So we have had another night of people questioning Joe Allen in the match thread. In the past I have done threads with Joe Allen v Charlie Adam and Jay Spearing with some interesting responses. But here is the big one. Joe Allen v My Spelling. Which would you rather have in our team right now?
i think its not an issue. lucas was celalry felt as a risk having played monday (but had a week off with internationals) this is the issue. fit or a fitness worry?
i have seen nothing from Allen so far, if you have please tell me. was told he was good at passing, well we have plenty who are good at passing sideways and backwards already, don't need Allen for that, esp at what we paid for him. give him a season to see if he settles, as Henderson and Downing have had that and still ****e, so only fair, but if he wasn't so poor be no need to criticise him would there, its not scape goating, its highlighting our weak points in the team and he happens to be one of them as he adds nothing.
I have to be honest and say that I argued long and hard that he wasn't good enough before he arrived. I have to agree with jenners that his performances so far have not been good. He's a ball shuffler, nothing more and nothing less. Now Xavi is also a ball shuffler BUT he get's further forward and has an eye for a killer pass - neither of which Allen does. Perhaps he's like Hendo and we won't see the best of him until next season. But I doubt it.
Yeah, he's a scape goat when he plays, but that doesn't make him less ****e. I have seen nothing since he came here which shows me we need a negative, weak and uncreative ball shuffler. Hendo's been really good in the last few months...little bit harsh there.
You are singling him out when many others have been absolute **** this season: Reina, Agger, Enrique (bar about 4 performances) to name a few that are first 11 regulars and haven't been here for just 6 months. I just don't think it is fair to criticize as he is very young and actually DOESN'T shy away when we're dreadful, he is one of the only players always looking to receive the ball and move to help someone out. Maybe he would be doing the job he was bought to do if his team mates wern't on their heels all the time.
Henderson as been good and deserves to be in the current first team IMO, but is he good enough for where we aspire to be? I'm a supporter of JH and I think, in time, he will be an important squad player.
He will be good enough in a year or two years time. He is not good enough now for top 4. That is the whole problem with the team and our transfer policy. We'll come good in two years when our youth come good, but why will they even be here in two years? Our best players certainly won't wait around. We need quality players starting now, and bleed in the youngsters in easy games.
Our owners need to look at the awesome young Arsenal team that contained Fabrigas, Flamini, Clichy, Song and Nasri. Every one said they would grow into top players, and they did, for Barcelona, AC Milan, and Manchester City. Those players left because Arsenal's future did not look bright enough for them.
This is starting to sound like the Everton supporters claim that "One day our Youth Policy" will pay -off". It never did. When the young players come in they have to show that they already have the ability otherwise - get rid. Allen is older; has experience and should only have the rest of this season to prove that he can make the grade. Otherwise - get rid.
Your spelling is faultless, so it could replace almost anybody in the squad right now. I'm prepared to give Brendan's young buys time, just as I said you all should last season with Henderson. Was I right or was I right? That's right, I was right. The players are only a small cog that might work out or might not but the manager is a big cog and there's a difference between being young and being out of your depth.
Joe Allen is a very good player - in a particular system. If you don't play that system he is decidedly average. Brendan took him to Liverpool to play in a particular way, but things haven't gone as planned so Joe, at the moment, is a fish out of water.
Swansea: 2010-11: played 48 games 2011-12: played 39 games Liverpool: 2012-13: played 32 games (so far, there are twelve league games left) He hasn't played that much more football, especially when you consider substitutions: here was one of the main players at Swansea had played the majority of minutes, he is in competition with Henderson and (earlier in the season) Shelvey at Liverpool
