Ex-Bordeaux Scout Puzzled Player Nearing 35 Years Is Ahead Of Maja In Pecking Order Of Strikers

Published: February 18, 2020

Former Bordeaux talent spotter Laurent Calippe is dissatisfied over Josh Maja's limited playing opportunities at the French Ligue 1 club.

Maja impressed in the first half of the season, scoring four goals in five starts, but in the last two months, the ex-Sunderland starlet has logged only sixteen minutes in the league.

Calippe is puzzled that a striker who turns 35 in August, Jimmy Briand, is ahead of the Nigeria international and South Korean Hwang Ui-Jo in Paulo Sousa's pecking order of strikers.

"Today, for me, Bordeaux is not looking for a striker. You have Josh Maja and Hwang Ui-Jo. Try them, go to the end, and you will know if they are good or not," said Calippe to Girondins4ever.

"The problem is that you don't try them, you're going to play Jimmy Briand. Ulrich Ramé, when he brought Briand, he did not bring him in to play 90 minutes.

"He does it as an extra player, telling himself that there are Cup matches, to use the attacker you are going to take.Since they are there, nothing has been rational."

Maja turned down the chance to join English clubs prior to his transfer to Bordeaux in January 2019.

Igho Kingsley

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