[Archived] Vince Grella Signs

[BuckyRover]

Was den not being facetious?

[T4E]

Oh............ignore me then

[den]

Was den not being facetious?

No.

[LeChuck]

A new manager and an approaching transfer window - don't even think about it Den!

[Tim Southampton Rover]

good news, lets hope he is fully fit this time and we have him in the squad now till the end of the season

Out with a virus now.

[Wild Irish Rover]

Get shut. Ship him off to some far flung outpost where he can prove he has the appetite and bollux to cut it in the professional game. Almost as much of a joke signing as the Winterburn muppet and Roberto Fowler (both now released according to SSN).

[Tim Southampton Rover]

I was thinking that maybe his injuries might clear up now that there is a different approach to training. People mentioned that our former manager and his two main men were pretty 'old school' when it came to training. Maybe our new manager will have a different approach to training which will help Grella come back fit.

I guess the good news is that it's only a virus and not a hamstring injury which kept him out for a while.

[philipl]

Depends which virus he's got.

Anyway, get well soon Vince.

[joey_big_nose]

Has he really got a virus? Is he made of straw or something? The man is beginning to challenge Reid as the most injury prone individual at the club.

We need him at the moment. I can see him and Dunn forming a very good partnership in the middle of the park, which will greatly benefit the club moving forward. It also, if he sorts himself out, means we can focus our money on a right winger which is what we need the most.

[philipl]

I hope I am wrong but I think a fair few are over-estimating what this guy will do when he is fit.

Other Serie A clubs in Italy had him as a "steer clear of". In ten seasons of Italian football at various levels, he managed just 237 appearances and scored 4 goals. That is 14 games a season he failed to make an appearance in on average over ten seasons including time in lower leagues.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Same could be said for Roque Santa Cruz whilst in Germany.

Let's hope yet another gamble pays off.

[philipl]

World of difference I am afraid Tim.

Nobody in Germany doubted Santa had oodles of talent.

[imy9]

I hope I am wrong but I think a fair few are over-estimating what this guy will do when he is fit.

Other Serie A clubs in Italy had him as a "steer clear of". In ten seasons of Italian football at various levels, he managed just 237 appearances and scored 4 goals. That is 14 games a season he failed to make an appearance in on average over ten seasons including time in lower leagues.

A link anywhere for the "steer clear of" comment which sounds factual but is no doubt your opinion being passed off as fact... again

Grella's "various levels" consists of... serie A and international football with Australia, he has played most of his career in the top flight in the toughest defensive league in the world as a defensive midfield player.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

World of difference I am afraid Tim.

Nobody in Germany doubted Santa had oodles of talent.

So who's doubted Grella's talent?

From what i've read about him, it's quite the opposite.

He's been plying his trade in Serie 'A' for a decade making over 230 league appearances and has captained his side. Surely some people must have had faith in his ability.

Like everyone associated with BRFC, let's hope he proves to be a good signing for us!

[47er]

A link anywhere for the "steer clear of" comment which sounds factual but is no doubt your opinion being passed off as fact... again

Grella's "various levels" consists of... serie A and international football with Australia, he has played most of his career in the top flight in the toughest defensive league in the world as a defensive midfield player.

Has he got a history of injuries before joining us? I thought he hadn't.

[philipl]

Last season he signed on a Bosman with Torino and injuries restricted him to just 25 appearances. I also believe he was a colleague of our old pal Grabbi when on loan at Ternani 1999-2001.

[James No. 7]

So who's doubted Grella's talent?

From what i've read about him, it's quite the opposite.

He's been plying his trade in Serie 'A' for a decade making over 230 league appearances and has captained his side. Surely some people must have had faith in his ability.

Like everyone associated with BRFC, let's hope he proves to be a good signing for us!

Roque Santa Cruz was considered to have an abundance of talent - hence being with Bayern Munich for eight years - but didn't live up to his potential. Vince Grella was a dime-a-dozen defensive midfielder who was considered reliable. No-one is doubting he has "talent" - the extent of that talent is in question.

Grella started his career in Italy in 1998 for Empoli in Serie B. He was on loan at Ternana from 1999-2001. He rejoined Empoli for the promotion season in 2001-2002. He remained at the club in until Empoli was relegated in 2004.

He then moved to Parma until 2007 where he was involved in two successive relegation play-offs in the latter seasons.

Before joining Rovers, he was at Torino who finished 15th in Serie A.

Grella's career path in Italy has been an overall improvement. He has been at clubs in in Serie B and worked his way up to struggling clubs in Serie A. He is hardly the Serie A fixture he has been made out to be and his talent has been overestimated.

When he signed I stated he was a (better) replacement for Aaron Mokoena in the squad and was nothing more, based on the expectation that Rovers was a club that should be pushing for Europe. Naturally, I saw the money paid for him to be a waste for such a talent, especially when Hughes signed star players for less than the 4 million figure that was bandied about. Well, bad luck now, the money has been spent now and there is no point trying to recoup money when it most probably won't be.

After the signing of Sam Allardyce and the current relegation battle we are in, I re-evaluated Grella's importance to the squad and even suggested he might be the sort of midfield lynchpin to get the club out of this mess, sort of similar to how Mokoena was used by Hughes once upon a time. However, don't expect him to push the club towards greater heights. I have nothing against him and in fact quite like him, but he is not the regular first team starter for a Premier League club with greater ambitions.

I have been and probably will continue to be accused for "pre-judging" him, but looking at his career, what I have seen of him playing (especially before joining Rovers), and considering his age, the likelihood of him becoming the midfielder we hope he could be for the club is slim.

[robbo_rovers]

Grabbi's price tag repaid itslef with that equaliser against Liverpool!

[tony gale's mic]

Roque Santa Cruz was considered to have an abundance of talent - hence being with Bayern Munich for eight years - but didn't live up to his potential. Vince Grella was a dime-a-dozen defensive midfielder who was considered reliable. No-one is doubting he has "talent" - the extent of that talent is in question.

Grella started his career in Italy in 1998 for Empoli in Serie B. He was on loan at Ternana from 1999-2001. He rejoined Empoli for the promotion season in 2001-2002. He remained at the club in until Empoli was relegated in 2004.

He then moved to Parma until 2007 where he was involved in two successive relegation play-offs in the latter seasons.

Before joining Rovers, he was at Torino who finished 15th in Serie A.

Grella's career path in Italy has been an overall improvement. He has been at clubs in in Serie B and worked his way up to struggling clubs in Serie A. He is hardly the Serie A fixture he has been made out to be and his talent has been overestimated.

When he signed I stated he was a (better) replacement for Aaron Mokoena in the squad and was nothing more, based on the expectation that Rovers was a club that should be pushing for Europe. Naturally, I saw the money paid for him to be a waste for such a talent, especially when Hughes signed star players for less than the 4 million figure that was bandied about. Well, bad luck now, the money has been spent now and there is no point trying to recoup money when it most probably won't be.

After the signing of Sam Allardyce and the current relegation battle we are in, I re-evaluated Grella's importance to the squad and even suggested he might be the sort of midfield lynchpin to get the club out of this mess, sort of similar to how Mokoena was used by Hughes once upon a time. However, don't expect him to push the club towards greater heights. I have nothing against him and in fact quite like him, but he is not the regular first team starter for a Premier League club with greater ambitions.

I have been and probably will continue to be accused for "pre-judging" him, but looking at his career, what I have seen of him playing (especially before joining Rovers), and considering his age, the likelihood of him becoming the midfielder we hope he could be for the club is slim.

Agreed.

[tcj_jones]

Yeah, good post James.

With all that in view, it seems crazy that a club of our financial status was willing to fork out £4 million for him.

[tony gale's mic]

Yep people talk up the Serie A and say "he isn't going to be a bad player if he's made that many appearances in Serie A" while conveniently forgetting our league is arguably of a higher standard - and there's plenty of players who have played most of their careers in the lower reaches of the Premier League who we wouldn't want to sign, let alone for £4 million! You would've thought if he was such a good player that he would've moved his way up the league by now, at least to a side that was challenging for Europe like we've been...

[rover6]

It weren't £4 million. I am pretty sure that I read a direct Ince quote stating that it was 4 million euros. (Perhaps, still too much).

I just fear that Vince Grella is the new Paul Okon.

Hope I'm wrong.

[chris]

Roque Santa Cruz was considered to have an abundance of talent - hence being with Bayern Munich for eight years - but didn't live up to his potential. Vince Grella was a dime-a-dozen defensive midfielder who was considered reliable. No-one is doubting he has "talent" - the extent of that talent is in question.

Grella started his career in Italy in 1998 for Empoli in Serie B. He was on loan at Ternana from 1999-2001. He rejoined Empoli for the promotion season in 2001-2002. He remained at the club in until Empoli was relegated in 2004.

He then moved to Parma until 2007 where he was involved in two successive relegation play-offs in the latter seasons.

Before joining Rovers, he was at Torino who finished 15th in Serie A.

Grella's career path in Italy has been an overall improvement. He has been at clubs in in Serie B and worked his way up to struggling clubs in Serie A. He is hardly the Serie A fixture he has been made out to be and his talent has been overestimated.

When he signed I stated he was a (better) replacement for Aaron Mokoena in the squad and was nothing more, based on the expectation that Rovers was a club that should be pushing for Europe. Naturally, I saw the money paid for him to be a waste for such a talent, especially when Hughes signed star players for less than the 4 million figure that was bandied about. Well, bad luck now, the money has been spent now and there is no point trying to recoup money when it most probably won't be.

After the signing of Sam Allardyce and the current relegation battle we are in, I re-evaluated Grella's importance to the squad and even suggested he might be the sort of midfield lynchpin to get the club out of this mess, sort of similar to how Mokoena was used by Hughes once upon a time. However, don't expect him to push the club towards greater heights. I have nothing against him and in fact quite like him, but he is not the regular first team starter for a Premier League club with greater ambitions.

I have been and probably will continue to be accused for "pre-judging" him, but looking at his career, what I have seen of him playing (especially before joining Rovers), and considering his age, the likelihood of him becoming the midfielder we hope he could be for the club is slim.

depressing read

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Yeah it is!

I think the fee we paid for him makes the read sound depressing but like you said, thats spent now so we've just got to hope he does well for Rovers or flog him back to Ince in his next job

[dave birch]

Got to agree with James.

Vince is no great shakes as a player. When it came to talk of an Aussie coming to Ewood in the summer, I'd have taken Bresciano over Grella. At least Brescia pops up and score some spectaular goals, although they are too infrequent to make him a star.