The Unsinkable Frederic Piquionne

[Aceface]

Third consecutive relegation last night when Doncaster went down.

Surely 3 relegations with 3 different teams in 3 consecutive seasons has to be an English record?

Any football boffins know if there's anyone with a comparable record?

[Scaloni Is The Messiah]

Quashie very very nearly did it with us. Relegated with Southampton and West Brom in the two previous seasons.

[poplargeezer]

He should be a submarine captain!

[Matt of iron]

His contract is up in the summer.

Please go to Reading, Please go to Reading.

[Aceface]

'fraid not - 3 year contract innit.

He may go down more often than Ron Jeremy, but he still woke up this morning safe in the knowledge that he'll be paid £38k a week for the next year, same as he did when he woke up last year on the morning after relegation.

[Gummi]

His contract is up in the summer.

Please go to Reading, Please go to Reading.

I'm sad to inform you he will be on our payroll until 16th July of 2013.

[bubbles1966]

Dean Saunders used to be the master at this. 5 (?) relegations as a player - and he's taken all he learned into management.

Not sure he managed three on the spin though.

It was the eighth time in his career that Saunders had been involved with a club as a player during a season of relegation.

[Matt of iron]

I thought he only had a 2 year deal.

Another gem from Grant.

[prophet:marginal]

Its his attitude that appears to be the problem. Even at the age he is, there's still some skill there.

Could still do a job for us, in the second tier, if it came to it.

Otherwise, we are wasting his rather hefty wages...

[hawkins_hammer]

Will be useful for us next season in the Champ

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Didn't Neil Redfearn go down, come up, go down, come up, go down, come up a few times?

I still think Piquionne is a decent player. Head's just not right.

Probably beyond saving now, I reckon.

[Bamber Gascoigne]

He should be a submarine captain!

They should make a film about it


How about calling it "The Hunt for Fred October"

[The Collector]

Probably beyond saving now, I reckon.

Do you mean the money we will be forking out on his wages?

[sjb958]

I wish that when signing players, we look at the player's attitude as well as their footballing ability - we have signed some good players 'on paper' but their attitude and work ethic has let us down massively - Piquionne, McCarthy and Illunga are prime examples of this.

Having said that, we seem to have been better at this lately - signing players with a good work ethic such as Baldock and Vaz Te. Both of these players work their nuts off for the cause, and this, in the case of Vaz Te earns the luck they are getting at the moment.

[Chuck D]

I wish that when signing players, we look at the player's attitude as well as their footballing ability - we have signed some good players 'on paper' but their attitude and work ethic has let us down massively - Piquionne, McCarthy and Illunga are prime examples of this.

Having said that, we seem to have been better at this lately - signing players with a good work ethic such as Baldock and Vaz Te. Both of these players work their nuts off for the cause, and this, in the case of Vaz Te earns the luck they are getting at the moment.

Much as he is disliked on this site, this is exactly what Wenger makes a huge point of doing.

He wont sign a player, however talented unless they fit in with a profile in terms of their mindset.

[Turns to Stone]

You can say what you like about Grant, Zola and Allardyce, but the money we've spent on players that didn't look like they even wanted to be at West Ham over the last 5 years has been nothing short of embarrassing.

There does, at least, seem to be a little heart around the club these days and you get the impression that passengers like Dyer, Kovac, McCarthy, Ilunga would get short shrift from both the management, but more importantly the players.

[kthammer]

I wish that when signing players, we look at the player's attitude as well as their footballing ability - we have signed some good players 'on paper' but their attitude and work ethic has let us down massively - Piquionne, McCarthy and Illunga are prime examples of this.

Having said that, we seem to have been better at this lately - signing players with a good work ethic such as Baldock and Vaz Te. Both of these players work their nuts off for the cause, and this, in the case of Vaz Te earns the luck they are getting at the moment.

I think there's a limit to the ability of clubs to mind-read or tell the future. llunga had quite a good first season with us - he only went off the boil afterwards. If you buy older players on long high paying contracts without performance clauses then you are going to get mugged sometimes, but sometimes you get someone like Sir Edward of Sheringham. Ravel is the opposite case. You know he's mentally unstable but he might just pay off. It sounds like they have got that contract right, lots of opt-out clauses based on his performances (or lack of them).

[James P]

I still think Piquionne is a decent player. Head's just not right.

Probably beyond saving now, I reckon.

Have to agree on both points. Really felt he could have been a big player for us this season and seemed to start off as first choice forward. Was absolutely gutted watching him play though as he clearly wasn't up for it. Shame as there is a very capable Championship player there.

[eastsidejon]

He should be a submarine captain!

They should make a film about it


How about calling it "The Hunt for Fred October"

Wasn't that the last time he scored for us?

Then he defected and started to find the net again.

Shame it wasn't a fishing net!

[Messiah]

Not only has he been relegated but he has finished bottom of the league in the last three seasons!