Official Balogun and Firth officially gone

Big man did us a turn big time.
Goldson and Souttar will be first choice CH, with King and Helander as back up/rotating. Bassey at LB. Bassey can be back up CH. If Helander gets sold we need another CH and to buy a back up LB. Borna needs to go. I’m excited by Tav Goldson Souttar and Bassey in front of a keeper who controls his box.
 
I love Big Leon - totally committed player and an articulate, funny, nice guy. I wish he was a little younger and just a little fitter, then keeping him would be a lock. If only we'd got him 2-3 years earlier...

Beyond that its a shame hes left the club completely. Given his background and his qualities I felt hed make a really good Club Ambassador with a lot of cross audience appeal.
 
Quite shocked we’ve let Leon go without another year extension, he’s always been quite a reliable backup. I guess Souttar’s taken his spot now.

All the best to him and Andy both.
 
Bluenote said:
Good players. Here's wishing them the best of luck and thanks for everything they've done for our club.
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Leon Balogun was undoubtedly a good player for us. I don’t know about Andy Firth as I never actually saw him play.
 
GraemeButNotMurty said:
We'll have Goldson, Souttar, Bassey and King. Another centre back really shouldn't be a priority for us right now.
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I want Bassey as our first choice left back mate.
That's clearly his best position and where his future lies.

Goldson 1st choice, Helander/Souttar 2nd/3rd choice and King 4th choice is the sort of cover we need, for a potential 60 game season imo.

If Helander does leave and assuming Mayo, Katic and Simpson don't have a 1st team future, then we're a quality central defender light imo.
 
DeeGer10 said:
This club of ours better have a solid plan in this transfer window, already they are on the back foot offering McGregor, Davis and Arfield (as a collective) a new deal.

To let Balogun go when we have an injury prone Helander and Soutter with Niko Katic who let's be honest can't be relied upon is career suicide.

I just pray Ross Wilson knows what he's doing as there's already a baffled look from the Rangers support. There may be no way back 11 months from now.
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How are we on the “back foot”?
 
He was a credit to our club, only said good things about us. Hope that he does not miss playing for the Rangers too much because he can still offer something to his next club. All the very best big man and good luck in the future. I am sure if he was younger GVB would not be letting him go.
 
Jers said:
Balogun will have a whole host of clubs after him. Plenty of top level football left in him.

Would prefer he moved to England rather than another Scottish team as he could be a thorn.
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Theres no way on earth he is going to another Scottish club.

He will go back to Germany and get a low end Bundesliga club.
 
I can't wrap my head around letting Balogun go when you consider Helander's injury record, doubts on Souttar and Katic not been heard from in 2 years. It seemed a no brainer keeping him on another year. He was a great ambassador for the club.
 
wother1690 said:
Big man did us a turn big time.
Goldson and Souttar will be first choice CH, with King and Helander as back up/rotating. Bassey at LB. Bassey can be back up CH. If Helander gets sold we need another CH and to buy a back up LB. Borna needs to go. I’m excited by Tav Goldson Souttar and Bassey in front of a keeper who controls his box.
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Goldson is a right sided CH
Souttar is a right sided CH
Can’t see them playing beside each other in a back 4
In a back 3 perhaps with Souttar right side, Goldson centre and Helander left side
 
ibrox1975 said:
Goldson is a right sided CH
Souttar is a right sided CH
Can’t see them playing beside each other in a back 4
In a back 3 perhaps with Souttar right side, Goldson centre and Helander left side
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Balogun was right footed, and played left centre back almost exclusively, the same applies to Katic, and King. We have one left footer ie Helander, or at a real push Simpson. With Helander's injury issues, I expect Souttar to partner Goldson on numerous occasions.
 
Balogun has only played 288 games (wiki) his full career, I found this very surprising for a 33 year old. 65 of those games was with us, the most amount of games he played for a single club.

Good luck to him for the future.
 
ibrox1975 said:
Goldson is a right sided CH
Souttar is a right sided CH
Can’t see them playing beside each other in a back 4
In a back 3 perhaps with Souttar right side, Goldson centre and Helander left side
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I’m sure Souttar has played left CH and will do for us
 
With goldson staying - less worried about balogun going, but think we're probably still short a CB - particularly if we're moving Katic on. Or we give King more gametime.
 
Wonder if Leon is a a bit disappointed. Not seen anything from him on socials like most when the leave. He really seemed to enjoy it here. Loved his hatred for "the other team in Glasgow" too
 
Helander is hell. Always seems to have his legs wrapped around the deck. No wonder so many injuries, e.g. strains
 
Number_9 said:
Balogun has only played 288 games (wiki) his full career, I found this very surprising for a 33 year old. 65 of those games was with us, the most amount of games he played for a single club.

Good luck to him for the future.
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And there's the main reason he's away. We played that number of games this year alone.

His injury record is so poor
 
Disappointed to see Balogun leaving, wish him all the best.

I'm sure Firth will still be follow following wherever he ends up too! :))
 
Liked the big fella. Less prone to errors than Goldson. But for some reason lacked game time overall.
Big decisions to be made this transfer window - hope we get this one right!
 
I think if you look at the center back position, we need four that can play that role. With Goldson signing, I think it was going to come down to one of the less reliable, in terms of availability, of the senior players making way for Souttar. Helander, age 29, Balogun, age 33, may have come into it as well as contract status of course. Plus we need to leave some scope for King and possibly Katic too.

He’ll have no problem finding a decent club. Haven’t read the whole thread so it’s probably been mentioned but wasn’t there talk of him wanting to go back to Germany ?
 
Really liked Balogun he was a good signing for us and bought right into the club. He also came across a very likeable guy. But feel it’s right time for both parties to move on.

Wish him all the best going forward!
 
Not sure why the club are combining the farewell greetings for these two players. No harm to Firth but Leon made a massive contribution to both 55 and the European run.

I understand the disappointment about him leaving. I would like to have kept him but I think the difficulty is Helander will be impossible to shift because of his injury record and wage. We also need to make room for King and maybe a factor is that they see Bassey now as a ch first and a left back second.
 
Still nothing from big Balogun on social media. It’s odd from a guy who is usually so active.

Seems likely he’s been caught for 6 with not getting the new deal.

It’s still pretty poor not to at least acknowledge the fans given the support he got.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
Still nothing from big Balogun on social media. It’s odd from a guy who is usually so active.

Seems likely he’s been caught for 6 with not getting the new deal.

It’s still pretty poor not to at least acknowledge the fans given the support he got.
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To be fair he's probably feeling very bitter about it which I understand. He was talking so enthusiastically about the club and staying I'm sure he's gutted and worried about what his next move is so probably want's to be in a better space before posting a message to the fans but I'm sure he will.
 
I don't feel Baloguns been hard done to at all.

Good player for us and I wish him well but at 33 and constant injury niggles it makes sense to let him go and bring someone younger in.

Still to be seen if that's Souttar or if we'll bring in another CB.

Hes probably been victim to the fact that having Balogun, Helander & Souttar in the same squad would be suicide.
 
Yup, I've been watching this thread in expectation of a message from the big man and so far, jack.

Surprised, I have to say, although he made it pretty clear on Cup Final day he was hoping to stay, so obviously a surprise.

Hopefully gets a club and can get on socials with good news and an effusive goodbye.

Also, is he with Nigeria atm?
 
prenzlauerbear said:
Still nothing from big Balogun on social media. It’s odd from a guy who is usually so active.

Seems likely he’s been caught for 6 with not getting the new deal.

It’s still pretty poor not to at least acknowledge the fans given the support he got.
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Presumably hes focused on finding a job at the moment. As he should be.
 
Albertz82 said:
To be fair he's probably feeling very bitter about it which I understand. He was talking so enthusiastically about the club and staying I'm sure he's gutted and worried about what his next move is so probably want's to be in a better space before posting a message to the fans but I'm sure he will.
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I love balogun and would absolutely have dealt him in for another year or two, people quote the fact he's played under 300 professional games at 33 years old but that's part of the reason that he's still one of the fastest 33 year olds I've seen, let alone for a CB. We know he picks up injuries and you're not getting 50 games a season from him, but that's ok for a rotation player imo. However, playing devil's advocate...he didn't help himself with the chat about wanting to go and play in Germany when his contract expired, I think as the time came closer he realised just what he had here. I do feel for him though.
 
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