I mentioned something similar to this in that our players aren't professional enough. There's too much "banter" and happy-go-lucky mind-sets that I think proves somewhat costly on the pitch. I initially thought having a close knit bunch of guys who have a laugh was a major positive, and while it still has it's plus points, I think they're not used to having strict regimes and don't have the mental strength to know when it's time to have fun and when it's time to put in a real shift. When you look at the top teams and especially the top players, you generally hear how they're putting in a real shift in training and usually staying behind for extra practice, I wonder how many of our lads do that? Brad mentioned on MOTD that Harry asks him to stay behind for extra shooting practice pretty much every day and ironically Harry has been our best player so far, if the rest of the players can follow in his example I'd like to think we'd see a vast improvement on the pitch.
Absolutely bang on which is why stats on scores and assists are nothing like the whole story. It's why I continue to like Soldado - he doesn't score much but he definitely does good things on the pitch and rarely gives the ball away.
he gets us back into games..its like a defensive midfielder....does something but at times we cant see exactly what.....but the back 4 of any team with a DM in front of them knows full well what he does. I suppose Chadli is one of them players...the type that other players turn to in hope when we have hit a brick wall..not to win us a corner..or a free kick..but to get the ball in the back of the net..even when it looks damn impossible like his finish today.
He reminds me of Kranjcar or Sigurdsson in a way - he may not be the #1 in any midfield role, but his finishing makes him a useful weapon.
Chadli reminds a bit like Rafa, he's not on the same level but he can be anonymous at times yet you always know that he can fashion a half chance for himself and finish it. I think with more time, Chaldi will only get better and better.
His highlight videos did make me and others think of Bale, hence the "new Bale" joke. But he's big and has an unusual talent for getting the ball into the back of the net from unlikely positions. Another attribute he seems to have more of than anyone else on the team is self-belief. He had a horrendous miss early last year, had another unfortunate missed chance a couple of games ago, scarcely got into the team for long stretches, and yet came through it all with his confidence intact. Soldado, Lamela and Eriksen may all be at least as talented, but all need what seems to be Chadli's bulletproof psychology. I was very impressed with the cross he put in for Kane yesterday, and the way he set up Eriksen a few games ago, turning his back to the goal and cushioning the pass to roll into Eriksen's path at just the right speed and angle.
