FERNANDO FORESTIERI - Megathread

[Blue and white]

37 minutes ago, SiJ said:

Tbf, the club was in a catch 22 with that.

 

He was our best, most high profile player at the time and for every person calling for us to get rid, there would have been several bemoaning us selling our best player to a rival.

 

In saying that, having kept hold, offered him a new, improved deal, one would have liked to have seen a bit more from him.

 

Instead, he became a what if player, his reputation more enhanced by the ever increasing amount of games he missed.

 

Before you know it, hes turned 30 and barely played in three seasons.

 

FF could have been a great player. Instead, he will go down as someone who failed to live up to his potential. 

That's a very fair point

 

[Bluesteel]

5 hours ago, S W F C said:

Two sides to every story. Don’t blame any of them for rejecting a contract if it’s a lot lower than what they are currently on. It’s a short career and they need to make as much as possible before they retire. Some of the comments on here abusing the players is ridiculous. We have such a toxic fan base at times

I broadly agree. But if we just asked them to finish the season bearing in mind we defended and paid him through an FA racism charge and a year of injury then it is purely selfish to not play, even at a reduced rate for a month given the money already earned here for little return since the new deal. 

[handworth52]

43 minutes ago, TaxiMark said:

He faded at Watford after an impressive start.

Good first season, really was a decent player and troubled defenders big time.

 

Not the same player and his injuries and suspensions played a huge part in his game too.

 

We move on.

spoke to a watford supporter on train last year they called him fenando forestiefairy , i laughed i said he is just the same 

[sMacLean]

Should have been a hero like Knockaert at Brighton and dragged his side to promotion. I hope we get someone else with some flair, will it be Da Cruz? Have to see.

[handworth52]

the thing with forestieri is other clubs still think he is some kind of genius , when i went to forest a few i spoke to thought he was something what he aint so you kind of think some club will be daft enough to pay him 25k a week for 2 years even though there is a high chance he will hardly play and cause problems in the club. 

[Dick_Turpin]

9 minutes ago, handworth52 said:

the thing with forestieri is other clubs still think he is some kind of genius , when i went to forest a few i spoke to thought he was something what he aint so you kind of think some club will be daft enough to pay him 25k a week for 2 years even though there is a high chance he will hardly play and cause problems in the club. 

 

That's fans though - there will be pros there with their own views. I mean what kind of a club would shell out millions on a player they didn't need just because the fans wanted him?

[Inspector Lestrade]

I enjoyed his stay overall, he should have personally achieved more whilst he was here, could have left as a real hero.

 

You get the feeling that he has sneaked out of the back door, when no one was looking.  

[vulva]

FF is the bird from accounts with big knockers you have fun with but never marry. OK for a while but the novelty wears off. 
 

Players like FF don’t get you promotion. Players like James Milner get you promotion.  

[WalthamOwl]

I’m quite excited about players we can sign for the wages we will be saving from FF, Fletcher and Hutchinson. 

[Ever the pessimist]

[Sergeant Tibbs]

4 hours ago, vulva said:

FF is the bird from accounts with big knockers you have fun with but never marry. OK for a while but the novelty wears off. 
 

Players like FF don’t get you promotion. Players like James Milner get you promotion.  

Where is your accountancy department located ? Is everyone back in the office now ? 

[Sergeant Tibbs]

6 hours ago, rickygoo said:

 

If you look at the number of players that have "taken the ********" in recent years, are we unusual or are we typical?

 

McGughan, that Dutch centre half, Abdi, Emanuelson, Bates, Westwood, Hutchinson - either sacked off or disappeared. I lose track. And then you've got FF who's accused of antics by some fans.

 

What happened with Emanuelson. Looked a tidy player the only time I saw him.

Seems to have to been a regular at Utrecht since leaving us.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Sergeant Tibbs

[Shezza]

For me Forestieri will be remembered as a symbol of the false dawn under Chansiri. It just fizzed out, and we’re worse off than the last season under Mandaric. 
 

From the Norwich game and on it was just so clear for everyone to see we should have gotten rid of him. Sad to say, cause after the opening day against Villa I was believing that could be our year. Forestieri changed the dynamic. It was all about the money, and we were always going to fail after that. Took away the innosence of what was a very good Championship side and the calm around the team. 
 

Now we’re probably as far away from being able to mount a challenge as we’ve ever been since we went down. 

[OohAahGuyWhittingham]

2 hours ago, Shezza said:

For me Forestieri will be remembered as a symbol of the false dawn under Chansiri. It just fizzed out, and we’re worse off than the last season under Mandaric. 
 

From the Norwich game and on it was just so clear for everyone to see we should have gotten rid of him. Sad to say, cause after the opening day against Villa I was believing that could be our year. Forestieri changed the dynamic. It was all about the money, and we were always going to fail after that. Took away the innosence of what was a very good Championship side and the calm around the team. 
 

Now we’re probably as far away from being able to mount a challenge as we’ve ever been since we went down. 

 

Sad as it is to say, you're right. We lost the characters and leaders, hung on to the troublemakers and soft lads

[@owlstalk]

[HarryPlopper]

On 25/06/2020 at 09:47, Ian said:

People slagging Forestieri for ‘not getting on the bus to Norwich’ whilst simultaneously waxing lyrical about Di Canio.......only on Owlstak

 

Di Canio was about 10 levels above Forestieri.    If you saw both play and can't see that, please accept my apologies - I do not mean to mock the afflicted, in your case - blind.

[bobness]

On 25/06/2020 at 12:19, SiJ said:

He was our best, most high profile player at the time and for every person calling for us to get rid, there would have been several bemoaning us selling our best player to a rival.

 

A chairman with balls would have no problem telling such a player to get bent, especially when not doing so can sour the culture of the dressing room.

 

You're never going to please everyone, so bring worried about fan reaction is just poor leadership, even more so when the decision is easily justified.

 

In contrast, consider Milan's decision to sack Megson. We were in a playoff position in League 1, and had just beaten the Blades. At the time it seemed harsh, and maybe it still does, but there's no doubting that it was absolutely the correct decision.

[Ian]

1 hour ago, HarryPlopper said:

 

Di Canio was about 10 levels above Forestieri.    If you saw both play and can't see that, please accept my apologies - I do not mean to mock the afflicted, in your case - blind.

Really......10 levels above.....not sure how you get 10 levels below a domestic player with a grand total of zero international caps.

 

but for someone accusing me of being blind you seem to be completely missing the point...which was about a Forestieri missing one match as opposed to Di Canio who took his sorry arse back to Italy and only came back when his agent had set up a move to West Ham

[sherlyegg]

On 24/06/2020 at 17:23, swfcjack27 said:

A real talented footballer who produced magic at times and on his day was the best player outside the premier league. Unfortunately, he’s a prime example of DCs failings

So he's the best player outside the prem..but DC is a tw@t for not selling him.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Edited June 26, 2020 by sherlyegg

[DJMortimer]

31 minutes ago, Ian said:

Really......10 levels above.....not sure how you get 10 levels below a domestic player with a grand total of zero international caps.

 

but for someone accusing me of being blind you seem to be completely missing the point...which was about a Forestieri missing one match as opposed to Di Canio who took his sorry arse back to Italy and only came back when his agent had set up a move to West Ham

 

One of these players was recently voted the Premier League's 57th best ever player by 4-4-2 magazine, the other has never so much as set foot on the field at that level.

 

The club career of one of them reads as Lazio (twice), Juventus (twice), AC Milan, Napoli, an attempt by Manchester United to buy him and playing a part on teams that won two national championships, four European titles (three of them modest to be fair) and Champions League runner-up. The other's career has taken in Genoa, Siena, Vicenza, Malaga, Udinese and Watford with his highest achievement starting 10 games in Watford's promotion season. According to Wikipedia, his lone individual honour is player of the month for Wednesday in March 2016.

 

As for international recognition, Di Canio was up against the likes of Baggio, Vialli, Totti, Casiraghi, Del Piero, Ravenelli, Vieri, Inzaghi, Mancini and Zola who only had 526 appearances between them. He also had feuds with at least two of Italy's managers during his career and was, let's face it, well known for his volcanic moods.

 

Even Wednesday's club secretary at the time has publicly expressed his opinion that the club let Di Canio down, as well as at least three of his teammates in recent interviews. It's well known that he had to arrange and pay for his own representation at the FA disciplinary hearing, which no senior club figure bothered to attend. The club suggested he return to Italy to avoid the press attention and then lied to the media that the he had taken off without permission and that they did not know where he was, even though Sky Sports found him, in his home town no less. The player then appealed to the club for a clear the air meeting, which as I recall, was rebuffed. After that, he climbed the scaffold that Richards had built for him and decided he was done here. A few comments about 'betraying the club' and all the proud, chest-beating fools were taken in (this pattern has repeated itself in recent days with the warrior and player of the year Fletcher lambasted for rejecting a short term contract extension). Some of them remain embittered to this day.