[NathWBA]

Came on a day a sub against Ajax however the game has been abandoned due to Ajax player Abdelhak Nouri collapsing on the pitch, CPR and defribralator being used, only 20 I believe too, fingers crossed he's pulls through

[geoff]

Heres hoping the lad has a speedy recovery, good job the home team had a defibrillator at hand.

[WD40]

The game was in Austria which is a little convenient. I wonder if the club made any sort of appearance to support our new signing?

It would be a missed opportunity for some great positive media coverage and poor team spirit if we didnt

[ashdoy]

Heres hoping the lad has a speedy recovery, good job the home team had a defibrillator at hand.

The lad has permanent brain damage, how terrible.

Seems to be a growing trend of players collapsing during games, far more than ever before.

Too fit maybe?

[seteefeet]

Did he play against Wolves yesterday?

[sayer3]

Did he play against Wolves yesterday?

I think he came on at half time

[Hull Baggie]

The lad has permanent brain damage, how terrible.

Seems to be a growing trend of players collapsing during games, far more than ever before.

Too fit maybe?

it is truly shocking that he has sustained permanent brain damage, it does seem to be a phenomena of the modern game.

[baggie_liam]

I've been saying this for a while now to people I know. There's something in the way players are made to train these days. There seems to be way too much pressure put on the heart and it can't cope with the physical demands. Players are athletes these days, and it's happening to humans at a younger age everytime, it's scary!
You never seen players 30, 40, 50 years ago dropping down like this so frequently, when then we're out drinking and smoking all the time.

[saml30]

I've been saying this for a while now to people I know. There's something in the way players are made to train these days. There seems to be way too much pressure put on the heart and it can't cope with the physical demands. Players are athletes these days, and it's happening to humans at a younger age everytime, it's scary!
You never seen players 30, 40, 50 years ago dropping down like this so frequently, when then we're out drinking and smoking all the time.

I think there is such a thing as being 'too fit'

[johnny Cash]

Played in a friendly against Wolves apparently. Came on for 22 minutes then was taken off again.

£10m. Hope it came from the owners own pockets.

[WBArgo]

I've been saying this for a while now to people I know. There's something in the way players are made to train these days. There seems to be way too much pressure put on the heart and it can't cope with the physical demands. Players are athletes these days, and it's happening to humans at a younger age everytime, it's scary!
You never seen players 30, 40, 50 years ago dropping down like this so frequently, when then we're out drinking and smoking all the time.

I imagine you're correct to an extent - but also I Imagine the coverage of relatively low-interest, foreign games weren't really covered until around 25 years back, so I imagine players have been having heart problems forever, but now the media is more global it's picked up on as a story more often.

[PortsmouthBaggie]

Scored today for Bremen in a 3-0 win

[baggie_liam]

I imagine you're correct to an extent - but also I Imagine the coverage of relatively low-interest, foreign games weren't really covered until around 25 years back, so I imagine players have been having heart problems forever, but now the media is more global it's picked up on as a story more often.

I guess what I'm getting at is, are players pushed too hard to be too fit? Footballers are athletes today, where as years ago they were, well...footballers.
Do players get their hearts checked by the clubs that frequently or not?

[Hull Baggie]

Can you please keep all posts related to Yuning Zhang.

[timdon]

What is the point of signing him and then loaning him out for 2 years? Not getting to know the club, not getting to know the players, not taking the opportunity to speak better English, not maximising the potential for promoting our club in China. Makes no sense, unless it is purely a business proposition with a view to making a profit, in which case there's something about this deal that doesn't sit comfortably

[Droitwich Baggie]

What is the point of signing him and then loaning him out for 2 years? Not getting to know the club, not getting to know the players, not taking the opportunity to speak better English, not maximising the potential for promoting our club in China. Makes no sense, unless it is purely a business proposition with a view to making a profit, in which case there's something about this deal that doesn't sit comfortably

I can't argue with that.

[bradleysrocket]

What is the point of signing him and then loaning him out for 2 years? Not getting to know the club, not getting to know the players, not taking the opportunity to speak better English, not maximising the potential for promoting our club in China. Makes no sense, unless it is purely a business proposition with a view to making a profit, in which case there's something about this deal that doesn't sit comfortably

He can't get a work permit yet,I'm not saying that means the deal isn't a commercially motivated one, but he couldn't come and work for WBA  anyway hence the two year loan at a decent club in a competitive league. Thatsas far as I understood the logic of the loan anyway.

[caravanc58]

footballs gone mad. spend a reported £9m on a footballer that cannot play for you.

[wba_1996]

What is the point of signing him and then loaning him out for 2 years? Not getting to know the club, not getting to know the players, not taking the opportunity to speak better English, not maximising the potential for promoting our club in China. Makes no sense, unless it is purely a business proposition with a view to making a profit, in which case there's something about this deal that doesn't sit comfortably

1. I don't think he's eligible for a work permit at the moment.
2. He's evidently not ready to start for a Premier League club.
3. Werder Bremen give him a better chance of developing through playing at a top level in a country where youth development holds greater importance than in England.
4. If he does well then he promotes himself in China, they will be fully aware who his parent club are.
5. He speaks fluent English.
6. Who cares if it is about making a profit? Chinese clubs are loaded, have a limit on the amount of foreign players and face a massive tax on foreign signings. They will be queueing up to sign him as he's the best Chinese player, we'll double our money easily. 

[wba_1996]

footballs gone mad. spend a reported £9m on a footballer that cannot play for you.

People moan that we don't act like a Premier League club, this is about the most Premier League thing we've ever done and people are still moaning.

[caravanc58]

1. I don't think he's eligible for a work permit at the moment.
2. He's evidently not ready to start for a Premier League club.
3. Werder Bremen give him a better chance of developing through playing at a top level in a country where youth development holds greater importance than in England.
4. If he does well then he promotes himself in China, they will be fully aware who his parent club are.
5. He speaks fluent English.
6. Who cares if it is about making a profit? Chinese clubs are loaded, have a limit on the amount of foreign players and face a massive tax on foreign signings. They will be queueing up to sign him as he's the best Chinese player, we'll double our money easily.

Valid points, but what if he doesn't progress enough to become a top flight player?

[wba_1996]

Valid points, but what if he doesn't progress enough to become a top flight player?

We sell him in 2 years to a Chinese club where he will easily be good enough, 90% of their league is made up of Chinese players and he's already in their national team at the age of 20.

[timdon]

He can't get a work permit yet,I'm not saying that means the deal isn't a commercially motivated one, but he couldn't come and work for WBA  anyway hence the two year loan at a decent club in a competitive league. Thatsas far as I understood the logic of the loan anyway.

Even after 2 years it is unlikely that he would qualify for a work permit. He would have to play at least 75% of China's international matches, and even then China would have to get into the world top 70 ranked countries, which presently they aren't.

[Hunnington Baggie]

Even after 2 years it is unlikely that he would qualify for a work permit. He would have to play at least 75% of China's international matches, and even then China would have to get into the world top 70 ranked countries, which presently they aren't.

In addition to Werder Bremen, his time at Vitesse means he'll have spent 5 years in European leagues, which I believe has an effect on his ability to get a work permit. plus he'll meet that % rather handily.

If the club didn't see an effective strategy here, why bother?

[buzzingbaggie]

footballs gone mad. spend a reported £9m on a footballer that cannot play for you.

£9m  I've not seen a fee?