Hammer: You ask whether I wish to change my opinion about Faulin. Having watched Sky's re-run just now, that's what I logged on to talk about. Well handy that someone'd dug this thread up as It saved me spelling out the context... My concern is that whilst the general view is that Ali's class, I can't see it in the way I do with other players. I accept that I may well be wrong, something I'm missing but I'm not one to run with the flock by pretending to see what I don't. What I said is what I see. No biggie. Here it comes... HOWEVER, Ali sure got involved tonight and stayed like it throughout. Looked well interested and made his presence felt. Some very good positioning and passing. Certainly did us proud. My family don't know my views on Faurlin and all through the game they're giving it, 'Faulin, what a player!' and 'great interception...'! Had to agree every time they spotted something in his play. Tried to explain the irony of my general view about him and what I'd said on here - but they were too busy becoming new Rs' fans to listen to me! (****ing plastics! My son was a Toon fan when he was a kid...) Anyway, so the point of coming on here was to see what I think now, after being force-fed the wonders of Ali Faulin all night. We did manage to agree that after SWP, Ali deserved MoM... I'll definitely start looking at the Emperor differently from now on. Whereas I was beginning to think he was bollock naked, on the back of tonight's showing he's certainly dressed... but is it the finely tailored suit the crowd's crowing on about? I've yet to be convinced. To get me to the point of saying he's class, Ali would have to play like that more often, do some work on his authority and forward positioning and lots and lots of shooting practice. He's come along way since he first arrived and what I am more convinced about is that he can get there - and he ain't got far to go, has he? Happy to eat it if I talk crap on here - but I want to personally witness the class act first. As someone pointed out earlier, that was only one game...
Any chance of an unlock on the other one please? "Happy to eat it if I talk crap on here - but I want to personally witness the class act first. As someone pointed out earlier, that was only one game... " What about winning the players+fans player of the year award 9/10, his first season in English football? What about all the games he was MOM last year?(have a sift through some old LWF match reports). The "it was only one game" rule applies to his poor performances, because the majority of them have been excellent. People don't think he's good for no reason brix, it's because of his skill on the ball, accuracy of pass, vision, work ethic, composure, and suprising robustness. Up until the recent batch of signings i've genuinely considered him consistently our best player(obviously on his day Adel outshines anyone). I remember when he came, everyone expected him to be another light-weight foreign fancy-dan type player(parejo etc.)- and in the end we were all astonished when he started "putting himself about" and fighting in the trenches. His slight frame belies how physical he can be, "he looks more like a hairdresser than a midfielder!". Faurlin silently goes about being excellent, week in week out, no complaints, he just gets on with it; and so to say he's an "average championship player" is truely astonishing!
IMO he had a great game last night. Will be very important for us as the season goes on. The jury is out as to if he can mix it in our new midfield with experienced players like Barton and SWP, but i think he will be fine.
Already signed according some deluded muppets on their board. He he... Sorry couldn't resist that one.
Fabulous performance last night from Faurlin (which, it has to be said, made up for an indifferent one against Bolton). To be top drawer, he needs to keep improving his strike imo - scored a cracker in front of the loft at the end of last season. More of the same please, Ali...we may need a significant midfield contribution to goals unless we get a prolific striker
Bump. Faurlin was the only one of our NPC winning side that I was sure would make the step up to PL standard. I knew it would take a while for him to get to grips with this level but so far this season, I've been bitterly disappointed with this lad. Its unbelievable how many players you could list from this season's squad that have woefully underperformed. Granero, Cisse, Diakite, Bosingwa, Faurlin............the list is endless. Brix took a fair bit of stick last season for questioning this lad's ability and it shows the measure of the man that he's not done an "I told you so" routine this season. Last week against West Brom he was very poor. Against Southampton he was awful. He had good games at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane but other than that, I think he's been pretty sh*te. Like most of them.
Faurlin lacks pace.......no matter his skill, passing and tackling ability...his slowness really isnt good enough for this league. Before his injury he was bordering on the minimum needed, now coming back he has lost the little pace he had. Watch Fulhams goal....wonder strike it was, but Faurlin just didnt have the pace to cut him off. Not doubting his footballing ability....just think he is too slow for the Premier League.
Yeah because we all remember how quick Roy keane, Scholes, Petit,lamps,Parker, Butt, Platt, Gazza, Deschamps and even Zidane were dont we...pure speed merchants..silly comment ! Nothing to do with the abiluity to play Centre midfield....Go back to the drawing board mate !
YD'tKWYATA. As usual!!!!!!!!!! Happy new year to you. I thought' you'd gone but see that you have literary diarrhoea at the moment.
Article on him in the Sunday Times today, he has obviously and understandably been low this year following the injury. Now there is a lot more competition for CM places. He's only played in 12 games this season, give him a chance. Very good player in my opinion. A number of the posters on this board don't have time for many/any of the clubs players.
I've always felt he would be better in an attacking role as his ability to pick a pass is wasted with him too deep. The trouble is Adel and Granero would probably be ahead of him in that role, it may be that he'll only really be a success in the Championship...
He's a class player. He was probably brought back a bit too quickly which hasn't helped. He lacks pace but that's about it. Good defensively and the best passer at the club.
Seen him mugged a few times tbh, since promotion I think he's helped out with 1 goal and I dont know how many assists. Not really good enough. Not writing him off but you have to be cruel and all that so maybe he should make way for someone else. Someone who scores more than 1 a season? The equation goes like this = gets mugged more than he scores or assists. problem.
Thanks Swords. Two peaks on this player's performance graph, one more visible to tackle-stats nerds than to me (in the games prior to his injury) and the other (alongside Granero) in the games at Spurs and Man Utd as Swords points out, where the pair of them certainly did look a class act. In those games, it wasn't only the stylish performances on the pitch that impressed me, it was also the related attitude Faurlin was showing in his (rare) public commentary. Very solid and mature outlook. Thought he'd grown up well at the time. Then for reasons best known to himself, Hughes benched Faurlin. Don't know what Faurlin thought about that but I was gobsmacked. Certainly went quiet again and his recent performances have been way off the mark. It's noticeable that with M'bia around, he's been played a bit higher up the pitch. Shifting sands. Doesn't look at all comfortable to me.
