Off to the Bundesliga for a season at St Pauli

See link
https://www.uptheclarets.com/hountondji ... ut-on-loan

One down. About 15 to go!

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:10 am

One down. About 15 to go!

Will we get any loan fee? Or is that too much to ask

Spijed wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:20 am

Will we get any loan fee? Or is that too much to ask

Who knows? Everything is undisclosed these days.

Mad that the only 2 games he started were the only 2 games we lost in the league

That’s not a bad level.
A little surprising.

St. Pauli Head Coach Alexander Blessin said: “Andréas impresses with well-timed runs in behind, excellent finishing with both feet, a natural presence in the air and assertiveness on the ball. He also has important qualities off the ball. He’s aggressive and quick in transition and sees pressing situations early, which means he does an important job for the whole team.”

Did we all miss something?

Bow wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:22 am

Mad that the only 2 games he started were the only 2 games we lost in the league

His only other start was at Wolves in the League Cup

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:28 am

St. Pauli Head Coach Alexander Blessin said: “Andréas impresses with well-timed runs in behind, excellent finishing with both feet, a natural presence in the air and assertiveness on the ball. He also has important qualities off the ball. He’s aggressive and quick in transition and sees pressing situations early, which means he does an important job for the whole team.”

Did we all miss something?

Or maybe football professionals know a lot more about the game than the average fan?

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:28 am

St. Pauli Head Coach Alexander Blessin said: “Andréas impresses with well-timed runs in behind, excellent finishing with both feet, a natural presence in the air and assertiveness on the ball. He also has important qualities off the ball. He’s aggressive and quick in transition and sees pressing situations early, which means he does an important job for the whole team.”

Did we all miss something?

Manager talks up new signing shocker

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:39 am

Or maybe football professionals know a lot more about the game than the average fan?

You're right. We should all be gutted he's leaving and not tearing up the Premier League.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:27 am

That’s not a bad level.
A little surprising.

It is a little surprising, but a very good move for him and for us. If he can score goals in the Bundesliga it’ll either propel him in to the reckoning for us or mean we can sell for a decent profit.

Should please the hipsters

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:41 am

You're right. We should all be gutted he's leaving and not tearing up the Premier League.

Not really, but maybe we should recognise that a player can have all those attributes their coach described without being ready for the Premier League?

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:44 am

Not really, but maybe we should recognise that a player can have all those attributes their coach described without being ready for the Premier League?

He didn't look ready for the Championship.

Wonder where we'll send him on loan next summer

daveisaclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:47 am

Wonder where we'll send him on loan next summer

PSG surely?

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:45 am

He didn't look ready for the Championship.

He played two games? You seriously judge players off two games, in a completely new team, new country, under a new manager, off two games? Weird.

A Bundesliga team has taken him. Good news for him, good need for us. Don’t really see any need for sniping at a young claret.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:49 am

He played two games? You seriously judge players off two games, in a completely new team, new country, under a new manager, off two games? Weird.

A Bundesliga team has taken him. Good news for him, good need for us. Don’t really see any need for sniping at a young claret.

Yep. Two games (three if you include the cup game). We lost all three, btw.

How many games should we have given him before we decided he wasn't up to it?

Football is a cut throat sport/business and you have to hit the ground running.

That said, I hope you turn out to be right and he comes back to suddenly be a PL standard player! UTC!

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:49 am

He played two games? You seriously judge players off two games, in a completely new team, new country, under a new manager, off two games? Weird.

To be fair, I'd judged him after 10 minutes of that Cadiz friendly. Doesn't matter what we think either way. It'd be nice if he makes it obviously, nowt against the lad and it'd get some cash back for us too.

I have to say the St Pauli manager has a future in marketing with this bit.. "a natural presence in the air". I mean yeah, he is 6'3". But when he goes to head it, he somehow ends up further away from the ball than where he started.

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:54 am

Yep. Two games (three if you include the cup game). We lost all three, btw.

How many games should we have given him before we decided he wasn't up to it?

Football is a cut throat sport/business and you have to hit the ground running.

That said, I hope you turn out to be right and he comes back to suddenly be a PL standard player! UTC!

At 22 years old, a lot more than three!! Imagine if every team cut their losses on every 22 year old after 2-3 “bad” games? None of which I’d say he was “bad” actually. The team was bad, but he wasn’t our worst performer.

The way I read the comments from their (presumably UEFA-qualified) coach, is that he’s analysed his overall game in a way very few Burnley fans will have done, and drawn conclusions that are very encouraging for us.

I’m not suggesting he will or won’t make it as a Premier League striker. I have no idea and only the very best of the best do, so it’ll take some excellent management and a bit of luck on our behalf to make that happen. I don’t agree with writing him off or being disparaging about any young claret who has just got a great move to the Bundesliga though.

We have plenty of our home grown players who are not much younger who I’d suggest would struggle to get a loan to a top European division.

Incidentally, I don’t think our current strategy is for every player to be a huge success in our first team as long as we profit from them through loan and then sale fees. If we do that and it allows investment to strengthen the team, it’ll still have been a positive signing.

I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on in the Bundesliga. UTC!

NottsClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:10 am

To be fair, I'd judged him after 10 minutes of that Cadiz friendly. Doesn't matter what we think either way. It'd be nice if he makes it obviously, nowt against the lad and it'd get some cash back for us too.

I have to say the St Pauli manager has a future in marketing with this bit.. "a natural presence in the air". I mean yeah, he is 6'3". But when he goes to head it, he somehow ends up further away from the ball than where he started.

If he thinks it’s a strength (I’m not sure about that either), let’s see if he gets any goals with his head this year. Hopefully something he thinks he can develop! It’s nice to see a coach who has full confidence in a player though. Great man management given strikers thrive on confidence and hopefully brings the best out in him.

Agree on the cash back point. I think a lot of these signings are known punts with a view to adding value (that’s all they can be at the prices and ages we’re signing them), but in that context a year in the Bundesliga for him is a fantastic bit of management by the club.

NottsClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:10 am

To be fair, I'd judged him after 10 minutes of that Cadiz friendly. Doesn't matter what we think either way. It'd be nice if he makes it obviously, nowt against the lad and it'd get some cash back for us too.

I have to say the St Pauli manager has a future in marketing with this bit.. "a natural presence in the air". I mean yeah, he is 6'3". But when he goes to head it, he somehow ends up further away from the ball than where he started.

That miss at Oxford still haunts me. In all honesty, he looked a mile away last season and I have to admit to being surprised he's landed a Bundesliga club for a year.

Lets hope for the benefit of club and player that he plays well at his new club. As said its one of many to no doubt be moved on, and I sense he was one of the easier ones to find a club that wanted him

For a player that looked absolutely nowhere near the level required last season, to manage to get him a move to Germany is pretty good for us

It appears that you spelt Houdini wrong CT

Good luck to the lad, hope he proves the utc "experts" wrong.

No idea what the deal is but rather than receive a loan fee If they just pay his wages that would help the club.

beddie wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:42 am

No idea what the deal is but rather than receive a loan fee If they just pay his wages that would help the club.

Loaning clubs always pay the wages (or a percentage of), then we get a loan fee on top.

Amdouni’s was reported to be €4m loan fee, payable €2m up front and €2m when they didn’t take their option, for example. I think we got €3m one season for Weghorst.

The comments from his head coach reminded me of a positive scouting report that was posted on here when we signed him.
Anyway good luck to the lad, hope he proves the doubters wrong.

Didn't see enough of him to form an opinion, but wish him well

Good luck to the lad.

The fact he only played in his correct position once in those three starts seems to have been missed by the doubters on here too.

Maybe he won't be good enough for Burnley in the Premier League, but too many are writing him off prematurely.

Whose signing was this?

I know he was signed after Parker was appointed but was he actually his man?

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 12:18 pm

Whose signing was this?

I know he was signed after Parker was appointed but was he actually his man?

Thought it was either a Kompany or the data analysis guys type signing. From memory it was sorted before Parker arrived.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 12:18 pm

Whose signing was this?

I know he was signed after Parker was appointed but was he actually his man?

I think we have to probably stop thinking of our signings as being those of the manager in place at the point of signing.

Sonne was clearly a long-term target, as was Hartman. Jenkins spoke recently about how the recruitment team identified Koleosho and recommended him to VK.

I would say the majority of the younger signings are now ‘club’ signings made by the recruitment committee that the manager probably takes a look at and supports. Others, probably Walker of our signings to date, are probably his.

I don’t think Parker can be blamed for the ones that don’t go well in the same way I don’t think you can blame VK for the ones that were attributed to him (although by and large they’ve been very profitable to date).

Amdouni is a top international and let's hope we are not too quick to ditch him too

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:45 am

Loaning clubs always pay the wages (or a percentage of), then we get a loan fee on top.

Amdouni’s was reported to be €4m loan fee, payable €2m up front and €2m when they didn’t take their option, for example. I think we got €3m one season for Weghorst.

Depends how good they are, of course. If the world knows a club is desperate to offload someone, there may be no loan fee and only a percentage of the wages paid by the borrowing club.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:26 am

That miss at Oxford still haunts me. In all honesty, he looked a mile away last season and I have to admit to being surprised he's landed a Bundesliga club for a year.

Looked good in the sky crossbar challenge, nailed it

Foshiznik wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 12:13 pm

The fact he only played in his correct position once in those three starts seems to have been missed by the doubters on here too.

Maybe he won't be good enough for Burnley in the Premier League, but too many are writing him off prematurely.

Exactly he played on the left against Sunderland for example and was okay in amongst some pretty dog turd performances in that game he made a couple of decent runs at least.

fidelcastro wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:54 am

Yep. Two games (three if you include the cup game). We lost all three, btw.

How many games should we have given him before we decided he wasn't up to it?

Football is a cut throat sport/business and you have to hit the ground running.

That said, I hope you turn out to be right and he comes back to suddenly be a PL standard player! UTC!

Insert Aggi's post on correlation not equaling causation.

How many games did Gareth Bale go without winning for Spurs? You'd have hammered him as well.

dsr wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 12:40 pm

Depends how good they are, of course. If the world knows a club is desperate to offload someone, there may be no loan fee and only a percentage of the wages paid by the borrowing club.

Agreed. I think our model is one of avoiding desperate deals though.

Tresor’s loans last year reeked of clubs trying to take advantage and we allegedly didn’t fold (may also have been injury related). I seem to remember us dragging out Weghorst and Amdouni’s loans until the deal was right too.

Obviously we won’t get them all right but I sense we work hard to get the right deal. I think that’s why a MCO will be so appealing to ALK - more ability to control the situation with alternative options they can fall back on if clubs play hard ball.

Wokingclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 12:45 pm

Looked good in the sky crossbar challenge, nailed it

I’d forgotten that.

To be fair it was Brownhill’s miscued shot that led to the ball arriving at his feet quickly. Bad miss but Brownhill should’ve got his shot on target too from a good cross and made a hash of it. The worst of the lot that game was Sarmiento blazing over in a great position.

We created three decent chances that whole game. Dark days. Remarkable how Parker turned it around from there.

For them judging him off 3 matches-just look at cj after his cameo against rovers! Begging him to stay at the end of the season.

Gp8419 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 1:44 pm

For them judging him off 3 matches-just look at cj after his cameo against rovers! Begging him to stay at the end of the season.

CJ played well in the previous game though

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:43 am

It is a little surprising, but a very good move for him and for us. If he can score goals in the Bundesliga it’ll either propel him in to the reckoning for us or mean we can sell for a decent profit.

Hi NewClaret,

Fortunately you make a sensible post instead of ridiculing the man. At the end of the day, he didn't impose himself on our club. I imagine he was happy to come.

Let's hope he can get into the team and do well.

I assume he must of impressed while in Belgium after a run of games. Good on him, hopefully he takes his next opportunity with both hands and kicks on

Disappointing news. Like Foster I think he would be a lot better suited to the Premier League

JohnDearyMe wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 2:36 pm

Disappointing news. Like Foster I think he would be a lot better suited to the Premier League

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 08, 2025 11:12 am

I’m not suggesting he will or won’t make it as a Premier League striker. I have no idea and only the very best of the best do

It’s your lucky day then, I’m here to tell you, he will never ever make it as a PL striker. Regardless of what you say, he’s completely tripe.

Where does this “let’s give players all this time before we judge them” come from? Proper woke crap.

I saw Diego Penny, Dane Richards, Michael Ricketts, Fred Nimani, Richard Eckersley play 45 minutes and I knew they’d be useless. On the other hand I saw Nathan Dyer and Djemba Djemba play 45 minutes and knew they had something.