Alexandre Pato

[11Drogba 2,000]

Our scouts do not have a clue who will contribute who will not.

[LAM09 6,777]

The board are starting to be a laughingstock.

[Essien19 1,415]

2 hours ago, Styles said:

Yeah, low risk. He is unlikely to stay. Nothing has changed. We will forget this ever happened in 3 years.

What's the point buying players when the coach doesn't want them? That's speculating, yes, but that's my impression.
In the end, it's like throwing money out of the window, should have better given it to some homeless people...

[Tomo 21,733]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

There is nothing to lose yes but why even bother getting him if we aren't going to use at all? 2 months in and he's still not fit enough to get at least 30 minutes of game time?

We weren't to know we weren't going to use him, Traores development suddenly accelerating and him not progressing like we thought/hoped has put the skids on.

Pato was a no lose signing really, the equivalent of putting one pound in a roulette machine, you could lose a pound, big deal, but you could end up with a high amount of cash, can only really win.

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

42 minutes ago, Tomo said:

We weren't to know we weren't going to use him, Traores development suddenly accelerating and him not progressing like we thought/hoped has put the skids on.

Pato was a no lose signing really, the equivalent of putting one pound in a roulette machine, you could lose a pound, big deal, but you could end up with a high amount of cash, can only really win.

I know what you are trying to say, and to an extent i share your view.
On the other hand, this shows a lack of vision by whoever made this signing. Why not trust Traoré with minutes from the start? The kid had already shown some piece of skill back in the netherland, not to mention there is Kenedy who can play up top as well. On the other hand, Pato didn't play since november i think, he's known for his attitude, and, let's be honest, he's damaged goods. We did not need reinforcements in that repart as well, there is Remy, who, most of the times, when called upon, has delivered. Surely he's no worse than Pato.
What we needed back in January was a cm or a cb or a fb. Did any player in those positions was signed? Nope.
Pato was a low risk, no reward signing, did someone in their right mind think he would suddenly play as well as, maybe, in someone's eyes, in his Milan's days?
It sums up our recent signings. A player who we do not need, and as a bonus is a crooked one. It was always going to end like this, 9 times out of 10.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,898]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

We weren't to know we weren't going to use him, Traores development suddenly accelerating and him not progressing like we thought/hoped has put the skids on.

Pato was a no lose signing really, the equivalent of putting one pound in a roulette machine, you could lose a pound, big deal, but you could end up with a high amount of cash, can only really win.

Agreed, it must be true that Pato would not have been signed had we known that he would not be used. The question remains however, why didn't we know?

I had an exchange in the transfer thread with @rmpr who, reacting to a very negative post I made about Pato, told me that Pato was fit and back to his best. @rmpr went on to say that he was fed up with people (he meant me) posting when they didn't know what they were talking about. Well what I was talking about is the opinion that, regardless of the state of his health or his form, Pato is not a good enough. He's the type of player who looks too good but achieves too little; the type for whom injuries are helpful because they provide an excuse behind which the truth can be hidden.

This clearly is an opinion but the people who make our squad decisions are paid for opinions so theirs need to live up to their pay grade. Before it's possible to believe that Pato's loan could only be a win, it would first be necessary to believe he might show that he is able to make a contribution to our team. I never had that belief and, if the tweets copied above are true, our decision makers no longer do either.

[bellion 170]

We can only hope this Pato loan fiasco will be the final nail in the coffin for Emenalo's career at the Bridge.

Time to get that Walter bloke into the Director of Football's seat and sign some quality players for a change.

I will rage a lot if we sign more loanee duds like Falcao and Pato this summer.

 

[Special Juan 27,439]

There isn't one point or positive thing you mention about this loan. 2 fucking months and nothing....Joke.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

He was short-term replacement for Remy/Falcao. Don't know if you remember but Remy was very close to moving to Leicester and there was China move on the cards.

So club was sure that they will lose either of Remy or Falcao. They didn't so maybe they should terminate this loan right away if that was possible.

 

[Adnane 1,101]

And Traoré hadn't shown his quality yet at the time, so the choice made sense. 

Then Rémy stayed, and Traoré took his chances. 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,898]

34 minutes ago, Adnane said:

And Traoré hadn't shown his quality yet at the time, so the choice made sense. 

Then Rémy stayed, and Traoré took his chances. 

Even in these terms the deal seems to make no sense. Indeed these arguments make it seem less sensible than ever.

For all we know they may not be, but for argument's sake let's take all of the speculations you picked up on as accurate. Let's also accept the point about Bertie having not yet shown his quality. That would mean we needed a backup who was ready to contribute immediately. We are told however that Pato was nowhere near ready, that he was weeks and weeks away from fitness. If our needs were as urgent as the speculation suggests, then Pato could never have been the man we needed.

Even though the the media speculation you mention would be entirely sensible if true, I still think it would be unwise to accept it all. I also think that Guus cannot have been unaware of Bertie's qualities and limitations. Whichever way we see all this, it's tough to make sense of the Pato deal.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

I was actually in favour of this move back when it happened.  I thought it was low risk/med-high reward.  Still kind of is, I suppose.

I'm beginning to think now, that this was an "agent" deal.

Big deal to take Ramires to China. Pato and Miazga in.  Link = Kia Joorabchian

 

 

[Special Juan 27,439]

It was only a risk/med-high if he actually fucking played

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Guus says Pato has to compete for a place in the team with the other strikers, who are increasingly becoming fit. #CFC

[OhForAGreavsie 5,898]

32 minutes ago, xPetrCechx said:

Guus says Pato has to compete for a place in the team with the other strikers, who are increasingly becoming fit. #CFC

He's been saying that for weeks. I'm no expert in Guusish but I would offer the following translation: -

I peddled the "he's not fit" excuse for as long as I could, but now that that won't wash any more I'm having to find some other way to avoid speaking the truth."

That truth of course is almost certainly that Guus just doesn't rate Pato.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

[Special Juan 27,439]

I thought he was brilliant.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

How he doesn't get time ahead of Remy speaks volumes. Guus clearly thinks he's shit.