Luke Freeman returns

[pommpey]

I was delighted when we signed him, not because of playing FIFA, but because everytime I saw him play either live or on TV, he really impressed me....

... until he joined us of course

I thought he was definitely one to watch when he played against us for Stevenage and Bristol City. Great attacking midfielder, good eye for the game and skilful.

When Wilder signed him I was 'oh, erm ... Luke Freeman. I remember him,' thinking he'd have been better signed three years previous as some sort of Murphy replacement to give our attack some effect.

Of course, Mr McCabe's ambitions were otherwise arranged. Still not sure what we did with any sell on bonuses from the likes of Maguire and Adams, which, whilst meagre by today's standards, may have gone toward a bid for a player like Freeman. Our midfield at that time was seriously underpowered, and needed a flair player to threaten and create. Freeman could have been that gamble.

Not sure he's a solution now. He's a bit misplaced in what could be a future Slav line up unless he plays an out and out number ten.

pommpey

 

[robbiez666]

I can't imagine the guy who has spent most of last season on the bench or injured is going to help our promotion push to be honest. now at the age of 29.

 

[Keen Blade]

We're in dire need of quality & consistency.

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[Houston_Blade]

By the sounds of it, he is a player that really does need a "proper pre-season". To get fit and show Slav he still has it at Championship level.

Him and Fleck need a pre-season in Leon Clarke’s sweatsuit.

 

[SouthportBlade]

As with the majority of the squad who've grossly underperformed in the last 18 months or so, a player who I'll reserve judgement on until he's played in a new league, new formation and under a new manager.

In a possession based, attacking side he COULD be an asset.

 

[Barry Butlin]

Played well when he stood in for Fleck, very unlucky to get dropped & with hindsight another Wilder mistake!!

 

[SwissBlade]

Another one of Wilder's baffling decisions was to let him leave for the season on loan.

Very glad to see him back and hope he gets a chance with us at this level.

I’d have sold him to get anything we could for him.

He didn’t fit Wilders team

 

[jono_t2000]

Slav likes yoof and pace, not sure L.Freeman has either of those things in his favour anymore sadly.

 

[bromtom]

Would have preferred him to at least 2/3 of our actual midfield at any time last season, even if fat and crocked.

See where he is and what his effort levels are but if he can get anywhere near the Freeman we bought he'll be alright to have around. Only cost £5m so it's not like he owes us squillions, and we've not been paying his wages for a season.

 

[Geordie Blade]

I’m fairly confident in him next season. He won’t be a permanent starter, but I think he’ll play a role.

How many times* last season did we look like we needed something different? Someone who can play that Duffy role and open things up, creating a chance from nothing. In fact, anything different from a square ball, a ping into touch or a pass back to Ramsdale.

* Answer = 38

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

He won’t pull on a blades shirt again & will end up playing for a team within the M25 next season. Another £7m down the shitter.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

See if Fulham fancy a deal Freeman + £'s for Crainey.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

See if Fulham fancy a deal Freeman + £'s for Crainey.

I’m thinking more QPR, Millwall or Charlton levels.

 

[nopigfansintown]

All the play station managers wouldn’t have signed a number 10 and then decided to not bother playing a formation with a number 10.

That too bad for them, they would've finished 9th in the Premier League.

 

[BettingBlade]

That too bad for them, they would've finished 9th in the Premier League.

Think you’ll find they’d have made Europe.

 

[bongleblade]

Get him in the 1st pre season games to prove himself. If he can play a part have him as backup number 10. We are criminally short in this area of the pitch

 

[nopigfansintown]

Think you’ll find they’d have made Europe.

Yeah right. The two plodders in the middle of the park would have got ruthlessly exposed. Zero evidence that Freeman would have offered anything of note going the other way. Going on his Forest reviews quite the contrary.

 

[BettingBlade]

Yeah right. The two plodders in the middle of the park would have got ruthlessly exposed. Zero evidence that Freeman would have offered anything of note going the other way. Going on his Forest reviews quite the contrary.

Nah it’s sound cause you just tweak the difficulty down to semi-pro and then you’re on for a title challenge eaaaaaaaassssyy.

 

[BettingBlade]

Yeah right. The two plodders in the middle of the park would have got ruthlessly exposed. Zero evidence that Freeman would have offered anything of note going the other way. Going on his Forest reviews quite the contrary.

Btw, on a serious note. I do understand why the formation was tweaked for the Premier League which makes the Freeman signing all the more odd.

He’s always impressed me though before he signed for us and I’d like to see if we can use him at Championship level. Depends what Slav has up his sleeve I guess.

 

[Kenilworth]

Thread sounds like a shit Star Wars sequel.

 

[Rocketmark66]

Him and Fleck need a pre-season in Leon Clarke’s sweatsuit.

Bloody hell, how big was Leon's sweatsuit to enable both Fleck & Freeman to fit innit, or are they both reyht tiny

 

[CPB]

Get him fit and fighting and we have an excellent attacking midfielder in this league and he can show again the reason we signed him.

Reason he went to forest was because he's not been fit for a bit. Why wilder sent him out. The fact forest don't want him shows he's not pulled up many trees either.
But hopefully he can restart his career with us again.

 

[ThatJa]

Concerning he couldn't get into a shite Forest team last season though.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

On the few occasions he turned out for us I always thought he played well.

 

[FMBlade1]

All the ‘PlayStation managers’ championed his signing. Hopefully he just needs a pre-season like so many before him!

Actually I said Freeman in the Premiership would be like Holmes in the Championship

 

[northsomersetblade]

Another of Wilders mysterious signings....lets hope that we either find out what the QPR fans saw in him...or get shot asap

 

[Upton_Blade]

I thought he was definitely one to watch when he played against us for Stevenage and Bristol City. Great attacking midfielder, good eye for the game and skilful.

When Wilder signed him I was 'oh, erm ... Luke Freeman. I remember him,' thinking he'd have been better signed three years previous as some sort of Murphy replacement to give our attack some effect.

Of course, Mr McCabe's ambitions were otherwise arranged. Still not sure what we did with any sell on bonuses from the likes of Maguire and Adams, which, whilst meagre by today's standards, may have gone toward a bid for a player like Freeman. Our midfield at that time was seriously underpowered, and needed a flair player to threaten and create. Freeman could have been that gamble.

Not sure he's a solution now. He's a bit misplaced in what could be a future Slav line up unless he plays an out and out number ten.

pommpey

I've always rated him since the Stevenage and Bristol City days. Was genuinely excited when we signed him and thought he fitted in with exactly how we intended to play but then CW decided to plough ahead with a completely different formation and he became a bit like DVD players once games consoles adapted, obsolete.

Shame as I though he looked OK when he played in our 1st Prem season but for whatever reason he was just another victim of CW's extreme stubborn streak!

Still think with how Big Slav sets his teams up, if he can gets truly match fit, he has a major role next season!

 

[dc_blade]

I feel a bit sorry for Freeman. He was one of the outstanding midfielders in the Championship when we signed him and Leeds were said to be interested. Wilder admitted last summer that he'd signed him with the idea of playing 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1; when the 3-5-2 seemed to be working well enough, Freeman was left without a role. He did okay deputizing for Fleck but probably not strong or athletic enough to play that box-to-box role. So he sat on the bench, got injured, and was sent to rot in a crappy Forest team. His career has really stagnated.

 

[bromtom]

Concerning he couldn't get into a shite Forest team last season though.

Is it? Wasn't he crocked for most of it? Plus they changed manager halfway.

Not saying he's going to be Prime Gascoigne for us next season or anything mind.

 

[Jon Bon II]

I was delighted when we signed him, not because of playing FIFA, but because everytime I saw him play either live or on TV, he really impressed me....

... until he joined us of course

Wilder could never master the right trigger---left stick move to utilise him properly.