I saw that and have tried to post a response , however my account on the rovers forum is in moderation so i am not sure the post will be added.
Dave , Wes Saunders is Lokonga's agent, i really do now thing it is a case of Wes using his South West contacts to big this lad up, Plymouth are desperate for players right now, he has been there all week why have the gargs not snapped him up? Anything to do wuith him not being that good, Rover shave a deveolpment squad they may sign him for that i supose.
Reading between the lines this lad is a former Wolves trainee, he is now 20 years old and playing non-league step 9 football, it tells me an awful lad about the player, who should at least in terms of his age and development be playing in the conference.
Well it looks like Martin Ling does have a clue when it comes to finding young talent for the future of our club, and this Lokonga bloke will not be scoring against us, as Argyle have ended all interest in there 5 trailist players including Lokonga.
Half way down this article,if he is not good enough for the desperate Argyle then all i can say is, well done Lingy for not rushing out and signing this lad.
Hmmm, understand that Dave, but might it be that Plymouth simply do not have the rescources to invest in a guy (to even the slightest degree) and require only players who are ready to immediately slot into the first team?
Sunderland, by all accounts, were right on the verge of signing him, could this be because they have the money and expertise to bring him on to some sort of level?
Matt.
(I'm not arguing with you constantly with any malice, F'rev, it's just working out that way, honest)
No worries Matt, you are course entitled to express your opinion However when you say....but might it be that Plymouth simply do not have the rescources to invest in a guy (to even the slightest degree) and require only players who are ready to immediately slot into the first team?
I believe your actually agreeing with me in a way, my replies on this thread are in response to the suggestion that we have missed out on the next big thing to come out of the non-league because Lingy was to slow and could not spot a talented young player who could even partner Howe , which clearly is not the case, Martin Ling i think probaly did not rush to sign this lad for the very reason you state above, in which case , Plymouth rejecting this lad would only prove Lingy to be right if that was the case, it is also possible that Lingy was only ever looking at him as a player to develop.
I think any interest Sunderland had in him was over-stated maybe, to create interest amongst lower league clubs , it's likely that Sunderland were never looking at Lokonga as a first or reserve team player, more likely looking at putting him in a later developer u22 sqaud or something along those lines
I guess you're right.. I do keep forgetting how little money we have to spend, and assuming that we have, say, a thousand pounds to blow on this kid to give him a month here and see if, with a bit of coaching, he shows enough improvement to make him an investment.
forevertufc wrote:my replies on this thread are in response to the suggestion that we have missed out on the next big thing to come out of the non-league because Lingy was to slow and could not spot a talented young player who could even partner Howe , which clearly is not the case
I hadnt noticed anyone suggesting anything about signing him (apart from you @ 09 Nov 2011, 19:11) or that we've missed out on "the next big thing". There's a world of difference between signing someone and having them on trial. There would have been nothing to lose by offering him a trial before the gargs, lets face it, he could (unlikely as it may be) turn out to be the next Charlie Austen.
Something that Woeful isnt likely to become.
Father Jack wrote:
I hadnt noticed anyone suggesting anything about signing him (apart from you @ 09 Nov 2011, 19:11) or that we've missed out on "the next big thing". There's a world of difference between signing someone and having them on trial. There would have been nothing to lose by offering him a trial before the gargs, lets face it, he could (unlikely as it may be) turn out to be the next Charlie Austen.
Something that Woeful isnt likely to become.
I really cant be bothered to pull out all the quotes, i have read back through the thread just to give an idea "Lingy was to slow Plymouth are now in the box seat "(sorry Brett) "watch him score aginst us" and "Lingy hasnt a clue at finding proper talent that may be good for the future of the club!!!!" , i am right and my post stands.
forevertufc wrote:
I really cant be bothered to pull out all the quotes, i have read back through the thread just to give an idea "Lingy was to slow Plymouth are now in the box seat "(sorry Brett) "watch him score aginst us" and "Lingy hasnt a clue at finding proper talent that may be good for the future of the club!!!!" , i am right and my post stands.
I dont see anywhere in those quotes where it says we should have signed him as opposed to offering him a trial (which would be the only sensible option).
Brett usually seems to know what he is talking about. A club in our position SHOULD be pulling promising non league players in for trials.
We dont have to sign them if we dont think they are going to make the grade but we should at least be looking at them, the next Charlie Austen or Steve Morison is out there somewhere and it would be handy if we found them as opposed to someone else.
Well, i find things out from contacts and friends i have made in football from working with Cardiff. Also close to few people at Torquay and if i feel its right to share with friends on this forum them im happy to do that.
Last i heard was Ling couldnt make his mind up about the lad, so Argyle got in there and offered him a trial. Anyways it doesnt really matter now we didnt sign him so we move on.
"Brett usually seems to know what he is talking about." thanks Farther Jack i love the confidence in me
Thats the thing father Jack, i did not say that, i said my posts were in response to "suggestions" made, those quotes where the suggestions i was on about.
However i do agree with you that our club should be looking around the non-league for undiscovered talent, not however looking at a striker with a poor goal scoring record at step 9 football.
I also have confidence in Brett, kow the lad personaly, he is good lad to, in this case think he was wrong.
so i am not sure the post will be added.
