Vassell

[pomeroy]

Any news on this player?

[darran1927]

Injured

[pomeroy]

I know he’s injured but for how long!!!

[Rjk]

I've got a sneaky feeling he'll have a good season

[Fine Lines]

Off to Middlesbrough in 5 million deal hopefully.

[198bore]

Has there ever been a more nailed on failure than this guy?

[Rjk]

Has there ever been a more nailed on failure than this guy?

harsh

[jon1959]

Has there ever been a more nailed on failure than this guy?

Depends what you mean by failure. He has scored over 50 goals in about 200 career appearances and seems to be a useful player at League 1 to Championship level - but his entire career has been interrupted by regular injury breaks, many for long periods. He is either injury prone or very unlucky. Warnock hoped for a change in luck or something and it didn't happen. It must be very frustrating for the player and it is (so far) a wasted wage and squad place for the club.

[Heisenberg]

Depends what you mean by failure. He has scored over 50 goals in about 200 career appearances and seems to be a useful player at League 1 to Championship level - but his entire career has been interrupted by regular injury breaks, many for long periods. He is either injury prone or very unlucky. Warnock hoped for a change in luck or something and it didn't happen. It must be very frustrating for the player and it is (so far) a wasted wage and squad place for the club.

I don't know about that, Jon. He's only ever scored 2 goals at Championship level (obviously that was 1 before he joined us). He's never actually played in League One. The rest of his goals include 10 in 42 games in League 2 (1 in 4 would be a decent return for a midfielder, not a striker) and the rest come at non-league level (and not all of his goals were scored in league games).

Taking into account his lack of experience of playing at this level, his goalscoring record in the football league (in general) and his poor injury record... Nothing about this signing seemed to be good business at the time.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

I don't know about that, Jon. He's only ever scored 2 goals at Championship level (obviously that was 1 before he joined us). He's never actually played in League One. The rest of his goals include 10 in 42 games in League 2 (1 in 4 would be a decent return for a midfielder, not a striker) and the rest come at non-league level (and not all of his goals were scored in league games).

Taking into account his lack of experience of playing at this level, his goalscoring record in the football league (in general) and his poor injury record... Nothing about this signing seemed to be good business at the time.

[WJ99mobile]

From the little i've seen he's a good player but yes injury prone.

A gamble that didn't come off but hopefully the club structured the deal heavily on appearances, goals etc.

We've taken a punt on injury prone players before that have worked out. Tomlin, Chris Burke, etc

We even bought Paterson whilst he was injured - just the luck of the draw

[Rjk]

From the little i've seen he's a good player but yes injury prone.

A gamble that didn't come off but hopefully the club structured the deal heavily on appearances, goals etc.

We've taken a punt on injury prone players before that have worked out. Tomlin, Chris Burke, etc

We even bought Paterson whilst he was injured - just the luck of the draw

velikonja looked destined for bigger clubs than us before he had a serious knee injury as well.

I wonder if the club has some good links with some leading orthopaedic surgeons so feel they are able to take a riskier approach on players than other clubs.
the heath has the largest orthopaedic department in the UK I think.

[Heisenberg]

From the little i've seen he's a good player but yes injury prone.

A gamble that didn't come off but hopefully the club structured the deal heavily on appearances, goals etc.

We've taken a punt on injury prone players before that have worked out. Tomlin, Chris Burke, etc

We even bought Paterson whilst he was injured - just the luck of the draw

Tomlin wasn't injury prone in the slightest. Were there question marks about his fitness... yes. Was he injury prone... no.

[jon1959]

I don't know about that, Jon. He's only ever scored 2 goals at Championship level (obviously that was 1 before he joined us). He's never actually played in League One. The rest of his goals include 10 in 42 games in League 2 (1 in 4 would be a decent return for a midfielder, not a striker) and the rest come at non-league level (and not all of his goals were scored in league games).

Taking into account his lack of experience of playing at this level, his goalscoring record in the football league (in general) and his poor injury record... Nothing about this signing seemed to be good business at the time.

Fair enough - the evidence of games played in the Championship is very slim.

However, he was signed for Birmingham on a 4 year contract for a fee reported as over £1m, and got a 3 year contract with us for an undisclosed fee. He was liked and selected by Harry Rednapp, Lee Carsley, Steve Cotterill and Neil Warnock - all of whom know a player and saw him in training and in cup games as well as the few league outings.

Rednapp's press comment on him soon after he joined Birmingham was:

"He's got the ability to be a real player, there's no doubt about that. I've been really excited by what I've seen of him. He's powerful, he's strong and that pace is just electric. This kid is on the shoulder and away he goes. He's got this terrible habit, when he loses the ball he chases and tries to get it back – It's terrible isn't it? They normally stand around and watch like 'I've lost the ball', but this kid chases after it. I said to him: 'Whatever you do, don't ever stop doing that'. That's a big part of his game."

If he didn't have the constant injuries I think he would have done well at our level. But he had the injuries.

[Heisenberg]

Fair enough - the evidence of games played in the Championship is very slim.

However, he was signed for Birmingham on a 4 year contract for a fee reported as over £1m, and got a 3 year contract with us for an undisclosed fee. He was liked and selected by Harry Rednapp, Lee Carsley, Steve Cotterill and Neil Warnock - all of whom know a player and saw him in training and in cup games as well as the few league outings.

Rednapp's press comment on him soon after he joined Birmingham was:

"He's got the ability to be a real player, there's no doubt about that. I've been really excited by what I've seen of him. He's powerful, he's strong and that pace is just electric. This kid is on the shoulder and away he goes. He's got this terrible habit, when he loses the ball he chases and tries to get it back – It's terrible isn't it? They normally stand around and watch like 'I've lost the ball', but this kid chases after it. I said to him: 'Whatever you do, don't ever stop doing that'. That's a big part of his game."

If he didn't have the constant injuries I think he would have done well at our level. But he had the injuries.

Warnock signed Madine for £6m on a three-and-a-half year deal. I don't we can place any credence on transfer fees, contract length and whether Warnock is a fan or not in order to judge a player's ability or potential.

The facts are that his goal scoring record was poor and he had barely played any games at Championship level. Even when he was fit he wasn't first choice for Birmingham.

Notice that Redknapp praises his athletic ability and work ethic but nothing about his footballing ability.... he sounds like the prototypical Warnock stiker from that blurb

[Poolerblue]

Let’s not kid ourselves he was a terrible signing. Even if he wasn’t injury prone he would still have been a terrible signing

I remember at the time how underwhelmed I was when we bought him and thought we had paid over the odds for yet another striker who doesn’t score goals

[The Hooded Claw]

Warnock and strikers, eh? So Madine & Vassell have scored 1 goal at a combined £7 million...

[StraightOuttaCanton]

velikonja looked destined for bigger clubs than us before he had a serious knee injury as well.

I wonder if the club has some good links with some leading orthopaedic surgeons so feel they are able to take a riskier approach on players than other clubs.
the heath has the largest orthopaedic department in the UK I think.

This might be the funniest thing I’ve read on here in months 🤣🤣🤣certainly in the covid period since it’s become sludgefactory.co.uk

[Rjk]

This might be the funniest thing I’ve read on here in months ������certainly in the covid period since it’s become sludgefactory.co.uk

I was completely serious

[StraightOuttaCanton]

I was completely serious

I suspected so, which was why it was so funny

[2b2bdoo]

I think most of us thought this would happen when he signed.

[Rjk]

I think most of us thought this would happen when he signed.

I'll be honest, I was expecting more than 2 league games

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I'll be honest, I was expecting more than 2 league games

He's been a crock his entire career, we were lucky to get that many. It was an absolute joke, panic buy. Signing Flint etc was one thing but 3m on a bloke that's coming off the back of his knee issues is unforgivable.

[pomeroy]

The last I heard was that Isaac had a glute problem. In other words a pain in the arse which is what he might be. However my question was really about his present state and when , if ever , he is likely to be fit?

[life on mars]

The last I heard was that Isaac had a glute problem. In other words a pain in the arse which is what he might be. However my question was really about his present state and when , if ever , he is likely to be fit?

Harris mentioned in a video clip that the club are seeking some specialty help to establish why he has suffered so poorly . Hope he does get a chance one day ,must be frustrating for club and player