hello, walsall fan in peace, i was reading ssn transfer centre and you are close to signing Claude Gnakpa.

Reading your rumour mill, your manager wants a player who can play in defence midfield and striker, Claude can definitely do all 3, he is preferable on the wing but has played at right back in his career and many walsall fans have wanted him to start upfront, he is good in the air and has pace when he wants to use it.

The negative side to him is that he drifts from games and can get very frustrating watching him.

But with the right service he can be a quality player

http://www1.skysport...-capture-Gnakpa

Edited January 26, 201213 yr by walsallfcfan

Had confirmation on the pronunciation of his name today and it is "Napa" as in Ayai Napa....so silent G and silent K.

"Hiya Napa" .....

Anyway ...easier to say. eh?

If he doesn't perform you can always gildee him up by calling him Granpa. Why not? After all, a rose by any other name smells the same.

Thinks: the reason that Terry's players from England do well here is because for them it must be a breath of fresh air from the pressure cooker of English football--so many teams and so many players. There is more room to move and they get to grow and get a game against sturdy and often very fast opposition here in the SPL and probably are surprised at the pace and turgidity of the game up here as well. And, for them, it's a completely fresh start which is always good.

Knapsack.

The air in Scotland apart from Hope Street has to be far superior for athletes to that he has recently used. Once he gets used to some Highland air he will be rejuvenated. Players wanted by Managers are generally more motivated too.

Our bonus and incentive scheme is unusual too. Miss an easy chance and you have to buy Terry a bottle of quality red. You can see his preference for French players. For a lot of away games, win and you share a fish supper at Auchterarder; lose and you share a fish supper at Auchterarder. Win or lose the whole team then have to pick Terry up from the pub and get him back on the bus. Togetherness in action. Can we just call you Claude?

Can we not just call him Claude Smith?

Papers seem divided on the opinion over the nature of this transfer. Is he on loan or is he on a contract till the end of the season?

His contract is up at the end of the season at Walsall regardless so i don't think it matters too much if he is on loan or is signed with us till the summer. Walsall clearly don't want him if they are loaning him out with 6 months left on his contract so he's almost our player anyway if he is on loan.

Papers seem divided on the opinion over the nature of this transfer. Is he on loan or is he on a contract till the end of the season?

My understanding is he has been released from Walsall and has signed a contract with us till end of season. Possibly to see if he can hack it in SPL. Do well and he may get an extension or an opportunity elsewhere. Do bad then niether party is committed to the other. When he takes us to Europe he'll want to stay.

Edited January 28, 201213 yr by Alex MacLeod

if the game keeps going the way it is he could get a goal on his debut and be loved forever

if he scores im gonna be inventing a time machine to change my gringos league post...lol

Edited January 28, 201213 yr by Tug

http://www.saddlers.co.uk/page/News/0,,10428~2589642,00.html#continue

Judging by twitter tweets, he is offski.

Started in a blaze of glory (almost), then we saw little of him, how odd.

Cheers Claude

Setting aside his questionable work rate...he seems to have been a victim if circumstance (in much the same way as Sanchez was, IMO) in that he was never really given the opportunity he maybe should have been, or would have benefited from in order to earn a new deal.

That's not a go at anyone, just the way the cards fall sometimes.

Butcher really talked up Gnakpa when he was signed and I think raised our expectations far too highly; he then of course looked very slick on his debut vs St. Mirren as well. But I saw him playing at centre forward at East End Park when he was dreadful, and Butcher seems to have given up on him quickly. A shame.

Agreed with the above, his cons outweighed his pros in the few opportunities he's got but given that Tel has been tracking him for "years" i'm a little suprised he has been shown the door so soon.

The game at East End park done it for me too, he was truelly awful.

Farewell Claude...wherever you may end up.

Scores a hell of a lot more in scrabble than he does on a park.

Edited April 18, 201213 yr by Sorted

Hardly surprising to be honest.

What is surprising is that Winall is still here...

TB thought highly of this guy and made efforts to bring a player he genuinely thought would improve our squad, whether its the player and a lack of effort/attitude or its just he isnt up to SPL quality only the player and TB knows I guess. Perhaps TB feels that with the faith he put in him and the efforts in signing him the playerits not rewarded so time to try someone else?

TB thought highly of this guy and made efforts to bring a player he genuinely thought would improve our squad, whether its the player and a lack of effort/attitude or its just he isnt up to SPL quality only the player and TB knows I guess. Perhaps TB feels that with the faith he put in him and the efforts in signing him the playerits not rewarded so time to try someone else?

What feckin tosh - I have seen this guy a few times down south and his negatives always outshone his positives - he was yet another panic buy via a probable DVD / "reputation" reference. May well have been a mutual narcisstic attraction as Clawed is a bigger one than TB.

Greedy Narcisstic Arrogant Pigheaded Knowall Ars*****

It is no surprise to me that Claude has left as he hasn't featured much this season, for whatever reason.

I would rather use his wages for either, someones new contract or a new signings wages, someone who is going to play regularly.

Wow--is he off then? That was short and not so sweet , it seems.

If he did not measure up to T B's assessment how much work did TB put in to retrain his attitudes etc. If narcissism was the problem then did he meet him in the dressing room , lock the door and let him have it?

Then follow up with the carrot--something like "you've got a big future here if you realise that you are just another TEAM player and are prepared to work very hard to PROVE yourself.

Your future lies in your own hands --I'm from Missouri originally, so ....."SHOW ME".

You know-- just stroking his ego and being nice and gentle.

Unlike Tade, who is a worker, it doesn't seem as if Claude was, so ....bye, bye Claudia.

Caley Thistle needs workers, not guys who think the word "entitlement" means me first and you have to say..."After you Claude"

He was a loan player, and probably not interested in being here any longer than necessary, so very much doubt being told to prove himself would be much of a carrot.

I don't think he was on a loan deal actually. I remember reading on the Walsall website at the time that they had cancelled his contract and he'd signed a six month deal with ICT.

Yip - he was on a six month contract and turned up on his first day in a spanking new mercedes and a saville row suit !! I recall at the time wondering how he would fit in !!

Through the door

And fairly quickly out the door...

Another TB 'find' in the stratford mode.