Played for England 22 times don’t you know.
This site is not in the habit of commenting on transfer speculation around Leeds United, mainly because lots of it tends to be wrong and others, like The Scratching Shed, are doing a grand job on that (and that is meant as a compliment). However last night’s breaking story that we are after Darius Vassell provokes me to break that.
I have long had a problem with two types of striker, those that won’t graft, you know the type, score shed-loads of goals when flat-track bullying but can’t do the team stuff, we gave one of those a Bosman in the summer, and those whose only attribute is upper body strength and pace, resulting in scoring an average of 3 goals a season (but somehow not stopping them getting 70 England caps). Darius Vassell falls uniquely into both categories.
If you look at the facts dispassionately you will quickly come to the conclusion that this story lacks merit. Vassell has just left Ankaragücü in the Turkish Super League where he was on ridiculous money. On being released he indicated he wished to stay in that league. Given that it would seem unlikely he would take a pay-cut to come to Elland Road. However….it isn’t a pay cut has he is a free agent and earning nothing, the rest of the Turkish league don’t seem to be rushing to acquire a striker with 4 league goals last season and to cap it all Vassell’s family stayed in England and he entertained the readers of the Guardian with a “Angst in Ankara” blog. All that starts to make you worry this could be happening.
At this point the football comes into play, given that he has only ever once in the 13 seasons of professional football got double figures league goals, and that was back in 01-02, and scored only 40 league goals in the 8 seasons since (so average of 5) one wonders how that fits in to Grayson’s plans. To be fair he can play winger, if you ignore crossing as an attribute, but given the rumours on Becchio it hardly contributes a step forward in finding a decent striker with a work ethic.
So in short, here we go again, down the Trundle and that striker now managing Oldham Athletic (whose name will trigger a certain filter) road of strange has-been signing. On this one occasion and in the spirit of the stress-free season I so want, a plea, please don’t Leeds, it will only end in tears.
Michael Green.
