Against Sunderland didn't Defoe hit the post twice from chances created from wing play and then he had a superb chance to score when released by Holtby. Our other chances don't stand out but according to opta we had 22 attempts.
Pauly had a free header. Holtby had a shot from about 8-10yds blocked by a defender. Lennon flashed one across the box that someone should have stuck away (maybe defoe?) We should have put a few more away
Mirralas operates as a winger with his direct running. Barry is a title winning midfielder, he is actually good at keeping it simple and passing the ball. Pienaar isn't a classic winger, but he is the ideal winger to have cutting in. We use classic wingers and ask them to cut in, surely you must see how that's counterproductive?
Apart from Lennon on the left i don't think our wingers are classic wingers doing a job unfamilar to them. Siggy isn't a winger, fullstop, so i guess you could have that one, but so could i. Townsend has played on the right more often than not even on loan i believe Lamela was a cutty-inner/no10 for Roma Chadli played left for Twente i believe Who else is there? Got monday in december brain rot
If our wingers go central will they score/assist? (apart from siggy, who is then crap doing anything else!) If Mirralis and Pienaar go central they have a much better chance of scoring/assisting as you only need to look at their record. Thats my issue with our wingers cutting is, as firstly they aren't comfortable in the centre (apart from siggy) and secondly they are rarely going to score. However if we're discussing players such as Lamela, then I'll give you that in terms of the potential but if we're discussing players who have actually been effective there for us then we're clutching at straws.
So if you ignore the wingers that we have that have good goalscoring records when cutting in, then we don't have wingers with good goalscoring records when cutting in? Sigurdsson does, but you want to leave him out of it, and both Lamela and Chadli have elsewhere, but not for us, as they've just joined. The latter pair managed 28 goals between them in the last campaign.
Thats as bad as my Barry is a title winning midfielder as Altidore scored 30 goals in the league Chadli scored and Lamela is consigned to the bench!
But then I'm not sure who you're complaining about, Boss. Lennon certainly isn't cutting in, nor was Townsend when he came on. Chadli was the only one doing it, as Lamela was benched, yet his record's not up for discussion as he played in a ****e league, apparently. Sigurdsson came on in the middle.
I wasn't discussing a single game (is the sunderland game), more the overall approach. in that Avb wants wingers to generally cut in and both Lennon and Townsend aren't comfortable operating through the centre or when they do the do cut in, the area is generally congested. If we're going to discuss game by game then I would stick to the match thread for that game but as with Everton and their play, its the overall set-up of the team and we can only discuss players that have performed in the premier league, unless you believe Chadli is going to repeat his form over here? Lamela is another we have high hopes for but again he has done nothing in the league.
Lennon's definitely not comfortable in the centre and it pains me whenever I see him played down the left, but I disagree about Townsend on the opposite wing. The main problem there is that he needs someone down the opposite side to stretch the play and we're playing fullbacks and wingers over there that don't do that. Chadli, Lennon, Sigurdsson and Naughton all cut inside and Vertonghen is just uncomfortable there. Rose's return would help, but we need to play someone on the 'correct' wing, in my opinion. Either Lennon and/or Townsend have to play out wide and pressure their fullback. If the other winger cuts in, then so be it, but they need the space to do so. Chadli and Lamela may well repeat their overseas form in this division, but they won't do it in a cramped, congested final third where the middle's packed to death.
Townsend when he cuts in, only has one thing on his mind, shoot, and that is why overall he isn't a player I would have cutting in, as ideally when a player cuts in he should be able to not just shoot, but link up, often we see Townsend cut in and smash the ball agaisnt defenders, when all he has to do is look up and release the ball to a team mate, normally with Soldado standing there complexed! Not in disagreement about the other points re Verts (at full back), overlapping full backs (like rose) and we're actually going towards the same point, just from different angles! lennon for me should be on the right and then if we have someone cutting in from the left, I would like to see someone like Pienaar as thats why with Everton you have one side can offer width and the other side can offer a player comfortable on the ball when they cut in. SIggy unfortunately offers nothing at all when he isn't in a good run of form, as otherwise he could operate that role with his shooting ability but what else does he do? One of our future problems is that if (and hopefully) he will settle, Lamela plays from the right, which means Lennon would need to be dropped and Townsend plays left, or if Chadli becomes a great player then problem solved. although that ones a tad far fetched! Basically If Avb keeps Lennon on the right and allows him to stretch defences and we find a solution to the left which helps us improve our link up play, then I'll be happy with the wing set-up, but as Avb changes the team game by game, its difficult to understand what he is trying to achieve at times.
I'd agree with most of that. Lamela can play centrally, though. Roma fans were hailing him as Totti's successor before his move. Wouldn't mind seeing Sigurdsson there, either.
NO! Lol! No more Siggy in the middle. Everything i've seen of Holtby and Eriksen suggests they are better in the middle than Siggy despite Siggy's goals/shot. I wouldn't be averse to rotating Lamela in the middle though with Eriksen injured, to see how he does.
Everton have played well this season and attacked more freely under Martinez, but they've still had some dour moments. Four 0-0 draws already and narrow wins over Chelsea and Utd that relied more on hard work than expansive football. 1 shot on target v Spurs, 2 v Palace.....
Avb has to decide on Lamelas best position and let him play there, I know we can't have passengers in the team yet we really need to understand if Lamela is suited to the league or if we have a Reyes on our hands. Lamelas stock is still quite high abroad and with the world cup next year he is still tipped to be part of their squad, just lets give him four games on the bounce in one position and see how he reacts and if he shows signs of being a class player.
I'd agree that both Holtby and Eriksen have performed better than Sigurdsson in the middle so far, but I don't want Holtby playing against Anzhi and Eriksen's injured.
