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Maghoma Signs On
Jacques Maghoma became the latest Blues player to sign an extended contract with the club following the announcement from the official site that the Congolese winger had signed a new deal keeping him at St Andrew’s til 2018.
I think I’ve mentioned before that I like Maghoma as a wideman. For me he offers Blues something that they have lacked consistently towards the end of the season: direct running at defenders, pace and a defensive workrate that keeps full-backs from pushing forwards. That workrate has done wonders for us at times; Maghoma is capable of winning the ball in dangerous positions which has then launched attacks for Blues from the final third.
He’s not perfect; like DJ Campbell he suffers from the peculiar issue that given time and space to make a decision he’ll invariably make the wrong one; however when forced to rely on speed and instinct he can be an absolutely clinical finisher. It’s infuriating but it is what it is; I think if Maghoma was better with time on the ball he’d be playing at a higher level than us.
Tying up players like Maghoma to longer contracts is important for Blues if they want to build a nucleus of a squad that evolves together rather than ripping it up and starting anew each season as we’ve been forced to in the past but there still needs to be additions if we are to improve.
With Duffy going and Buckley returning after his loan spell Blues are left with three, maybe four “proper” options wide – Maghoma, David Cotterill, Viv Solomon-Otabor and maybe Koby Arthur. Although I don’t believe it’s a high a priority as signing a couple of defenders, I’d like to see Blues look at bringing in a properly left-footed left winger. Although Maghoma and Solomon-Otabor have both played wide left neither are truly left-footed and I think at times it’s left Blues unbalanced.
Maghoma makes up for it by cutting in on his right and attacking the box directly which is something I admire but I think if Blues are to push on further they need to have a player available who can cross the ball from the left. Jonathan Grounds isn’t an attacking full back (and yes, admittedly I’d like to see us sign a young left back who can attack to contest the position with Grounds) which can leave us lopsided at times.
I’d like to see opposition teams left guessing whether we’re going to play from deep and through the middle into the box on both sides or whether we’re going to try and get the ball to the byeline and cross it/cut it back in to create chances. The right player would mean Gary Rowett can stick with his favoured 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formations but tweak things to change the way we play – a luxury I think he’s been denied with the players we have had in the past season.
Let’s hope when Panos talks about backing Rowett he is able to bring in the players identified by the backroom to help Blues – as Rowett himself said,
At the moment we have got to look at ‘What do we need to get into the Premier League’. That’s a very different recruitment for us this season, to what it was last season.
I hope he is given the players to do that.
Tags: David Cotterill, Jacques Maghoma, Koby Arthur, Viv Solomon-Otabor
85 Responses to “Maghoma Signs On”
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Great news!
Love Mags and his work ethic and desire to get forward. He will score more next season too
KRO
He will if he’s let off the leash. That will only happen if we get a better left back.
Rubbish. Other players in his position had to chase back and help out. It’s the way we play. If he can’t do it then it says more about him.He disappointed in the last half of the season. I think the fact he has a new deal means there won’t be a lot to spend.
I am pleased that Maghoma has signed a contract extension, but I am reminded of Owls fans warning that he is inconsistent. One game a match winner the next a disinterested bystander.
I agree with Dan that his decision making in the final third is poor. He tends to try and beat an extra man instead of shooting first time, which is the mark of a goal scorer.
Agree with you partly Richard but Wednesday fans hadn’t seen the best of him as we had, they all said good riddance; a stark contrast to how we’d be feeling if he’d left this summer.
I think he was poor at Wednesday and has been good for the Blues for 1 reason: poor management. People often blame a player for poor attitude but often it’s the way they’re handled that causes the problem.
Rowett knew him previously from Burton and seems to have a good relationship with him as a result. Jacques will be a key player for us in our push next season.
Glad that Mags is rewarded for his hard work. Interesting piece in the BM with an interview with Panos. It doesn’t really tell us anything more than Dan did when you were in HK, but more or less confirms what’s going on. http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/panos-pavlakis-reveals-been-big-11332345
He’s more a provider than goalscorer but your right he does tend to take the hardest route than the more orthodox one but he’s a good member of the squad but would be slightly worried if he became a constant member of the team next season as it would show lack of money and personnel . KRO
Great when we need pace in a match ,and in the last 20 minutes when the opposition are starting to tire and his mobility runs them on empty , neccessary
From the bench yes . KRO
Right Dave ,
Maghoma would be one of the first names on my teamsheet.
You should go down and watch more often.
Great constructive comment there Steve… demonstration it’s the comments that makes OP, hey?
Thanks mate :)
The season gone yes but not next season staffs , sorry mate but we beg to differ on this one , we need more goals from our striker and three supporting midfielders . KRO
On goals scored, he’s no worse than any of the players who have played across that 3 behind the striker.
And that’s why they need changing yes? KRO
If we had the money Dave, we don’t have a single player that I wouldn’t replace with someone better.
That goes without saying . KRO
i am afraid he don’t fill me with joy, maybe he be used a impact player agreed dave from the bench……
Agree,he wouldn’t be in my starting 11
looks like big bruce will join SW in final……rams looked flat and mentality shot to pieces…
Dreadful display by Derby -usual rumours now expected once again.
That’s exactly what he should be next season , an impact player and not a starting player . KRO
Well done Hull and destroyed Derby just like we did and 3-0 to match . KRO
I’d like to see Brucie promoted again.
And me. Too good for the Championship.
He will be ! KRO
On the subject of wingers, I was sad to hear that former blues player Alan Ainscow is suffering from terminal prostate cancer, he says that he has been testing a new drug, let’s hope by some miracle that it works. KRO
Yes, awful news. I wish him well in his fight.
Absolutely. KRO
Didn’t know that, very sad. He was one of my favourites from the Promotion season 79-80, I was gutted when he left for Everton. No offence to Maghoma or Cotterill, but how we could do with a player of his skill and determination out-wide now.
He was the first to leave as a Bosman I recall
Was he ?
In reality, we need a new right back, left back, centre back, holding midfielder, box-to-box midfielder.
If we could get at least 4 of those in, we’ll stand a chance next season.
And a striker
Talk of Martin not being happy , he’d fit nicely in at blues , bit early for blues perhaps KRO
And a goalscorer . KRO
Glad Mags has signed I think his unpredictability is a good thing keeps defenders on their toes , to me a full time starter every week
Unpredictability is right. Never know if he’s gonna be poor or crap.
Then it’s same again next season mate . KRO
Camara of Derby is a good left winger and a good finisher if played that way ,
Take a picture William. KRO
Maghoma is ok but if he`s the kind of standard we`re signing for next season then we are doomed to a moderate position in the table.But until we get new owners and some investment i suppose this is where we are.And i wonder if GR has glanced across to the East Midlands with a vacancy soon to be advertised?
Unless they change their management structure, then no. Rowett isn’t interested in working under a DoF. He’s stated that quite clearly. He wants autonomy in his job (as much as possible anyway.) I can’t see him standing for businessmen choosing and buying his playing staff for him. Would Derby be willing to change that structure for Rowett?
I bet if you waved enough money at Rowett he’d go, DoF or not…
You could well be right. I’m just taking the man at HIS word… not mine. Either way, I’m not that ars*d, but I would expect him to stand by what he says, as he’s stated it often enough.
Derby would be a good move for Rowett , he’s to stagment here and we need new owners , new manager , players and better than the season gone so let’s sort it out . KRO
I think you’re right about the new owners. I can’t see any new people coming in and settling for mid-table in the Championship can you? Whoever comes in will have their beady eyes on Premiership money, asap.
On the contrary they’re desperate for promotion so he’d be under enormous and unreasonable pressure. Plenty of time to go their at the back end of his career with his family grown up and more experience in his locker
Gary know the end game with BIH / TTA and that his immediate future is best served here. Promotion with realism
Bloody hope so otherwise what’s the point .KRO
Dans point about Maghoma having time on the ball was illustrated perfectly in the Vile match, one on one with the keeper he fluffed it big time
It was a poor miss, but wasn’t the only one in the match. Things tend to even themselves out in the long run. He’s won us more league games than that piddling little cup game anyway.
No staffs no . KRO
Don’t remember any other clear cut chance in that game. It wasn’t a piddling little cup when we won it.
As well all know , cheers Tony for bringing the obvious up . KRO
I think by the time E&Y have sqeaky cleaned BIH and certified it ,many of China’s wealthy business men will want to bid for it making TTA a big profit , E&Y will be payed off , and some of the profit will be used for a few quality players for blues to go for the £ 100,000,000 promotion biggy , whilst trying to do a television deal from the fast growing popularity of football in China to up blues anti at the same time scouting for one or 2 bargain Chinese players as an attractor to the Chinese public ..but if it doesn’t strike gold within 3 years sell us , KRO
Think you’re going to be disappointed…
Nor convinced at all on Mags. Inconsistent and very little threat going forward. Gets back in a very lazy manner.
This is the standard blues can get used to being a ‘marquee’ signing for…..
I think so to but I hope you and me are wrong Andrew and we get some money and we sign players that will supprise us but Ime not holding my breath to be honest . KRO
I’m sorry to be the ever optimist fave but I truly don’t want it to be this way. I want us to have a squad to be proud of and know at least they are capable of a performance for 40 odd games a season, win or lose. Like the team Darren carter scored a Cardiff shootout penalty for all those years ago when I first got taken by the blues fever. I been singing em ever since. But we can’t even find players like that now. Paul devlin Jeff Kenna Darren purse the horse stern John etc. We got a few in the likes of Dave Davis but it’s full of let downs really. Still let’s hope for better times.
NIstelrooy at his best season scored a goal at every 3.6 attempts ,, top clubs have a lot more attempts on target than teams at the bottom of the league ,, our own Rowetts Raiders have been bucking that trend slightly by catching teams on the break so scoring more times than our attempts deserve ,, but we have been sussed and teams are now cutting off our supply by marking our prime suspects and sitting back deeper themselves , we need more goalscorers to move on , ONWARD and upward …
Maghoma has got to be an option off the bench only. If he is first choice we can forget about the play-offs next season. He isn’t good enough or consistent enough to get us there but that goes for many of the others in the squad as it stands at the moment too. We need a step up in quality throughout the team to be a top 6 team. GR is fully aware of that judging by some of his comments. Problem is when players of that quality become available we won’t be the only ones after them so easier said than done.
As I said yesterday, there’s not a single player in our squad that I wouldn’t replace if we had the money. But, as we don’t, what we need, is to strengthen the important areas and that’s mainly in defence and up the middle of the park.. So for me, that’s where the majority of what money we have should be spent.
Although it’s not ideal, we can cope with Cotterill, Maghoma, Soplomon-Otabor, Donaldson, Vaughan etc. We need to be stronger, physically and mentally, in defence and centre midfield.
I don’t think we are any stronger in attacking areas than we are in defence or midfield. Statistically this season we were better defensively than most teams but well below average or downright poor in terms of keeping possession, creating chances and converting them. Vaughan and Donaldson will not score score enough goals between them to get us in the top 6 and the others you mention will not create sufficient chances anyway.
Donaldson should have been top scorer in the division. He missed so many chances.
I don’t think so Steve . KRO
Dave if he had put his easy chances away he would have been right up there.
No Steve , I’ve been to most games so no , sorry mate .KRO
So have i mate. So you’re saying Donaldson shouldn’t have scored more goals than he did ?
Yes but not top scorer .. Please don’t argue with me ! KRO
Fair enough,but don’t argue with me please
You are entitled to your opinion obviously Steve but we created very few chances relative to other teams which the stats back up. To say Donaldson could have been top scorer is rubbish – he couldn’t have been that if had taken every single chance. I saw games home and away this season where we created nothing or next to nothing. He wasn’t as good as he was in the previous season that I would agree with and he isn’t getting any younger and that should be a concern.
Keep happy .KRO
No he wouldn’t have been . KRO
I can argue with who I like because I can back it up ..xxxx .KRO
Ha HA Haaaaaaaaa
Shows your mentality .. Best of luck mate . KRO
I stand by what i said Shirley. If he had put away his easier chances,he would have been up there.
Could Maghoma be a regular in a promotion winning team. Not without a left back who is a good defender who is good going forward.
Why do people talk about having wingers , there is not one player in the squad that you can call a quality header of the ball , we only have one striker so he can be marked out of the game , Donaldson plays all over the place so how is he going to get on the ball regulary, giggs was a good winger but he crossed the ball a lot less than the teams in the bottom half of the table and cut in and shot more than the team in the bottom half of the table , we score very few goals from crosses and not that many from corners , ant not enough at all , we need a couple of attacking midfield players that score goals and make goals , if you are going to play two wingers then you need to play in a 4+4+2 or a 4+4+1+1 system and regularly try to get four in the box at most crosses like DON Review used to insist upon , to be a top team it needs to be planned like a Roman army to get full effect … KRO
I think donaldsons problem (if you call it) is that he does so much for the team hes knackered by the time he gets the ball in dangerous areas. How come other teams can play a 4-4-2 but we cant.
Tesche
Buxton
a left back
Crouch or ricki lambert :0)
Leroy lita on a free anyone? Trying to remember what he did for us apart from the goal at leeds