Re: David Cotterill

Agree completely but the implication from Cotterill is we thought he was someone else

It's complete rubbish (even though Ndoye WAS rubbish) that we signed the wrong player .. here's an actual quote from Jeff Vetere

Birmingham City fans will always remember Cheikh Ndoye.
The Senegalese only spent two seasons at St Andrew’s, and he was loaned back to his former club Angers for one of those.
It all started with a conversation between then manager Harry Redknapp and newly appointed director of football Jeff Vetere in 2017.
Redknapp wanted a player in the mould of Papa Bouba Diop, who he coached at Portsmouth, and Ndoye was the recommendation.

"I actually saw him play in the (French) Cup final against PSG and straight away you could see his combative, physical qualities that would suit our football,” said Vetere. "On top of that he can get forwards and score a goal."

Redknapp even attempted to use Ndoye to sign highly-rated Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. “Anybody tackles you, he (Ndoye) kills them,” said Redknapp in a truly unique, but unsuccessful, attempt at tapping up the Udinese midfielder.

Ndoye’s billing, courtesy of Vetere and Redknapp, left supporters excited. But he’s remembered for putting John Terry in a headlock at the end of a Second City derby and getting sent off.
As for those goals Vetere promised, Ndoye didn’t score any. He notched a penalty in a pre-season friendly shortly before his departure to spark ironic scenes of celebration in Cheltenham Town’s away end.

[www.birminghammail.co.uk]