[Albion] The careers of Solly March and Anthony Knockaert

[Bozza]

The When we were promoted, would you have taken three seasons in the Premier League? thread and the Solly March thread got me thinking...

When we were promoted, Solly March and Anthony Knockaert were two of our most well-used wide players. Since then...

One has been a consistent performer in Albion's Premier League side with nearly 160 top flight appearances, is still playing most games in our sixth Premier League season and at the peak of his powers.

One didn't make the Premier League grade, got loaned out to the Championship, sold on, drifted around a bit and is now playing for a small Greek club.

How many of us would have guessed which career trajectory belonged to which player?

 

[rool]

Who is better?
There is only one way to find out.

 

[wolfie]

I loved both of them

 

[The Fits]

None. Nobody would've guessed it. Knocky was simply unbelievable at times, especially that last championship season.

 

[Bozza]

I loved both of them

Oh, so do I. Knockaert's performances in our Championship seasons are right up there in my favourite Albion memories.

I just think most of us would have picked out Knockaert for a long Premier League career, whilst wishing Solly well in the Championship. And we'd have been horribly wrong.

 

[Springal]

I think Solly gets his head down, works hard, has his shit together and is very driven. Knockaert has obviously had his challenges and as a ‘character’ probably a bit marmite and sadly since leaving us has been an absolute shadow of himself. The loan at Forest and whatever happened / didn’t happen at Fulham are both baffling but that’s football. Sadly couldn’t shake his tag of to good for the championship, not quite good enough for the Premier League

 

[dazzer6666]

Knocky lacked the emotional/mental resilience to be a success at the very top. Very needy, ‘all about him’ type of character. Gave us some amazing moments in the championship but too fragile to reach the pinnacle.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Very different players, but both wonderful performers for us and two of the finest players to grace the stripes.

I know others will get drawn into slagging one of these two off, but I certainly won't

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Knocky lacked the emotional/mental resilience to be a success at the very top. Very needy, ‘all about him’ type of character. Gave us some amazing moments in the championship but too fragile to reach the pinnacle.

He had two traumatic deaths in his family, his marriage broke up, with his ex wife taking his child with her. Most men would be emotional and/or needy going through that.

Solly battled through two cruciale ligament operations which affected his early development and knocked his confidence on the field.

 

[Weststander]

AK unfortunately didn’t have the pace to regularly beat top flight LB’s in a foot race and it got to him very quickly. The frustration was visible, then sometimes the kicking out.

Whilst Solly has gradually got better and better, slowed by long-term injuries that stopped him in his pomp (at Pride Park and Anfield), but now he ticks so many boxes and he does have decent pace.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Knockaert did a job, had a hissy fit and didn't fit the club ethos anymore.
Whereas Solly March is still doing the job with no fuss.

 

[Stat Brother]

MkI VW Golf GTi v VW Golf 2.0d.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

The only version I have of Knockaert in my head is the blockbuster version. I’m still convinced he could come and play in this team and I won’t have it any other way.



I am aware of course that reality is very different to that, unfortunately.

 

[Brian Fantana]

I’d still take blockbuster Knocky over March. Sadly it was an increasingly fleeting thing.

 

[Beach Hut]

The only version I have of Knockaert in my head is the blockbuster version. I’m still convinced he could come and play in this team and I won’t have it any other way.

There is no way he would fit in the current team ethos, with Knocky everything was about him and when it didn't go right he would sulk out on the wing.

What we have now is a incredible team ethic of values and winning mentality.

 

[dazzer6666]

He had two traumatic deaths in his family, his marriage broke up, with his ex wife taking his child with her. Most men would be emotional and/or needy going through that.

Solly battled through two cruciale ligament operations which affected his early development and knocked his confidence on the field.

Maybe, but if that’s what stopped him making it at the top level ‘it is what it is’. Only last season he was still buying (or being given) seats next to our away support and making it very obvious he was there for the cheers.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

To answer the actual question, I would not have guessed their careers correctly.

That said, I loved Knocky in the Championship but soon tired of his petulance in the Prem; the final straw was that Goodison red card right in front of me. Solly is the reverse though; in the Championship I felt he was average and given the benefit of the doubt too many times due to being a local lad. 6 years later, and at a far higher level, he’s now a key player. I would never in a million years have predicted this.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Maybe, but if that’s what stopped him making it at the top level ‘it is what it is’. Only last season he was still buying (or being given) seats next to our away support and making it very obvious he was there for the cheers.

That’s your spin on it. Ulloa also came to watch us, so was he only there for the cheers too?

 

[dazzer6666]

That’s your spin on it. Ulloa also came to watch us, so was he only there for the cheers too?

Not ‘spin’. Knockaert has done it multiple times….at West Ham last season he made a point of going to the edge of the home end in the disabled area to wave (and got moved on by stewards). At Chelsea he was right on the home/away segregation line.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

To answer the actual question, I would not have guessed their careers correctly.

That said, I loved Knocky in the Championship but soon tired of his petulance in the Prem; the final straw was that Goodison red card right in front of me. Solly is the reverse though; in the Championship I felt he was average and given the benefit of the doubt too many times due to being a local lad. 6 years later, and at a far higher level, he’s now a key player. I would never in a million years have predicted this.

Solly was playing for England U21s before his second cruciale injury.