Defoe and Ade both missed a lot yesterday. Ade doesn't look as happy as he did last season and I wouldn't want him to be happy if he's not scoring. I disagree that he's not working hard though we've got 2 strikers who don't work well together and they take it in turns to get into the striker role they love whilst the other drifts away from the defence and either onto the wing or into midfield where they're not comfortable. If only one's going to play upfront I'd prefer the other was either benched or played out of position, not rotating with the other.
Ade is certainly in need of goals but I don't think his effort and attitude on the pitch can be faulted. His miss yesterday looked bad at first viewing, but it did bypass the defender right in front of him and (at least) he was in the right position!! He has always 'roamed' - taking his marker out wide etc - but he does seem to have done this more this season. That may be because we were missing Bale for a few games and lacked presence on the LW, but I think he needs to keep closer to Defoe. But heh, we are 4th after a troubled start to the season injury-wise, so much is right with the world........ Happy New Year!!
His one on one was terrible, trying to pass it past a keeper at grass height will run a risk of hitting his foot. Always better to just lift it a little, like Lennon did. Ade had time and should really have picked his spot. I think we've copped the worse spell of his career, its all very well to keep praising the rest of his work....but his job is too score.
Ade's confidence looks damaged a couple of goals will sort that. He was on fire in the Arsenal game, and we all know what happened, maybe this is a hangover. He has also had less time to work on the AVB method than most and Defoe is doing a lot of the things he does. Maybe YV is right, only play one at a time.
The guy is one of the biggest mercenaries the PL has ever witnessed and imo, it was a sad day when we signed him. I said at the time, we would soon see the other side of him and it looks like we currently are. His mind is elsewhere, his contributons in games are a shadow of what they were last season and that miss yesterday completely sums him up. To say "at least he was in the right position", is the sort of excuse a guy like Adebayor looks for. In reality it was an awful miss.
Not sure about that. Ade and Defoe are surely different enough to enable them to complement each others positioning etc and from what I have seen they get along pretty well - at least they put on a united and friendly front. Maybe that's it - they need to compete more!!!! Problem solved.....
Ade is like the guy who has been off work sick and returns to find his understudy has filled his boots and nicked his desk.
Was playing nice OS, but if you want to start challenging an observation, then you might like to substantiate why his 'mind is elsewhere'. From what I have seen this season, Ade hasn't shown any lack of interest or commitment (indeed the Arsenal game went OTT) and there is no suggestion either on the pitch or off it that he has proved to be anything other than a committed team player. I would have imagined that if this were the case then something would have leaked out - it has never been a barrier in the past where Ade has been concerned. He missed a chance that he should have taken yesterday - absolutely - but to suggest that this represents his attitude is a massive exaggeration. And to think that Ade actually seeks comfort from a Forum poster is also at best unlikely, even more improbable when it is me that posted it!!!
I think to say "at least he was in the right position" on a miss like that, is a cheap excuse to offer for a player who hasn't done enough this season to warrant it. The evidence you ask me to give is there to see in the games he plays. Do you really believe he looks as motivated as he did last season ?? Do you really belive he is giving the same movement off the ball as he was last season ?? Do you really believe he is looking to recieve the ball as often as last season ?? He may well be low on confidence, but sometimes that has to come from the player himself. Is he really showing that desire ??
I thought there were two sitters, the other being I think when Dempsey backheeled it and sent him through one on one against the 'keeper. It was the second that annoyed me more if I'm honest, the first one he just had to fling out a foot and hope. I'll probably get slated for saying this but I think it was more difficult than it looked. It's not a skill to stick your foot out as far as you can when litterally all you can do is stick out a foot to it and hope you get a good connection with the ball and it's not something you pracitice. One on one with the keeper is something he should be able to score because that's what strikers like him are paid so well for, the way he hit it though was too close to the keeper and not with enough power. Not sure if I've explained that well but your ability to strike the ball into the corner of the net is how you get chosen as a striker and not a defender, the open goal chance was one where a defender would have had the same chance of scoring. There was also another time in the game that I recall where we had a great chance to overrun their defence but he messed up a simple pass. Messing things up is pretty much the way you could describe most of his contributions this season, to be honest. Like you I don't think he's not trying and just here to pickup his wages though.
I haven't witnessed the same lack of commitment you have - but no doubt some of that is driven by personal opinions have about certain players. As Spurf mentioned above, I think most people would be happier, Ade included, if he got a couple of goals under his belt. Confidence is vital for success in all aspects of life.
There's several ways to cook an egg, lifting it puts it at a good height for the 'keeper to save from a standing position though. Whatever shot he went for though he should at very least forced Mignolet to make a great save if he doesn't score, as it was, it was fairly comfortable for the 'keeper.
I thought he'd done the hard bit and committed Mignolet the other way, gave him the eyes perhaps, and only had to get it by the keepers outstretched leg, so i meant just lift it slightly.
In Ade's case, One thing we do know is that all strikers go through lean periods. Defoe went through a bad patch quite resently where he couldn't buy a goal for love nor money, and was severely slated and blasted on here. During lean times strikers do get extremely desperate for a goal. When this happends, most strikers will over-play, under-cook, or simply try too hard when given sight of goal. Their increase in conscious effort results in a detraction in their matural ability and every missed chance accumulate and adds pressure on the next and so on (a vicious circle). Adebayor must surely be aware that he is 'out of form' at present and I believe his experience tells him to calmly play his own game in the meantime, untill he hits a couple square in the back of the net., Once he starts scoring again (and I hope thats sooner rather then later of course), we will see him at his best.
I agree completely, Bajan. He's still doing all the right things, but you can see the frustration in his game. If you look at his positioning for all 4 goals against Villa, then you'll see him in space and calling for the ball. His celebrations were very muted. The late move, injury, stupid sending off against the Goons and problems with his national side have all contributed to a disrupted start to the season, only some of which has been down to him.
Spurs knew what they were getting with Adebayor. He's either at the top of his game or he's nowhere. We've seen in the past how fragile he is if everything is not going his way, which is why, you would assume, he was seen as surplus to requirements at City. Time for AVB to earn his corn by motivating him.
Completely disagree, Lidls. He's still been doing everything else, but he's just not scoring. His partnership with Defoe hasn't flowed properly, but I wouldn't fault his attitude or motivation.
