Adam or James ?

[Clem Fandango]

I'm all for critiquing players and having opinions and a dig when someone performs poorly, but for me you lose so much credibility with that statement. Maybe you meant to say 'this season' or 'this year' or since so and so game. All it tells me is you don't understand some points of the game, or maybe you are drunk at the games as you mentioned you were at one game; so drunk in fact you said you didn't remember it.

Fair point this is why I'm now leaving this board until the day after the game, also gives me a chance to calm down. And for the record, the only game I was too drunk to remember was last season's home game vs West Ham, for which I'm grateful.

Look FLT, there's no point sitting here talking to you about how good or not Gaston is, I think the point worth discussing is that: Lallana hasn't been playing brilliantly. JWP played in the wide midfield position already this season, and he looked right at home. This is probably because no one is playing in set positions, MP's tactics rely on fluidity and the interchangability of positions. For this reason, I think JWP is a better choice than Gaston or Adam right now, he's a central midfielder, but he can mix it out on the wing too.

 

[fatletiss]

Fair point this is why I'm now leaving this board until the day after the game, also gives me a chance to calm down. And for the record, the only game I was too drunk to remember was last season's home game vs West Ham, for which I'm grateful.

Look FLT, there's no point sitting here talking to you about how good or not Gaston is, I think the point worth discussing is that: Lallana hasn't been playing brilliantly. JWP played in the wide midfield position already this season, and he looked right at home. This is probably because no one is playing in set positions, MP's tactics rely on fluidity and the interchangability of positions. For this reason, I think JWP is a better choice than Gaston or Adam right now, he's a central midfielder, but he can mix it out on the wing too.

I don't disagree with that at all. I have been one who has been putting JWP forward and believe it or not, not been one of the people calling for Gaston. I also agree that Adam needs to step it up too (I didn't see Norwich game to be fair).

Edited to say: I wish I'd been too drunk to see last season's west ham game too!

 

[Joe!]

Lallana's been fine this season. No idea why some people have a problem with him.

 

[fatletiss]

Lallana's been fine this season. No idea why some people have a problem with him.

Is "fine" ok or good or average? I have only seen him in the two home games and in the first half against Sunderland I thought he was very poor. He started that second half very well, but was subbed. Yesterday I thought he was ok. Set pieces were only ok, too many over hit and his touch let him down when he was in on goal and I was disappointed that he didn't deliver the ball early after his little Cruyff turn on Nolan.

 

[Archers Road]

Lallana had one of the best chances in the game yesterday, when Osvaldo played him through. Unusually for Adam, his first touch let him down that time, but the point is he read the pass and got into space. He offers a touch of magic, something very rare, and it's worth the risk that he won't always produce. Gaston may offer something similar, but he's clearly not showing it as much on the training pitch as Adam or he'd get picked in front of him. As for JWP, his chances will come. I'd be picking Lallana every time personally, but of course we have other options, thankfully. Nothing wrong with his corners either imo, West Ham just know how defend against them.

 

[Joe!]

Is "fine" ok or good or average? I have only seen him in the two home games and in the first half against Sunderland I thought he was very poor. He started that second half very well, but was subbed. Yesterday I thought he was ok. Set pieces were only ok, too many over hit and his touch let him down when he was in on goal and I was disappointed that he didn't deliver the ball early after his little Cruyff turn on Nolan.

Sometimes he's kept very quiet, like against Sunderland, but that was the kind of game where no one in the attacking midfield positions was going to get any time and space. You just have to credit the opposition sometimes.

 

[Qwerty]

Adam did score at West Brom and win a penalty against Norwich too. Well, he should have done.

He had undoubted skill, Nigel called him the best player he has had. Seeing as he is not the kind of player who is going to run clear all that often, it would be nice to see him drop in to space a bit more and ping some passes around, when this was happening last year, we were scoring goals/winning.(or maybe the second caused the first) But I like him in that wide attacking role.

 

[TheSecondStain]

.. but unfortunately failed to because he took an extra touch. Take the second half one on our right flank. He had taken a corner and then the ball came back out top him with Nolan closing. He did a great Cruyff turn and instead of delivering the cross straight away with their defenders on the back foot an possibly un-prepared for it, he took an extra touch allowing Nolan and a defender to smother it out for a corner. He really should know that the opportunity was their to deliver it and that the earlier cross is always the better cross.

Oh absolutely. I was answering the idea that none of his 'turns' came off. They did, the resulting space didn't result in delivery. A wasted opportunity. I think he took a touch to let him scan the area for a moment. He needs to realise that the guys are there and waiting.