Alexi Lalas question. (1 Viewer)

Fluffsta · May 14, 2015

Back many years ago I remember Alexi Lalas on the verge of signing for Coventry City before he signed with Padova in Italy. One of the clauses he had if he was to sign for Coventry was to do a gig or concert at Highfield Road.
Am I going crazy or does anybody remember anything about this? I am sure it was even back page on the Cov Telegraph at the time.

skybluetony176 · May 14, 2015

I remember the story but couldn't tell you if there was any truth behind it.

Grendel · May 14, 2015

We signed Coby Jones instead.

chiefdave · May 14, 2015

Definitely remember the story, no idea if there was any truth in it.

henry the wasp · May 14, 2015

Ah, the 94 world cup. We even gave a trial to the bulgarian, Trifon Ivanov.
He looked like he hadn't slept for about 2 years.

JulianDarbyFTW · May 14, 2015

It was the back page of the Mirror (or maybe the Express) at the time. I often talk about it to people when discussing centre backs, America or beards.

Chipfat · May 14, 2015

He is on ESPN here ,, talks bollocks.. I remember him saying he would have shearer in his pocket when the USA played at Wembley in 94,, shearer got 2 before HT and Lalas didn't get near him.. As for the band bit i do remember something like that or he was in one....

covcity4life · May 12, 2020

Random but i just asked him a question on twitter video chat and he said he wasnt close to cov at all really as soon as offer from italy came he made his mind up due to serie a allure of 90s

cc84cov · May 12, 2020

Sure it was after World Cup 94

junglej13 · May 12, 2020

henry the wasp said:
Ah, the 94 world cup. We even gave a trial to the bulgarian, Trifon Ivanov.
He looked like he hadn't slept for about 2 years.

Got sent off in his one appearance for the reserves I recall.

Ring Of Steel · May 12, 2020

It was 100% true, I clearly remember him saying that he had a choice between Padova and us (may have been other options too too), he chose them and from what is said above it sounds like it wasn’t even close. I’m pretty sure he came over for a look around. From memory his debut was a car crash but he did ok after then- no idea if the thing about a concert is true though.

Terry_dactyl · May 13, 2020

I seem to remember it feeling like a ‘done deal’ at the time. I think he might have had a decent World Cup?

Legia Sky Blue · May 13, 2020

If I remember right there was a German team interested too - Wolfsburg rings a bell. Anyhow it looks like it was never really close to happening. Remember Ivanov coming, who had been brilliant in the World Cup so not sure how he was not deemed good enough for us. Got a vague recollection that we also showed an interest in the Bulgarian keeper with a toupe, but that came to nothing too.

We were quite regularly linked with World cup stars at this time as I also remember papers linking us with Okocha and Nakata long before they ended up at Bolton. Players we did sign after World Cups were Cobi Jones and Mustafa Hadji, so we did actually sign a couple.

Terry_dactyl · May 13, 2020

Legia Sky Blue said:
If I remember right there was a German team interested too - Wolfsburg rings a bell. Anyhow it looks like it was never really close to happening. Remember Ivanov coming, who had been brilliant in the World Cup so not sure how he was not deemed good enough for us. Got a vague recollection that we also showed an interest in the Bulgarian keeper with a toupe, but that came to nothing too.

We were quite regularly linked with World cup stars at this time as I also remember papers linking us with Okocha and Nakata long before they ended up at Bolton. Players we did sign after World Cups were Cobi Jones and Mustafa Hadji, so we did actually sign a couple.

And Chippo!

Offhegoes · May 13, 2020

Would of been a half decent signing, and might of meant we didn't have David Rennie at Centre Half who was always a disaster, but a steady midfielder. I thought Cobi Jones was alright, not great but he set up a winner at Upton Park as I recall. Got frozen out when Big Ron came in and started splashing the cash on players such as Eoin Jess and Mike Marsh

Legia Sky Blue · May 13, 2020

It's in my mind that Ivanov got sent off in a reserve game but I'm not absolutely sure. Might explain why the manager (Neal?) might not have gone through with signing him.

Ring Of Steel · May 13, 2020

Offhegoes said:
Would of been a half decent signing, and might of meant we didn't have David Rennie at Centre Half who was always a disaster, but a steady midfielder. I thought Cobi Jones was alright, not great but he set up a winner at Upton Park as I recall. Got frozen out when Big Ron came in and started splashing the cash on players such as Eoin Jess and Mike Marsh

Cobi Jones wasn't too bad- no great shakes but he had something, but he was way too small and lightweight, very easy to dispossess. I remember we played Spurs and Sol Campbell found it so easy to keep him in his pocket that it was embarrassing, it literally looked like a 12 yr old trying to play against Campbell all day- I don't think he ever started another game for us after that.

Grendel · May 13, 2020

Ring Of Steel said:
Cobi Jones wasn't too bad- no great shakes but he had something, but he was way too small and lightweight, very easy to dispossess. I remember we played Spurs and Sol Campbell found it so easy to keep him in his pocket that it was embarrassing, it literally looked like a 12 yr old trying to play against Campbell all day- I don't think he ever started another game for us after that.

He was fucking awful

Terry_dactyl · May 13, 2020

Grendel said:
He was fucking awful

Hahaha! Well, he wasn’t the best but he did go on to have a good career. Maybe he was just too young when we had him?

Grendel · May 13, 2020

Terry_dactyl said:
Hahaha! Well, he wasn’t the best but he did go on to have a good career. Maybe he was just too young when we had him?

He never made it outside the US - we’d already got one of the best players in that squad and even he wasn’t exactly great despite his bloated transfer fee

Terry_dactyl · May 13, 2020

Grendel said:
He never made it outside the US - we’d already got one of the best players in that squad and even he wasn’t exactly great despite his bloated transfer fee

Wegerle? I think I saw him have one good game, against swindon. Could turn it on but he was no Gallacher.
Yeah, It’s a fair point about Jones. I think he did ok at another World Cup but he never set the world alight.

ovduk78 · May 13, 2020

Legia Sky Blue said:
It's in my mind that Ivanov got sent off in a reserve game but I'm not absolutely sure. Might explain why the manager (Neal?) might not have gone through with signing him.

I think he played in 2 reserve games & was sent off in 1 and booked in the other & Atkinson decided he was too risky to sign. Shame really as we've still never had a werewolf play for us

rondog1973 · May 13, 2020

Legia Sky Blue said:
If I remember right there was a German team interested too - Wolfsburg rings a bell. Anyhow it looks like it was never really close to happening. Remember Ivanov coming, who had been brilliant in the World Cup so not sure how he was not deemed good enough for us. Got a vague recollection that we also showed an interest in the Bulgarian keeper with a toupe, but that came to nothing too.

We were quite regularly linked with World cup stars at this time as I also remember papers linking us with Okocha and Nakata long before they ended up at Bolton. Players we did sign after World Cups were Cobi Jones and Mustafa Hadji, so we did actually sign a couple.

The German team was Bochum.

Legia Sky Blue · May 13, 2020

To be fair, Jones might have done better if he had stayed a 2nd year and had more time to settle in, but Atkinson had come in by then who never played him. Ironically the last game he played for us was also Phil Neal's last, when Jones scored in a 2-0 win at Palace. He has more caps for USA than anyone else and played in 3 world cups, in 2 of which they did quite well, so he had a pretty good career all in all.

Alexi Lalas question. (1 Viewer)

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