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World Cup Targets...; good write up on McLeish.
Topic Started: Jun 24 2010, 09:29 AM (298 Views)
Penguin Blue
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Mikael Forssell
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http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/428898188?-11196

Alex McLeish has shown a great appreciation of the transfer market so far this summer with his captures of Ben Foster and Nikola Zigic.

And he remains among the group of managers trying to persuade Ryan Babel to leave Liverpool, Charles N'Zogbia to quit Wigan and Bobby Zamora to look for pastures new away from Craven Cottage - especially if Roy Hodgson is going to move to Anfield.

All of the above are proven Premier League players with an obvious pedigree and anyone of the trio would enhance the team McLeish is looking to take to the next level at St Andrew's.

Everything McLeish has touched so far since his move from north of the border seems to have turned to gold.

So it is hard to take issue with him on anything - apart from one tiny thing which has reared its head of late. McLeish appears to be ready to perform a u-turn on something he vowed he would not be doing before heading off for a busman's holiday in South Africa.

The Scot, like the vast majority of European managers, wanted to attend the World Cup Finals and have a look for himself at the vast array of talent on view.

He would have been neglecting his duties if he had not taken up the opportunity to at least attend a few games, but before he even boarded the plane he made it clear he would be doing very little other than window shopping.

He announced the pitfalls of watching players at the World Cup Finals - out of their club environments.

And he made it clear he felt that it was unwise to sign any player on the evidence of World Cup football - unless they were already well established players, with a reputation that virtually the entire football world agreed upon.

So many people have had their fingers burned signing players on the evidence of a couple of good group games in the Finals - only to find that such performances were way above the norm when said players pull on club shirts again.

So why then is McLeish apparently looking to sign Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mphela?

Mphela scored his country's final goal at the world cup finals as South Africa exicted with a 2-1 victory over France.

It was the Mamelodi Sundowns striker's only contribution in three group games in which Carlos Parreira's team were unable to justify the overwhelming support of the Rainbow Nation. But as far as he is concerned it is his final football act in his native land and he is Birmingham-bound.

"I'm focused on going overseas now. That is my focus and it is time to move on," he said. "I spoke to my manager and I understand Birmingham are still interested in me and want me to go over.

"We are just waiting for the details to be sorted, but I don't want to wait. I want to go now while I am in form and ready."

It is not written in tablets of stone that there are no bargains to be had at the World Cup. It is not a football law that unknown players cannnot arrive in the Premier League and make a telling impact.

Such instances are as rare as a Fabrice Muamba goal in the Premier League and McLeish knows it, which is why he seemed so against the idea in the first place.

He would be better suited sticking to targets such as Robbie Keane - at least he comes with a guarantee of goals.
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Penguin Blue
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Mikael Forssell
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and just to add my opinion... i've said before i think a player like Mphela would be a good signing and addition to the squad but i really do not think he's good enough to slot straight into the Premier League team, any team let alone one needing goals.

it's a huge gamble and we already have one striker to help settle in.
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willvbcfc
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Gil Merrick
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1) Not everything McLeish has touched has turned to gold....we got relegated, remember? Since then, he's done a good job.

2) We had Katlego Mphela on trial months before the World Cup Finals, so he's not buying him on the basis of what he has seen during his time in South Africa...

3) Robbie Keane doesn't guarantee goals and a mooted £10m for a 29/30 year old seems a lot for a club like Birmingham.
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MikaelForssell
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Jeff Hall
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We all know Eck is one for his 'due diligence' so wouldnt just sign someone off the back of one goal in the World Cup.

He'll know about Mphela, and would just have wanted to take in some games with him playing, to see what he can do, as he wouldnt have had a chance to watch him live in a match before.

For a couple of million and cheap wages, its a low-risk transfer, and one that may, or may not pay off.

If it does, this reporter who's wrote this will soon be bigging up the guy, and praising Eck... as is the fickle nature of football nowadays.
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