6 Aug 2009(Thu)

August 4, 2009: You have to accept that Nagoya Grampus know what they are doing by taking Alex from Reds.

It seems like a risky signing to me, simply because there is such a big question mark against his fitness and whether, at 32, he can be effective any more over a sustained period.

He's hardly played for Reds in recent times, either through injury or through Volker Finke's rebuilding policy, and you have to wonder if there is anything left in the tank.

Alex will be keen to prove otherwise, of course, and Grampus will be keen to prove that the deal was not a mistake, so between them they could make things happen and give the player a new lease of life.

On his day, Alex is a valuable asset with his silky left foot, his speed and his experience, and he can play in a number of positions. I've always preferred him in a more forward position, and never thought he was suited to the left back role preferred by Zico simply because the defensive aspect of his game was not up to scratch at the highlest level.

Ivica Osim moved him further forward immediately when he took over from Zico, capitalising on his adventurous attacking skills without the burden of defending, and former Reds coach and manager Gert Engels always spoke in glowing terms of Alex's game intelligence; how he paced himself during the 90 minutes, knowing when to commit himself fully to attack and when to hold himself back.

Just where Dragan Stojkovic will use him for Nagoya remains to be seen, as his left side is already quite strong with Shohei Abe at left back and Magnum in front of him. Maybe "Pixie" will play him in a more central role, supporting the two strikers from midfield, but competition is strong in there with the likes of Yoshimura, Nakamura and Yamaguchi.

Provided he is match fit and stays physically fit, Alex will give Grampus several options as they look to add a bit of fizz to their play in the second half of the season.

But it still seems risky to me.

ends