In some ways it’s probably a bit worrying when the manager comes out and seems overjoyed when one of his signings plays well – surely that is the main reason you bought him?
In all fairness, there probably weren’t a lot of high expectations when it came to the signing of Hatem Abd Elhamed. His track record suggested he was a centre back pushed out wide, who might be okay but wouldn’t offer a great deal.
You could even go a bit further and suggest it was a panic signing to try and replace Lustig. It was clear that Anthony Ralston wasn’t rated by the gaffer and Ajer was forced to play at right back.
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The Israeli has actually proved to be a fantastic addition to the squad and definitely looks like an upgrade on the version of Lustig from last season. He was great against Lazio and looks well worth the reported £1.6m fee.
Some of the gaffers’ comments were picked up by The Daily Record and it shows he was probably a bit hesitant about making the signing, but also shows how happy he is with his form.
He said: “For the money we bought him for he’s proving to be real value for money. But we looked and looked and looked at him. Then we looked at him again and were always wondering: ‘What’s wrong with him? Where is the flaw?”
He went on to add: “Why is a guy with all these qualities, the physicality, the quick feet, the versatility to play centre-half or full-back, only going to cost the club £1.6million?”
Despite this, it’s clear that Lenny is delighted with him: ““He can be delighted with his contribution. He gets a little bit frustrated not playing all the time but in the important games he has stood up and been brilliant for us.”
It does look like we will see a bit of rotation at the right back spot this season, Jeremie Frimpong has been named as a starter against Aberdeen but it’s not clear if that’s due to fitness or a tactical choice. Frimpong offers a bit more pace and attacking threat so might be useful for some games.
It’s also possible that Lenny might decide to try the back three more often in Europe, it worked against Lazio and having Abd Elhamed in the squad allows him to play as the third centre back or revert to right back if he needs to switch it up during the game.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s brilliant that a signing has worked out well, it just looks a bit bizarre to come out and admit you’re a bit surprised at it !
