Some people just don't use their team fully and integrate their squad well. Mourinho is one of these. He has his core group of players he trusts and then he has players he will chuck on for 10 minutes. Same with Wenger (IMO). You can't expect a player to come in and do the business getting 10 minutes here and 5 minutes there. Likewise you can't expect these squad players to be rotated in and start doing the business when the rest of your team has been poor. Do you think Aspas was really that bad. Yea he didn't look great but neither has: Balotelli (did it at other clubs) Moses (he's not great but solid pro doing well at Stoke and you guys made him look terrible) Lovren (looks **** as the system doesnt suit and protect him) Borini (not a world beater, but he looked okayish at Sunderland) Markovic (looked okay then suddenly dropped and subbed off after 45) You could say the same with Mourinho. He didn't trust Salah and you can see the same with Cuadrado. Is it to do with what he sees in training? i don't know but salah had a few minutes here and there maybe got the full 90 once when mourinho rotated (but also rotated the rest of the team) and if they don't smash it he will not give them another chance in a long time.
Are we actually going to buy a proven top player this summer? Or are we limiting ourselves to Free signings and overpriced kids with potential? Am glad that we are finally looking to offload some dross. Aspas, Coates, Borini, Balo (hopefully).....but the way things are looking, we're going to sign another 7 players, all of whom need to figure out how the feck BR wants them to play....which may take a few months...if we're lucky!
dunno we are in esperate need of a real striker so we buy another player to compete with lallana, coutinho etc.
Because only coutinho can create chances. At first, I thought Kovacic would be a luxury signing but we need more creativity in this team.
I think Lallana can be that creative player, just need t find position for him. As part of the 2 Am's then can be very good. Played really well for England yesterday (I know **** opposition) but still did well
Aspas was a never was bobby you know that. ridiculous signing. Moses is useless. you lot made a big loss there Lovern.. when it doubt fell go attack the ball. he's to scraed to do much Borini is average Markovic. ok for a spell unless lteam worked him out and the system Balotelli ridiculous sackable offense signing Mourinho i think wants guys who will do what he says to the letter. Mata was never his type of player and he sold him on. I agree he wants performers and he certinaly didn't forgive a couple disastrous cup games for salah.
He got less assists than Aidan McGeady last season.......and Aidan spent most of it sat in the dugout........
hmmmmm... i'll agree lallana is too lightweight and needs others to do too much and team to give him lots of spac for that creativity BUT.... we need a real striker. look at the shed load sterling has missed this year. we need that man to convert the chances reliably and really stretch teams.
Assists don't always mean creativity though. I think gerrard got more assists than Coutinho but you wouldn't say he was more creative. Kovacic is creative but maybe didn't have the right strikers. Much like Coutinho won't set much up for Lambert as he won't feed off his little passes, but will create for Sturridge.
There were a couple of times you could see his weakness though. On a number of occasions a Slovenian player would make a light tackle or a nudge and Lallana would go down. No freekick given as the tackle didn't merit it and England would loose the ball. He needs to learn how to be stronger, how to hold the ball and show some grit. Can't afford a player who loses the ball under the slightest of pressure.
Having more assits doesn't indicate that one is more creative. Coutinho can play a pass that takes out 3 players, dribble past 3 players and all this creates space for other players to create chances for others. The same stats were used to rubbish Modric yet he is creative when you watch him play. If you watch Kovacic he has that same creativity of driving and dribbling past players and this is the reason Jimmy is likening them
Yeah he's far from perfect but like hoddle was saying, he is the only player in England team that plays on the half turn. Coutinho is brilliant at doing that for us as well but other than that no on else does. It means he helps speed up attacks that way though. As you say, has weaknesses, his strength is one, but in terms of creativity he can be that kind of player as well as chipping in with 5+ league goals next year. Thats the the one thing annoys me about Hendo, he often takes the ball in the way it came to him so always then has to get ball under control before turning and it slows things down or means he has to play the ball backwards.
KOVACIC 'HAPPY' IN MILAN A contrasting line now regarding the future of reported Liverpool target Mateo Kovacic. And The Sun carries quotes from the Croatian midfielder which appear to rule out a move away from Inter Milan. “I’m happy here in Italy but we will see about my future,” he said. “Now I’m thinking about my holidays. I only know I’m due back on July 5. That’s why I haven’t heard from the club.”
and so another young lad is written off without you guys even looking... his crime fee is over 50p and he is form english club.
£7 million for an 18 year old no one's ever heard of from a lower division club, sign him up!! How much cash do you think we have to spend this summer? 7 million is a fair dent when we have more pressing concerns