Elephant in the room.

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

Now before you slate me please take a minute to ask yourself whether in the last ten games you've come away thinking this.

Lallana has been poor. For a while he's just not been himself which upsets me as I think He is brilliant and I love him more than any other player. He showed glimpses against pompey but he's not been himself for a while.

If he had a different name such as hammond or guly people on here would be stark raving mad at him, but because of his rep no ones really mentioned it.

Now the last time a thread like this was about lambert now scoring everyone slated the op and lambo scored a hatrick in the next game I think.

I still think Lallana has got it and I love him and think he should be in the first 11 no matter what at the moment but I was wondering if anyone had any theories as to why he's not been playing to his usual stunning standard?

Again please don't slate me!

 

[Osvaldorama]

Might as well close this thread straight away, what games have you been watching?

Sure he hasn't scored as many as he was at the start of the season, but there is literally no way you could describe his perfomances as poor. Oppositions are now more aware of the threat he poses and double up on him.

 

[CBK]

It's possibly down to 3 things...

1) His injury was more serious than was mentioned and either he can't twist and turn as much as he used to or mentally, he's worried about doing so.

2) He's getting more closely marked

3) He's been missing David Connolly to link up with (they appeared to be on the same wavelength at the end of last season/start of this.

Probably a combination of all three, plus higher expectations put upon him. Nothing serious to worry about and he's still a long way from being dropped due to poor form. But like any player, can't rest on his laurels and would be nice to see him have a dominant game again soon.

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

He's been below par by his standards for a while, but as I've said some players are practically teflon. I'm not suggesting he should be dropped, but is does seem unfair on other players that they get it in the neck all the time. Tactics are not my strong point...has something changed that's affecting him?

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

Might as well close this thread straight away, what games have you been watching?

Sure he hasn't scored as many as he was at the start of the season, but there is literally no way you could describe his perfomances as poor. Oppositions are now more aware of the threat he poses and double up on him.

I think your being slightly blinded by your love of the man himself. He's played okay at best he's played nothing like himself he has played at best as an average to good championship player, NOT the good to excellent prem player I truly believe he is.

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

It's possibly down to 3 things...

1) His injury was more serious than was mentioned and either he can't twist and turn as much as he used to or mentally, he's worried about doing so.

2) He's getting more closely marked

3) He's been missing David Connolly to link up with (they appeared to be on the same wavelength at the end of last season/start of this.

Probably a combination of all three, plus higher expectations put upon him. Nothing serious to worry about and he's still a long way from being dropped due to poor form. But like any player, can't rest on his laurels and would be nice to see him have a dominant game again soon.

All good points fingers crossed his injury will fade as connolly comes back, I think if these two happen he's good enough too deal with two men marking him, proved by his double nutmeg against birmingham.

 

[Osvaldorama]

I think your being slightly blinded by your love of the man himself. He's played okay at best he's played nothing like himself he has played at best as an average to good championship player, NOT the good to excellent prem player I truly believe he is.

I agree that he hasn't been at his best, but to call him poor is a bit of an exaggeration. He is still involved in almost all of our play.

I also think that he has been made worse by Fox starting ahead of Harding. He misses the marauding runs of Harding, which opened up a lot of space for him to work his magic. Fox tends to sit quite a bit deeper, and cut inside himself rather than dragging the defenders away from lallana.

 

[Beef]

It's possibly down to 3 things...

1) His injury was more serious than was mentioned and either he can't twist and turn as much as he used to or mentally, he's worried about doing so.

2) He's getting more closely marked

3) He's been missing David Connolly to link up with (they appeared to be on the same wavelength at the end of last season/start of this.

Probably a combination of all three, plus higher expectations put upon him. Nothing serious to worry about and he's still a long way from being dropped due to poor form. But like any player, can't rest on his laurels and would be nice to see him have a dominant game again soon.

Agreed

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

I agree that he hasn't been at his best, but to call him poor is a bit of an exaggeration. He is still involved in almost all of our play.

I also think that he has been made worse by Fox starting ahead of Harding. He misses the marauding runs of Harding, which opened up a lot of space for him to work his magic. Fox tends to sit quite a bit deeper, and cut inside himself rather than dragging the defenders away from lallana.

Decent shout on the harding front there, doubt you'll find many that agree with you on here though! And I agree his poor is another players average but even at the start of this season he could win games on his own so we know he has the ability at this level!

 

[Osvaldorama]

Decent shout on the harding front there, doubt you'll find many that agree with you on here though! And I agree his poor is another players average but even at the start of this season he could win games on his own so we know he has the ability at this level!

Haha, I literally love him so much!

 

[Beef]

Decent shout on the harding front there, doubt you'll find many that agree with you on here though! And I agree his poor is another players average but even at the start of this season he could win games on his own so we know he has the ability at this level!

I still think Lallana may play better on the right, it would mean he wouldn't have to keep cutting inside. I just think teams have got use to him doing it so maybe try something different?

 

[ThatThereSaintsFan]

I still think Lallana may play better on the right, it would mean he wouldn't have to keep cutting inside. I just think teams have got use to him doing it so maybe try something different?

I'm not sure he's pretty adept with his left foot as well.

 

[Saints Fan4Life]

I hsnt been playing poor, just not the magical lallana we're used to

 

[ChilcoSaint]

I still think Lallana may play better on the right, it would mean he wouldn't have to keep cutting inside. I just think teams have got use to him doing it so maybe try something different?

Yes. And play Fox at LM in front of Harding to shore that side up. That would take care of Adomah tomorrow, but still allow plently of attacking options down both wings. Trouble is, I have no idea who I'd drop! Probably put SDR on the bench I suppose, good as he was against palace.

 

[dontgonigel]

Absolute rubbish regarding Danny fox hindering lallanas performances!
Danny fox is in a different league to Harding and I wouldn't want him replaced by Harding or anyone else!

Lallana hasn't been a 100% but I put it down to the injury! I think it may have knocked him slightly maybe his confidence. He will be back though and I thought he has shown signs of getting there in the last 2 games!

Blimey guys Harding is good cover at best but if you can see the quality in the two players I think I have been watching a different Danny fox!!!

 

[Saints Fan4Life]

I agree that he hasn't been at his best, but to call him poor is a bit of an exaggeration. He is still involved in almost all of our play.

I also think that he has been made worse by Fox starting ahead of Harding. He misses the marauding runs of Harding, which opened up a lot of space for him to work his magic. Fox tends to sit quite a bit deeper, and cut inside himself rather than dragging the defenders away from lallana.

ive always said lallana links up better with harding than fox but thats just my opinion

 

[Beef]

Yes. And play Fox at LM in front of Harding to shore that side up. That would take care of Adomah tomorrow, but still allow plently of attacking options down both wings. Trouble is, I have no idea who I'd drop! Probably put SDR on the bench I suppose, good as he was against palace.

I've said before play fox LM his crosses would be even more dangerous from there. Then you could have both Harding and Fox interchanging.

 

[Itchen North Matt]

I agree that he hasn't been at his best, but to call him poor is a bit of an exaggeration. He is still involved in almost all of our play.

I also think that he has been made worse by Fox starting ahead of Harding. He misses the marauding runs of Harding, which opened up a lot of space for him to work his magic. Fox tends to sit quite a bit deeper, and cut inside himself rather than dragging the defenders away from lallana.

Not a bad shout there. Fox doesn't tend to overlap so much. I guess if Richardson is bombing down the right, maybe Nigel thinks it's too much of a risk to do the same down the left at this level? As a naturally attacking full back with a great deliivery, I'd imagine he could overlap if asked. When defending against the likes of Zaha, Adomah and other dangerous wingers, he's probably not asked to.

 

[st_brendy]

I've rarely come away thinking that Lallana has had a poor game, so I wouldn't go far. But certainly, in recent games I've also rarely come away thinking that he's been one of better players and should be a MOTM candidate.

I'm not sure if his injury has anything to do with it, but I'd suggest not. However, CBK's other two points are certainly worth considering. He is often being double-marked - very rarely is he ever in acres of space - and he does play best when he's linking up with Connolly.

The Harding/Fox thing may well also be an issue. Even I will say that Lallana works better with Harding than he does with Fox (but then they have had two years playing together, so maybe that's not a huge surprise). But so what? You don't pick a LB simply on the basis who best helps out your best, more creative player. If Lallana suffers from not having Harding, then so be it. It's about the team, not the indivdual. And the team benefits from having Fox, rather than than Harding.

 

[Beddy]

It was inevitable for me that the system we are currently playing at home anyway......seems to leave Lallana isolated with at least two marking him. Teams know that our other wing does not have that much to worry about so are not stretched so much. If you had someone on the other side who had a similar reputation to Lallana I think you would see him more in the game as they would have problems to cope with both. (As proved last season) The final thing to take into account perhaps is in the main the quality of defenders is a bit higher. The more worrying thing for me is his lack of assists this season, has he got a bit desperate and maybe making the wrong decisions in the last third perhaps??