| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… 18:31 - Jan 23 with 4525 views | HarryfromBath |
I thought it might be helpful to gather recent feedback and comments from followers of our newest loan signing’s former clubs in order to paint a picture of how he is perceived. Diagouraga played for six years at Brentford, amassing over 200 appearances before switching to Elland Road last January.
“It’s no great surprise, but Diagouraga joins Ipswich on loan until the end of the season”, “He was well down the pecking order”, “He was surplus to requirements and Monk that decision to take him out of the squad with no ambiguity”, “I have reservations about him and think he is a squad player only. Brentford improved without him last season.”
From Leeds fans' comments, it seems that Diagouraga [Dave] was brought in by then-manager Steve Evans to perform a traditional holding role shielding the back four and breaking up play. Several said that Evans’s successor Garry Monk preferred a player like Liam Bridcutt who they felt would contribute more from a footballing perspective.
“Diagoraga is not the answer. Brentford didn't want him, he's not good enough for Leeds.” He was hammered by Whites and effectively discarded by Monk after an anonymous performance in a 3-0 August defeat at QPR.
“It looks like the Leeds disease has consumed him, second to every tackle it seemed and offered no protection to the back four. He played 15 yards further back than what was needed”, “His efforts with the ball were terrible. He needs to just win it and give it to those who can play.”
“Diagouraga offers very little other than he will try his best”, “He's not a terrible player but he does not do a lot, and that’s not a sudden view based on [the QPR game] yesterday. I didn't think he was great last season. I'm sick of seeing us play an anonymous third midfielder to be honest - it certainly doesn't make us any more solid.”
All that said, Leeds fans do wish him well. “Good lad, I hope he does well except against us. He looked like a poor man's Toure to me but I suspect it's not just form that put him out of the reckoning with Garry Monk. We didn't see that much of him but I always thought he had the makings of a good signing.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Toumani was a fantastic player for Brentford FC over many a season. A lot of fans only came around to this, when we started our fantastic run in the Championship”, “He was a powerfully built player with presence who opposition players seemed to stand off from. His attitude during his time with us was spot on.”
He is held in high regard by the majority of Bees, although several felt that he had only one stand-out season when they reached the Championship play-offs. Some also thought that his form declined in the immediate weeks before last year’s move to Yorkshire.
“It is easy to look back and scapegoat a player without any goal scoring record to speak of but he was an excellent breaker up of play, good ball control, good passer and beautiful, yet gangly player to watch. He stood out because of his size and it would have been very easy for a lazy fan to pigeonhole him as rubbish, but I would disagree.”
“Our current defensive midfielders are better footballers but smaller in statue so they do not have the same presence although more consistent with the ball. His best days were with us”, “He's not the 'brick s***house' type but he wasn't easily shoved off the ball, in my memory. An unusual, surprising, committed and entertaining player. Good memories. Good man.”
“Toums had a terrific attitude and worked incredibly hard to make himself possibly our best player for the last year or more of his time here. I was lucky enough to see him in a training session in the Uwe Rosler days and I can tell you that he stood out as being by far the most intensive trainer there. He was busting a gut throughout. That summed him up for me. he was ready to die for the cause whilst he was here.”
“He was a good player for us. He had spells of really good games and sometimes absolute blinders. He did have poor games and he did go missing at times but over his spell with us there was more good than bad and he showed he was good enough to play Championship football.
“Yes, his last couple of games he clearly wasn't putting in 100% but at least he didn't refuse to play or say his head wasn't in the right place (even though it probably wasn't). Add to all that he was a genuinely nice guy, very humble almost shy and very unlike a lot of footballers today”, “He’s going to Ipswich on loan according to Twitter”, “Lucky Ipswich”, “He will more than likely replace Douglas.”
|  |
| |  |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 18:36 - Jan 23 with 4397 views | The_Romford_Blue |
Cheers Harry
The last line alone makes him a good signing tbh |  |
| |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 18:41 - Jan 23 with 4296 views | Vaughan8 |
Without writing him off before kicking a ball.......it Sounds promising 
As some said in another thread, we can look forward to Douglas skies and diagouraga midfield.
So not skuglas, more skugaga. |  | | |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 18:43 - Jan 23 with 4258 views | bournemouthblue |
Incredibly chalk and cheese, obviously not every move suits a player
He looked good at Brentford although they were defensively questionable with him in the side, whether that was his fault or not
Bridcutt is a quality player, how did Leeds pick him up? |  |
| |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 18:49 - Jan 23 with 4155 views | LankHenners |
Certainly seems like a decent player that splits opinions. As a low-risk signing as another option in the middle of midfield he seem good enough, especially if he might spark some more energy in there.
Not sure he's the long term answer but I guess the club are being realistic with who they're going to attract at this point in the season and may point to uncertainty from Evans and Mick himself if there'll be a change of manager at the end of the season. |  |
| |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:21 - Jan 23 with 3738 views | Vic |
Sounds like a direct replacement for Douglas. Not sure he'll be an upgrade through, more a question of holding the fort until the summer. Neither am I sure that I like to see a player who was the victim of scapegoating come in to replace another suffering the same thing! |  |
| |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:36 - Jan 23 with 3563 views | coolcat |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 18:49 - Jan 23 by LankHenners |
Certainly seems like a decent player that splits opinions. As a low-risk signing as another option in the middle of midfield he seem good enough, especially if he might spark some more energy in there.
Not sure he's the long term answer but I guess the club are being realistic with who they're going to attract at this point in the season and may point to uncertainty from Evans and Mick himself if there'll be a change of manager at the end of the season. |
Sounds promising. Welcome to Ipswich 'Toums'. :) |  | | |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:50 - Jan 23 with 3406 views | nshearman1 |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:36 - Jan 23 by coolcat |
Sounds promising. Welcome to Ipswich 'Toums'. :) |
We live in hope. Presumably this means that Mick will be continuing with his policy of playing two defensive midfielders, Skuse and this guy, for the foreseeable future? One imagines that, with the tough run we've got coming up, it's going to be back to park-the-bus time for Mick. I just hope he and Skuse 'gel'. | | | |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 20:28 - Jan 23 with 3098 views | Guthrum |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:21 - Jan 23 by Vic |
Sounds like a direct replacement for Douglas. Not sure he'll be an upgrade through, more a question of holding the fort until the summer. Neither am I sure that I like to see a player who was the victim of scapegoating come in to replace another suffering the same thing! |
However, he is five-and-a-half years younger than Douglas, so ought still to be that much faster and more agile. |  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 21:56 - Jan 23 with 2680 views | SWGF |
| Brentford and Leeds Fans’ Thoughts on Toumani Diagouraga… on 19:21 - Jan 23 by Vic |
Sounds like a direct replacement for Douglas. Not sure he'll be an upgrade through, more a question of holding the fort until the summer. Neither am I sure that I like to see a player who was the victim of scapegoating come in to replace another suffering the same thing! |
Sounds like a direct replacement for Guirane N'Daw |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
