Sup everyone. Im sure a lot of people no longer remember me, I was around a few years back and through all the relegation and poor stuff I fell out of the loop as we sucked and got relegated. Followed from afar last season etc, and am pleased that Rafa is leading the team well. Even though I can tell the team isnt half as good as that Coloccini Jonas Carroll one when we got promoted, we still seem to be doing fine and can probably survive this season. What are your thoughts on Matt Ritchie? I have some mixed feelings seeing him play. He gives me the vibe that he has a pretty good footballing brain, but he lacks the technical skill to achieve what his mind wants. He is hardworking and puts in a shift, but watching him, he makes a 10metre semicircular run to tackle instead of a 4metre beeline, that kind of thing. Or he would brilliantly turn a defender only to lash his shot into a sea of opponent jerseys. So again, not complaining too much since nothing can be done for now and he is likely our most creative player, but it does feel to me like Ritchie is a championship player at best and can't rely on him long term. (Side note, Hayden and Diame probably can't cut it as well, hopefully this wont be too controversial a post)
Plays in the Premier League so at worst a poor Premier League player, strangely though he is well thought of by the various pundits and gets picked out for his endeavour and assists so not as bad as you think maybe.
If you think Ritchie isn't good enough to play in the Premier League then we are in a bit of a mess as he is statistically one of our better players and also one of the more creative. Agree that if we had major investment he might become more of a squad player but until we do I am very happy to see him get major game time.
Don't know you, but hi there! Ritchie destroyed the championship last season, he's clearly far above that level. Hayden may be championship level, played the defensive midfielder role perfectly for much of last season, but has looked a bit out of depth this season so far, he's still young though so may step up. Diame well, he's just a duffer really, but Rafa seems to like him. So back to Ritchie, I think he's awesome, but sometimes has too do a bit too much cos of the rest of midfield not working hard enough, and has to carry the team sometimes, and while he could drag us through games in the championship, it's too much of an ask in the Prem. Easily one of best players and def not champ standard.
I have nothing but man love for Gordon Ramsey's love child. He is proving to be premiership class, which I never really doubted. He was one of Bournemouth's best players in the season we signed him, quite surprised we got him tbh. In stark comparison, a lad at one of my customer sites who's a mackem is utterly distraught at the fact that Jack Rodwell is still at their club. He's on £50k a week and has apparently told the manager that his head ain't right and he doesn't think he can cut it in midfield anymore and wants to play in defense. So it would seem that despite what many people believed last year (he's not a premier league player), he doesn't even appear to be capable of being a championship player either! What a bell end! Wonder if the mackems still think he's better than Colback now
Best winger we have, simple as that. I get that sometimes it looks like things don't come off for him but I see the same from most PL wingers. Its the nature of the position because if you beat ya man and put in the perfect cross every time your team would score about 6 a match (mind with Joselu.....) Can't knock technical ability either, most assists and majority from set pieces. Technically spot on. I think the system can make him look worse as he has to take himself upfield at the right time and can't shirk defensive responsibilities. To be fair I've seen him put ****loads of tackles in for us, can't remember last winger we had like that.
Richie does everything asked of him with 100% effort to the best of his ability. As for that ability, I think he's possibly our best player and the only safe 7/10 one we have. He isn't the consistent match-winner he was in the Championship but he's consistently one of the best players in a team which deserves to be top half of the Prem. Hayden is limited but doing better than I was expecting. Joselu, Perez and our wing backs are a concern!!
From the BBC website about tonight's game vs Burnley "Only Manchester City midfielders David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne (both six) have provided more Premier League assists than winger Matt Ritchie (five) this season"
Exactly. This says it all. He has got end product. He's just not a beat a man down the line type winger. To get the best from him going forward in open play he needs the wing back making a lot of runs past him to make space. Otherwise, defensively he is a proper grafter. He demands effort from his team mates and sets the example and is good from a deadball. All in all he's a good Prem player.
Thanks for all the insights. I feel you guys do have a point I may have sold him short. It is quite visible the work he puts in for the team, you can always expect 100% from him, and he's really good at set pieces something which we'd been lacking after Cabaye left.
Welcome back mate. Been a good while. Not sure what I was called when you were last on? Championship time 1st time round? I rate Ritchie as a solid PL player. Even if we went and got a replacement in his role, I'd retain him as part of a squad. Technically I think he is very good, you can see he has been with Howe. He isn't electric however. Him and Yedlin dovetail nicely for this reason. That whole side of the pitch is decent. There are better out there but for where we are as a club currently I think they are perfectly fine. Once we are bought by this billion pound consortium of course I will only accept elite CL players...
