Naby Keita

[RedReet]

This isn't the article I read, but has taken extracts from it...

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/3625321/new-signings-new-language-footballers-skills-off-the-pitch-crucial-to-their-success

[labourRed]

Would make sense to sell him to Germany while his stock is still high. He may well come good, but he may not and it's a fair chunk of cash that could be put towards a replacement, maybe one with fewer unknowns, eg a PL player. But continuing to bed him in would also be a valid choice.

How's them splinters.

I'll maybe look for it later, but I read an interesting article last summer about the importance of learning the native language and embracing the new culture. Basically said that the likelihood of a player being able to perform on the pitch is directly linked to his ability to learn the new language off it. Hardly that surprising, but he did say that there is only one known case of a player who didn't learn English, but was still a success (Tevez?).

Oh, I totally agree in the merits of learning the language and culture if you're in a foreign country.

Personally I'm hoping to retire abroad and will have to practice what I preach here. But I'm thinking, Spanish and not something like Icelandic. I've a mate who has done that over the last 5-8 years and moved there about 4years ago. He loves it there but I just found out he and the missus are divorcing. She wasn't as into it at all and to be honest, in retrospect, it was a natural conclusion.

Bale is probably a modern example of a player not giving a **** about learning the language/culture. It's a bit of a missed opportunity on a personal level to be honest IMO.

[Doc_Piptorious]

look I’m not going to deny I’m not disappointed and slightly concerned but all those factors must be considered although the language one still irks me....!

It says a lot for how well we have done when arguably our marquee signing has barely contributed

Very surprised myself at how he has performed to date given how well he played in the Bundesliga and CL before joining us.

He has been more average than poor, but even average is a massive step down on how he was performing before joining us.

Only thing I would disagree with in your post is him being our marquee signing.

Last season our marquee and statement of intent signing was, for me, VVD, and the past summer our marquee signing was Alisson imho.

[BillobShaisley]

We have a short but significant recent history of players taking a while to settle before absolutely storming it. Naby will join that list, he's got the minerals, just needs to settle.

Robbo, Lovren, Firminho, Fabinho, Ox etc all took 6-12months before performing at the standard you would expect.

[Irishnev]

Very surprised myself at how he has performed to date given how well he played in the Bundesliga and CL before joining us.

He has been more average than poor, but even average is a massive step down on how he was performing before joining us.

Only thing I would disagree with in your post is him being our marquee signing.

Last season our marquee and statement of intent signing was, for me, VVD, and the past summer our marquee signing was Alisson imho.

Maybe I should have said marquee midfielder although GKs don't tend to get that level of recognition.

I thought he would transform our midfield as Salah did with our attack and VVD did with our defence.

[Norbs]

I'll maybe look for it later, but I read an interesting article last summer about the importance of learning the native language and embracing the new culture. Basically said that the likelihood of a player being able to perform on the pitch is directly linked to his ability to learn the new language off it. Hardly that surprising, but he did say that there is only one known case of a player who didn't learn English, but was still a success (Tevez?).

Peter Beardsley got by too

[Big Dave]

Rumours today about Klopp sanctioning a 10m hit on losing him to Dortmund or Munich. I call international bull****.

I'm sure the press were running pretty much the same story about Fabinho earlier in the year before he was a regular in the team. Fingers crossed we get similar performaces from Keita on the way

[baitman]

Peter Beardsley got by too

Worra worra worra worra

[labourRed]

I'm sure the press were running pretty much the same story about Fabinho earlier in the year before he was a regular in the team. Fingers crossed we get similar performaces from Keita on the way

Very true.

[Le Chef]

Surely just by living in a country for a year you pick up enough language to get by? He must live in complete isolation.

Its not that easy tho, lived in Cali for a few years, and I've picked up some Spanish, but, the accent throws you right off dependent on where its learnt from. I can speak a sentence but understanding the response is harder and harder. Unless the lad isn't learning it, then you have a problem...

[BillobShaisley]

Depends how immersed you get. If you surround yourself with your native language and translators etc then you get nowhere.

Struggle for 3 months with a pocket dictionary and some patience and you'll be conversational within 6 months.

[Charly]

It would be a shame if Naby cant settle, as he was a beast in Germany. Pretty much our missing jigsaw piece when on top form. And I dont think that the German league is too different in style.

I have always been terrible at languages (while being decent at most other things)... Although I can read french way better than I can speak... understanding what people say has alwayd been my biggest struggle.

Recently I went to the hospital, as I noticed I was forgetting stuff (I think).

They did loads of tests, and it turns out my memory from reading is pretty good, but when tested on what I am listening to, my memory went to ****, forgetting more than half of what I was meant to remember.

Made me think of how I struggled with languages back in school, and the way we learn things.

I do read a lot, but I also get nagged a lot. Maybe part of my brain permanently switched off...

Not sure you can learn a language properly just from books, but it might have helped to focus more on that area.

[Le Chef]

Depends how immersed you get. If you surround yourself with your native language and translators etc then you get nowhere.

Struggle for 3 months with a pocket dictionary and some patience and you'll be conversational within 6 months.

Quite the opposite for me, I really struggle with the dialect and also the slang, the one thing that does frustrate, yeah my Spanish is ****e, but at least let me have a go, half the time I get thru 4 words and everyone switches to bloody Ameri-Glish

[Cormack74]

It would be a shame if Naby cant settle, as he was a beast in Germany. Pretty much our missing jigsaw piece when on top form. And I dont think that the German league is too different in style.

I have always been terrible at languages (while being decent at most other things)... Although I can read french way better than I can speak... understanding what people say has alwayd been my biggest struggle.

Recently I went to the hospital, as I noticed I was forgetting stuff (I think).

They did loads of tests, and it turns out my memory from reading is pretty good, but when tested on what I am listening to, my memory went to ****, forgetting more than half of what I was meant to remember.

Made me think of how I struggled with languages back in school, and the way we learn things.

I do read a lot, but I also get nagged a lot. Maybe part of my brain permanently switched off...

Not sure you can learn a language properly just from books, but it might have helped to focus more on that area.

If you want to learn pretty much anything the place to start is with a learning styles inventory - you can find basic ones online. They point you towards how you learn best: seeing / hearing / reading etc.

In fact they ought to be a staple of education and training IMO - we introduced them for certain new starters (whose job roles mean they would be expected to undertake a fair amount of training in their first couple of years) as part of the induction process.

[brightred]

It would be a shame if Naby cant settle, as he was a beast in Germany. Pretty much our missing jigsaw piece when on top form. And I dont think that the German league is too different in style.

I have always been terrible at languages (while being decent at most other things)... Although I can read french way better than I can speak... understanding what people say has alwayd been my biggest struggle.

Recently I went to the hospital, as I noticed I was forgetting stuff (I think).

They did loads of tests, and it turns out my memory from reading is pretty good, but when tested on what I am listening to, my memory went to ****, forgetting more than half of what I was meant to remember.

Made me think of how I struggled with languages back in school, and the way we learn things.

I do read a lot, but I also get nagged a lot. Maybe part of my brain permanently switched off...

Not sure you can learn a language properly just from books, but it might have helped to focus more on that area.

I get nagged a lot too....feckin bitch.