Slater got better over summer for me, during the game I remembered why I had issues him, his ability to read a game and his out ball is not at the standard. Always plays it behind the man.
Considering we have Seri, Tufan, Traore, all technical players, our passing and distribution on Saturday was abysmal.. not sure if LR has concentrated more on fitness in preseason, but for whatever reason we couldn't string 3 passes together. Perhaps we need a dm to allow those technical players to shine, or perhaps we've overlooked the need to actually keep the ball to score a goal ! Not sure about this front foot attacking philosophy and exciting brand of football being muted, but last season we didn't see it, and playing like we have in preseason and first game it's been absent. Don't just talk the talk, walk the fkn walk !
They are better. But I think the system held them back. Slater couldn’t get forward because he couldn’t get back for Seri, who was sitting deep alone and is immobile. Adama is probably our most creative threat and Rosenior had him doing a touch line shifts FFS
I think i just don’t see it as well. I think he’s a clever player in and around the box, decent on the ball. ****e off it. Always looks busy off it but is pretty much anonymous out of possession
Adama still looks like he's being nursed back in at the moment. Same with Vinagre and Connolly. It's a catch 22. To get them match fit you have to play them but if you don't they'll not get fully match fit. Dare say if we are bringing in 2 more wingers then Adama won't be starting wide much.
You’d hope not. He’s the key, the movement of Delap with Adama in behind will be the championships Haaland and De Bruyne
Probably an unpopular opinion, don’t see Slater having another season like last again. Hope to be wrong, but I just don’t think he’s that good.
I don’t think his season was really that good. He just never really dropped below his usual and occasionally stood out. More often than not he played as he did on Saturday though imo.
That’s my other issue. For someone who played so much championship football, you’d think he’d be aware a midfield with the presence of Slater and Seri would get overrun like it did on Saturday on most occasions at this level
Yes agree but did pop up with a goal or assist at the right time to keep his stock high. For example that game he scored twice he’d been absolutely ****e for several games in a row and was having an absolute stinker that day, would almost certainly have been dropped after that until the 70th ish minute when he scored and so kept his place.
Personal opinion,I think Rosenior has drilled them too hard in playing the one way and they don't seem to be making their own decisions during the course of a game...All 105 minutes of it
he does add value and can pop up now and again so worth having in the squad but can be an absolute passenger and be extremely wasteful.
In a midfield 3 he’s probably my pick for the box to box role as he’s good at picking up areas around the final third, he’s just not who you want as you’re midfield enforcer/protection for Seri.
Oh he is that good! You're questioning his consistency not his ability on the face of it? Nobody near him for me for player of the season.
For me he had more games where he faded into the background. Seri was key every game, only thing that separated him and Slater was availability. Slater is never less than a 6/10 but is an 8/10 one in 5. Every squad needs players like it but he gets away with it because he always looks busy.
