Now I'm not posting this as there are rumours of his departure. I hope Gyan stays as I like him however did Welbeck make him look good? I remember for 90 glorious minutes last year we looked like world beaters, Chelsea a weakened team pah! The records will show we thrashed them on their own turf. Joking aside I think as a front two Gyan and Welbeck did compliment each other very well, I'd have put them up there with Quinn and Phillips if they had had any longevity. Sadly we were never to know. Now though seeing Wellbeck playing with Man utd and Ronney and Wellbeck looking so good - to the point of Wellbeck being mentioned as a partner for Rooney for England (pre hamstring) perhaps Welbeck DID make Gyan look good. So far for me Gyan couldn't play with Bent, he hasn't looked great upfront on his own and this trial with Sess' up front looks doomed (otherwise why are we looking to address our striking crisis)? We are told that Gyan likes to play up front on his own but I'm not convinced he can in the Prem' but when he did play with Welbeck for a short while anyway he did look a world beater to me (still not a great goalscorer) with all this in mind if we do keep Gyan and we do bring in a striker....who would bring the best out of him?
I think Gyan and Welbeck did have a good understanding, for me Gyan should work well with a goal poacher as he is a selfish player and likes to take people on and shoot, a poacher should be able to take advantage of that but with Bent it did not work, this could of course be because Bent wanted to leave and was not giving 100%. I think the Sess partnership could work, they have created enough chances and maybe have just been a little unlucky, who knows?? lets see what Bruce brings in tomorrow?
Not for me, i think Gyan is an excellent talent. His attitude is wrong at the minute because the midfield is just far too poor and he's feeding on scraps. He should suck it up and try his best nonetheless, but we all know these big names aren't like that. Like Lostinvegas, i think he needs a poacher next to him (i think Defoe would be IDEAL). I'll be DEVASTATED should we let Gyan go, we can't replace him with better. Once again the quality in our squad will be severly diluted. I'm of a differing opinion to the masses, i think we should be looking for wingers. Talented, skillful players who can carry the ball forward and get the midfield moving forwards bringing Gyan and Sessegnon into the game. At the minute, Gyan and Sessegnon are receiving long passes, the midfield is a mile away and just watching them from a distance hoping they come up with something special. I don't think Bruce sees this problem and i've seen nothing to suggest Bruce can create a team capable of playing football. He's trying to create a team with grafters in every position with the aim being not to lose, play the long ball forward an hope for the best. We could be so much more than that, but it appears Bruce is tearing it all apart.
Keane prods do you think Gyan would play better where Sess is playing at the moment with Defo in front of him? I think that's where Gyan looked world class and setting Welbeck away?
Mackems rule what do you mean by that though? That Welbeck didn't make him look good or he doesn't look good. I also thogut Gyan made Welbeck look good. They worked well together. There are few Sunderland pairings you can say worked well.
I think Gyan is a very good player and is being made to work too hard off the ball by the tactics we are adopting. He isn't a lump the ball toward me player he is a pass and move player. IMHO. Play him with a partner (not Sess) and I think we will see the best of him. Having been mighty impressed with Sess breaking on the left, I don't see why with Larsson on the right having two up could go wrong.
I absolutely do, yes. I think, more than anything else, Gyan wants to play with very mobile players with skill and flair (Defoe not necessarily a flair player but very strong and mobile) - players with a hint of the unpredictable about them. Sessegnon fits this bill, as did Welbeck. We need more players on his wavelength, coming from the wings etc. Instead Bruce would prefer to stamp out this kind of behavior and go for the most predictable of game plans: THE DREADED LONG BALL!
It would certainly be a vast improvement on our current displays. Personally, i'd love to see something along the lines of the following: (It's very acheivable, too) -------------------Defoe----------------------- ------------------Gyan--------------------- Benayoun---Catts----Larsson------Sessegnon We could go for Wickham and Gyan up front with Sessegnon on the left and Larsson on the right, but i don't think Sessegnon alone is going to add the massive injection of pace and skill the midfield needs if we want a comfortable top 10 finish. We need more. We've got 1, maybe 2, players in the entire squad with pace and skill. It's just nowhere near good enough. What it Sessegnon is injured, where is the drive going to come from?
Keane prods I must agree, I do worry that Elmo get's picked because he wins the ball in the air from goal kicks and keepers punts and the front two can't. Still every club has to take goal kicks and every forward should be able to win 1 or 2 (how do Barcelona do it again)? Our team is pretty much how it's going to be this season (24 hours to go). We don't have a quick thinking attack and midfield for Gyan (So is Gyan suited to the Prem) Arsenal perhaps. At times I must admit Bruce has played good football. However it almost feels as if he feels he is at where Keane felt he was before signing Jones ( bizarre). The need of a big man for me is almost admitting that your team isn't good enough to play football, perhaps we shoud just give up and get in Pullis...lol
Half the time Ming is hoofing the ball our players are still in our half. The opposition goalie then rolls the ball out then the oppo just carries it back to attack us again. He probably has, but I can't actually recall him rolling the ball out to one of our players.
This can't be Ming's decision alone though? He must be playing to a game play...........o.k I'll get my coat!
