Gozie Ugwu surely is among the candidates. Glad to see he's faring OK where he is.
As has already been mentioned, Gaz has a fantastic overall record given his limited resources so he is allowed the odd malfunction. Some of those mistakes were surely born of desperation though.
Sorry righty to bore you but it was a genuine question about the clubon a football fan forum. Apologies. What about that top tier Spurs tickets dog**** eh? What do we do about footballing rapists?? If Donald Trump was a ball playing midfielder...would you still sign him?
Ugwu turned the game around away at Accrington, and on that basis he's not down there with the likes of Arnold for me. I'm aware that McGinn has similarly had the odd game where he has dominated midfield, so maybe I'm being unfair.
@Chris said:
Ugwu turned the game around away at Accrington, and on that basis he's not down there with the likes of Arnold for me. I'm aware that McGinn has similarly had the odd game where he has dominated midfield, so maybe I'm being unfair.
I'd rather sign Sam Saunders than Trump tbh.
That cameo 20 min appearance at The Crown Ground kicking into the sparse away end (dismal mid week fixture) was a revelation, Gozi terrorised their defence when he came on, the only time I saw him 'on fire' but one of the best impacts on a game I have ever seen - for which he joins my 'guilty pleasure' list of irrational player favs.
I suppose that's the thing ugwu blew a bit hot and cold so some games you could see what GAz saw in him and in others not so much. I see Mcginn as one of those who have not necessarily been given enough time to prove themselves. He's had a few decent games. The point of my original post was I was struggling to remember someone I thought was truly awful...personally, I can see what Gaz thought he was getting in most of his signings...Arnold, Ugwu, liburd, sellars, etc etc even if they haven't always worked out...so I'm hoping Southwell will be one of those that come good.
When you look at the overall basket of Ainsworth signings, he's an absolute genius.
It's been a long time since we've had a manager who genuinely startled us with the signings he was able to bring in. Who can forget the shock we were able to secure Pierre, Hayes, JJ, Harriman, Gape, and even Bayo, from the list we knew were quality, as well as the relative unknowns like Mawson and Paris.
Then you have the loanees like Saunders.
There's been a few gambles, as mentioned earlier, but they were low cost and thus low risk. A couple of the Brentford youngsters contributed next to nothing for the cause, but were clearly linked to the overall arrangement we had that secured quality elsewhere.
McGinn and O Nien were signed together. One became an absolute star player, and one unfortunately proved not quite what we're about.
Southwell has the jury out, and Freeman I fear is slipping away into one that didn't make it, but again, low risk.
McGinn is a square peg in a round hole. Looks a decent player but just not lung busting enough for our midfield. Not sure if that's makes him a bad signing or not.
Nice to see players recruited on character and fit rather than just ability. Always wondered why all clubs don't check out attitude and and team work.
Banton seems only to be getting outings for the reserve team at Crawley for the past few months and failed to make it at Notts County either, so it's not only Ainsworth who has tried and failed to realise the potential that there seemed to be.
I don't think Ainsworth should take any blame for Banton's failing. Like Dean Morgan, he's been from club to club to club to club, never really knuckled down and got his act together.
Again, I thought Banton was a good punt at the time...but obviously he was not. As for Morgan, he was inherited wasn't he and did not look that arsed in his final season.
I mentioned Banton as he was a disappointment but I wonder whether his 'failure' meant that GA has been more acutely aware of getting players with the right character in since.
Comments
@Bledlow_Blue Good point, he was awful.
Gozie Ugwu surely is among the candidates. Glad to see he's faring OK where he is.
As has already been mentioned, Gaz has a fantastic overall record given his limited resources so he is allowed the odd malfunction. Some of those mistakes were surely born of desperation though.
Sorry righty to bore you but it was a genuine question about the clubon a football fan forum. Apologies. What about that top tier Spurs tickets dog**** eh? What do we do about footballing rapists?? If Donald Trump was a ball playing midfielder...would you still sign him?
Got to agree with Arnold and Ugwu although in his defence, Arnold was probably cheap and should have been better given he was from a higher league.
Ugwu turned the game around away at Accrington, and on that basis he's not down there with the likes of Arnold for me. I'm aware that McGinn has similarly had the odd game where he has dominated midfield, so maybe I'm being unfair.
I'd rather sign Sam Saunders than Trump tbh.
The Twitter engagement figures would be off the chart if we signed Trump tho...
That cameo 20 min appearance at The Crown Ground kicking into the sparse away end (dismal mid week fixture) was a revelation, Gozi terrorised their defence when he came on, the only time I saw him 'on fire' but one of the best impacts on a game I have ever seen - for which he joins my 'guilty pleasure' list of irrational player favs.
I suppose that's the thing ugwu blew a bit hot and cold so some games you could see what GAz saw in him and in others not so much. I see Mcginn as one of those who have not necessarily been given enough time to prove themselves. He's had a few decent games. The point of my original post was I was struggling to remember someone I thought was truly awful...personally, I can see what Gaz thought he was getting in most of his signings...Arnold, Ugwu, liburd, sellars, etc etc even if they haven't always worked out...so I'm hoping Southwell will be one of those that come good.
When you look at the overall basket of Ainsworth signings, he's an absolute genius.
It's been a long time since we've had a manager who genuinely startled us with the signings he was able to bring in. Who can forget the shock we were able to secure Pierre, Hayes, JJ, Harriman, Gape, and even Bayo, from the list we knew were quality, as well as the relative unknowns like Mawson and Paris.
Then you have the loanees like Saunders.
There's been a few gambles, as mentioned earlier, but they were low cost and thus low risk. A couple of the Brentford youngsters contributed next to nothing for the cause, but were clearly linked to the overall arrangement we had that secured quality elsewhere.
McGinn and O Nien were signed together. One became an absolute star player, and one unfortunately proved not quite what we're about.
Southwell has the jury out, and Freeman I fear is slipping away into one that didn't make it, but again, low risk.
McGinn is a square peg in a round hole. Looks a decent player but just not lung busting enough for our midfield. Not sure if that's makes him a bad signing or not.
Nice to see players recruited on character and fit rather than just ability. Always wondered why all clubs don't check out attitude and and team work.
As time goes on, I'm ever more amazed we got Joe Jacobson. He is an absolute joy to watch.
The best left back we've ever had, certainly in my time supporting
McGinn never seemed to be an Ainsworth style player.
It was an interesting one from the off.
All the successful signings have had a certain work ethic.
Agree with the general sentiments about GA getting it more right than wrong and we have had some amazing signings since he took over.
The one 'really didn't work' that I think is missing from those mentioned is Jason Banton, he who brought us '(not) being Wycombe-ised'.
I do wonder GA took some valuable lessons from that though
@eric_plant , very much so. I think he was so good 2 seasons ago, that a number of our fans were very spoilt.
He's had a good little run recently of providing terrific crosses for the beast.
Banton seems only to be getting outings for the reserve team at Crawley for the past few months and failed to make it at Notts County either, so it's not only Ainsworth who has tried and failed to realise the potential that there seemed to be.
Who can forget it was Gaz that gave Josh Scowen his break in league football, too
Don't forget, along with Saunders came Yennaris - excellent loan signing.
I don't think Ainsworth should take any blame for Banton's failing. Like Dean Morgan, he's been from club to club to club to club, never really knuckled down and got his act together.
@bill_stickers Was Morgan an Ainsworth signing or was he a Waddock gamble?
Morgan was a good signing for me.
Again, I thought Banton was a good punt at the time...but obviously he was not. As for Morgan, he was inherited wasn't he and did not look that arsed in his final season.
I mentioned Banton as he was a disappointment but I wonder whether his 'failure' meant that GA has been more acutely aware of getting players with the right character in since.
@EwanHoosaami Waddock signed Morgan about 2 games before he was sacked.