Jozabed

[Jamie88]

Just wondering what his situation actually is if anyone has a bit more insider knowledge.

I've heard that he is due to go back to Spain on loan/transfer as he is struggling/homesick, but then I have also heard that that is not the case and it is just a case of him not being good enough compared to what we have and that is why he has been demoted to the U23s.

From the little I have seen of him so far he has look promising, just a little lightweight. Maybe we are going to try and bulk him up before we use him?

[Horsfield_No9]

Just wondering what his situation actually is if anyone has a bit more insider knowledge.

I've heard that he is due to go back to Spain on loan/transfer as he is struggling/homesick, but then I have also heard that that is not the case and it is just a case of him not being good enough compared to what we have and that is why he has been demoted to the U23s.

From the little I have seen of him so far he has look promising, just a little lightweight. Maybe we are going to try and bulk him up before we use him?

I'm sure there was a Slav interview where he said he was taking time to settle and mentioned the language being a bit of a barrier? In truth I think he'd struggle to break in to the current midfield which is starting to look settled and picks itself. He's been playing every week in the reserves/PL2 side so there's hope for him yet. Strikes me as he may work better if we ever made it to the Prem. Looked not bad to me in his few first team games. At Wigan away he was probably best player in the first half according to Jim.

[@jolslover]

I rate him, Thought he was our best player at Wigan away. Assume (hope) he will get a chance soon

Slavisa said this about him (and I guess Kebano/Ayite) "It's true that my team is full of talented players, but we have to adapt ourselves to exactly where we are. We are not in France, we are not in Spain, We are in the Championship."

[ffc73]

Will probably see Joza, Kebano, LVC, Woodrow, Bett etc at Cardiff in the cup

[westcliff white]

not so sure we will see all of those in the cup. reckon he will keep a majority of the first team playing to keep momentum, assuming we still have it. For me that would also be the right choice

[AnEssexFan]

Kebano showed masses of ability at Blackburn when we played them away.

[AlexW132]

Kebano looked decent when he came on against Reading

[Alanovich]

Kebano looked decent when he came on against Reading

Everyone looked decent against Reading!  :-)

[toshes mate]

Jozabed has looked a pretty good player from what I have seen of him, but will struggle to get an automatic start as long as the midfield keeps playing as well as it has done for quite some time and injuries and suspensions stay away.  He has a nice balance to his play, neat and tidy, capable of changing pace and direction deceptively and perhaps just needing a boost to his confidence to get him out of his shell so that he feels he belongs.  I thought he linked up well with his team mates when he has played and could be influential as the game against Wigan suggested.  He is on the bench so there is every chance he'll get a good chance to impress sooner or later.

[f321ffc]

The little I have seen of him I liked, I read somewhere last week that he Is expected to return to a Spanish side probably on loan in January

[valdeingruo]

Jozabed is the type of player who would flourish in the Premier League where he is given a tad bit more space. I can see him going out on loan this window and if we miraculously get promoted, coming and playing a part next season. If we don't go up I can see him going this summer.

[FPT]

It doesn't surprise me that Jozabed has taken a while to settle.

He's never played outside of Spain, never been part of the national team set up and only had two years of top level football in Spain. He spoke/speaks very little English and is relatively inexperienced considering his age.

English football is fast and ferocious; he's technically good enough, but the language barrier on top of the swirling sensation of the division on top of the more aggressive aspect is very difficult to adjust to. Will he ever adjust? That's a question of his character, whether he can or wants to.

Again, homesickness wouldn't surprise me, he's probably seldom been away from Spain, he's from a very small town and played for very small teams; even Vallecano in the Primera Division is a small team, spending the majority of their history in the second division - the frequent of times at the top being their most recent run. Homesickness would be an issue to overcome, some players just want to go home as soon as possible, some players will dip into a depression, some players will struggle initially but become an Englishman by extension and others will have no adaption period. If you can't speak the language, he's probably only communicating at the football club with the coaching staff and then any family at home (where it's cold, dark and London can be daunting in terms of pace and size compared to little old Seville where he grew up).

He has the ability, does he have the character? Does he want it? Time will tell.

[Nero]

It doesn't surprise me that Jozabed has taken a while to settle.

He's never played outside of Spain, never been part of the national team set up and only had two years of top level football in Spain. He spoke/speaks very little English and is relatively inexperienced considering his age.

English football is fast and ferocious; he's technically good enough, but the language barrier on top of the swirling sensation of the division on top of the more aggressive aspect is very difficult to adjust to. Will he ever adjust? That's a question of his character, whether he can or wants to.

Again, homesickness wouldn't surprise me, he's probably seldom been away from Spain, he's from a very small town and played for very small teams; even Vallecano in the Primera Division is a small team, spending the majority of their history in the second division - the frequent of times at the top being their most recent run. Homesickness would be an issue to overcome, some players just want to go home as soon as possible, some players will dip into a depression, some players will struggle initially but become an Englishman by extension and others will have no adaption period. If you can't speak the language, he's probably only communicating at the football club with the coaching staff and then any family at home (where it's cold, dark and London can be daunting in terms of pace and size compared to little old Seville where he grew up).

He has the ability, does he have the character? Does he want it? Time will tell.

Which begs the question, why on earth did Fulham sign him in the first place.

Because his stats were awesome

[J]

Just wondering what his situation actually is if anyone has a bit more insider knowledge.

I've heard that he is due to go back to Spain on loan/transfer as he is struggling/homesick, but then I have also heard that that is not the case and it is just a case of him not being good enough compared to what we have and that is why he has been demoted to the U23s.

From the little I have seen of him so far he has look promising, just a little lightweight. Maybe we are going to try and bulk him up before we use him?

Not a dig at you, but homesick / going out on loan back to Spain just sounds like the kind of thing people make up to fill in the gaps when they don't know what's going on

[HatterDon]

I really appreciate threads like this that give assessments of players many of us NOT in England don't get to see regularly.

With a few snarky suggestions, everything on here has helped me feel closer to the club. Thanks.

[MJG]

It doesn't surprise me that Jozabed has taken a while to settle.

He's never played outside of Spain, never been part of the national team set up and only had two years of top level football in Spain. He spoke/speaks very little English and is relatively inexperienced considering his age.

English football is fast and ferocious; he's technically good enough, but the language barrier on top of the swirling sensation of the division on top of the more aggressive aspect is very difficult to adjust to. Will he ever adjust? That's a question of his character, whether he can or wants to.

Again, homesickness wouldn't surprise me, he's probably seldom been away from Spain, he's from a very small town and played for very small teams; even Vallecano in the Primera Division is a small team, spending the majority of their history in the second division - the frequent of times at the top being their most recent run. Homesickness would be an issue to overcome, some players just want to go home as soon as possible, some players will dip into a depression, some players will struggle initially but become an Englishman by extension and others will have no adaption period. If you can't speak the language, he's probably only communicating at the football club with the coaching staff and then any family at home (where it's cold, dark and London can be daunting in terms of pace and size compared to little old Seville where he grew up).

He has the ability, does he have the character? Does he want it? Time will tell.

Which begs the question, why on earth did Fulham sign him in the first place.

Because his stats were awesome

And jokanovic wanted him

[The Road Less Travelled]

I love how people are happy to default to the view that any signing that hasn't or doesn't work out is stats related, and any signing that was (apparently) thwarted by stats would have been a success and had it gone through we'd be in the playoffs or more.

[Carborundum]

London is full of small town boys and girls who have put themselves through gut-wrenching personal challenge to make their mark in the world. 

If he's on track he will have been spending the past five months gradually bulking up with the right kind of muscle and learning the defensive mindset to cope with what is brilliantly described above as the "swirling sensation of the division". 

We need him because a serious injury or offer too good to refuse for Cairney puts us in a creative deficit.

[MJG]

It doesn't surprise me that Jozabed has taken a while to settle.

He's never played outside of Spain, never been part of the national team set up and only had two years of top level football in Spain. He spoke/speaks very little English and is relatively inexperienced considering his age.

English football is fast and ferocious; he's technically good enough, but the language barrier on top of the swirling sensation of the division on top of the more aggressive aspect is very difficult to adjust to. Will he ever adjust? That's a question of his character, whether he can or wants to.

Again, homesickness wouldn't surprise me, he's probably seldom been away from Spain, he's from a very small town and played for very small teams; even Vallecano in the Primera Division is a small team, spending the majority of their history in the second division - the frequent of times at the top being their most recent run. Homesickness would be an issue to overcome, some players just want to go home as soon as possible, some players will dip into a depression, some players will struggle initially but become an Englishman by extension and others will have no adaption period. If you can't speak the language, he's probably only communicating at the football club with the coaching staff and then any family at home (where it's cold, dark and London can be daunting in terms of pace and size compared to little old Seville where he grew up).

He has the ability, does he have the character? Does he want it? Time will tell.

Which begs the question, why on earth did Fulham sign him in the first place.

Because his stats were awesome

And jokanovic wanted him

not sure if I asked this already and not meaning to challenge your integrity but just out of interest what's the source of this? I can sort of believe it given the Spanish connection but as I'm sure I said the other day, sticking a player in the reserves isn't the behaviour of a manager who has confidence in that player, and if the manager has no confidence in him It seems unlikely the manager drove the decision to make him our most expensive signing this summer (or maybe second most expensive after kebano)

from within club.
There is a difference as you well know in getting a player you want and then getting them to perform.
He gave him his head at the start and gave him chances. It didn't work and he's struggling to settle. What happens in January I do not know, but I but he has something about him and hopefully he will ha e settled somewhere to live and find his way back into squad. I think Joka picks teams to win games no matter if he was his man, a statts man or from the squad before. You deliver for him you play.

[Jamie88]

Just wondering what his situation actually is if anyone has a bit more insider knowledge.

I've heard that he is due to go back to Spain on loan/transfer as he is struggling/homesick, but then I have also heard that that is not the case and it is just a case of him not being good enough compared to what we have and that is why he has been demoted to the U23s.

From the little I have seen of him so far he has look promising, just a little lightweight. Maybe we are going to try and bulk him up before we use him?

Not a dig at you, but homesick / going out on loan back to Spain just sounds like the kind of thing people make up to fill in the gaps when they don't know what's going on

I haven't made it up, it mentions it in this article:

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-man-still-needs-adapt-12077949