Ola Toivonen

[Davo 0]

[quote user="Yorkshire Canary"]There is not that much money in Portuguese football at the moment though[/quote]

There isn''t much money in the league but Porto and Benfica are by far the two richest clubs in that league. Both clubs make their money by bringing South American players over and then allowing them to showcase their talents in front of the whole world in in the Champions League. 

Recent players they have sold on include Axel Witsel, Javi Garcia, Fabio Coentrao, Angel Di Maria all who have been sold at a profit.

Given the chance to prove themselves on the biggest club stage of all and Benfica''s ability to match a club like us why would a player pick City over Benfica?

Davo

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

[quote user="chicken"]I think another key factor is that he hasn''t actually stated, to my knowledge, that he wants to leave PSV.

Didn''t this whole thing come about due to him not agreeing terms on a new deal with PSV? As a result they have said leave or the reserves or sign it and stay.

Perhaps it was just an attempt at getting more money out of them which resulted in him being in the position he is in now.

With all things taken into account it may also explain his apparent un-readiness to move anywhere quickly.[/quote]

 

I suspect the threat of reserve football was always an empty one, and PSV had already started backtracking from it. Toivonen came on as a late sub in their first league game (a 3-2 away win) yesterday. But that he started on the bench might be PSV''s way of trying to get him to make up his mind.

[chicken 0]

Agreed, I think it was more of an attempt to force his hand one way or another a little quicker. Obviously they''d rather he went sooner if he is to go, to enable to plan without him, bring in cover etc.

[chicken 0]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12691/8856493/transfer-news-ola-toivonen-wont-rule-out-norwich-switch

So this has pinged in just now on the sky sports transfer centre. Some might say they could just be running a story late or is there more to this.

Could an agent have primed this to get more interest in his player? Or is this the reality that there are few alternatives of note out there and want Norwich to swoop?

Either way I expect him to be signed up soon or to extend his stay where he is.

[camdencanary 0]

That is interesting chicken.

I saw ola play against fenerbache a week ago in a friendly. He came off the bench on 70 minutes after PSV started the game with players all under 23. Guess it shows that he has some making up to do and all is not well between him and the club yet. Perhaps we may yet capatalise on this

[Yelloow Since 72 54]

I think Quagliarella is the more likely option now, but it''s good that Toivonen is still a possibility.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,558]

I''m wondering how old those Toivonen quotes are - I certainly saw that exact quote about a week ago, and was told then that it was already old news. Since then he has made an appearance for PSV but Cocu isn''t really stating if Toivonen will stay or not.

If the reported Benfica interest is true then I wouldn''t give Norwich much hope - but then the Benfica move was reliant on Cardozo moving. The transfer window is getting to the stage where everyone is waiting for something else to happen - all about who blinks first.

[walks on water 0]

Not sure about this guy, his physical attributes would be welcome, but he comes across as a rotten apple. If the reported fee is that low (for a forward) how come he hasn''t been snapped up? (At least with Quag it seems the competition may have balked at matching our financial package for a 30 year old.)

[chicken 0]

I''d have to say that Toivonen to me would represent a far lesser risk.

Scandinavian players tend to adapt to the English game well. Obviously he costs less and is on less money.

Quag is another class though, if he can do for us on a regular basis what he has done through his career in Italy, he could be better than Toivonen.

We shall have to see how things pan out over the next couple of weeks I guess.

[ReadingCanary 0]

[quote user="chicken"]I''d have to say that Toivonen to me would represent a far lesser risk.

Scandinavian players tend to adapt to the English game well. Obviously he costs less and is on less money.

Quag is another class though, if he can do for us on a regular basis what he has done through his career in Italy, he could be better than Toivonen.

We shall have to see how things pan out over the next couple of weeks I guess.[/quote]Not sure about this. He''s clearly extremely ambitious and if he was to perform as well as he can, and a top 5 club came in for him, i could see him wanting out.I reckon Quagliarella however would have Norwich as his last club.

[chicken 0]

I highly doubt that Norwich would be Quagliarella''s last club.

Del Piero is still going at 37, albeit in Oz soccer.

I suspect that we''d have to give him a 3 year deal to get him to sign, he could be with us as long as that or only a couple of seasons.

If you are looking for players to remain for a longer length of time - Italians are probably not them. Especially if they options back in Italy.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

While a lot of folks claim RVW as Holts replacement, I actually see him as an unrelated signing to Holt. Toivonen strikes me as the like for like replacement to Holt in my eyes. Has a lot of the qualities associated with Holt:

Bit of a knobhead (every team needs one or two and i strictly mean on the pitch)

Good in the air

Eye for goals

Hard working

Decent passing range, yet element of surprise to this

Contempt for just being labelled as a ''battering ram'' shows the preference for winning the game on the floor.

[ZLF 274]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]While a lot of folks claim RVW as Holts replacement, I actually see him as an unrelated signing to Holt. Toivonen strikes me as the like for like replacement to Holt in my eyes. Has a lot of the qualities associated with Holt: Bit of a knobhead (every team needs one or two and i strictly mean on the pitch) Good in the air Eye for goals Hard working Decent passing range, yet element of surprise to this Contempt for just being labelled as a ''battering ram'' shows the preference for winning the game on the floor.[/quote]

 

Agreed - my only concern with RvW is that he looks  a little lightweight - something you could never accuse holt of.    RvWs strengths are movement and finishing  

[pilksfanclub 0]

@chicken thing with that is Del Piero was a truly great player. Quag not so much

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="pilksfanclub"]@chicken thing with that is Del Piero was a truly great player. Quag not so much[/quote]

It is all down to the individual. Some are able to play well into their late thirties and want to (e.g. Kevin Phillips, Ryan Giggs). Others do not and are quite happy to call it a day in their early thirties or, in some cases, sooner.

[CambridgeCanary 0]

Quite right.  It is not about ability.  After all Jamie Cureton lasted a lot longer than Michael Owen.  It is about thekind of ability you have (not speed related) and your willingness to change your game to suit your physical state.  Pirlo is a current example but Wilkins, Brady and Giles spring to min d as intelligent players who paced themselves and lasted well.

 

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

Toivonen was again an unused sub as PSV got through to the Champions League play-off round (the last for qualifying for the tournament proper). I notice one of the linesmen was a Herr Hacker. Sounds like he should have been playing rather than officiating.

[Herman 9,765]

...or a bad barber. The German Sweeney Todd.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I have a theory, similar to the Suarez one.

PSV play against Milan in the CL qualifiers. Lose that and Toivonen will come, win that and he may just stay put.

[Yelloow Since 72 54]

Has a logic to it, JS. Would also help to explain the delay if he does come!

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I have a theory, similar to the Suarez one.

PSV play against Milan in the CL qualifiers. Lose that and Toivonen will come, win that and he may just stay put.[/quote]

 

Or, Jimmy, if PSV get knocked out he will go to Benfica, who are definitely in the Champions League. You are not alone in this theory. I think it has become clear that Toivonen is not just in it for the money. If that had been the case he would have joined us weeks ago. I am sure we would pay him more than either PSV or Benfica. Yet, bizarrely, for putting football dreams ahead of money he has been slagged off here.And this dilemma may well not just apply to Toivonen. They could be quite a few players who are waiting to see if the club they are at - or want to be at - has qualified for the CL.

[PurpleCanary 5,562]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I have a theory, similar to the Suarez one.

PSV play against Milan in the CL qualifiers. Lose that and Toivonen will come, win that and he may just stay put.[/quote]

 

Or, Jimmy, if PSV get knocked out he will go to Benfica, who are definitely in the Champions League. You are not alone in this theory. I think it has become clear that Toivonen is not just in it for the money. If that had been the case he would have joined us weeks ago. I am sure we would pay him more than either PSV or Benfica. Yet, bizarrely, for putting football dreams ahead of money he has been slagged off here.And this dilemma may well not just apply to Toivonen. They could be quite a few players who are waiting to see if the club they are at - or want to be at - has qualified for the CL.

[/quote]

 

PSV have been drawn against Milan in the final qualifying round, playing on August 20 and 28. Getting close to the transfer window, although in England this year it doesn''t close until 23.00BST on Monday, September 2, rather than August 31 for (I think) the Netherlands and other countries.

[damn that Ralph Coates! 47]

if Quag deal looks like a goner, I hope this guy might yet still come...

[tom cavendish 0]

Perhaps he is due a massive bonus should the club get into the Champions League?

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Various media reports today suggest we have lost interest as a result of his time delay tactics and are looking elsewhere. In some ways a shame but totally understandable

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Well we''re still looking, he''s still looking. I guess the deal is still possible while this is the case.

[Crafty Canary 495]

I don''t think the champion''s League comes into it. If the CL is that important to him he would never come to us as there is absolutely no prospect of us qualifying for that in the next 10 seasons if ever.

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Ahh, but Dr Crafty, you have missed an important phrase, "stepping stone"

We could well be that to him if he really thinks we''ve come as far as we can. Should he prove himself to be as good as Michu and Benteke, he''d quickly be courted by the Man U''s and Chelseas of the world and could then get the high level football he wants without having to play in a sub standard domestic league week in week out, losing him kudos and potentially losing interest from big clubs.

I have no problems with us being that ''stepping stone'' as long as he does well, is professional and we make some money out of it.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,558]

At 27 years old it is too late for Toivonen to join clubs such as Man U or Chelsea - they will only sign players over 25/26 in exceptional circumstances. Why do you think Michu is still at Swansea? If he was wanted by one of the big 4 he''d be gone already.

 

Ola might be able to get a move to someone like Benfica or Fenebache but if he comes to Norwich there is not much chance for a move to Portugal or Turkey afterwards as only the very largest clubs have the spending power to purchase a player from a mid-table Premier League team.

 

He probably knows that moving to the Premier League is a one way ticket, once he comes here it is almost impossible to leave - unless Norwich are trying to get rid of him.

 

[Mr Brownstone 0]

Anyone know the latest on Toivonen?

 

I see he''s made a few substitute appearances in the League, but hasn''t featured in the CL. Wonder if he''ll still be at PSV on Tuesday?