Strange how he wasn’t played or on the bench very often after scoring that goal against Brighton.The rumour being PV didn’t rate him and suddenly since Christmas he has featured and suddenly is wanted.Was it a grand plan to play it cool to sign him cheaply?

At a reduced fee, it's a good deal. Still not fully convinced by him but the past few weeks have been better. In the build up to the Brighton game, Neville/Carragher were saying that any striker signed into the Premier League for <£20m is a complete gamble which makes us getting one we know the ability of at ~£9m quite sensible.

I think the best part of the deal is it gives us a lot of freedom in the summer. Without this deal, we'd be left with Edouard plus Benteke with 1 year on his contract (are we counting Ayew?) as recognised strikers which has us vulnerable and needing to buy, possibly spending silly money.

Now, we can see if we get Nketiah, see if a bid comes in for Benteke, or if it suits us, do absolutely nothing and exit the summer with the same 3 (JP, Edouard, Benteke) we started with and spend the money on a central midfielder.

26th January 2010 - Enter Administration
2nd May 2010 - D-Day 1 - Survival at Hillsborough
1st June 2010 - D-Day 2 - Survival at Lloyds
7th June 2010 - CPFC2010 exchange contracts.

Sometimes I think we underestimate the time it takes for some players to adjust to living in a new country, speaking a different language, playing with new team mates and in the toughest league in the world. I'm certainly guilty of that in retrospect.

The fee we have paid for Mateta is a more realistic one. He's certainly made progress under PV - I'm sure French language has helped there - and maybe the security of a permanent deal will help him settle further.

I'm still not convinced by him, but I'll be delighted to be proven wrong.

Old, Ungifted and White

Pretty sure French is one of the languages Roy is fluent in and Wilf, Kouyate and Tekkers are all French speakers. But with you on the acclimatisation point. Back in the day it was customary to wait a while for new signings to settle.

For me, pretty much exactly what Neillo has said. I would only add that I have a lot of respect for Mateta the individual. In what must have been a pretty horrible last twelve months, by and large, he's kept his head down, hasn't complained, has clearly worked hard on his game, been a positive figure, and earned the chance to play that he's had recently. That he appears to have taken that chance with both hands is very much to his credit.

Whether, as Neillo says, Mateta turns out to be the real thing is something only time will tell but in an age of self-centred footballing prima donnas, Mateta's application and humility in the face of adversity has been a breath of fresh air and I have nothing but respect for the way he's earned his opportunity. I'd love to see him thrive and build on the past month. Whatever else, the lad has character.

Edited by sydtheeagle (01 Feb 2022 3.32pm)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

I have to say I find this signing, if not baffling, then at least difficult to understand.

Mainz letting him go when they were in a relegation dogfight, and on such advantageous terms to us, was an alarm bell to begin with. He's been here for a year, and failed to convince either of his managers that he was good enough to be first choice, notwithstanding his inclusion in the team in the last couple of weeks. Hodgson and Vieira play very different football, yet by and large neither found much use for Mateta.

Freedman and Parish can't have been blown away by Mateta either, or they wouldn't have extended Bentekes contract, bought Edouard and tried repeatedly to get Nketiah. Quite what has changed the minds of the manager, DoF and chairman now is unclear. I appreciate that we might have got him for a lesser fee than was originally agreed, but that itself speaks volumes for how he's played.

Mostly though I'm confused about this signing because of what I've seen on the pitch. He's slow, clumsy and laboured.

Hopefully he'll prove me entirely wrong with bells on!