Fathi

[NN6]

I see Fathi played the full 90 mins in Egypt's 3-1 win over Nigeria today. Amazing how rubbish he looked the few appearances he made for us. Was he given a fair chance?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I see Fathi played the full 90 mins in Egypt's 3-1 win over Nigeria today. Amazing how rubbish he looked the few appearances he made for us. Was he given a fair chance?

A whopping 3 league appearances would suggest not.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

That said, Ali Dia only got 19 minutes for southampton. Perhaps he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip either?

 

[JJ Sefton]

Did Fathi look crap when he played for us? At Anfield away he was about the only player I thought was any good.

 

[Bladesman]

He has always stood out when I have seen him play for Egypt but did we really think that sort of player was ever going to stand out under Warnock? Pfft nah Monty and Legsofwood all the way!

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Was Dries Boussatta given a chance?

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Was Axel Smeets given a chance? He could have turned Heath's season around.

 

[puppet]

Was Axel Smeets given a chance? He could have turned Heath's season around.[/QUOTE/]

probs not, nor was heaths injuries/ chance to make players gel i always thought

 

[cooperblade]

I see Fathi played the full 90 mins in Egypt's 3-1 win over Nigeria today. Amazing how rubbish he looked the few appearances he made for us. Was he given a fair chance?

Think perceptions of Fathi's performances suffer because fans were underwhelmed at his signing. A lot of people had decided he was crap before he'd played a game.

He was one of many who I was disappointed we didn't hold onto after relegation.

 

[Oreyt]

Think perceptions of Fathi's performances suffer because fans were underwhelmed at his signing. A lot of people had decided he was crap before he'd played a game.

He was one of many who I was disappointed we didn't hold onto after relegation.

Same here.

 

[Darren]

Think perceptions of Fathi's performances suffer because fans were underwhelmed at his signing. A lot of people had decided he was crap before he'd played a game.

He was one of many who I was disappointed we didn't hold onto after relegation.

"Bangs head against wall"

Fathi joins the long list of world beaters who were "never given a chance" at the Lane. Warnock barely played him and Robson took one look at him and let him go. Since United let him go, he has continued to play in the Egyptian league which, with all due respect to that country, is probably around our League Two standard. I don't see any club from any European league desperate to buy him.

In other words all the evidence suggests that, whatever his exploits for the Egyptian national team, he is not up to the standards of the top two tiers of the English league system.

 

[Revolution]

Fathi joins the long list of world beaters who were "never given a chance" at the Lane.

I'd agree there's no evidence he'd have cut the mustard in the Prem or the Championship but it's surely fair to say he was never really given a chance.

Robson gave Carney 20 odd games to show how poor he was. That's being given a chance. 2 starts and 1 sub appearance tells you nothing unless the player is Baxteresquely appalling, which Fathi was not.

And League 2 sells the Egyptian League short. It's the strongest in Africa.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'd say he wasn't given a chance in the first team, but wasn't it him that wanted to leave because he wasn't getting games?

 

[Darren]

Fathi joins the long list of world beaters who were "never given a chance" at the Lane.

I'd agree there's no evidence he'd have cut the mustard in the Prem or the Championship but it's surely fair to say he was never really given a chance.

Robson gave Carney 20 odd games to show how poor he was. That's being given a chance. 2 starts and 1 sub appearance tells you nothing unless the player is Baxteresquely appalling, which Fathi was not.

And League 2 sells the Egyptian League short. It's the strongest in Africa.

I would say the most likely reason that Fathi played so few games is that both Warnock and Robson, having seen him in training and reserve games, thought he wasn't good enough.

Maybe the Egyptian league is stronger than I suggested but I very much doubt that the standard is up to 2nd tier English standards. The fact that no club at that level or above is apparently interested in Fathi must tell its own story.

 

[Houso]

He looked great in a pre season match at Worksop *cough*

 

[Grecian2000]

Robson, having seen him in training

If he's a Muslim, like most Egyptians, I doubt if Robbo would have seen him at most of his "training" sessions.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Known as "lip up" in the dressing room?

 

[j j]

Why am I reminded of Jimmy Hill talking balls on MOTD about African players being nesh? Winning the Cup of Nations is a step up from the Championship, not down, and Fathi managed it just weeks after he left United. It was one of Robson's daftest moments (from a long list) when he sent Mr F home. Good player. I wish we still had him.

 

[cooperblade]

"Bangs head against wall"

Fathi joins the long list of world beaters who were "never given a chance" at the Lane. Warnock barely played him and Robson took one look at him and let him go. Since United let him go, he has continued to play in the Egyptian league which, with all due respect to that country, is probably around our League Two standard. I don't see any club from any European league desperate to buy him.

In other words all the evidence suggests that, whatever his exploits for the Egyptian national team, he is not up to the standards of the top two tiers of the English league system.

Bit of a jump from 'i'm disappointed we didn't hold on to him' to i think he's a world beater who was never given a chance!

 

[Bergen Blade]

"Bangs head against wall"

Fathi joins the long list of world beaters who were "never given a chance" at the Lane. Warnock barely played him and Robson took one look at him and let him go. Since United let him go, he has continued to play in the Egyptian league which, with all due respect to that country, is probably around our League Two standard. I don't see any club from any European league desperate to buy him.

In other words all the evidence suggests that, whatever his exploits for the Egyptian national team, he is not up to the standards of the top two tiers of the English league system.

Time to stop banging Darren... I love English football, but don't share your extreme confidence in it's lower leagues' quality. I think this little bugbear of yours prevents you from even considering that a Sheffield United manager can make poor decisions.

 

[Bladesway]

Fathi was shit, always looked at best average at best and when he came on for his debut against Spurs I remember thinking he should have put a white shirt on because he mainly passed the ball to their players.

He joins the ranks of those who weren't good enough. A bloody long list.

 

[JohnDenver]

Time to stop banging Darren

Not sure many of us can tell Darren much on that subject.

 

[Darren]

Time to stop banging Darren... I love English football, but don't share your extreme confidence in it's lower leagues' quality. I think this little bugbear of yours prevents you from even considering that a Sheffield United manager can make poor decisions.

Of course, United managers can make poor decisions. If Fathi were now playing in the premier league or La Liga or the Bundesliga etc, I would be the first to hold my hands up and say it was a mistake to let him go.

But he isn't, so it wasn't

 

[Bergen Blade]

I think we must surely let his international career influence the verdict a little. Besides, he is playing for possibly the biggest club of his continent, and may well be happy with the situation, and his wage? Warnock was apparantly planning to make him an integral part of his team in the second Premiership season, so without the managerial change, who knows what could have happened?

 

[Darren]

I think we must surely let his international career influence the verdict a little. Besides, he is playing for possibly the biggest club of his continent, and may well be happy with the situation, and his wage? Warnock was apparantly planning to make him an integral part of his team in the second Premiership season, so without the managerial change, who knows what could have happened?

Perhaps. It may be the case that he just couldn't settle in England, which affected his performance, which is why he didn't play much and which is why he is now happy playing in Egypt. If that is the case, then it still cannot have been wrong to let him go.

One shouldn't underestimate how important a player's mental state can be. If the player is unhappy, he is less likely to play well and homesickness and cultural shock can be a potent source of unhappiness turning an otherwise decent player into someone fairly useless - cf Ian Rush in Italy.

 

[Grecian2000]

Big Nose must have really hate Sheffield as well!

 

[Amsterdam Blade]

Fathi was a class player and that was the problem, Warnock never liked classy players. They didn't fit into his style of play.

I've no idea why Warnock ever bought him. Must have been on the advice of someone else.

He was never given a proper chance and could have been another cult figure at the Lane, like Borbokis was.

A wasted chance, in my opinion.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Fathi was a class player and that was the problem, Warnock never liked classy players. They didn't fit into his style of play.

I've no idea why Warnock ever bought him. Must have been on the advice of someone else.

He was never given a proper chance and could have been another cult figure at the Lane, like Borbokis was.

A wasted chance, in my opinion.

Remember though Ams, that Warnock very much went back to basics at the end of the Premiership season. It was the same the season before when the signings of Flitcroft, Horsfield and Akinbiyi were attempts to take us a bit further, but when he realised it only upset the rythm of the team, he went back to the likes of Monty/Jags/Tonge in midfield and Shipperley up front.

I think Warnock gradually changed a bit in terms of the players he brought in, and given time I also think we would have seen more changes on the pitch. The timing wasn't right to accomodate Fathi when we were fighting relegation though.

 

[oldblade]

Did Fathi look crap when he played for us? At Anfield away he was about the only player I thought was any good.

I also thought he was okay in the home game against Everton. In fact, I'm trying to think of a time when he was poor, and I can't.

 

[JohnDenver]

It was the same the season before when the signings of Flitcroft, Horsfield and Akinbiyi were attempts to take us a bit further

Is that what he was up to? I thought McCabe gave him extra pocket money and he got so excited he just jerked it up the nearest wall.