same player i saw at palace missing loads of chances it wont change now, but at least he gets in the box and can shift
Match Day Thread Saints vs Winners
- Thread starter cronemeister
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same player i saw at palace missing loads of chances it wont change now, but at least he gets in the box and can shift
What's the alternative though? He is, as things stand, the best we have and we won't attract (or indeed attempt to attract) anyone better.
A good point I never touched on, McCarthy was in fine form too.
We were much improved. More than anything we just looked better in possession. Its tough we've had nearly 4 years of not really trying to retain possession. This manager and the previous one have been happy to allow the opposition to have the ball, and then defend and break on them. Obviously both would point out that they look like achieving the goal of staying up. However as fans, its been a long old 4 years watching a team trying not to lose, instead of trying to win.
He was in fine form. If he has been performing like that all season then he should be considered for England (although I suspect, given our luck, he saved that just for us!) From Burnley onwards, there has been a change in pysche. Is has been a better watch for sure. Hopefully once we secure safety, he opens up a bit more although my obvious worry is our reliance on ASM to be our "out". Almiron can do it but not with the success rate of ASM.
Keep Joelinton playing off of the striker. He looks much better there from what I can see. I would like to see
Gayle
ASM Almiron Joelinton
Have them rotate around too, just to add variety.
It was a shocking day for him at the office in that one respect. His general all round game was terrific though. Anyone who didn't enjoy that, simply doesn't understand football. His movement was outstanding.
The heartening thing is it puts to bed the myth he can't score goals at this level and that he doesn't score in the PL because he doesn't get as many chances. The lad will get chances at any level because his movement is of a very very high level. He has shown for WBA and NUFC previously he can finish. He just needs a goal and some confidence. The real issue with him is not his ability to finish or play in the PL. Its that he will probably be injured again by Wednesday.
Never mind Gayle, how ****ing woeful was Shelvey in that 2nd half? Pass after pass just misplaced or overhit time after time, it was ****ing embarrassing to watch at times.
I'd take Long and Ings over Gayle and JoeLinton every day of the week. Long went off on 76 mins and he literally couldn't walk anymore he'd ran himself into the ground that much. He does that week in week in out and has done his whole career. Quite why we can't find players like that who will harry and hassle defenders and chase down balls is beyond me.
I'm only pleased that we won as it's saved us from hearing Brucey wheel out the old ****ing cliche of sometimes it's harder to play against 10 men!
I wouldn't take Long but I would want Ings in the team all day long. We would have won by 10 if he was up front for us!
Shelvey really was dreadful 2nd hallf - pushed Gayle for Moron of the Match. 1st half, though, he ran the show. Was very, very odd - I reckon there was a bust up in the dressing room half time, like, something must have happened. Some was due to So'ton dropping deep and defending, there was suddenly no space in behind for his passes but it felt like more than that to me.
Typically condescending, your opinion is your own. In isolation, his movement was good. Maybe very good at times. But there was also some laziness, second half in particular he seemed shot of confidence and stopped trying, which I can't forgive. The finishing is part of the game he's brought in to do and if Joelinton had done that - don't get me wrong, Joelinton wouldn't even have been in camera shot for any of those chances - he'd have been berated to within an inch of his life. Gayle's been like that in the PL his whole career, this missed chances rubbish isn't isolated. Two decent periods of his career, with us (Champ) and West Brom (Champ) are a clear indication of what he's about. And the Champ is hard going, more games, harder to stay fit - yet his two longest spells have come in that division? Doesn't add up. For me its a mental thing with Gayle as much as anything and he simply shouldn't be in the PL.
I'm also going to say something controversial - credit to Bruce ahead of Gayle. There, I said it. Seemed to me that Bruce had a decent idea of how to win that match and we should have pasted So'ton but for the finishing of Gayle.
Not meant as condescending at all. It is simply my opinion that those who can't appreciate Gayles movement and general all round play on Saturday, don't understand football fully. I stand by that statement. I might be wrong, but that is my opinion. He showed everything we have been missing by having a wide forward playing up front. It isn't Joelinton's fault either, its just not natural to make striker movements, and know how to drag people out of position when playing up top.
Contrary to popular belief, Gayle has a very respectable record in terms of number of PL starts to goals scored ratio. If you look at the face of it, prior to this season he had made 99 PL apps and only managed 21 goals. Looks a pretty poor record. However the reality is prior to this season the lad has only ever started PL 50 games. He starts as many games on the bench as he does in the starting line up. Could it be that his record is simply better in the Championship because that is the only time he has been afforded consistent starting game time? Even in the season under Rafa Gayle only started 23 PL league games. Playing in an ultra defensive formation not making the best of his talents. So I'd say its a stretch and a half to claim his record is a clear indication of a lack of ability to play in the PL, the evidence just doesn't support it unless you are skim reading the stats. The reality is we don't know because he has been used a certain way by us and Palace.
Don't get me wrong, his finishing at the weekend seriously dragged down his level of performance. You can't get away from it being his job to put it in the back of the net. However if you look at this game and the time against Wolves before his injury, its pretty clear to Stevie Wonder how much the overall team performance level improves when he is in the team. If Dennis Bergkamp had produced the bit of skill and touches Gayle did against Wolves for the Almiron goal, they'd still be jizzing over it now.
He's never really had the chance looking at his career. Whether that is because of injuries or managers seeing in training he is not up to the level, who knows. One thing for sure though, fans deciding championship is his level, are basing it on very little evidence and a gut feeling more than anything else.
In other news, we don't even warrant a mention in Dermot Gallagher's "Ref watch" on SSN this week, that's how spot on the decisions were.
And yet, these two, Hayden and Shelvey back in the team = 4 points from 2 games (should have been 6). You must have missed Almiron missing the easiest chance of the game, and clearly not making any allowance for the fact that three of them are playing their way back from injuries.
Gayle is far more likely to score than Joe-Linton or Almiron. Shelvey and Ritchie are far more likely to create chances for others, than Almiron.
I suspect the Longstaffs have dropped quite a way down the pecking order and Bentelab looks average. Lazaro is a possible.