Linkert

Wes  Not yet fulfilling his potential at VP. I was hoping to get to Villa Park for a game this season to watch him play, such a shame. Get well soon Wes.

2 hours ago, NurembergVillan said:

A very reliable journalist here -

Things could be Marvelous, soon.

Strange he puts a picture under the article with Wesley, Engels and ... Palacios 

Just now, MaVilla said:

thanks for the info.

What is his best position?, there seems to be a media interpretation that he's a DM, but looking at his vids he seems a bit more bobile than that, he looks to me a bit more like a standard MC who is combative but also is decent going forward, not really the "sitting DM type"?

His vids remind me a little of McGinn.

He usually played behind the AMC, looked a bit like a DM because he went back to steal the balls from the opponent and run forward with it. He's a real winner on the pitch, bit of a pitbull, but the teddy version. I'd say he is a bit of both, DM and CM.

1 hour ago, omariqy said:

Very good for Brugge before last season. But fell out with the coach and wasn't sure why he was dropped. Turned out his rival for his position shared the same agent as the coach. The coach was arrested as part of a large scale operation looking into bribes/match fixing I think. Don't think he was ever charged. He played 4 games in the CL for them last season and was excellent apparently. 

Was a very good and important player in his first season in Bruges. A key player that helped Bruges win the title. Got injured at the end of the season and wasn't back at the start of the new season. Despite that he started in about 12-13 games and 4 (I think) in the Champions League. Didn't seem to win back the level of his first season. His replacement played very well too, though I think Nakamba has much more potential and can grow out to a great PL player. I hope his focus will be back on football, he was no longer welcome in Bruges because he refused to come back and train or talk to the new coach. A bit childish, but who knows what his manager has told him...
I hope he reaches his potential at Villa Park, despite being disappointed he leaves Bruges this way.

19 hours ago, lapal_fan said:

His first touch and one-touch stuff impressed me.  The ball didn't bounce off him like it used to on Carew.  

Let's hope he has a good eye for goal like Carew did too. 

Could be a big, big player for us this year. 

Keeping the ball was something he was very good at in Belgium. But there he played against Eupen, Moeskroen, Cercle Brugge and Eupen off course. Let's hope he can do it against the big PL teams too.

On 19/07/2019 at 14:38, AVTuco said:

A tad worrying, since team spirit has been our strength. We really don't want to destroy that. Let's hope you're right and he'll be ok.

I think he will. Team spirit in Bruges was and is always very strong, especially the last 4-5 years. If he's surrounded by a good team (off the pitch) he will fit in very good.

Just now, Vive_La_Villa said:

I heard his nickname was Wild Wes because he has a screw loose.

Never heard that 

Wesley worked on his temper in Bruges. It was a lot worse in the beginning, he has really improved very well through the years. Let's hope that moment yesterday was a one timer. In Belgium referees are so bad that you get frustrated about their way of 'blowing' the game. Defenders hung on Wesley like a lion on their prey, and mostly foul was given against Wesley. I think this is better in the PL and he can play his game better than in Belgium. There's just that adaption from the small Jupiler League to the big Premier League, but I think in the end he'll do fine.

Good answer!

5 minutes ago, nrey said:

Just give this beast some time guys. He is just a few weeks contracted at Villa so you can't make any conclusions right now. And yes frequently he will shout at a teammate, but that's because he got the mentality to win everything. He will fight untill the end every match. I think that's what you need.

I miss him already . 

Grts Brugesfan. Good luck!

How much goals did he score for cercle bruges?

What number is he wearing on his shirt?

Edit: I guess 15, according to yesterday's game

Concerning Nakamba, he still refuses to return for training in Bruges. No fee has been offered to the standards of Club Brugge either.

Yeaaaaaaaaah! #excited

1 hour ago, ShaldonAVFC said:

Was there such a thing as the f side hooligans I seem to remember 

I think that's Ajax' side, they were friends with Anderlechts O-side.

Totaaly agree with you.

35 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

In which case I'm not going to judge him for wanting out. It sounds like there could be a toxic atmosphere brewing, at least from his perspective. 

Unless I know a situation well, I find it wise not to cast aspersions on somebody's character for desperately wanting out of a situation, and even wanting to be fairly compensated for it. If Aston Villa sign him, knowing as we do the value they place on character, he will get the benefit of the doubt. 

Yes me too, if his managers makes his head crazy, I don't blame him. But I guess he should know better. But if he signs for Villa, that's a new beginning for this man, and if he focuses like he did in his first season in Bruges, it will be a great signing.

35 minutes ago, Villarocker said:

I suppose Nakamba could have his head messed with if his manager was/is dodgy?

I guess so. But seeing how much chances Nakamba got from Leko prior to Rits, I don't really believe the accusations.

About Nakamba, I don't know if you are aware about the match fixing proces against KV Mechelen and Waasland-Beveren in Belgium? A lot of people were arrested and/or interrogated. One of them was our coach from the last 2 seasons. Word has come out that he made the Club buy players for which he received a percentage. And he had to let them play too so he'd receive a profit from it. Coach denies it, and so far there's no proof of this at all. One of those players is Mats Rits who joined Bruges from KV Mechelen. He played on Nakamba's position. But nothing points in the direction that the coach did this to gain money. Nakamba had his chance right after his injury but didn't take it. He started 12 games last season and played as a sub too. Rits however, did very well too, the motor in the defensive midfield. I don't believe the accusations, but I can imagine this plays in the players head too (Nakamba). And if he has a 'manager' or how do you call it, who uses this argument to make the player crazy, you never know...

1 minute ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Nothing to do with us knocking out Anderlecht in 82 then?

Well.... I was only 2 then, but I love reading about it

1 minute ago, Villarocker said:

We like the same here. Never sign Ross McCormack or Fabian Delph!

I know, one of the reasons I became a Villa fan too, besides the great Dean Saunders!

Just now, Villarocker said:

Did you watch him play during the African Cup recently? If so, did you think is performances were more like old him or the recent him?

I thought he looked decent and exactly like you said, he read the danger, broke up play and, sent his team away on the counter-attack. 

No I didn't, but that sounds like him indeed. I know the fans will feel frustrated if he leaves because he still has even more potential than now showing. But if this is the way he leaves, that frustration will turn against him I think. In Bruges we like loyalty and hard workers.

2 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Ha! Did you already comment on him in the Wesley thread? If not, what are your views on him?

Yes I did: This boy has lots of potential. Not a big scorer in Bruges, but very hard worker, keeping the defence busy and creating goal scoring opportunities for others. In the beginning lots of trouble with his temper but has improved hugely. Top deal in my opinion.

2 minutes ago, Ponky said:

This bit is a little weird IMO. I can't imagine what player they might have had in mind to go out on loan. Other than Thor or perhaps Nyland. 

No it's strange indeed. How can a club insist this? Club didn't ask for it. Maybe they thought of Kalinic?

1 minute ago, Ponky said:

This bit is a little weird IMO. I can't imagine what player they might have had in mind to go out on loan. Other than Thor or perhaps Nyland. 

Wesley

7 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

Thanks for the insight @Linkert, what was the injury? Do you think his drop in standards is purely down to the player's frustration with the injury?

Hard to know I guess. The acting up to get a move certainly raises question marks. Finally, what makes him class in your opinion and do you think he will go this window?

It was a knee injury. I'm not sure if it's because of his injury, I'm not really sure. A new player joined Bruges last season for the same position, he replaced Nakamba more than well, but Nakamba still got a lot of chances, but didn't take them. Could be a matter of confidence combined with the injury, because he was out for several months.

He is playing it hard now, is in Paris and doesn't want to return to Bruges because he wants to leave. But Bruges are playing hard too, and I applaud that, a player should not be the boss, if everyone starts doing it that way...

His class is that he 'cleans up' many things as a defensive midfielder. He has very good defensive skills and can change an opponent attack into an attack for us in no time. He has a good view over the field, he was an unmissable key for the title for Bruges. I'd say with him in the form of 2 seasons ago, we would have taken it last season too.