I know over the last few seasons he's had his ups and downs and made tonnes of mistakes. But I think towards the end of last season, and this season in the cup and against Liverpool he was pretty solid. He looks strong in the air and he hasn't really done much wrong. I also noticed his distribution has improved significantly and was pinging the ball around vs Liverpool quite well. If other players deserve a 2nd chance under howe, why not Lascelles also? I recognise he's 4th choice, but I think he has the right to fight for his place.
Agreed - he gets a lot of stick and while he is a limited defender he can do a job on the field in emergencies and cup games. While he's made over 200 appearances for the club, he is still only 28 so just coming into his peak as a defender, he's also a good leader behind the scenes and not grumbling about his position at present so I have no issue with him sticking around. Burn and Schar are both a few years older than him so he could hold that 4th choice spot for 4/5 years while the club bring in younger players like Botman to come through. I think he'll get the credit he deserves when he leaves and not before tbh - he'll probably go to Forrest in a year or two if they are still in the league but the fanbase should give him a good send off when he goes for what he has given the club. Currently in his 8th season, over 200 appearances, led by example, not grumbled when things haven't gone his way and kicked a few arses in the dressing room when needed. Captain - Leader - Lascelles.
Lascelles is at his best when defending. He actually has very good positional sense, cutting out crosses etc. His weaknesses are a lack of pace and his distribution is slow. I don't think he really fits well with our style of play now but he will definitely have a part to play, particularly with Fernandez going, as there is no way the other three options are going to stay fit the whole season.
? Not sure where you got that from? He let Boobie's shot through his legs but it was a good first time finish. Dias had him on his arse once but apart from that he was solid enough. Was Willocks mental scorpion back hell volleyed clearance that took the ball out of Popes hands in the 1573453rd min that allowed the little gun slinger to smash home.
Not reliable. You know he is going to make a mistake at some point, like against Liverpool. He could of and should of been up against that Liverpool dwarf who scored. He was so slow to react, when he did react, he was limping about. He can play against the likes of Gillingham and stuff in the cup games. But anything other than that, he's no good
Does anyone notice, whether it be lascelles, burn or Botman, but our CB's have this uncanny nack of making runs of death out from their position into midfield to pressure? We've conceded goals and a lot of chances and I thought it was just Lascelles as he did it many times last year, but I've seen Burn and Botman do it, and it constantly costs us goals. Burn did it vs Everton last year and we lost 1-0, Botman did it vs City and it allowed them a way inside.
Presumably because our midfield is not tracking them back and as a defender worst thing you want is someone running at you full tilt while you are standing on the edge of the penalty area.
I'd agree from the club's perspective there is no reason to want to ship him out. We need the squad depth and competition in a critical position and at a minimum you know he's going to give his best. He's going to get game time as well, its a long season. Howe has done well at improving players also.
Sometimes it's not the case though, sometimes it just feels like a random run forward and it's cost us goals.
Unless he is moving forward with the ball no central defender runs randomly forward for no reason. They will occasionally continue a run if they have moved forward and played a ball but in that case you would expect a midfielder to drop in for them.
Can I ask why you think that? Jamal was zonal, attacking the ball, he was challenging the header on the penalty spot. Personally think the tactics were wrong at this point of the game. 1) 4 zonal markers, why? AND THREE of those Zonal's past the near post - with one of the best deliverers of a dead-ball standing over the corner? No, no, no! Murphy and Anderson are redundant at this point both marking no one within 20 foot of them. Murphy has to go to Gomes and Anderson to Elliot and leave Joelinton and Lacselles to zonal mark the front post and penalty spot. 2) Longstaff is man-marking the midget who scores and loses him. 3) Gomes (CB) is free - Targett can see him but is drawn to the group edge of box - again this should be Murphy making life tougher for Gomes and giving JL more chance of winning the header. Targett points him out to Anderson but it's to late by then. 4) PANIC STATIONS - we don't deal with the first or second balls. Then, just as the ball drops into Nick Popes hands, its one of the wildest clearances from Willock you'll ever see in the six yard box, then we don't deal with the third ball and on the 4th attempt the little bandit smashes the it in...F***ing C***ing F*** S*** B*****'s Edit - apologies to the man mountain that is Sven Botman - should have guessed it wasn't him - it wasn instead Sean Longstaff - who did follow mini moustache man but tried to knee the ball away instead of heading it.
That's all nice But when the ball was bobbing around the box, Lascelles could have just turned, ran over and smothered the Liverpool player making such a goal impossible. Nick Pope could have done with not rolling around on his back for 2 minutes faking an injury, giving Liverpool even more added time. That was pointless.
