Just as I tuned in Adebayor tried to round the keeper but he just got a hand to it and took it away from Ade but he probably should have scored. Yaya Toure's scored just now 1-0.
Take a look at what Ade is doing when Togo score. A near post corner and he is the only Togo player the far side of the pen spot. The corner wasn't hit with power so highly unlikely to carry where he's stood. There is a chance of perhaps a second ball coming across the 6yd line, but rather than get across one defender to take a back stick position just in case, he backs away toward the 18yd line? Whats the thinking there?? He just doesn't anticipate anything, its almost as if he's waiting for it to arrive to his feet only.
He moved into a lot of space and took up a position with both defending and attacking in mind, for me, Notso. If they clear it, then he can race back and cover down Togo's left and if it breaks across the box then he's got a chance to get onto it, albeit not much of one. Not sure that's what he should be doing, as I'd prefer to see a striker looking to score and others covering any possible break, though. Warning: Crap, inappropriate music: [video=youtube;LCHcHEmObic]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCHcHEmObic[/video] Poor attempt from the gifted chance: [video=youtube;bM5f2rWZrRs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=bM5f2rWZrRs[/video] Shades of Torres about that one. Scared to shoot.
'They' don't - but how the hell else do you base opinions and ratings? A very successful season has surely got to have major influence? I personally haven't seen sufficient negatives yet in either his attitude or play to write him off just yet. If you have then fine, but I am just prepared to give the guy the benefit of the doubt for now - bearing in mind the disjointed nature of his season so far. Using the Huddlestone analogy is slightly disingenuous - for sure the guy had more impact prior to his extended injury lay-off, but even beforehand he was always limited by his lack of fitness and pace. Nothing has changed much in that regard......
PNP - The pace of it and the bodies in the way of that line, it would seem an unlikely trajectory for the ball??, again a strikers instinct should make him want to take a goalscoring position as I described previously. Accept what you say re defensive duties...but his job is to score and should position himself at every opportunity to do that. The reason I mention it is because I've seen it here, just watches play and a chance develop, then its "oh, wish I'd moved!". He just seems to have changed to me.
I'm not watching it at all Spurcat as it doesn't interest me. I just wanted to see if Ade had played yet and now he's missed that sitter he can just bloody well stay in Togo.
Big Premier League presence in this game, isn't there? Drogba, Eboue, the Toure brothers, Gervinho, Adebayor, Tiote, Kalou, plus Kone and Salifou on the benches. Ivory Coast even have Barry in goal...
I know that PNP but he can just go there after the competition and stay there is what I meant to post. I think you knew that.
Last season was different in so many ways, so I don't think it is relevant. Why isn't Papiss Cisse doing what he did last season? The Hudd analogy I used was a joke and not in any way mine. Its one used by others during other debates, so I'm delighted you find its use disingenuous too. I just think Ade Bale VdV and Modric clicked as a unit, but not one of those is able to reproduce it this season wherever they are, Bale in fits and starts perhaps, but no more. It happens though, not one of those things you can predict either, Berb and Keane was a similar situation imo, but everyone is delighted the former couldn't replicate his form with us for United. Dunno, it just seems everyone else is more interested in last year...odd! All I'm trying to talk about is the difference in his play this year.
I think that Adebayor's been a bit off for a variety of reasons. Missed pre-season, signed late, got injured, got sent off against the Goons, played in a formation that doesn't suit him and didn't gel with Defoe, had pressure from his country to play in the ACoN... I'm hoping that he returns from this tournament and he's used a little differently, to be honest. If we're not going to sign another striker, then we need to leave one of them out of our first XI on most occasions. Perhaps he'll be able to striker up some sort of partnership with Sigurdsson, Falque, Holtby or whoever else gets picked when we rotate?
The thing is, the keeper made it easier for him. I know he then recovered to get it away, but it remains a bad miss.
Not directly Adebayor related, but trying to watch the two games reminded me of the ever-present sound of the vuvuzela in South African football. I'd just like to pass on my feelings to the local fans:
There are three kinds of strikers: 1. those that go off the boil for extended periods 2. those that never get hot. 3. Messi We'd do well to put up with Adebayor contributing relatively little so far this year. He's perfectly capable of scoring some big goals when we need them. It's interesting that I do want Ade to play well, but I don't want his team to progress. The likeliest outcomes are that we get a player back soon who hasn't regained his scoring touch, or that we don't get one back who has...
