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Writer: turfmanphil 
Date:Monday September 17 2012
Time: 7:50PM
UK time is: 08:55:42
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Burnley X-Files: Bikey Praised for Boro Debut
Clarets fans may well have missed the news in midweek that former central defender Andre Bikey had signed for Middlesbrough on a free transfer after agreeing a one year contract. The 27-year-old had been training with Boro following his release by Burnley at the end of last season, and became boss Tony Mowbray's 12th signing.
'Andre is a player I have liked for a long time. He is a different type of centre-half to what we have got,' Mowbray said.
'He is a very powerful defender who has real physicality and he also has good technical ability.
'Andre hasn't played a great deal of football in the last year but when he gets up to speed our supporters will see the qualities he possesses.'
The Cameroon international in fact turned out to be the last of the players released by Burnley at the end of last season to find a new job.
After signing for Middlesbrough he was handed his first start, four days after completing a move to the Riverside.
Did I just say Bikey and shouldn't I have said Amougou? By all accounts not. Andre now has 'Bikey' again on the back of his shirt although this time it's a red Boro one.
So far so good too for his new career after being praised by Tony Mowbray following his debut in Saturday's 2-0 Championship win over Ipswich Town.
'The decision wasn't made until Friday afternoon, but he showed up well in training,' Mowbray told BBC Tees.
'He's tremendously strong, different to our other defenders, a huge physical presence and we needed that.'
Mowbray added: 'We were compact and it helped him do what he's good at.'
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Your Comments
Strange that he is now back to Bikey. I wonder if Mowbray will ever be able to get the best out of him.
Claretdale
I reckon Coyle did so maybe!
turfmanphil
This thread could have me writing for ever and ever. My signed Poppy Shirt with Amougou on the back is one of my favourite purchases (Poppy Shirt Auction last year). If ever there was a player who requires the right "management", it is Andre. Players like Rooney, Barton, Mario etc etc all need to be micro managed to get the best out of them. The coaching of these players is fairly easy, it is the management of them as a person that matters. I have witnessed first hand young Ivory Coast players arrive at a club and start ordering around every female on the staff, when the situation was addressed it was realised that this was the norm in the village where the players came from. They were doing nothing wrong in their eyes. They needed to be managed and indeed one was subsequently sold 3 years later for over a Million (great management). Andre is a Cameroon lad and you need to addess his culture and beliefs and manage the change into an acceptable level for all at the football club. (This does not imply Andre is or was like the lad from the Ivory Coast, that was just an example). I was so frustrated we didn't have the staff to work with Andre off the pitch. Andre, good luck at Boro my friend, it will be tough for me when he comes to the Turf. Always a Shepherd never a sheep.
VinRogue
He played his best stuff as Bikey, Amougou he didn't and was hard to spell maybe them were his thoughts for changing back?
8clarets8
VR, that's a lovely and highly culturally-sensitive tribute to someone you are obviously very fond of. It will be interesting to see how Andre's season progresses. But we'll never know exactly what he did to cause Bfc to lose faith. Nor whether he will have learned from that experience and perhaps have conducted himself a bit differently on Teesside. So, if he does thrive there, we won't be able to conclude unequivocally that Burnley and/or Eddie mismanaged him.
Couch Potato
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