Re: Sascha Riether signs for Fulham?

[zzamora]

Has he definitely signed?

Yes but he was bloody slow, only used his right hand and the signature was nearly illegible.

Get a grip, Jol.

I heard he invalidated his vote. Turns out he couldn't put a decent cross in the box.

:Haynes The Maestro:  065.gif

[ImperialWhite]

He's also 29 and traditionally players do start to decline around that age.

But recently Fulham have had an excellent record of signing, old, declining players, no?

[General]

He's also 29 and traditionally players do start to decline around that age.

But recently Fulham have had an excellent record of signing, old, declining players, no?

especially on one year contracts! :/

[SG]

Lets be honest for a club that has a stated intention of reducing the average age of the squad it does seem funny to have signed a 31 year old and a 29 year old - albeit they have let go a 32 year old and a 35 year old.
These 2 signings are hardly inspirational and given that they are nominally free indicates that we dont have a lot of cash to splash - unless it is all going to go on new forwards. I am not surprised that people are having a moan about these signings. This is what is wrong with the Premier League in my view - money/wages going on competent but second rate/level overseas players rather than trying to bring in and develop homegrown younger players.

[WestCountryWhite]

I don't get the no risk side to the deal. It goes one of two ways, he is either terrible and we say thanks but no thanks and waste our time eg Sa or he has a good season and there's either a fight for his signature like Pog or cologne come back up and want him back.
Sorry but this says one thing to me we can't get our first choice targets. Right back is without a doubt a problem area for Jol. It seems strange that we can't afford/attract the likes of Simpson or Clyne. I hope I'm wrong and we are just allocating our kitty in two strikers, a long term smurf replacement and another winger

[Bilet]

Tweeted with the former psyhical coach at Køln who worked with Ståle Solbakken last year @BVStenersen

He said the following of the signing:
"Must say it was a strange signing. One of the better players in Cologne, but has a lot of weaknesses too"

[ElissonSnygg]

Tweeted with the former psyhical coach at Køln who worked with Ståle Solbakken last year @BVStenersen

He said the following of the signing:
"Must say it was a strange signing. One of the better players in Cologne, but has a lot of weaknesses too"

Thats an ambiguous statement.

[Mr_Moon]

Tweeted with the former psyhical coach at Køln who worked with Ståle Solbakken last year @BVStenersen

He said the following of the signing:
"Must say it was a strange signing. One of the better players in Cologne, but has a lot of weaknesses too"

One of the better players under Solbakken's Koln doesn't say a lot!

[Berserker]

Well i'm going to stay positive about it as 'frees' mean more money to spend on a couple of really big signings :-)

[Swedish Terrier]

It seems to me that Jol hasn't been given a budget which allows us to sign a young right back who is actually above the level that we have now in that position, or that another club beat us to the signing of someone younger and perhaps better who was in our price range. If this is true, I think Riether could be a great signing. I'm not saying this because I know much about the player other than what I've read recently, and I haven't even seen him play. I'm saying it because it's a loan with an option to buy of a player who was apparently one of two or three players in Cologne who were a step above the rest. Also, he was in the starting line up of the German champions two seasons ago. Apparently he might also be quicker than our other right backs.

In my book it's completely fine to criticize a signing in the same way that it's fine to praise one. I, like many others, was skeptical about signing Pogrebnyak, mostly because he had a bad record in Stuttgart and since we had missed out on Barrios. However, I was happy to see him surprise me. I hope to see Riether surprise the doubters and do very well this season.

[Swedish Terrier]

Well i'm going to stay positive about it as 'frees' mean more money to spend on a couple of really big signings :-)

Same here. Now that Jol has found his right back and one striker without spending, he could start looking at what to do with the transfer budget.

[Lighthouse]

Early days and we have two good squad players. There is a debate to be had about how much this means we are on a low budget. There is a debate to be had about how good or not so good the players coming in and players going out are. Being critical to other posters about making that debate seems odd on an MB.

[LukeJennings]

We're going to spend 30million on a striker and he's going to score 35+ goals! Jol told me himself ;)

[beijing ben]

Well i'm going to stay positive about it as 'frees' mean more money to spend on a couple of really big signings :-)

Same here. Now that Jol has found his right back and one striker without spending, he could start looking at what to do with the transfer budget.

Agree with you both. I'd much rather we spend what money we have on a midfielder and striker. The right back position is not key. I'm sure one of Kelly or Baird will stay so that is good cover if it all goes wrong with Ritaaah.. We still have six weeks until the start of the season so no need to panic about the squad yet..

[MontenegroWhite]

Riether... Well OK! I wanted someone more connected to EPL like Danny Simpson. But I hope he will do just fine. Now lets spend money on someone who will make a difference.

[Bassey the warrior]

I don't get the no risk side to the deal. It goes one of two ways, he is either terrible and we say thanks but no thanks and waste our time eg Sa or he has a good season and there's either a fight for his signature like Pog or cologne come back up and want him back.
Sorry but this says one thing to me we can't get our first choice targets. Right back is without a doubt a problem area for Jol. It seems strange that we can't afford/attract the likes of Simpson or Clyne. I hope I'm wrong and we are just allocating our kitty in two strikers, a long term smurf replacement and another winger

We have first option on him I think so if he plays well we have a good chance of signing him.

[CravenCottager]

Best to wait to let him settle in and actually play for us before we judge him.

What a quaint, old-fashioned idea. It'll never catch on!

They told me Betamax would never catch on. Who's laughing now?!

[NickW]

I'm going to start calling him "Paperback".

[Berserker]

?

[TonyGilroy]

Paperback Writer (Reither) by the Beatles.

A hit song from 50 years ago.