Can’t put my finger on it with Thorniley but I feel the same way I felt about him when he was on loan. I don’t think he has a particular presence about him, he has a preference for long balls and when a chance comes against us, he never seems to be near the action and you’re left scratching your head where he was during it all. Negru on the other hand delivers on all the above and his distribution, though describing himself as old school, is very good. He models himself on John Terry and I can see that completely in his approach.
Manning seems to be able to unlock something in players so maybe, when we reflect on the season, he’ll be someone we said we couldn’t have done it without. But for now the jury is out for me and I wonder whether someone with a bit more presence, aggression and guile would’ve been better. He’s a warrior, I’ll give him that.