Tonali's ban

[toptoon]

He can also take part in club "friendlies" . . . so watch us line up a load with likes of Gateshead etc. in coming months.

At least this means he'll get all the training to be how Howe want's the team player, time to learn English so he completely understands.

Much rather have him playing but silver linings etc.

True - it’s better than a long term injury for sure - as you say: silver linings.

[Zippity]

Well, ridiculous though the rules may be, they are the rules and he broke them so we've just got to take this one on the chin.

It's good that he can train and good that he can get help with his problem.

But let's not ignore the fact that it's very bad that our biggest summer signing is out for the rest of the season.

[Scott Kirkland]

True!!

So, banned until the start of next season. I presume he won’t be able to play in pre-season friendlies but, hopefully, is allowed to train?

As mentioned earlier, let’s pretend he’s done his cruciate and get on with it. I hope the club put him to work where possible and manage to recoup some money through a salary reduction.

He can train and play in friendlies.

[Ragatino]

We could do with another Centre forward, Isaks a sick note at the moment, break the bank and get the Napoli striker who’s name I can’t spell.

Osimhen? The lad is gonna command a fee of +£120m.

The smart money would go on the lad Boniface, Osimhen's countryman has exploded on the scene this season. https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundes...-striker-24103

He offers something different to both Wilson & Isak. He's 22 & a beast!

After cutting his teeth in the game at Real Sapphire in his homeland, Boniface made his breakthrough in the European game at Norwegian top-flight side Bodo/Glimt, where he posted 23 goals and eight assists in 66 games between 2019 and 2022.

That earned him a move to Belgian first division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in summer 2022 – and the goals continued to flow. The 6’2” forward hit a hat-trick on his debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game against Klaksvik, a haul that formed part of his 22 strikes and 12 assists in 55 competitive appearances for Union.

Boniface proved his elite-level credentials in the Europa League in particular, providing two goals and two assists in four meetings with Union Berlin in the group stage and round of 16, while also hitting the target against Leverkusen in the quarter-finals.

Since moving to Bayer over the summer, he has been a revelation; scoring a debut goal in the DFB Cup and registering a debut assist in the Bundesliga before hitting braces in each of his next two German top-flight outings. That resulted in a first Nigeria cap in the 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe on 10 September 2023 before Boniface became only the second ever player - and first since Erling Haaland in January 2020 - to win both the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month awards in the same month when he collected both gongs for August 2023. He added the September Rookie award to his collection, helped by another brace against Heidenheim.

Plays a bit like: Robert Lewandowski

Comparing a Bundesliga newcomer to one of the league’s absolute all-time greats might sound a tad premature, but hear us out. Boniface is an all-round centre forward, good with both feet, physically powerful, good in the air and with a surprisingly good dribbling ability. His clever movement and ability to lose his marker are also traits he shares with the Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich legend.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Well, ridiculous though the rules may be, they are the rules and he broke them so we've just got to take this one on the chin.

It's good that he can train and good that he can get help with his problem.

But let's not ignore the fact that it's very bad that our biggest summer signing is out for the rest of the season.

I wonder if we'll ever get to know what the bet was.

If he was betting on his own team to win only, I can't see a problem with that.

Obviously any other result would be questionable as would number of corners or those sort of bets.

[tinostongue]

Osimhen? The lad is gonna command a fee of +£120m.

The smart money would go on the lad Boniface, Osimhen's countryman has exploded on the scene this season. https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundes...-striker-24103

He offers something different to both Wilson & Isak. He's 22 & a beast!

After cutting his teeth in the game at Real Sapphire in his homeland, Boniface made his breakthrough in the European game at Norwegian top-flight side Bodo/Glimt, where he posted 23 goals and eight assists in 66 games between 2019 and 2022.

That earned him a move to Belgian first division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in summer 2022 – and the goals continued to flow. The 6’2” forward hit a hat-trick on his debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game against Klaksvik, a haul that formed part of his 22 strikes and 12 assists in 55 competitive appearances for Union.

Boniface proved his elite-level credentials in the Europa League in particular, providing two goals and two assists in four meetings with Union Berlin in the group stage and round of 16, while also hitting the target against Leverkusen in the quarter-finals.

Since moving to Bayer over the summer, he has been a revelation; scoring a debut goal in the DFB Cup and registering a debut assist in the Bundesliga before hitting braces in each of his next two German top-flight outings. That resulted in a first Nigeria cap in the 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe on 10 September 2023 before Boniface became only the second ever player - and first since Erling Haaland in January 2020 - to win both the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month awards in the same month when he collected both gongs for August 2023. He added the September Rookie award to his collection, helped by another brace against Heidenheim.

Plays a bit like: Robert Lewandowski

Comparing a Bundesliga newcomer to one of the league’s absolute all-time greats might sound a tad premature, but hear us out. Boniface is an all-round centre forward, good with both feet, physically powerful, good in the air and with a surprisingly good dribbling ability. His clever movement and ability to lose his marker are also traits he shares with the Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich legend.

Reading that, he could cost more than Osimenh or whatever his name is. But why would they sell either of these players, so we gonna have to break the bank to get either of them. I think that’s the next step, a BIG statement signing, let’s see.

[Sclox]

Confirmed as 10 months, which we all expected, plus the usual going on courses and giving lectures to youngsters.

We will miss him badly.

If the lad has a gambling problem this ban could be the worst thing possible for him without support.

He will have a whole lot more time on his hands now and I would worry about that from the clubs perspective.

[ex_pat_magpie]

If the lad has a gambling problem this ban could be the worst thing possible for him without support.

He will have a whole lot more time on his hands now and I would worry about that from the clubs perspective.

Yes, that's true. The club will have to go out of their way to keep him more than fully occupied to get as much of his time as possible used up positively.

[Zippity]

Out of interest, have we heard anything from Tonali himself yet?

[Scott Kirkland]

Osimhen? The lad is gonna command a fee of +£120m.

The smart money would go on the lad Boniface, Osimhen's countryman has exploded on the scene this season. https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundes...-striker-24103

He offers something different to both Wilson & Isak. He's 22 & a beast!

After cutting his teeth in the game at Real Sapphire in his homeland, Boniface made his breakthrough in the European game at Norwegian top-flight side Bodo/Glimt, where he posted 23 goals and eight assists in 66 games between 2019 and 2022.

That earned him a move to Belgian first division outfit Union Saint-Gilloise in summer 2022 – and the goals continued to flow. The 6’2” forward hit a hat-trick on his debut for the club in a UEFA Champions League qualifying game against Klaksvik, a haul that formed part of his 22 strikes and 12 assists in 55 competitive appearances for Union.

Boniface proved his elite-level credentials in the Europa League in particular, providing two goals and two assists in four meetings with Union Berlin in the group stage and round of 16, while also hitting the target against Leverkusen in the quarter-finals.

Since moving to Bayer over the summer, he has been a revelation; scoring a debut goal in the DFB Cup and registering a debut assist in the Bundesliga before hitting braces in each of his next two German top-flight outings. That resulted in a first Nigeria cap in the 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe on 10 September 2023 before Boniface became only the second ever player - and first since Erling Haaland in January 2020 - to win both the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month awards in the same month when he collected both gongs for August 2023. He added the September Rookie award to his collection, helped by another brace against Heidenheim.

Plays a bit like: Robert Lewandowski

Comparing a Bundesliga newcomer to one of the league’s absolute all-time greats might sound a tad premature, but hear us out. Boniface is an all-round centre forward, good with both feet, physically powerful, good in the air and with a surprisingly good dribbling ability. His clever movement and ability to lose his marker are also traits he shares with the Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich legend.

He has already got a Geordie sounding name, Boniface, bonnylad