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Thread: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

  1. #1

    Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.


  2. #2

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Think Harris will have questions to answer at his next press conference.
    Wonder if Benkovic been tipped off about Harris' comments?

  3. #3

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Well if that’s the way Harris is running his side of the Club it’s shocking. He should get on his bike.

  4. #4

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Harris has hardly covered himself in glory but neither has Benkovic. He hardly played at Bristol City either, so that's 4 managers who think he's not up to it (Holden, Johnson, Harris and Rodgers). I don't think Harris can turn round to him and say "you're not good enough" when he might need him (like he did at Wycombe) but he can't promise him game time or starts if he doesn't think he's any good.

  5. #5

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Reading between the lines it does seem as though he wasn’t Harris’s man. Was he brought in by the football brains at boardroom level? After all Leicester won the Premier League a few seasons back so he must be good!!!!

  6. #6

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pedro de la Rosa View Post
    Harris has hardly covered himself in glory but neither has Benkovic. He hardly played at Bristol City either, so that's 4 managers who think he's not up to it (Holden, Johnson, Harris and Rodgers). I don't think Harris can turn round to him and say "you're not good enough" when he might need him (like he did at Wycombe) but he can't promise him game time or starts if he doesn't think he's any good.
    Attitude at play perhaps , underachiever ?

    I find it hard to understand if Harris or the "they " he refers to is correct if we are in need of quality why would we not speak to him ??


    “(At Cardiff) they didn't speak much to me there. When I asked why I barely played, I was told they were quite happy with me. But in the end, the coach opted again for the guys who were there last season. It made no sense to stay there.”

    I wonder if the Covid rulings have also adversely effected contact , were there language barriers ? at least we have chatted with Wilson ??

  7. #7

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    All else apart, his line of:

    “I have yet to learn to stay focused for 90 minutes. At the age of 23 I am still young and I realise that there are quite a few aspects that need to be improved"

    doesn't fill me with confidence about him. He's 23, not 17, a 23 year old should be able to stay focused for 90 minutes at the bare minimum surely

  8. #8

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    "At Celtic I felt very happy and had a very good season. I took the title and two cups. I am still very proud of that"

    He made 20 "appearances". Out of what? 60+ games. I think I could have snuck into that side and not done too much damage.

  9. #9
    International jon1959's Avatar
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    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    I would have preferred him to stay, despite the performance against Wycombe.

    With a run of games he should have got a lot better.

    With Pack out until later in February, Mozzer out for weeks more (?), Sol's injury and now serious illness, and dodgy form all across the backline (Joel Bagan exempted), we need another experienced defender - even if not match fit. He would have had a stress free run out against Forest after the 3rd minute if he was still with us - and the risk of Bennett at CB would have been avoided.

    It sounds as if the club were fine with letting him go back, but that it was Leicester who made the call as it was clear that when Mozzer is fit again Benkovic would have been back on the bench again - at best. They have a fast depreciating asset and need to get him playing somewhere if they are going to salvage any of their £13m fee. Can't see him ever breaking into the Leicester first team based on his form in recent years and the attitude that comes through in that news site report.

    So he is just one more in a long list of poor or failed loan signings.

  10. #10

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    I wonder sometimes how many loan signings are reluctant participants who rock up and just do enough ,to think the Wilfred Zaha that terrorises some premiership defences looked so appalling for us is perhaps evidence of that .

    Do some clubs use loaning out to say a Championship club as threat as an under performing threat , and eventually that becomes a reality and a pissed off player dumped in Wales miles from home and friends ??

  11. #11

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by life on mars View Post
    Attitude at play perhaps , underachiever ?

    I find it hard to understand if Harris or the "they " he refers to is correct if we are in need of quality why would we not speak to him ??


    “(At Cardiff) they didn't speak much to me there. When I asked why I barely played, I was told they were quite happy with me. But in the end, the coach opted again for the guys who were there last season. It made no sense to stay there.”

    I wonder if the Covid rulings have also adversely effected contact , were there language barriers ? at least we have chatted with Wilson ??
    I think Harris made a judgement and decided he couldn't play him. COVID will definitely have affected things though, he can't take him in his office and discuss things.

    Benkovic isn't going to make it at PL level, they signed him 3 and a half years ago and he's no closer to breaking into the side. I can see why they like(d) him, but he switches off and as delmbox says, he's 23 for crying out loud. He's 6 months away from being 24! I don't think there's going to be a massive improvement coming.

    He hardly played at Bristol City and he flopped here, I think he's got to wake up and smell the coffee, and buckle down. I think he's probably on his last chance at Leicester, I don't know where his career goes if this move doesn't work out.

  12. #12

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    I would have preferred him to stay, despite the performance against Wycombe.

    With a run of games he should have got a lot better.

    With Pack out until later in February, Mozzer out for weeks more (?), Sol's injury and now serious illness, and dodgy form all across the backline (Joel Bagan exempted), we need another experienced defender - even if not match fit. He would have had a stress free run out against Forest after the 3rd minute if he was still with us - and the risk of Bennett at CB would have been avoided.

    It sounds as if the club were fine with letting him go back, but that it was Leicester who made the call as it was clear that when Mozzer is fit again Benkovic would have been back on the bench again - at best. They have a fast depreciating asset and need to get him playing somewhere if they are going to salvage any of their £13m fee. Can't see him ever breaking into the Leicester first team based on his form in recent years and the attitude that comes through in that news site report.

    So he is just one more in a long list of poor or failed loan signings.
    Is Pack injured as well?

  13. #13

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    Is Pack injured as well?
    I think he means Flint.

  14. #14

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Our current form of 25 goals conceded are not down to Benkovic. Harris needs to own that record and take responsibility as well as the rest of the squad need to own it too. Harris should have played him, eased him in, rotated - dare I say - managed him. He could have brought him on many times when he was on the bench the many times when we were losing matches. He brought Mark Harris on in the 95th minute when we were losing!

    I see no point in critiquing Benkovic for not making the Leicester side either or not being PL quality. Wilson and Ojo are not PL quality players and never will be in sides like Liverpool. Celtic is an anomaly as the Scottish League is so weak. Benkovic should be a really good championship CB. In my view, Morrison should never have been allowed anywhere near our Premiere League squad and was not up to it yet he's constantly played ever since our relegation and is even captain (he also needs to step up and sort out problems on the pitch rather than just go through the motions each match). Too many players too comfortable with not enough competition and a manager who excels at mediocrity.

    And Nelson? Is Nelson better than Benkovic? How can that possibly be the case? Nelson was a terrible signing IMO and is another player who is just....OK. He came from Oxford United and before that Plymouth Argyle and has played 55 matches for us. Again, Benkovic, just the 1 match and yes, it was a mare. But give the lad a break and focus on the real problems.

    For me, Harris's management is a big problem as well as a whole load of under-performing players with sloppy attitudes and I'll judge him and them based on 22 matches (excluding the pathetic cup matches) not just 1 against Wycombe.

  15. #15

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Citizen's Nephew View Post
    Our current form of 25 goals conceded are not down to Benkovic. Harris needs to own that record and take responsibility as well as the rest of the squad need to own it too. Harris should have played him, eased him in, rotated - dare I say - managed him. He could have brought him on many times when he was on the bench the many times when we were losing matches. He brought Mark Harris on in the 95th minute when we were losing!

    I see no point in critiquing Benkovic for not making the Leicester side either or not being PL quality. Wilson and Ojo are not PL quality players and never will be in sides like Liverpool. Celtic is an anomaly as the Scottish League is so weak. Benkovic should be a really good championship CB. In my view, Morrison should never have been allowed anywhere near our Premiere League squad and was not up to it yet he's constantly played ever since our relegation and is even captain (he also needs to step up and sort out problems on the pitch rather than just go through the motions each match). Too many players too comfortable with not enough competition and a manager who excels at mediocrity.

    And Nelson? Is Nelson better than Benkovic? How can that possibly be the case? Nelson was a terrible signing IMO and is another player who is just....OK. He came from Oxford United and before that Plymouth Argyle and has played 55 matches for us. Again, Benkovic, just the 1 match and yes, it was a mare. But give the lad a break and focus on the real problems.

    For me, Harris's management is a big problem as well as a whole load of under-performing players with sloppy attitudes and I'll judge him and them based on 22 matches (excluding the pathetic cup matches) not just 1 against Wycombe.
    Right, a few things. I don't know if you're looking for bites as this whole thing is ridiculous but here goes.

    Why on earth would you bring a centre back on when you're losing? He would get crucified on here and it doesn't make any sense either. For all our faults, we've rarely got stuffed. Our issue is when we have to chase games, we can't break sides down. Bringing on a striker when you're losing is common, as you're trying to score a goal.

    Nelson is a Championship regular, Benkovic has been a Championship sub for two clubs. Nelson is keeping Benkovic out of the side. How you can say Nelson is a poor signing I dont know. He cost nothing, has been a first team regular for over 12 months. Is Nelson fantastic? No, that's why he plays for us. He's a Championship level player. Last season, Morrison and Nelson were our strength, along with Lee Tomlin.

    Sean Morrison was one of the best centre backs in the league last year. I think he got in Sky's team of the season, and certainly got in some. He is not having his best season but he's definitely good enough for us. He was our best player in the Championship and if him and Bamba struggled in the PL, all of our squad were going to (as they did).

    The honest truth is, none of us have any idea how good Benkovic is. All the signs point to the fact he isn't very good. He didn't play regularly for Bristol City, he wasn't selected for Leicester when they played full backs at centre back earlier in the season and he couldn't get a sniff here, and when he did play he was bloody awful.

  16. #16

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Leicesters Andreas Cornelius

  17. #17

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Citizen's Nephew View Post
    Our current form of 25 goals conceded are not down to Benkovic. Harris needs to own that record and take responsibility as well as the rest of the squad need to own it too. Harris should have played him, eased him in, rotated - dare I say - managed him. He could have brought him on many times when he was on the bench the many times when we were losing matches. He brought Mark Harris on in the 95th minute when we were losing!

    I see no point in critiquing Benkovic for not making the Leicester side either or not being PL quality. Wilson and Ojo are not PL quality players and never will be in sides like Liverpool. Celtic is an anomaly as the Scottish League is so weak. Benkovic should be a really good championship CB. In my view, Morrison should never have been allowed anywhere near our Premiere League squad and was not up to it yet he's constantly played ever since our relegation and is even captain (he also needs to step up and sort out problems on the pitch rather than just go through the motions each match). Too many players too comfortable with not enough competition and a manager who excels at mediocrity.

    And Nelson? Is Nelson better than Benkovic? How can that possibly be the case? Nelson was a terrible signing IMO and is another player who is just....OK. He came from Oxford United and before that Plymouth Argyle and has played 55 matches for us. Again, Benkovic, just the 1 match and yes, it was a mare. But give the lad a break and focus on the real problems.

    For me, Harris's management is a big problem as well as a whole load of under-performing players with sloppy attitudes and I'll judge him and them based on 22 matches (excluding the pathetic cup matches) not just 1 against Wycombe.
    Never read such nonsense in my life. Of all players you pick out, you pick Morrison?

  18. #18

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    I’m sure Harris would have played him if he’d impressed in training, may have an attitude problem like Murphy who Harris is also reluctant to play despite his massive ability?

  19. #19

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    "Leicesters Andreas Cornelius"

    Really? He's gone on and scored goals elsewhere at a top level. And for Denmark.
    It was a ****ed up signing for a few reasons but not for whether he could do it or not.

  20. #20
    International jon1959's Avatar
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    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    Is Pack injured as well?
    Quote Originally Posted by Pedro de la Rosa View Post
    I think he means Flint.
    Sorry, I meant Flint.

    Although we are now in the territory of discussing Bennett, Cunningham, Pack and Vaulks as centre back options.

  21. #21

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by jon1959 View Post
    Sorry, I meant Flint.

    Although we are now in the territory of discussing Bennett, Cunningham, Pack and Vaulks as centre back options.
    Why Jurssey wasn't being a tosser, he said that Pack was brilliant at centre back when he played there on occasion. I can see it, too. I think he could do a decent job there, provided it is alongside Nelson!

  22. #22

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by splott parker View Post
    Reading between the lines it does seem as though he wasn’t Harris’s man. Was he brought in by the football brains at boardroom level? After all Leicester won the Premier League a few seasons back so he must be good!!!!
    Harris wanted him but he turned out to be poop. It's to easy just to point the finger at the board when things go wrong.

  23. #23

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    I’m genuinely not looking for bites and you’re perfectly entitled to think the whole of my post is ridiculous just so long as you allow me to do the same. I don’t think your post is ridiculous BTW it’s just we have different views and in some areas you’ve misunderstood me. But let’s just chill, it’s only football.

    Why on earth would you bring a centre back on when you're losing?
    Because you have 5 subs and you don’t just need a striker but need to plug the leaking sieve of a defence because an opposition player is running rings around one (or more) of your defenders. Harris never reacts to this, hence my critique of him not playing Benkovic off the bench this season.

    My view is that Harris isn’t the sharpest cookie. He signs a player then doesn’t play him even though we’re rubbish and conceding easy goals.

    He keeps doing the same thing and (literally) expecting a different result. We know what the definition of that approach is I’m sure.

    It’s all very well us thinking Benkovic may have an attitude problem but we shouldn’t exclude Harris having one too.

    Getting stuffed is open to interpretation. I try to keep it simple. If we lose 1-0 10 times we've still lost 30 points and conceded 10 goals.

    Benkovic only played 10 times for Bristol and scored 2 goals. I think we, like Bristol were just happy to have a loan player from Leicester but either didn’t really know what to do with him, or he didn’t fit the style of play, or we just didn’t have the guts to drop regular players and make it work.

    Nelson has turned out to be an OK Championship CB but that doesn’t alter the fact that he was a terrible signing after relegation from the PL and all the talk about bouncing back up. We lost Manga and replaced him with a League One player. The whole Summer window was bizarre last year.

    Sean Morrison was one of the best centre backs in the league last year. I think he got in Sky's team of the season, and certainly got in some. He is not having his best season but he's definitely good enough for us.
    Yes, it was a great effort last season. But that was last season. His form has dropped and so has his captaincy on the pitch. Sure he’s good enough for us…right now. But I was really suggesting he should have been replaced when we got promoted (we’d have got something decent for him) and we should have bought better.

    I agree none of us know how good Benkovic is. That ship has now sailed. I acknowledged that he had a mare against Wycombe but it could’ve been down to all kinds of reasons, we’ll never know. I just can’t subscribe to the view that he suddenly became a bad player after playing 56 times for Zagreb (including Champions League football) and his selections for the Croatia teams.

    Why did Harris sign him and not give him a chance and manage him properly?

    We’re 15th as I write (it's January 13th) with a GD of 4. If mid-table mediocrity with a well-hidden game-plan, players on free-roam and a team sheet that's been xeroxed 40 odd times is our goal then Harris could well be perfect.

    That’s been my point all along. I don’t know if you think he’s doing a good job or not. The results are what matters. Too many of our own players are no longer putting a shift in and I don't think they should be getting free passes from us fans.

    Anyway, its 02:44 and I'm in chronic pain and can't sleep for the third night running so your lengthy reply was a welcome distraction and I really appreciate you taking the time to post.

    Just have to wait for the Gabapentin to kick in then back to bed.

    Have a fab day and stay safe.

  24. #24

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Never read such nonsense in my life. Of all players you pick out, you pick Morrison?
    Only because he's meant to be one of our best players yet he's a shadow of the Morrison during the promotion season. He's a captain who's now getting more used to losing than winning and has experienced relegation. That concerns me.
    Last edited by Citizen's Nephew; 13-01-21 at 03:26. Reason: Quote not included

  25. #25

    Re: Benkovic- they hardly spoke to me at Cardiff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pedro de la Rosa View Post
    I think he means Flint.

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