Boumsong - What Is Left To Say?

Jean-Alain Boumsong has been the joke of the TV pundits since his summer signing, so much so they've even created a pact where they no long want to talk about him! It has all been said, but caretaker boss Glenn Roeder, like Graeme Souness before him, refused to criticise the defender after the Frenchman suffered yet a personal disaster.

Roeder: 'It goes without saying he's very upset - who wouldn't be? There isn't a footballer that wouldn't be upset with what led up to the penalty and what led up to the sending off. He didn't make enough contact with what appeared to be a simple clearance and the ball evaded him.

'He then had a to make a decision on whether to attempt to tackle or let the player go in on goal. He made the decision to attempt to win the ball back, and I have no complaints with the penalty.

'But what you won't get me to do is criticise him publicly because I was a player once of some sort and any manager or coach who criticised me or another player after a bad mistake wasn't a person for me, was not a good coach, was not a good manager.

'But that does not mean to say I will not sit down with Boumsong and go through the goals and share my view of where he could have done better.'

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