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A New Contract for Diop – Pt II
After making a much-delayed home debut at the weekend which saw him score the equalising goal, Papa Bouba Diop’s contract at Blues comes to an end tonight. The Senegalese man-mountain has been at Blues for sixty days and has made just two appearances for the first team.
Back in November I argued against a contract extension for Diop; at that time he’d barely made the bench for Blues let alone made an appearance for the team. Blues seemed well-stocked with midfielders and it was difficult to see why a player who will be 35 in January should be kept on when he wasn’t making the team.
However I have to admit my mind has changed over the last few days. As much as I’d like to see Morgaro Gomis reintegrated into the first team the fact Callum Reilly was preferred to Gomis speaks volumes about how much he is rated by Lee Clark. As much as I think Gomis could do a job for us I don’t manage the club and it does look like the “Primark Makalele” will be looking for a new club in January. Jonny Specs is out until Boxing Day at least, no one knows when Keith Fahey will be back and it appears that Darren Ambrose is made of glass leaving Blues fairly short-handed in the middle – which would mean another month for Diop might not be the worst idea as cover.
One of the other things that quickly became obvious on Saturday is that Diop offers us something none of our other midfielders do – a strong presence in the middle. He made his presence felt in the middle with some fairly agricultural challenges and as the game wore on he pushed forwards like a mobile battering ram. I’ll grant that he’s not quick, and that his ball control could have been somewhat better but it made such a change to see someone in a Blues shirt properly take hold of the midfield and let the opposition know he was there.
I will say that my one caveat in wanting to give Diop a contract is that he has to play; I don’t see the point in giving him another thirty days if he is going to sit on the bench once more on the return of Mullins after suspension. I’m not a fan of signing players as “cover” and considering Blues are pretty short of cash the club isn’t in a position to sign a player that is going to warm the bench and only come in if one of the “regulars” is out. We’ve already got Ben Gordon (who I honestly think will never play for Blues 1st team again) for the remainder of the season, we don’t need any more passengers within the squad.
The signs are that Blues will be giving Papa his new deal, and in honesty I think he’d have got it even if he hadn’t played on Saturday. It’s down to Lee Clark to play him now and show us that he’s worth the dough – Papa’s no leech after all…
Tags: Papa Bouba Diop
26 Responses to “A New Contract for Diop – Pt II”
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I though papa was great on Saturday , put his foot in have his all and his reaction when he scored was brilliant. I’m not a Mullins fan I truly fail to see what he offers us and what Clarke sees in him. For me I would give Papa a contract to the end of season and go with papa Morrison/Spector central midfield
Is anyone a Mullins fan? Where’s Fahey?
I hope there aren’t many Mullins fans, he’s awful. And Fahey is still on compassionate leave.
I thought we had Ben Gordon until January – I was looking forward to waving him off.
diop is simply here as a body to fill in because we have no money, cannot buy proper quality players and have to rely on ageing month to months. that is the shocking state these brilliant visionary owners have left us in
However he’s put in some good performances for the Development Squad and had a great game on Saturday? He’s more than a body, he’s better than what we have without him.
Papa’s no leech ………..!!
I forecast a long & successful career for you as a sub-editor Almajir….
I’ve been trying to work something like that in for a month or two. I’m glad someone noticed.
Huh? Call me thick but I don’t get the joke. Or perhaps I’m living under a cultural stone.
Papa Don’t Preach, a Madonna song
That’s terrible. Come on Al, you can do better than that…Papa’s got a brand new big contract, Papa was a rolling stone-wall penalty etc etc.
“But I’ve made up on my mind, I’m not sticking with Fahey”……….
I’ll get my coat………
Sorry for going off-track, but that stunt by Paladini on Friday should have fooled no-one.
His son makes comments about the possible takeover of Blues and Daddy knows nothing about it and then cannot contact him??
It was a simple ploy by GP to ensure that fans knew about the talks today with PP and generate some more column inches. The fella really doesn’t do protocol.
Diop gives us another dimension in the middle which is absent in the other players we have. If possible we should tie him up for a six month contract until the end of the season if finances allow, as it would give him impetuous for the remainder of our games and let him impose himself on the team and squad. No point in letting him go and then trying to get someone else on a short-term deal – defeats the object. I like the way the man mountain puts himself about.
I can’t believe some of the posters on the Birmingham Mail, actually want the bloke! Then again if they post on there and haven’t found this blog… what does that say about them!
I actually appreciated the attempts by CY initially to try and move us forward after the Gold & Sullivan era, but it hasn’t really happened and as much as I hope sooner or later we get new owners with real substance, I can’t believe that GP and Co are the best we can do. We are in a precarious position but I would rather that we take whatever time is necessary to get things in order for the long-term than get a guy who couldn’t purchase Port Vale and went around bullshitting about how he was the new owner of Forest.
No more wannabe playboys, gangsters or shysters in charge please.
Almajir, I saw on SHA that you maintain that PB Diop only won 2 balls in the air. I saw something completely different, for he won almost every ball he contested and there were many. He also didn’t shadow players without tackling like Mullins does; I do hope he stays fit and in the team and that Mullins isn’t brought back.
Sign him up
He was a beast on Saturday and his presence unsettled Palace.
Well worth it I’d say.
One tough tackling midfield bully, and everyone’s happy. Now bring back Darren purse ! And robbie savage !
Give me give give me a deal after midnight
won’t somebody help us keep that Mullins away.
Loving PBD loving Blues KRO
Bob, so you want a man after midnight…. who knew!
Missed a “give” out doh!!!
Perhaps his records are scratched…
Our next Senegalise man mountain midfielder? Let’s hope he doesn’t tackle too much like N’Daw ..or we will be in trouble! But he does know where the net is, and that’s what counts.
Funny how we play a ballwinner in midfield and we have more possession than the opposition for virtually the first time this season. Papa was great but Reilly excellent too. The energy and drive from midfield coming forwards to support the strikers. Could injuries and suspensions force LCs hand into picking a decent team? Glad to see Diop getting a new deal but I think we should’ve signed Moshni or ndaw when we had the chance
Hi Dan,
Any news on the Palladini meeting?
Yeah, they’re meeting again tomorrow. It’s in the Birmingham Mail.