[Albion] Evan Ferguson **Loaned to West Ham 03/02/2025**

[Nobby Cybergoat]

So Leicester have picked up and improved without Buonanotte in the team, have they? Weird analysis, that.

No. But manager's have to make these selection decisions according to their preferred style and tactical strategy.

RVN seems to be selecting players according to what they've done since he's been at the club, which isn't inherently unreasonable. And if Facu had convinced him in training and in his appearances that he was going offer more than his competitors for the shirt he would be playing him. It's exactly the same as with Evan

 

[GT49er]

No. But manager's have to make these selection decisions according to their preferred style and tactical strategy.

Yes. If it works.

RVN seems to be selecting players according to what they've done since he's been at the club, which isn't inherently unreasonable. And if Facu had convinced him in training and in his appearances that he was going offer more than his competitors for the shirt he would be playing him. It's exactly the same as with Evan

How many appearances did he make under RVN? Hardly any*, so the 'since he's been at the club' argument doesn't hold water. We don't know why horse-face doesn't appear to want Facu anywhere near his team, but he doesn't, and sure as hell it has not been a successful decision.

* Just checked: one start - and out.

 

[Stato]

Van Nistlerooy had to pick El Khannouss in attacking midfield in their home game against us because Buonanotte couldn't play. Since then he's been nailed on in that position. This is despite him getting 1 goal and 1 assist in 18 matches, compared to FB's 4 goals and 2 assists in 12 matches at the start of the season. At no point has RVN given Facundo a start in the No 10 spot since that day, despite their results being terrible and goals rarer than hen's teeth. He's used him on the wings when he's come on as a sub and if he was a decent winger, we wouldn't have signed Minteh. This says to me that either RVN or the owners have likely prioritised the development of the player they own over the one who is on loan. That's fair enough as they won't make any money from a Buonanotte resale. However, they'd have made far more money staying in the division, so it seems strange that the manager has not tried anything different in all of those months.

Leicester are a weird story, seemingly still hampered by PSR issues, so it's hard to say exactly what's been going on there. Facundo's experience has not been anywhere near as bad as Odsonne Edouard's. Apparently, they paid Palace a £2.5m loan fee for him and are covering a substantial element of his wages (He's reported to be on C£90k a week). Yet, despite the goal drought, RVN has included him in the squad only once since he's been there: as an unused substitute v Liverpool. Apparently, his behaviour has been fine and RVN has just said that he prefers Vardy and Daka. This sounds like tosh as you'd have thought that a manager whose team hadn't scored for three months might have occasionally risked having two forwards on a nine man bench. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/odsonne-edouard-shambles-latest-example-083000784.html.

This all smells a bit of player power/favouritism/ownership interference. There were reports that the players were key in the decision to sack Cooper. It's fairly easy to guess who rules the roost there. Vardy rarely gets subbed off, despite hardly ever scoring. He has played 90 mins 18 times this season, compared with only once in the the Championship in 23/24, and six times when they were relegated in 22/23. On Saturday, he was subbed after an hour, and shortly afterwards, they started to gain control. Seems odd that, in the huge run of games where they hadn't scored, the manager wasn't regularly trying different striking options throughout the games.

Apologies for the thread hijack - back to lamenting Evan's lack of form.

 

[Mellotron]

Van Nistlerooy had to pick El Khannouss in attacking midfield in their home game against us because Buonanotte couldn't play. Since then he's been nailed on in that position. This is despite him getting 1 goal and 1 assist in 18 matches, compared to FB's 4 goals and 2 assists in 12 matches at the start of the season. At no point has RVN given Facundo a start in the No 10 spot since that day, despite their results being terrible and goals rarer than hen's teeth. He's used him on the wings when he's come on as a sub and if he was a decent winger, we wouldn't have signed Minteh. This says to me that either RVN or the owners have likely prioritised the development of the player they own over the one who is on loan. That's fair enough as they won't make any money from a Buonanotte resale. However, they'd have made far more money staying in the division, so it seems strange that the manager has not tried anything different in all of those months.

This all smells a bit of player power/favouritism/ownership interference.

Agreed - the decision to bench Facu appears very much to be a non-footballing decision. There were noises at the time of a bust up between FB and RVN in the dressing room, wasn't there?

Looks like him trying to impose his authority early on, potentially at the cost of the side having a chance to stay up, so seems a very poor decision from the outside.

 

[JBizzle]

Agreed - the decision to bench Facu appears very much to be a non-footballing decision. There were noises at the time of a bust up between FB and RVN in the dressing room, wasn't there?

Looks like him trying to impose his authority early on, potentially at the cost of the side having a chance to stay up, so seems a very poor decision from the outside.

Maybe, but how many of us see FB in training every day? None. Gone are the days of being a crap trainer and walking into the team because you're great on a match day.

I'm not saying he is a crap trainer, just that there are other possibilities outside a fallout. If it was a fallout, they could have sent him back in January.

On Ferguson, this has been a totally wasted season. The best we can expect is that he returns here fitter, but he's not gaining goals or confidence at West Ham.

 

[Mellotron]

Maybe, but how many of us see FB in training every day? None. Gone are the days of being a crap trainer and walking into the team because you're great on a match day.

When you're fighting for your lives in a relegation battle, I think you put up with a bit of this if you're pragmatic and wise. No one gives a shit about how you train if you're the best player on the pitch when matchday comes.

I suspect RVN felt his authority challenged early on, and - understandably to an extent - felt the need to stamp his authority.

He should've however also respected the fact that Facu was their best player, and therefore done what he can to re-integrate.

I appreciate there is a lot of speculation here.

 

[GT49er]

Maybe, but how many of us see FB in training every day? None. Gone are the days of being a crap trainer and walking into the team because you're great on a match day.

RVN gets the job, Facu plays one match. RVN decides that's not going to happen again. Don't think 'being a bad trainer' had much to do with it. Do you? Seriously?

I'm not saying he is a crap trainer, just that there are other possibilities outside a fallout. If it was a fallout, they could have sent him back in January.

There were reports at the time that RVN made a point that Buonanotte had played a certain amount of matches, which according to the loan agreement, meant that he couldn't be recalled. We certainly should have, if we could (not hindsight either - many of us thought so back then).

On Ferguson, this has been a totally wasted season. The best we can expect is that he returns here fitter, but he's not gaining goals or confidence at West Ham.

True.

 

[J2 DOG]

8 minutes of action today! Need to recall him as only have Welbeck for next 3 games. ? Need to start thinking about next season without Pedro?

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

8 minutes of action today! Need to recall him as only have Welbeck for next 3 games. ? Need to start thinking about next season without Pedro?

We can’t.

 

[albionalex]

8 minutes of action today! Need to recall him as only have Welbeck for next 3 games. ? Need to start thinking about next season without Pedro?

Can't be recalled.

 

[JBizzle]

8 minutes of action today! Need to recall him as only have Welbeck for next 3 games. ? Need to start thinking about next season without Pedro?

If he only gets 8 mins in a dog shit team that drew against Southampton, what would he add here even if he could recall him that he didn't add up until January?

 

[A1X]

What good would recalling him do, so he can not score for us instead of not scoring for them?

 

[jcdenton08]

Can’t be recalled. PL rules.

 

[Zeus]

8 minutes of action today! Need to recall him as only have Welbeck for next 3 games. ? Need to start thinking about next season without Pedro?

Can’t see Evan playing for us next season. Imagine the club will be desperate to offload for any money it can get before his value plummets to zero.

 

[jcdenton08]

Can’t see Evan playing for us next season. Imagine the club will be desperate to offload for any money it can get before his value plummets to zero.

Either that, or work with him over the pre-season to rediscover his form and regain his value and form.

 

[dwayne]

Just saw him in Battersea park with a rather lovely blonde tart.

At least he's scoring off the pitch....

 

[Deadly Danson]

Just saw him in Battersea park with a rather lovely blonde tart.

At least he's scoring off the pitch....

Just the one? He gets plenty of exercise, would have thought he could grab a pair of tarts.

 

[dwayne]

View attachment 200429
Just the one? He gets plenty of exercise, would have thought he could grab a pair of tarts.

Not blonde enough.....

 

[WATFORD zero]

Just saw him in Battersea park with a rather lovely blonde tart.

At least he's scoring off the pitch....

No, he'll probably be too busy posting all over his social media that he's just seen Kylie's chimney sweep's mate and Adam Lallana's mate @dwayne in Battersea Park

 

[Brian Munich]

Either that, or work with him over the pre-season to rediscover his form and regain his value and form.

He's still only 20 contracted until June 2029, so time is on our side and we can afford to spend more than a 4-5 weeks of pre-season training sessions getting his form back. Reckon a season loan at at Championship club would be an option.