Jamal Lewis (on loan at Watford)

[r0cafella]

i think part of the reason why some are frustrated is due to Lewis being a player with talent (he showed this at Norwich). People had the idea Howe would come in and improve such a player not bin him the first chance he gets. 
 

I think it’s now clear though, he will be gone come the summer. 

[triggs]

3 hours ago, cubaricho said:

Happy to see Howe move on from the ones he knows don’t have the heart for the run-in. 

Harsh

[Deuce]

4 hours ago, midds said:

Given the option of either:

 

1) Deactivated from the squad and no football until August 2022 at the earliest whilst picking up PL wages 

 

or 

 

2) Go out on loan, stay fit, play games every week and possibly impress scouts who may be watching whilst still picking up thousands of £ each week. 

 

Any cunt choosing option 1 can fuck clean off. Absolutely fucking done with them as players and individuals. They've got every right to make their choice and sit it out each week, no problem. I've also got every right to think they're a greedy, cowardly little fuck for doing so. Works both ways. 

That seems really harsh on him. We don’t know his motivations. As far as I’m aware, he’s always been a good egg.

[Thiago]

I can't understand turning down Birmingham. The optics of that decision are horrific. 

[Hanshithispantz]

*not aimed at anyone in particular

 

If he has kids for example then not wanting to uproot them (or be away from them) for 6 month is understandable. Plus, like Ekitike, being told to make a decision on deadline day is pretty short notice. Given a few days he might have had time to sort his head out.

 

from a footballing POV it's obviously diabolical like. 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Hanshithispantz

[Superior Acuña]

From a human perspective I've no issue with it, it's his life, he has a contract and he can prioritize as he wishes. He has every right. But as a footballer playing for my team I do think, unless he has exceptional circumstances, it's very questionable that at 24, he'd rather sit in the reserves than move a few hours away for a few months to actually play competitive football. I can't imagine many driven young players that are destined to be top players would do that (barring some exceptional circumstance). ie doesn't make me hate him but does make me question him as a footballer

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by Inferior Acuña

[The Butcher]

Be amazed if he Isn't binned first thing in the summer regardless of our league status. 

[La Parka]

Not a good look.

 

 

[Dancing Brave]

10 hours ago, midds said:

Given the option of either:

 

1) Deactivated from the squad and no football until August 2022 at the earliest whilst picking up PL wages 

 

or 

 

2) Go out on loan, stay fit, play games every week and possibly impress scouts who may be watching whilst still picking up thousands of £ each week. 

 

Any cunt choosing option 1 can fuck clean off. Absolutely fucking done with them as players and individuals. They've got every right to make their choice and sit it out each week, no problem. I've also got every right to think they're a greedy, cowardly little fuck for doing so. Works both ways. 

I agree with all that.

[RS]

Probably worried he’d be found out at Birmingham as well and end any future premiership move. 

[PatrickKluivert]

I think the best he can hope for is a move back to (relegated) Norwich either loan or permanent next season.  Assuming we stay up!  Otherwise he would be a good Championship player for us…

 

I have not seen anything in him to suggest he is a player which any team aspiring to be near the upper end of the PL would want.

[SiLvOR]

Strange really, got the impression he was a good guy, based off absolutely nothing, mind

 

Thought he looked really good before he got injured, but then that was comparing to Matt Ritchie at LB. If he's choosing to not play football for 6 months, then that's really poor from a professional outlook, but we don't know the ins and outs of his personal situation. Might want more time to figure out his next move/location. 

[Chicane]

13 hours ago, midds said:

Given the option of either:

 

1) Deactivated from the squad and no football until August 2022 at the earliest whilst picking up PL wages 

 

or 

 

2) Go out on loan, stay fit, play games every week and possibly impress scouts who may be watching whilst still picking up thousands of £ each week. 

 

Any cunt choosing option 1 can fuck clean off. Absolutely fucking done with them as players and individuals. They've got every right to make their choice and sit it out each week, no problem. I've also got every right to think they're a greedy, cowardly little fuck for doing so. Works both ways. 

100% this.

 

"Uprooting his family" holds little water for me. We're in England, it ain't that hard to get around from one place to another, the country ain't that big

 

Sounds like he'd rather just have a paid holiday for 6 months. Fuck him.

[SUPERTOON]

3 hours ago, The Butcher said:

Be amazed if he Isn't binned first thing in the summer regardless of our league status. 

Hopefully he is 

[gbandit]

Think this is very poor judgement from the lad, his options for other clubs are going to be poorer after sitting out the second part of the season. I imagine he's frustrated at not being part of the squad plans but he could have done with some pragmatic voices around him helping him to make the right decisions for his future

[midds]

8 hours ago, Tomato Deuce said:

That seems really harsh on him. We don’t know his motivations. As far as I’m aware, he’s always been a good egg.

Maybe he has a really good reason for turning it down? I still think a 4 month loan is far more preferable to not playing competitive matches, he's clearly been told he's not part of Howe's plans and he's going to be moved on. I bet he was gutted when Howe told him but he's not going to change his mind if he's refused the chance to briefly play for another team and prove him wrong. At least Hendrick will put himself in the shop window and possibly I catch a few eyes and get himself a move, I've got far more respect for him than I have for Lewis and Clark. Probably sounds harsh but I've always had that opinion of players who choose to sit and not play any football while their career passes them by. 

[Happinesstan]

15 hours ago, toon25 said:

So Howe is sidelining this guy over some of the other utter shit we've got stinking up the squad?

I think the lad has side-lined himself by rejecting the loan move.

[Fantail Breeze]

1 hour ago, midds said:

Maybe he has a really good reason for turning it down? 

 

Living in Birmingham can’t be easy for anyone to have to accept.

[Happinesstan]

14 hours ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

It speaks volumes about players not wanting to play football 

 

Unless the loan was on the basis they took a pay cut (unlikely)

I don't think that's possible. Players have a contract that needs to be honoured by somebody.

[mighty__mag]

Such a shame. I hoped he'd be included over Ritchie.

[TRon]

10 hours ago, r0cafella said:

i think part of the reason why some are frustrated is due to Lewis being a player with talent (he showed this at Norwich). People had the idea Howe would come in and improve such a player not bin him the first chance he gets. 
 

I think it’s now clear though, he will be gone come the summer. 

 

He's got pace, no doubt about that, but his use of the ball has been pretty sloppy. That seems to be a theme with a lot of our players, and obviously Howe being a passing proponent isn't going to accept that.

[Thiago]

6 hours ago, midds said:

Maybe he has a really good reason for turning it down? I still think a 4 month loan is far more preferable to not playing competitive matches, he's clearly been told he's not part of Howe's plans and he's going to be moved on. I bet he was gutted when Howe told him but he's not going to change his mind if he's refused the chance to briefly play for another team and prove him wrong. At least Hendrick will put himself in the shop window and possibly I catch a few eyes and get himself a move, I've got far more respect for him than I have for Lewis and Clark. Probably sounds harsh but I've always had that opinion of players who choose to sit and not play any football while their career passes them by. 

It's also his job

 

Folk move for work all the time. I have little sympathy for him on this one. 

 

In broader terms, I think we got stung by Norwich again. 

 

The same happened when we bought Murphy (although he's improved slightly since his early days). You see a team playing good football and an individual doing well and don't stop to consider if they're a benefit of the system and how that compares to how you play. 

 

Lewis looked good because he was in an attacking side playing attractive football. In reality, he wasn't half as good as Max Aarons, who is incredibly talented. The numbers he posted with Norwich were nothing startling, and a lot like Murphy, when he arrived he looked terrified of the stadium and scale of it all. Granted, having Steve 'run around' Bruce won't have helped that transition, but there hasn't been anything to suggest he's more than a lower half fullback. Maybe that's what 15m get you these days, I don't know. I'd still rather have him over Ritchie, all things considered.

 

[xLiaaamx]

23 minutes ago, Thiago said:

It's also his job

 

Folk move for work all the time. I have little sympathy for him on this one. 

 

In broader terms, I think we got stung by Norwich again. 

 

The same happened when we bought Murphy (although he's improved slightly since his early days). You see a team playing good football and an individual doing well and don't stop to consider if they're a benefit of the system and how that compares to how you play. 

 

Lewis looked good because he was in an attacking side playing attractive football. In reality, he wasn't half as good as Max Aarons, who is incredibly talented. The numbers he posted with Norwich were nothing startling, and a lot like Murphy, when he arrived he looked terrified of the stadium and scale of it all. Granted, having Steve 'run around' Bruce won't have helped that transition, but there hasn't been anything to suggest he's more than a lower half fullback. Maybe that's what 15m get you these days, I don't know. I'd still rather have him over Ritchie, all things considered.

 

Aarons would flop outside of Norwich too I reckon. Same with Cantwell. Glad we never went for either despite links in the past. 

[54]

 

[STM]

Unlike Man Utd, if we aren't planning on playing a player, he should be allowed to leave. That's if he wants to play, of course.