"The coach, Pulis, looks for a strapping attacker"

[FullerMagic]

Typical - he's after another big lump

www.leparisien.fr/home/sports/psg/article.htm?articleid=295994807

Le Parisien newspaper

The CAN is also the means for clubs of the second tier to discover a special profile. Jaouad Boukhari, a young agent of French players, is on a mission for Stoke City, in D2 English.

"Tony Pulis, the coach, look for a strapping attacker but he does not find him on the domestic market " relates Jaouad.

"I came for him to do several reports on players having this profile."

At the time of the first game, the Ghana attacker, Manual Agogo, currently of Nottingham Forest, typed for him in the eye.

"It is necessary now that I try to approach it to know his contractual, wage position and probe its cravings." This is the second party of the work and surely not the simplest one.

[Deleted]

He doesn’t speak English very well.

”At the time of the first game, the Ghana attacker, Manual Agogo, currently of Nottingham Forest, typed for him in the eye.”

Typed for him in the eye? Bloody goose

[FullerMagic]

I think Tone will know all about Junior soddin' Agogo.

He can chuck that report in the bin for starters

I wonder if Mali's big number 7 caught his eye yesterday?

[jezzascfc]

Tone can drive down the A50 to watch him at Forest, for Christ's sake.

He'd better do better at uncovering a hidden gem that that!!

"Strapping" attacker is a strange term for a French speaker to use - it could almost have come straight from TP's mouth!!

[sheikhmomo]

Poor old Junior, about to have his cravings probed by a Frenchman.

[thats entertainment]

You've got the wrong gist of it...the last paragraph is actually a separate piece of the article. It's basically a round up of what is happening at the ACON. The last paragraph about Agogo is about him trying to catch the eye of people whilst playing for Ghana...i think...I don't think it is in any way relating him to us.

The bit about stoke just states that we have employed some Frecnh youth scout for the ACON...Agogo is unrelated to it.

It's been a while since my A-Level French but I think what I've said is some sort of an understanding!

[realstokebloke]

You're right jezza,

"un attaquant costaud"

does sound a bit fishy and very un-Gallic to me also?

Does it literally mean "a strapping attacker" ?

[Onneravineet]

Tony Pulis responded angrily today at newspaper reports from France suggesting he was soliciting for a “Strapping” man.
Rumblings in the French capital suggested that Mr Pulis was not able to fulfil his requirements within the UK and had sent a word out with a young French agent Mr Boukari. Commenting about the request Mr Boukari said he had to make some approaches to “probe its’ cravings!”
Mr Pulis does not live in Stoke itself as Detective Spinks comments “He’s not from here, and he’s certainly not from Burslem. We had a tip off from our Southern colleagues that certain patterns were present concerning Mr Pulis” he went on to say “I am lead to believe that he always seeks out, shall we say, the larger, more physical man and likes it put in long”.
A witness who did not wish to be identified said “It is very physical I remember it hurting my neck! It’s true that he does favour a large man, a little man hasn’t got a chance. I once wanted to draw attention to this and printed some red cards. I backed out of my actions and now they just serve as painful reminder to a painful time for me.”
Mr Pulis refused to comment other than to say that he was willing to spend money on the right man but he wouldn’t be rushed, he wasn’t desperate!”

[FullerMagic]

Not that there's any chance of Pulis being interested in Agogo - but doesn't 'lui a tapé dans l'oeil' mean 'caught his eye'?

The fact that Agogo is a big, physical striker who 'caught this agent's eye' in the first match does seem to follow directly on from the paragraph describing how he's trying to find a big 'un (like Agogo) for Tony Pulis.

But I will take the word of a living human (especially one with a French A-level ) over Professor Babel Fish.

[thats entertainment]

That's what I said FullerMagic...good old French A-Level hey!

[ted1965]

I thought it said Tony was looking for a strap on for men, now I hope this isn't some problem he has developed that even viagra couldn't help with, if so hope Mrs P is a patient lady, come on Tone you are always telling us about working ard seems you are losing it.

[FullerMagic]

I can't see many of these "strapping" African targetmen being affordable.

Most of them seem to be playing at top clubs.

Ivory Coast have got a good one...Didier something or other.