All Leagues, EPL, England, Europe, Features, Ian John, Leagues, Regions POSTS

Hit The Road Zak.

Published by Ian John on April 3, 2009

It’s not often I feel sorry for Steve Bruce. The Wigan manager may have a face that resembles a beady eyed cabbage patch doll, that’s been half melted in a blast furnace and his unrequited love for Manchester United may still burn deep within, but I have to admit, I do have a great deal of sympathy for him and his current situation with on loan Egyptian striker Amr Zaki.

Who? You remember Zaki don’t you? He was the striker Wigan signed at the start of the season on loan, with a view to a permanent deal, from the Egyptian side Zamalek. Nobody made much noise about it at the time, but after a quarter of the season, Zaki stood atop the goalscoring charts in the EPL, had scored a wonder goal against Liverpool at Anfield, was making Andy Gray do that excitable growl of appreciation when he commented on him and was being touted for a big money move once his loan deal was up, not only to Wigan, but it was reported that almost every club in the Premiership wanted him.

However since then it has all gone somewhat pear shaped. No goals since December, he has lost his place in the Wigan team and now Bruce has lifted the lid on just why.

The Wigan boss’s comments on Zaki’s behaviour pulled no punches. He stated;

“I really am at the end of my tether with him, I just feel that it’s time we went public on what a nightmare he has been to deal with because I can honestly say that in all my time in football I have never worked with someone as unprofessional. Before this latest incident, Zaki had already been fined considerably more than the average person in Britain earns in a year and he will now face another heavy fine. I have already fined him the maximum allowed but this just seems to have no effect.”

Zaki’s crime has been to go away on international duty and four times he has returned to the club late. A fact made all the more annoying for Bruce by the fact that all his other players have returned on time ready for club duties the following weekend. However one senses from the comments Bruce has made, that there is also an attitude problem with Zaki. He has had a well documented bust-up during this past week with Wigan and Egypt team mate Mido. Mido accusing Zaki and his agent of spreading false rumours about Mido being angry at being left on the bench for a recent Egypt international game.

It does very much sound like petulant playground sniping, but these are vastly wealthy, grown men we are talking about. Bruce is clear in his mind who is at fault and given he has worked with the striker all season long, it is hard to question his judgment. One wonders if Zaki’s unprofessional conduct and spat with Mido is anything to do with the fact that since Mido joined Wigan on loan from Middlesbrough, he has played far more often for the club than Zaki, who has often been sat on the bench. Or is that just a coincidence?

So while Zaki burst onto the scene with a shower of goals and bullish performances of traditional old style centre forward play that had Andy Gray purring with delight, it seems likely that the abiding memory from Zaki’s time in England will be of a talented, if petulant star, who was to wrapped up in his own ego to be the professional he needed to be to make a name for himself in the Premier League.

I can forgive players for having a lack of talent. I can remember Liverpool signing Torben Piechnik, a man so devoid of footballing ability he made Neil Ruddock look like Franz Beckenbauer. Djimi Traore must have been signed for the comedic value alone. However what irks me, and possibly Steve Bruce, more with Zaki is that he plainly has the talent to succeed, he just does not have the attitude and mindset to make it work.

So come the end of the season, I don’t expect Steve Bruce to be making enquiries as to signing the player permanently. It is a shame. It seems almost paradoxical to me to work so hard to become a professional and then achieve that dream, only to behave like the worst kind of unreliable amateur when you get there.

Image Courtesy of **aly Popoo** on Flickr.com

Readers Rating: