Semi Ajeyi

[LeningradCowboy]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Because one of those four hardly played for us again, another one left a year later and another one was getting towards his mid thirties - with a different approach and a little foresight from City, he would, surely, have been happy to stay rather than go to Rotherham.

Why? He'd already been at the club for two years and not played a single minute for us. Morrison, Bamba, and Ecuele Manga were clearly ahead of him in the pecking order, so he'd have been fourth choice at best.

[Baloo]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Why? He'd already been at the club for two years and not played a single minute for us.

I think this is the different approach TOBW is hinting at.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Why? He'd already been at the club for two years and not played a single minute for us. Morrison, Bamba, and Ecuele Manga were clearly ahead of him in the pecking order, so he'd have been fourth choice at best.

Fourth choice with a good chance of being second choice a year later - there was always a good chance that Bruno, who was thirty himself by then, would be moving on soon and Bamba was at an age where his performance levels could decline quickly. Truth is though, I was daft to mention "foresight" because City have proved over a period of years that they don't do foresight.

[Rjk]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

I think this is the different approach TOBW is hinting at.

He had loans first at league 2 level, then league one, then at championship level
After leaving us he briefly dipped back to league 1 and then has done very well at championship level and now is a premier league player. Early in his career he had a reputation for looking commanding , but dropping the occasional clanger. But Rotherham persisted with him and with experience he's become quite the player.

I can't understand why he's made it to the premier league and none of the players we've loaned to Weston Super Mare have made it yet?
Can anyone help?

[LeningradCowboy]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Fourth choice with a good chance of being second choice a year later - there was always a good chance that Bruno, who was thirty himself by then, would be moving on soon and Bamba was at an age where his performance levels could decline quickly. Truth is though, I was daft to mention "foresight" because City have proved over a period of years that they don't do foresight.

Hindsight is 20/20, unless you are claiming that was your opinion in March 2017 when Ajayi signed a contract with Rotherham?

[Rjk]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

At the end of the 14/15 season we had Ajayi at the club in desperate need for some first team action, a run of games at the end of the season where we had literally nothing to play for and we chose to play Danny Gabbidon, who was going to be out of contract a few weeks later. We also played Gabbidon in the league cup and Ajayi was on the bench.

We've needed a better approach to bringing youngsters through for years.

[life on mars]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Excellent again tonight against Man City.

Never got a start for us. Let him go on a Free Transfer.

Hard to fathom.

Didn't show enough at the time I guess , some players flourish in better in different environments or mature into better players , wasn't De Bruyne and Salah at Chelsea , Vardy was a lower league player for years ??

[BlueArmy 86]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Didn't show enough at the time I guess , some players flourish in better in different environments or mature into better players , wasn't De Bruyne and Salah at Chelsea , Vardy was a lower league player for years ??

Was just about to use Cheslea, KDB and Salah as my example. It happens at all clubs.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Hindsight is 20/20, unless you are claiming that was your opinion in March 2017 when Ajayi signed a contract with Rotherham?

Did I think Ajayi would be playing in the Premier League within three years? No I didn't. Did I think that he was someone who could do a job for us based on what I had seen of him in what I would guess would be around twenty appearances for our under 23s? Yes I did. All four of those centrebacks you mentioned were thirty plus or getting fairly close to that age and so it was clear that a degree of rebuilding would need to be carried out in that position.

Ajayi's subsequent career proves I was underestimating him when I thought of him as only a potential Championship player, but, more important than that, our manager at the time didn't rate him that highly - if he had done, there wouldn't have been any need to have spent all of those millions on Aden Flint.

[Rjk]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Was just about to use Cheslea, KDB and Salah as my example. It happens at all clubs.

Both sold under mourihnio, who also throughout his career has neglected youth developmemt, and has a history of starting really well at clubs, but after 3 seasons leaving them in a horrible mess.

[Ianto13]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Both sold under mourihnio, who also throughout his career has neglected youth developmemt, and has a history of starting really well at clubs, but after 3 seasons leaving them in a horrible mess.

He’s exactly like Warnock only thinks of himself and not the future of the club by developing young players!

[Rjk]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

He’s exactly like Warnock only thinks of himself and not the future of the club by developing young players!

Yes, and I can't blame them for doing it. The average length of a managerial employment is less than 18 months, and if the manager does hang around for long enough for his self serving ways to catch up with them then it'l only be because he's been relatively successful in his first 2 years, and will probably walk into another job on the strength of that.

This is exactly why clubs need a director of football

[LeningradCowboy]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Did I think Ajayi would be playing in the Premier League within three years? No I didn't. Did I think that he was someone who could do a job for us based on what I had seen of him in what I would guess would be around twenty appearances for our under 23s? Yes I did. All four of those centrebacks you mentioned were thirty plus or getting fairly close to that age and so it was clear that a degree of rebuilding would need to be carried out in that position.

Ajayi's subsequent career proves I was underestimating him when I thought of him as only a potential Championship player, but, more important than that, our manager at the time didn't rate him that highly - if he had done, there wouldn't have been any need to have spent all of those millions on Aden Flint.

Was Ajayi good enough at the time to play for us in the season that we got promoted? Let's be honest, he probably wasn't, so how would he have developed if he had stayed here? Not by playing for the under 23s.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Was Ajayi good enough at the time to play for us in the season that we got promoted? Let's be honest, he probably wasn't, so how would he have developed if he had stayed here? Not by playing for the under 23s.

Well, seeing that Ben Nugent came in as a teenager and didn't let anyone down in our previous promotion season, I'd say the answer to your question is, almost certainly, yes because Ajayi is clearly the better player of the two.

[LeningradCowboy]

Re: Semi Ajeyi

Well, seeing that Ben Nugent came in as a teenager and didn't let anyone down in our previous promotion season, I'd say the answer to your question is, almost certainly, yes because Ajayi is clearly the better player of the two.

What on earth are you talking about? Ajayi would have had to be better than at least two of Bamba, Morrison, and Ecuele Manga to play for us in 2017/18, not Ben Nugent!