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Faubert not Real deal for Predrag
Ken Dyer4 Feb 2009
Julien Faubert's surprise move from West Ham to Real Madrid on loan has provoked a furore at the Spanish club.
Faubert is one of eight players who have departed Upton Park during the January transfer window but manager Gianfranco Zola will be happy that only one, Craig Bellamy, was a big-name player.
Faubert's late move to the Bernabeu was a surprise and it has now emerged that the club's sporting director, former Yugoslav international Predrag Mijatovic, is fuming at the temporary deal.
Mijatovic believes that neither Faubert, who never managed to command a regular first-team spot at West Ham, nor Wigan's Antonio Valencia - who has also joined Real - is anywhere near good enough to play for the Spanish giants.
Mijatovic's main quarrel is said to be with Real's technical secretary, Miguel Angel Portugal, who masterminded the deals.
The transfer deadline day ended quietly for West Ham with only Calum Davenport going out on loan to Sunderland.
They were looking possibly at signing South African defender Bryce Moon over from Panathinaikos but a deal was not possible and Upton Park officials insisted they were under no pressure if terms could not be agreed.
Zola will breathe a sigh of relief that the window has now closed and, with the exception of Bellamy, he has been as good as his word and managed to keep all his high-profile players.
Reader views (5)
Faubert is an awful player,he was fairly pacey and thats about it,no touch couldnt pass or defend and hed try and take players on near our box and lose posession time and time again.One of west hams worst ever signings what madrid want him for ill never know.
- Ian John Carvell, sudbury, 03/02/2009 17:36
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This guy was the biggest let down since the Marco Boogers hype. I hate to think what he earns a week. Need to get rid, then ditch the almost man Boa Morte too.
- Dave T, Ealing. London, 03/02/2009 17:19
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It says it all when the player himself thinks it's a prank call when Real Madrid ask him to join! Faubert puts in a lot of effort but either can't handle the pace and pressure of the English game or really is just pants. His distribution, even short passes, was woeful.
Who knows? Perhaps it will just be a case of being more suited to the Spanish game and he'll do well for them and cest la vie? But to say West Ham fans thought this was a wind-up was putting it mildly so i'm really not surprised at all by the bad reaction from the Real fans.
West Ham have done some excellent business during this transfer window but this took the biscuit, or should i say "galleta"?
- Paul, london, 03/02/2009 13:29
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Everybody says the "technical director"-system doesn't work. Of course it won't if somebody else in the club can sign a player behind the technical director's back!
- Mike, Beckenham, 03/02/2009 13:20
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I think us Hammers are right with Predrag on this one.
- Stu, Beckton, 03/02/2009 12:16
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