My problem with Mohsni is that I desperately want to hate him but can't. He's treated the club and its fans with utter contempt since the summer, yet he's one of the most compelling and entertaining players I've ever watched at Roots Hall, a total one-off, and now that he's back I'm not ready to let go yet.
The first time I saw him play I found myself in tears of laughter; who the hell is this liability. He ran around like a cross between an 18-month-old cocker spaniel and a fan who had won a competition to play 90 minutes at Roots Hall. Yet it wasn't long before the natural talent so many people on here had referenced emerged. He randomly played keepy-uppy and on one occasion when he should have booted the ball to safety when closed down by two opposition forwards in the south east corner decided to bamboozle both by backheeling the ball to the vacant Clohessy instead.
Since then watching him has been a total rollercoaster; head in hands as he gives away needless fouls such as the penalty against Stevenage; purring at a pinpoint crossfield pass then despairing as he fluffs the next one; shouting 'no' as he draws his foot back to shoot improbably from 35 yards out against Northampton and then subsequently gasping with disbelief when the net bulges; chuckling at the schoolboyish grin on his face when Luggy tells him to go up front in the latter stages of a match we're losing; frowning at his evident petulance when Freddy replaces him as the fans favourite; even watching with intrigue his sheepish body language as he waited for the crowd's reaction on Saturday as his name was read out.
I thought Bilel was desperately unlucky on Saturday. Yes it was a naive challenge but still an honest one with no intent to hurt Hackett; both went for the ball and Hackett could easily have gone instead. Having just watched the Football League show there were worse challenges, some with clear intent to injure the opponent (the Tranmere player in particular). I've seen worse challenges by other Southend players this season; Timlin a few weeks back made an absolute horror tackle in the opening minutes of a game a few weeks ago in the south west corner that could easily have been a red. He is one player who definitely would have made the same challenge Bilel did on Saturday.
I can understand those who want him out of the club indefinitely. Part of me is jealous I can't join you. It will probably end in tears, history suggests that, but like Man City fans who still love Balotelli I still have an irrational affection for Bilel. The current poll suggests others do as well. He may be a liability but he's our liability. For now anyway.
The first time I saw him play I found myself in tears of laughter; who the hell is this liability. He ran around like a cross between an 18-month-old cocker spaniel and a fan who had won a competition to play 90 minutes at Roots Hall. Yet it wasn't long before the natural talent so many people on here had referenced emerged. He randomly played keepy-uppy and on one occasion when he should have booted the ball to safety when closed down by two opposition forwards in the south east corner decided to bamboozle both by backheeling the ball to the vacant Clohessy instead.
Since then watching him has been a total rollercoaster; head in hands as he gives away needless fouls such as the penalty against Stevenage; purring at a pinpoint crossfield pass then despairing as he fluffs the next one; shouting 'no' as he draws his foot back to shoot improbably from 35 yards out against Northampton and then subsequently gasping with disbelief when the net bulges; chuckling at the schoolboyish grin on his face when Luggy tells him to go up front in the latter stages of a match we're losing; frowning at his evident petulance when Freddy replaces him as the fans favourite; even watching with intrigue his sheepish body language as he waited for the crowd's reaction on Saturday as his name was read out.
I thought Bilel was desperately unlucky on Saturday. Yes it was a naive challenge but still an honest one with no intent to hurt Hackett; both went for the ball and Hackett could easily have gone instead. Having just watched the Football League show there were worse challenges, some with clear intent to injure the opponent (the Tranmere player in particular). I've seen worse challenges by other Southend players this season; Timlin a few weeks back made an absolute horror tackle in the opening minutes of a game a few weeks ago in the south west corner that could easily have been a red. He is one player who definitely would have made the same challenge Bilel did on Saturday.
I can understand those who want him out of the club indefinitely. Part of me is jealous I can't join you. It will probably end in tears, history suggests that, but like Man City fans who still love Balotelli I still have an irrational affection for Bilel. The current poll suggests others do as well. He may be a liability but he's our liability. For now anyway.
