I was deliberately taking the piss. Yes, I do. I just wish he didn’t keep making the same stupid mistakes and found a balance between squad togetherness and competitive ruthlessness.
But he’s not. It’s as simple as that. No one is saying he’s not a good player. But he’s not done anything to prove he is an elite player. There is a reason for the expression “lies, dammed lies and statistics “. Statistics can and are used to manipulate certain information to demonstrate a particular point. Also depends upon over what period the statistics are drawn. The shorter the period the less reliable are the assumptions drawn from the statistics. Noticeable that your statistics are over a very short period. Even then Anderson’s statistics do not demonstrate an elite player. I’m pleased he’s done well since he left but he wasn’t getting into our midfield first choice then and he wouldn’t be even now. Would I want him back? That would depend on price but so long as it wasn’t silly money, I would say yes. He’s better than Willock and Ramsay and would enable our first choice three a chance to rotate and rest. And your claim that he’s just 23 yo really doesn’t impress. If you’re looking for impressive from our ranks then look at Gazza who was impressing at the age of 17 yo never mind 23 yo and Gazza was an elite player by the time he was 21 yo and was starring (not just appearing) in the 1990 World Cup Finals at the age of 23 yo. Find me one other person worth listening to to back up the claim that Anderson is as good as Tonali never mind better. And I don’t mean for one or two games I mean is as good as.
Anderson is a good player. He’s not elite. Yet. But he’s 23 and is developing well. It’s just a shame it’s not under howe.
It's not really just that tbh, he wanted first team football and he got that with Forest, and I'm glad he's got it and improved. If he'd stayed here it would have been like Steve Harper, great player who could have achieved so much more.
