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Following in the Footsteps of Richards and Aylott
Wes Thomas signed on loan from Bournemouth on January 31 for the remainder of the season. Since signing he has made two starts and three sub appearances but has failed to find the net in just over three hours of football, and he has come in from some stick from various quarters – including, it has to be said, this blog.
I will readily admit to being absolutely unimpressed with Thomas so far. Of his five appearances, I’ve seen four of them (including both starts) and I have to confess that I have seen nothing so far that has made me think he will be a success at Blues. Whilst I accept at the level Blues are currently at players are going to be limited I would also say that normally players have one stand-out feature that makes them worthwhile – Zigic isn’t very mobile but he has a deft touch and is a presence up front; Lovenkrands can play on the left and is probably the quickest of our four strikers and King is forever offside but it’s because he plays on the shoulder of the last man and when he gets it right he’s clinical. Thomas doesn’t have a standout quality – he’s not quick, he doesn’t seem versatile and his finishing has been anything but clinical.
I do try to be balanced – I’ve only seen Thomas play for around 190 minutes so it’s very possible I’ve just seen his worst games – after all, he did get three in nine league games at Blackpool which is a respectable enough strike rate at this level. With this in mind I had a look at what Blackpool fans said about him, and also fans at his parent club Bournemouth. Alas, it doesn’t make for good reading.
Blackpool were linked with re-signing Thomas when Blues got him and it didn’t seem to impress the Blackpool fans that much. Bournemouth fans were even more scathing, with many glad to see the back of the striker. The criticisms I see of him are similar to the ones I’ve had – he’s missed too many easy chances that he really should have scored and because of that he just doesn’t look like scoring.
I don’t want to turn this piece into a character assassination of the player – I’m sure he’s a nice lad and that he trains hard but for my money he’s got to be dropped from the squad. With Akwasi Asante back in training we have an opportunity to blood him in the squad – if only because he’s our player rather than a loanee and because we may be needing him next year in the first team. Likewise, Reece Hales and Koby Arthur are both highly rated and I think right now I’d rather see them given a chance.
I’m not sure if it’s a confidence issue with Thomas – I think that maybe he’d benefit from a couple of games with the development squad to get him 90 minutes of action rather than a few minutes off the bench and maybe get him putting the ball in the back of the net. As we have him until the end of the season, coupled with the unfortunate fact that neither Nikola Zigic nor Peter Lovenkrands have the best record with injuries the club needs to do their best to get him fully up to speed in case we are reliant on Thomas and for me the best way to do that is to give him some confidence-boosting run outs with the younger lads.
As I’ve alluded to in the past, Blues haven’t had much luck with ex-Bournemouth strikers. For our sake and for Thomas’ career I hope he can improve on Trevor Aylott (0 in 27) and Carl Richards (2 in 19) because with King out for the remainder of the season we need goals from somewhere. I sincerely hope he proves me wrong.
Tags: Wes Thomas
71 Responses to “Following in the Footsteps of Richards and Aylott”
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Aylott & Richards = bad memories
I could never understand why Bournemouth paid Crawley £175,000 for him. I think he scored 5 goals all last season and failed to score any at all this season before being loaned out to Pompey. He could not even get a place in Crawley’s starting XI. He is just a big unit with little talent. Trouble is we will be lumbered with him again come May.
Never mind, though, you did very well out of Wade Elliot. A very gifted player,if ever I saw one.
Aylott & Richards now that’s what you call dark days!!!
I think we even paid the massive sum of20k for Richards. If only we had that kind of cash nowadays. Any talk of another loan to replace king?
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/382648/Andrew-Shinnie-set-to-sign-for-Championshp-strugglers-Birmingham-City
I think this is the final piece in the striking jigsaw for next season.
Andrew Shinnie will link up with Adam Rooney to form an ex-Inverness Caley Thistle powerhouse strike force..
I think your assesment is harsh given they guy has only just started playing, maybe you should have saved this blog till the end of the season?
Many players when given a run have blossomed, even at a late stage in their career, just look at Ian Wright for example. I also remember many players who have signed for Blues in the past get off to slow starts only to blossom. I can remember Grainger getting booed early on in his career, I also remember fans moaning when we signed the Horse and calling him a donkey. I also remember fans moaning when BF signed Liam Daish, a good player who we made a huge profit on. I could go on but my point is that after a few games you can never tell and it’s unfair to judge too early. Remember Rowan Vine? The fans wanted this player, his form was great when we signed him but he ended up an expensive flop.
If Thomas was a regular scorer when when signed him with fans singing his praises then we would not have signed him; we’ve fallen so far than we can only taken chances now on possibilities. So we have to get real and understand that this is the only market that LC can deal in, some will come off and some will not.
You’re talking about players from about 20 odd years ago, the championship has become a very tough strong league since then & if you don’t hit the ground running, especially when in a relegation battle, then you will get slaughtered. I can’t remember 100%, but didn’t Vine have a bad injury & was never the same when he came back?. If you read the full blog here you we see that not even fans of his parent club Bournemouth rate him & they’re a division lower than us!!. KRO
Ur last paragraph Agent Mcleish is spot on but i think Al’s post is spot on also and not really harsh, its about opinions and we come here to air them. Thomas certainly looks out of his depth but like u say, its the market Birmingham are in at the moment.
sorry to say this but from what ive seen of thomas he will do well to better them two.
zigic is the main engine thomas is the tank engine KRO.
Why should we expect somebody who struggles in League One to come & set the Championship alight ?
& Why does that sound familar….?
Good piece, totally agree. Thomas is an honest player and works hard but he’s out of his depth in the Championship. My money’s on him not finding the back of the net for us. But I hope he does.
LC has already secured a summer signing according to the Daily Express. Andrew Shinnie plays for Inverness, is wanted by Aberdeen and has just broken into the Scottish first team. Hope this is for real and not just speculative journalism!
Unfortunately Thomas is symbolic of how low Blues’ fortunes have sunk. Only two years ago our loanees were internationals such as Oberfemi Martins, Alexander Hleb and David Bentley. Now we can only afford teenagers like Hall,Gordon and Morrison or past there best veterans such as Robinson. Couple them with over the hill players like Caldwell and Lovenkrands plus former non-league player Gomis and injury prone Carr and Murphy and it is no wonder we are relegation threatened.
Our only hope is for CY to sell the club in the summer.
I get where you are coming from but they weren’t the best loan signings for Blues, Hleb was awful for us, Bentley a little better and Martins got the glorious, yet lucky winner in the cup and not much more. It isn’t just about getting international players in to the club, it is about getting the right players to fit into the team and make a difference. Selling the club may be a good thing for us (and probably will, as it can’t get much worse) but didn’t the majority of us want Gold and Sullivan gone? As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for…”
I am in totalagreeent with all of your statement there, roskoe,!!!.
Thanks OBN.
KRO
ive heard about the shinnie interest but are players playing at lower spl level any
better than what weve got i hope someone comes in just to boost the numbers.KRO.
Chucho only scored 1 goal at St Andrews and that was his last game for us…and he was going to cost £8m
chucho scored 5 goals in total, and he was going to cost £7 million after his good season. He took a lot of time to adapt to the English game because he didn’t speak English, and he spent most of his time making assists for Jerome which Jerome missed!
I think that was a bad error not taking Chucho on – his pace and ingenuity was sorely missedt he next season as Jerome ploughted a lone furriw up-front – result we got relegated. Should have shown some more faith in the lad, I think second season he could have proved a massive hit.
Indeed. I always felt that Chucho, like Zarate, wasn’t used enough. I thought they both could have gone onto do even more with Blues with more game time.
I hope Wes Thomas does not read this, his confidence will be shot to bits.
He just needs a goal and he will be off and running.
If he scores the winner Saturday you will all be singing his name
Here is a list of them all, flops, heros and the unexpected over the years.
http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/birmingham-city-transfers.html
Interesting to note that our transfer profit is over £24m over the last 2 years. One strange entry however is our £2m ‘purchase’ this year of Leonardo Ulloa?? Bet LC wishes he did have £2m to spend, I think we could all then make fairer judgements on the manager if he could sign the players he wanted.
Ulloa went to Brighton.
I’m sceptical of sites like that because mistakes seem rife.
There are some very good players around the lower leagues who just need a chance, or who have perhaps been let go as youngsters from bigger clubs and have simply matured. I watch Burton now and again, and a couple of years ago saw Le Fondre for Rotherham who just looked an out and out goalscorer, but also had a bit of awareness about him. I think Reading got him for about £300k. Burton have a lad called Maghomma who was let go by Spurs two or three years ago, Pesch never got the best of him but Rowett has got him playing and scoring goals from midfield. According to reports he wants to play at a higher level so would maybe worth a look at.
hmm….wonder if Rowett would fancy a chance in the St Andrews hot seat??? Loved him as a player, doesn’t seem to be making to bad a fist of the Burton job…
We really are hamstrung by our financial situation and LC is bearing the brunt of our ire regarding players, the team and squad in general. I don’t believe we can fairly say that everyone he has signed – be it permanently or on loan – have been “massive” targets for him, and until he is given a reasonable and practical sum to buy and sell in this very competitive league, we will always be hit and mostly miss with anyone who wears our shirt.
What is more worrying is that CY’s trial begins at the end of next month and is scheduled for about five weeks and will take us into June at least. If he is found guilty who knows what will happen, but if he is acquited, will there be adequate time for LC to plan and build for the new season??
With the amount of players possibly leaving, reduction in income, loans to the club being called in etc., there is alot more uncertainty that is going to be flying around creating a hazy picture leading to more anger and frustration.
We really need more positive news to emanate from the club or those in HK.
if yeung is acquuited or if the case goes ahead at all (propably put back another6 months)
he still personally has not got no money to get us out of this hole HE created. so sell up
at the end of the season to the highest bidder and be done with it!
THAT WOULD BE POSETIVE NEWS!
He (CY) has got circa £60m in frozen assets that would suddenly become available again should he go free…..
So why did he have to re-mortgage his house?
That is a question only CY can answer.
Oh sorry Atahualpa, I thought you had some insight into CY’s finances ;-)
As any teacher would tell their pupil “do your own research!”.
DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT CARSON WOULD SPEND A PENNY OF THAT
ON OUR FOOTBALL CLUB! I THINK NOT!
Do you honestly believe he won’t??
I’m sure going on previous ‘form’ and the amount he has already spent, he would consider the club is as much “his” as ours.
If CY can come to an agreement with Yeuzhou regarding his loan, make up the parachute shortfall and give a decent amount for new players to LC (well, maybe cover cashflow as well if this isn’t already happening with Butland’s fee), then it is still probable that we may just see the second rising of old CY….
No way he will spend even half of his last £60 million on BCFC, i wouldn’t.
He is already owed £13 million plus he may have loans to repay from his ‘house arrest’ (living expenses etc), and he would have to find another house to replace the one re-possesed.
Though i think he will try and hold onto the club by bringing in investors, then try and get us back into the Prem in two or three years.
When we get back up, he will then sell up and get most of his money back, because of the higher TV money from next season.
I don’t blame LC for bringing Thomas in; as others have said, in our situation, we cannot afford to be too choosy and it is worth taking a calculated gamble on this type of player. However, I just want to try and understand why he sees Thomas as a better option than Redmond?
If the answer is simply that he sees Redmond as a wide player and Thomas as a better option as a forward, then I might understand a little more, but I would still say that Redmond is a better bet playing off a lone striker than Thomas is playing alongside another.
I would like nothing better than for Thomas to score tomorrow, but,at present, I’ve seen nothing to suggest he’s got the ability to play at this level.
carson yeung borrowed the money to buy blues in yhe first place, prommised 40 million
pound here and 40 million there didnt deliver gets convicted of fraud and you want a
second rising of the man. like i said i dont think so!
Maybe I should write with the caps lock on as well so at least you might understand what I had written.
1) He has not been convicted of anything yet.
2) I do not want a second rising of anyone – I merely stated that he could yet try and get himself out of his and Blues’ current predicament if he is found to be innocent of the charges against him.
3) If you honestly believed that Blues were gonna be spending £80m on players fees alone, then no doubt you also reflected deeply on who would partner Maradona and what system we would have to play, when we were gonna sign him under the previous owners.
Just accept it Atahualpa, Carson hasn’t got the proverbial pot.
Why oh why are you under the impression that I’m somehow defending CY or playing-up the chances of his returning to Blues??
All I have done is mention a possible scenario that could take place hypothetically. Unless it has escaped your attention Carlos, we really do not have many takers at the moment unless of course you took Paladini to be our “saviour”?!?
My posts have merely suggested that if CY did return with some money/investment/new partners, many would quickly start forgetting the bullshit of the past and ’embrace’ the opportunity to try and move forward. I still recall how many wished to shake the hand of our ‘benefactor’ and say “well done” to him when he used to attend the games before his travel restrictions took place.
Would you honestly tell CY to “F*** O**” if he did somehow make it back?!?
Are you in a position to say what investment is “good” or “bad” for the club??
We need our finances to get sorted asap – regardless of whether it is CY, his family/associates or even his pet cat.
Get real matey.
CY is a fantasist mate, a chancer who has somehow managed to make a few quid although no one seems to know how. He may be a brilliant businessman, a lucky gambler, or a criminal, we may find out in the coming months. I don’t like any of the new money coming into the game, but I would prefer someone of modest means with a grip on reality and a sound business plan. If CY has associates of this ilk I would be satisfied, I would not even begrudge him retaining some stake in the club, but as an owner/chairman he has been a disaster.
If my memory serves me right Richards had a bit of form when we signed him as did Aylott but they did nothing for us. Saw both Richards goals which were at Bradford away night game (90% sure) and Chelsea away night game (100% sure) but he was the most inept striker I’ve ever seen for Blues but of course we never booed him and got behind him.
Whilst we only get 10,000 fans I’m afraid Bournemouth reserves and Inverness players are the level we can aim at
KRO Wes prove us wrong
You must never have seen Ritchie Moran!!!
Or Mark Sale…..!!
Saw every game they played for us, both of em.
Sale cost me a fortune cos of one goal up at Sunderland in a midweek preliminary anglo Italian cup game. Around 100 of us saw him put us through to the foreign awayday legs.
It was a Saturday. I remember because I was in a corporate box ‘entertaining’ custoners
What was a Saturday?
Chelsea away was definitely a night game, Bradford I’m not sure but Dan will tell us.
Richards scored against Bradford at Valley Parade (2-2 draw) on Saturday 3rd December 1988 and against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 4 April 1989 (1-3 defeat)
Hope that helps Paul
need to give him a few more games yet – a goal does wonders for any strikers confidence. With king out surely we need a loan signing – down to money i assume ??
Shame he’s been singled out like this.
Keep going Wes
Fully agree. He plays in a blue shirt. good or bad, he should be backed.
The moaners, whingers have probably never played at any level so there negativity towards him is laughable.
Attacking the opposition is fine, but our own players????
We’ve had some shocking strikers down the years but the self importance of certain fans “i’ve paid my money so I’m entitled to an opinion” makes me cringe.
ST holder, casual, only goes once a season – if you have nothing positve to say, put a cork in it. Unless of course you are some tactical genius who’s waiting in the wings to takeover the reigns.
Rant over!
KRO
I’m not saying I will boo him or barrack him – I will not do either whilst he’s wearing the Blue shirt and I will always have a rant at anyone who boo’s any of our players during the game. That doesn’t stop me having an opinion on his ability which is what this article is all about.
From what I’ve seen so far, he’s not got what it takes to get us challenging for promotion.
I would like nothing more than to have to eat humble pie when he bags a few goals for us and looks like the type of player that can help us go up the league.
He hasn’t been singled out. This thread is about him
:)
i fully understand what your saying and i did not say i beleived him in the first place.
he was never gonna spend that money because he never had it in the first place did he.
maradona now wouldnt be a bad option even at 51 years of age along side our trev.
ps. blues fans wouldnt welcome back carson yeung anyway because as the song goes
he dont care about us (fact) KRO.
I do not believe we really care about CY as well.
If he did turn up again at Blues with a cheque or two for some millions of pounds, we would quickly forgive past transgressions – perceived or real – and once again we would be “family”.
I honestly believe that.
KRO
i beg to differ but were all entitled to our oppinions and thats what makes good banter,
lets see what happens in the comming months and we will both agree that 3 points tommorrow
and stoying in the championship his whats the main priority is at present,KRO.
Wes Thomas will play for England one day !
Carson Yeung will return and save our beloved club !
And we can still make those playoffs !
Now, were did I put my medication ?
James, if someone has paid their money they DO have a right to moan. If you go to the theatre and the actors continually fluff their lines, if you get on a bus and the driver does not know the route or your plumber doesn’t fix the tap properly, you do have a right to moan because you have paid, and the person concerned gets paid to do his job PROPERLY. Why should a footballer be different? A footballer who I bet earns more than I ever did in my career or you do in yours.
I have not booed anyone this year but if I want to at some time I will do, it’s called freedom of choice.
You make a fair and valid point Roy although I think it’s important to do it at the right moment. Doing so during the game is negative, counter productive and puts even more pressure on a player.
Typical blues fan from the eighties our mate Roy cos he’s so perfect ! I sat in the mainstays now n again with work etc , kip allways my home but this fan in mainstand kept shouting rubbish rubibish put me off sitting in there !!! Think he’s name was Roy
Thomas is bad but hes cheap. there have been other more dramatic wastes of money at Blues, I remmber a guy called Alex Harley we signed him from Man City after he scored I think 27 goals in a season.
No one knows what happened but he scored one for us and that bounced up and hit his backside last I heard about him he was playing for the cedar club up town, one of the biggest mysteries ever
Alex Harley passed away at an early age so can’t be liabled. The story goes that Man City got rid because he had a drug and drink problem. With the phrase ‘due diligence’ yet to be invented and BCFC as ever showing little professionalism they weren’t aware.
It would certainly explain how poor his was
mmmmm Julian that would explain a lot, was not aware he had passed away so young early thirties) thats going back a bit too Julian
You’ll find him on Wiki. No mention in the drugs though, but when I read about it their was a reliable source
http://bcfc.freeforums.org/alex-harley-signed-t401.html
There are still some on here asking for Clark to be given money in the summer to strenghen squad, Well I sure hope that does not happen, hopefully he will be on his bike by then peddling away up north.
This thread worked well Thomas scores for Blues in 3 – 1 win.
You should do this for every player, every week =)
Keep Right On