistake. And it is in the hands of Evan. I don't buy the 'being ruined by Potter' narrative either (except for the fact that he took the player on loan and started him).
But he WAS good enough to play regularly in the Premier League. Not long ago he was our next 50 million man and NSC was shitting itself every time a big club was supposedly sniffing around. What's happened since - whether injury, illness (have that one on pretty good authority) or "refuelling problems" (seen that alluded to on here too) has knocked him back to a point where he no longer is.
Championship loan next season which he, himself has to make work. Or sell and cut salary losses.
I hope there's no issues with his attitude. He comes across as sensible in interviews.
But... and I PROMISED myself to never be this person, yet:
I rewatched Buzz Bootroom (or whatever its called) a few months ago and there was one episode where Evan Ferguson popped in at some point in the middle of it. He was dressed like a groupie dedicated to a band called "Caucasians With Poor Attitude" and had the posture of a Yugoslavian chain smoker with stomach wounds. I couldn't help but to think "no". No problem with hiphop but its the most ego-tripping subcultures I can think of and any time I see a young talented person dressing like some H&M gangster, I get worried.
He was good enough to play in the PL when 90% of his job was finishing the attack off, because he is already a world class finisher.
As soon as De Zerbi asked/needed him to do more stuff, it kind of fell apart.
Unfortunately for Fergie, not many PL teams per season can afford having a poacher up front. The midfield needs to be exceptional for that to work out.
The agent that bought Ferguson to the club compared him with this player. Profile below.
This is a frustrating period for sure, but sometimes with big fowards especially those not overly blessed with pace, you need to be patient and some will not really start to show their worth until they reach 25-28.
How about a loan to Millwall next season?
Anyone in the cut our loses camp needs to stick to playing football manager - badly!
This is a frustrating period for sure, but sometimes with big fowards especially those not overly blessed with pace, you need to be patient and some will not really start to show their worth until they reach 25-28.
How about a loan to Millwall next season?
Anyone in the cut our loses camp needs to stick to playing football manager - badly!
Teddy got his initial breakthrough on loan in Sweden, playing for Djurgården in 1985. Think they wouldn't mind having Evan Ferguson for a year.
I've posted this video before but anyone who thinks EF is just a finisher is wrong.
He had the lot: Pace, strength, vision, determination, up for the battle, bringing others into play, holding it up....I could go on.
Absolutely baffling what's happed to him and such a shame.
He had the lot: Pace, strength, vision, determination, up for the battle, bringing others into play, holding it up....I could go on.
Absolutely baffling what's happed to him and such a shame.
Kit Napper
Active member
- Aug 25, 2024
- 122
Ferguson was only 17 when Potter left us so no surprise he wasn't selected much.
Silverhatch
Well-known member
What is so baffling?
He’s either gone full Aaron Connolly (absolutely no evidence for that) or his ankle injury is more problematic than first thought. His confidence is shot. Is that so surprising? Youthful, bulletproof innocence has been shattered by the treatment table and rehab. Probably needs a psychologist as much as a physiotherapist.
His complete lack of effort and desire when he does get minutes is baffling.
Showing you’re up for it and working hard is nothing to do with confidence.
If he’s physically unable to put himself about then he shouldn’t be on the pitch to start with.
Largely agree, but RdZ was the one playing him regularly as I recall, I’m not sure about the ‘asking him to do more’. That’s not what I witnessed under RdZ.
Jackthelad
Well-known member
- Mar 31, 2010
- 1,304
Of course, you don't do what he did at that age like he did for us, maybe something is going on with him mentally outside of football. I don't even get Stephen Ireland vibes from him as Stephen Ireland looked the real deal, but was a showboat plonker and the hype went to his head, and he was never the same.
Ferguson however was a pro at Brighton, and does not have that arrogance. When he comes back from West Ham he will have to accept that he won't be viewed in the same way, it will be interesting to see if the big clubs are still sniffing about, I would guess they would not be. It will be good for him to take a step down if we keep hold of him and I hope we do and he goes down to Championship for loan or maybe even league one all though that won't happen. He needs his confidence back.
I agree. And I still maintain that he should have gone on loan when he first broke into the squad. I said so at the time, and then changed my mind when he scored a few goals for us, but looking back now I was right. He is STILL only 20, he should be looking to break into our first team next season, having just done 3 season long loans banging in the goals for a League One, then Championship, then European club. He should be coming in next year as the hottest young striker in Europe, chomping at the bit to succeed in the Premier League. Not some washed up striker with the wait of the world on his shoulders.
He needs to reset his expectations, and take a season long loan to a mid-table Championship club next year.
I think it's silly to judge players on this kind of thing without knowing what is going on behind the scenes. Remember when the accepted knowledge of Albion fans at Withdean was that Murray only tried in the last year of his contract, as before that he just jogged around looking disinterested? And then further down the line it came out that he was playing with a double hernia, that was fixed in the Summer before his last year.The first thing I want to see from Evan is energy and competitiveness when he’s on the pitch, I have not seen that at all this season, Everything else may come once he looks like he cares again
Ferguson's injuries may mean he isn't able to run around like a headless chicken and still get through 90s minutes, or he may be under strict instructions not to. I just don't believe that a young player like him would go on loan to a club like West Ham and think "I can't really be bothered to run around properly". It would make no sense whatsoever.
- Nov 15, 2006
- 6,406
Shit comparison imo, Murray was laconic but always effective in front of goal. Evan looks like he doesn’t give a shit, whether he does or not it is irrelevant. He should not even be on the pitch at PL level unless he is 100% ready to play and get to match fitness. Have you seen anything at all that suggest he should be being picked at either Albion or WHU? One quality goal against Wolves apart.
Murray was always laconic, Evan had a real bite and attitude about him when he burst on the scene, it has totally disappeared.
I do agree that his contributions this season for both us and WHU make no sense whatsoever at all….that he was even sent onto the field in the first place.
We may have played Murray in League 1 with an ongoing injury, things like that do not happen at PL level in this era. As I said I think it’s a shit comparison
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