It's odd how people focus on the myriad good things that Adam does, and forgive the mishaps, but focus purely on the bad of Gaston, ignoring the good. I cannot believe the pundits there weren't flopping a semi erect one on the table with that pass. It was utterly brilliant, and entirely consciously done. Had that been Messi they'd have talked about it for months.
i think gaston is better when he hasn't got time to overthink it. one touch football. when it gets to the second touch it's already gone wrong.
Really want Gaston to do well and yes his assist today was sensational. It looked better on MOTD than my obstructed view at the game, but I'm still not convinved he fits our high tempo passing game, but he does bring a different dimension when he gets an outing?
But it feels like you've decided that's what happens, rather than the reality today. Again, I do understand (I feel a bit like that with Rickie at the moment, because I'm looking for his mistakes). Then when that player makes an error it's easy to shout "see, told you so". Human nature to an extent, but not right or fair.
apart fromt he set pieces, that solo run with the powder puff shot (which i admit i'd subsequently forgotten about but did know it was him) and the assist, those are the things I saw him do. apparently you saw something different. i've not seen any highlights of that or anybody describe any of his good work apart from toeing the line that he's so much improved *shrug* just seems like the bizarre saintsweb group think effect that has people angrily defend people like telfer and fox no matter how much of a liability they have been, usually by simply calling someone names or saying they talk bollocks. i appreciate you've been completely civil.
Even if he made the odd error, Ramirez's introduction completely changed the game today. He was always showing for the ball and moving us forward which Davis wasn't doing well enough. Thought there was some nice analysis of our goal from Hansen, for a change, pointing out why the space was there.
Precisely this PTF. The point is, again, without his introduction we don't win that today, despite any minor mistakes (in the quest for attacking) that he made. I've been one of the people advocating selling him this month, but I just don't get criticizing him today unless it's clouded by a stubborn perception of him. He won us the game today.
He did more in 25 minutes than Davis and Lambert managed, even by that harsh judgement, but they're not being criticised?
I don't advocate selling him, at least not without a replacement who might be a better fit for pochettino's game plan. How many points will £12m in the bank win us? Davis, often our most effective player, was off key today. I feel a lot of them were.
Davis was poor. Lambert has been poor up front for a while. I expect Lambert to be on the slide tbh though. We just don't have a better option.
Not to labour the point (though we may be past that juncture) you're choosing to criticise him rather than choosing to accentuate the positive. You could do that with any player today (bar perhaps Afam/Artur/Morgan). Certainly you could with Jay/Rickie/Nathaniel etc. but because it's Gaston we stare at what he did wrong. However he was brought on to change things and he won us the game. Let's choose to applaud that.
Adam, Luke and Boruc were the only players i'd give an outright positive review for today. Gaston gets points for a moment of genius the way Osvaldo did against Man City. edit: yesterday.
and if you feel i'm victimising gaston, i'm only commenting on him because nobody is waxing lyrical about the rest of the players who didn't impress me throughout the game.
I've said this after the last few games, Ramirez gives us something different. Without him, our substitutions would just be like-for-like switches, with no shake-up. If Ramirez was very poor, who would you have brought on instead? If we'd kept it the same, I doubt we'd have scored, it would have been more of the same passing wide for an ineffectual cross. I felt that we needed to add that directness today, someone willing to take players on and make something happen, and that's what Ramirez gave us.
No, not at all. I think we're all guilty to an extent of working to extremes with Gaston. Because he's become whipping boy of choice, people either focus on the negatives or go over the top trying to defend him. There's little middle ground. However today he was brought on to do a job, which he accomplished by doing something I doubt anyone else on the field (including Adam) could. It won us 3 points. Let's pat him on the back as a whole for once.
i've never understood this argument. why does something else have to be better for something to be bad? apart from adam we're pretty dead creatively. especially since puncheon, as limited as he may be, elected to leave. absolutely gaston is our only other creative outlet. that doesn't mean what he does all game is good.
