I’ve said ever since we signed him, that “N’zog” is, in my opinion, a very good player. One that offers something different; a twist and turn and a jinking run, that set him apart from many of his peers playing in the Villa side in the time when McLeish ruined, sorry, managed the team.
My opinion says he would be an even better option in the current side, but for some reason he hasn’t seen the light of day under Paul Lambert, this season.
Some of you will no doubt immediately jump up and say “it’s because he’s injured, you idiot” and on the face of it, you are of course correct. He has a major Achilles problem.
Now, while I do have some time for conspiracies, I also, over the years have come to realise that very often, what you see is not actually what’s happening behind the scenes. A PR facade, that covers what’s really going on, if you will.
And ever since N’Zog’s injury, I’ve often said that he’ll never kick a ball for us again.
It was just a conviction, but something I never really analysed.
So why have I bought it up now?
Well, the Birmingham Evening Mail and the Star are both running a story that suggests that N’Zog might play for us again this season, with quotes from Lambert included;
“You would think he would play before the end of the season, yes, but it’s not nice, that injury. I think his Achilles heel just went and once you get that it’s a major injury.”
Encouraging words.
Except if you look more closely, my understanding is he won’t get into the first team squad this season.
For one, he doesn’t have a squad number, which automatically precludes him, I think.
From the Beeb’s footy site;
“- Changes (to the squad, my words) can be made only during transfer windows, although in exceptional circumstances (eg goalkeeping injury crisis) moves could be allowed.”
So at best, he might make the reserve side.
(In fairness, I’m not sure what happens if you haven’t filled your quota, as I don’t believe we did.
I’m happy to be pulled up on that.)
And then, there’s the nature of his injury.
His Achilles apparently went while jogging.
Fair enough, this sort of thing happens, but are you really telling me a professional footballer at his peak can sustain an injury in this manner and can’t be recuperated in short time, given the facilities and medical skills that top clubs can call on?
I’ve just done a bit of research and a snapped Achilles should heal in 4-12 months.
I’d take that 12 months to be a worst case, eg a very aged person, whereas I’d expect a reasonably fit bloke, let alone N’Zog, to be included in that 4 months.
I quite frankly never believed the story and I’m convinced he’s quite simply been ostracised, just as Given and Hutton etc were.
The difference between N’Zog and the rest?
Charles was signed for £9-10 million, on a rumoured £57k a week (from memory), on a shocking five year deal, which means we have him on our books until July 2016!
This is quite simply bordering on criminal and makes you think of a few things.
First, who on earth sanctioned this signing?
Second, it says something about McLeish, who has boasted that he did a good job in cutting the wages (?!). The fact that he said that also goes back to the first point, if you think about it.
Was it just a marquee signing done over AM’s head?
Third, was this “all too convenient” injury just a nice, quiet way of sidelining a totally embarrassing signing that Lambert can’t handle with the aim being that we might just forget about him?
My further questions are, if indeed N’Zog has been ostracised as I suspect, isn’t this just total madness?
And shouldn’t we be looking to get him back in the side, given that I also suspect he’s been asked to leave, but has basically stuck two fingers up and said “I want to play and I’m not going anywhere for less money”?
But how’s that going to work, if Lambert simply doesn’t want him because he costs too much?
A total disaster, whichever way you look at it, in that case.
Of course, I could be talking total rubbish and he is quite simply injured, as the club say.
In which case, go on then, let’s hear the slating. I can take it.
I think it is what it is, he’s been an injury nightmare although id defo agree that after the deal mcdull did with given id imagine a similar ridiculous deal has been done with zog and if that’s the case under the current regime he cannot stay, we’ve shifted better players on less or the same kind of money from the squad, the likes of Darren bent spring to mind 1st.
the reason I believe he is genuinely injured is that he would if nothing else be out on loan at least by now and would probably be a fully paid up member of the bomb squad.
also he himself is probably not that keen on doing his best to get over any injuries knowing that if he does out on loan he goes, a good positive mental attitude of an injured player is as vital as the medical treatment he receives.
he could be doing a steven Ireland and just sitting there collecting his pay cheque, I mean, where else is zog going to pull in 50K+ a week?
answer: only in his dreams.
I totally agree Naughtius, I would say he’s one of the school of sit on his arse and just take the money. He to me is milking the system, when he came I thought this guys not going to light the sky up for us, he and one or two others just move them on, then after saying that might be dressing room or club problems.
If he has been registered with the squad in the 25 picked, he can play.
Squad numbers are nor here or there, as they can be given out any time.
Like U21s, they don’t all have numbers but if a 17 year old amazes, he can play as he doesn’t need to be registered and given a number.
There is something in this but as long as he was in the reg 25, he can play.
Just checked, he was registered so he can play.
I assumed he was in the bomb squad and gone but I wonder if the answer to our need for an AM is here, assuming he’s getting fit again and is going to play a part? It will be difficult to sell him and we might be stuck with him for the next year so maybe it makes sense to put him to good use? You never know, he might turn out to actually be good.
Cnz has had more poor performances than good by a mile,does he have ability yes but certainly one im quite relieved when his name is exempt from the team sheet.sorry more miss than hit.
As far as I know, it was a pretty severe Achilles, snapped rather than torn which would be a better assessment of recovery time than age or health.
I think that he’s in Miami, or certain warmer climes at the moment to accelerate his recovery.
Now some players would aggressively train to return to football, others would let nature take it’s own time, I’d guess Charlie may fall into the latter.
Strange how with one comment we criticise the amounts paid for players, and lengths and amount of wages of contracts, and then with another say that Lerner is tight and milking the club.
That’s not knocking any individuals, just a reminder that we forget how money has been spent, and it’s easy to shout for more to be splashed.
Vaze, I looked up a snapped Achilles and the timeframes I mentioned are correct for that injury, 4-12 months.
Point taken about him not being the type to bust a gut to get fit. I still think it’s taking a lot longer than it ought, considering your average Joe wouldn’t have access to physio etc.
As for Lerner, granted, he weighed in heavily.
But pulled back way too fast imo and that’s my criticism of him.
His work rate isn’t the best. The team’s fundamental problem is a poor share of possession every match and CNz in place of anybody is not going to improve that imo.
Even as a winger – if CNz was inspirational (Tony Morley, Tony Daley) and his presence could have cured the “now sit back on the lead” attitude displayed once more at Goodison, then he would be worth including. But I never saw him inspire his team mates either at VP or the Ship of Fools.
I’m open to him making the 1st team as LM or CAM type player behind two strikers in that diamond Lambert likes got to admit scores goals too.The only reserve I have is Zoggies consistency & ball retention as he does lose it a bit while dribbling….UTV
Like with the ‘injury’ Dunne had last season if anyone believes he will play again for Villa you need to look at Dunne situation.
If you believe Nzog has been injured then I wonder if you believe in fairies ?
So what do you know that we don’t? He isn’t injured at all and has given up on football completely? Has he been paid off or walked away from football and promised to keep quiet about it all?
I have no idea but do you believe Dunne was ‘injured’ all last season. There is the bomb squad and they have been told they would never play again and that is what has happened.
Look at Warnock for example, are we really saying bennett and Luna and spending wasted cash on those was worth bombing him out ?
Funny at Leeds not seen a report he is disruptive there.
That is why Lambert was perfect for Lerner as he is doing the master’s bidding on players.
So you don’t know if he’s been injured or not, or if he is if he’s recovered or not, or in fact anything whatsoever to do with N’Zog. Very constructive.
I believe in you Ian ..
Ive always felt he has had a bad time from Villa fans when i dont think he deserves it.
CNZ like Hutton shows how inept the ginger one was with signings and tactics, lets sign 2 attacking players and stick them in a defensive formation.
A lot of our players past and present do not EVER move into space. CNZ is very good at creating space for players and opening up defences but our players were too lazy to see it or do anything about it. last year he linked up well with Wiemann and Lowton. Hope he gets fit soon and plays well for us and the manager tells the other players what they need to do when he has the ball. He is the number 10 we are crying out for
A lot of fans forget the free kick last year against QPR that was the moment our team turned itself around and he has not been applauded enough for it because without that goal we would have been playing the noses this season.
Good post. I often think of the N’zog story.
Your sentence “Third, was this “all too convenient” injury just a nice, quiet way of sidelining a totally embarrassing signing that Lambert can’t handle with the aim being that we might just forget about him?” Echoe my thoughts exactly.
It’s a real shame because we’re crying out for N’Zog at the moment, he can play anywhere across the midfield but I would have loved to see him in behind a front two, Benteke/Helenius, Benteke/Weimann. I also believe we’ll never see this happen as he won’t play for us again. A real shame.
great post
its like the 8th wonder of the world between kong and hanging garden of babylon.
here we are struggling 2 create and n’zog resting his sore achilles, i also believe he would fit rite in behind the front line. if lambert would use him ~ my guess is, he doesn’t fancy him. but is stuck with him but any chance he can dump him its au revoir
So Nath, “my guess is, he doesn’t fancy him”. Maybe he likes KEA’s eyes.
lmao 🙂
yeah i apologize, i didn’t mean it like that ~ i guess his wages and being a luxury type player he doesn’t fit the lambert mold, where KEA has the eyes lol and is a lambert purchase
It does seem similar to the dunne injury last year, both did hav really bad injurys and the Achilles is one of the worst you can have but to say that the injury is made up is again more conspiracy theory bullshit, if we really wanted him off the books we would hardly say he has a terrible injury because obviously nobody will take him off us then! He is injured 100% anybody who disputes this needs their head checked! However will he ever play for us again is a different story, i don’t think he will simply because of his wages and that he doesn’t work hard enough for the team, even though he would still be probably one of our best players Lambert wants 11 work horses on the field and creativity and talent seem to mean nothing to him, i would hav him in our team for sure but we are not good enough in midfield to hav a luxury player like him which i blame Lambert for because he could have sorted it on at least 3 occasions now and still hasn’t. But just imagine a 4-2-3-1 system with benteke up front and gabby, andi and nzog in behind, that would be a formidable strickforce
was going to post but there’s very little I could add to kerryvillans post above, pretty much just how I see it too, id like to see him in and he does offer something we are sorely missing, given a decent run id be interested to see how he gets on. but at 50K+ there is no way we are looking to hang on to him, he just doesn’t fit the ‘bill’ as it were.
by the way the ’50k’ thing is something ive just regurgitated from what I heard, I don’t know for sure what his wage is, does anyone have solid info on his wage and/or contract length? is it in the silly money ball park?
I’m generally pretty good at remembering the wages and £57k was the figure mentioned at the time.
Hardly solid info though.
We’ve got him until the summer of 2016, according to Wiki.
that’s 100% bomb squad material isn’t it? I just cant see us keeping him on considering what has already gone on, even if fit I doubt he would feature in lamberts plans.
That’s exactly my point, NM.
Ability has nothing to do with it and we (whoever the “we” is) want him gone, simple, imo.
And allowing him to play would just encourage him to stay.
Hence my reasoning that he’ll never kick a ball for us again in the first team.
The “injury” has nothing to do with anything either.
Agreed. Would like to see him back in the team too. For me he is a nice player to put in to change up the front 3. Right now, Lambert is using Holt…who should only ever be used to replace Benteke!
You could also put Nzog in behind the front 3 (in KEAs position) but that becomes a very attacking line up.
I think PL really needs to figure out his best midfield though once Gabby is back. For me, it has to be Delph and Westwood sitting with Bacuna (or even Gardner) allowed to play in front of them. He cant playing KEA there.
There was a recent news story saying Lambert says Gardner is fighting for a new contract. If he’s injury prone Villa won’t want to pay for him to sit it out but we really could do with seeing if he can cut it and there’s really only one way to find out.
Of course I am sure Ian will be along in a minute to tell us we’re all idiots for believing Gardner has been injured and will ever play for Villa again.
i would like to see an invovled well deployed and fully fit NZogbia playing for us before the season ends but i am not sure that would happen.
in his first year with lambert he didn’t do much or Lambert couldn’t get the best out of him depending on how you see it
off subject
i just red lambert on sky sports web page
quotes about gary gardner playing 4 his future. if hes fully fit why doesn’t lambert use gardner instead of KEA who seems 2 get game time. he seems not 2 favor our youth, but brings and plays second class players from lower leagues.
Nath… Been trying to read between the lines regarding Gardner. Makes you wonder if he is pulling his weight in training. Something is not quite right IMO. Further to that, if he is injured alot like he is, its pretty difficult to include him in training sessions which in turn makes it hard to be included in the starting 11.
i admit, i haven’t seen gary as much as lambert has. but he doesn’t seem 2 blood any of our youth players.compared to his signings. which are not premiership class.i hate singling one player out, but KEA was his first signing and iam sorry he has failed 2 establish himself in prem.
i hope lamberts trying 2 scare him into better performances and more effort ~ i like 2 at least see gary get a sub appearance, so we can see 4 ourselves