Youngsters did well

Dummett and Sammy , the two youngsters did really well yesterday.

Dummett seems to be a player with some ballplaying ability. He set up Sammy for the assist with a delightful curling through ball down the line for Sammy to whip in for Cisse's opener.

I'm really liking what I am seeing from Dummett at the moment. From what he has shown, he has hardly put a foot wrong... I'm inclined to think he's ahead of Haidara in the pecking order of fullbacks currently.

As for Sammy, his weaknesses are well documented. His play seems to be starting to mature , but it's just one game so we can hardly tell. Lest we forget, after two seasons ago, Obertan's performance against Stoke away we were raving on about him...

I think Sammy has a lot of potential, being that he has pace, long strides, and ball control not normally seen for a player of his height. If he manages to master crossing, and production of an end product, he could be a poor man's Ben Arfa for us.



Also, did you guys think that Gouffran's goal was a carbon copy of the Shearer goal where he held off Desailly and curled a 30metre shot into the side of the goal?

Shearer's was further and more spectacular of course, here it is.
[video=youtube;kbGR0zL_ios]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbGR0zL_ios[/video]

 

I'm delighted with our left hand side, I'm sure Pardew is as well. Santon's class, Dummett's just behind then we have Haidara, Sammy and - to a lesser extent - Jonas. Also consider Remy plays left of a front three. We're just woefully short on the right!! I can see a situation where Santon eventually leaves the club. We'll get a lot of money for him and have replacements already. Sammy's been excellent, I've got a lot of time for him. He's honest, tries hard but has talent. I really admire the fact he's never put off when something doesn't go right. He's the opposite of Obertan - when Gabby fcks up once, he's pretty much done for the next month. Sammy just seems to think "ah, well, that didn't work, but it will next time". Not only that, but he works hard to get it back. Really like him.

The goal was nowt like Shearer. Shearer backed his man away, teed it up and buried it. Gouffran miscontrolled and took a swing.

 

it's great to see the young lads stepping up to the challenge.

 

Sammy was the star of the show last night.

 

That cross was really tidy and put a goal on a plate for cisse

 

Santon is a right back by trade though, and a right sided player generally. It would be a slap in the face for Debuchy but maybe the answer is simply to move him into his natural role. I would quite like to see Santon left wing because of cutting inside but he did alright on the right wing against Wigan last season. Really using him on the wing is a secondary option.

Use Santon down the right. I can see the fear, we have Benni there and Santon is attacking. It can't get worse than Debuchy at present though can it? Debuchy's time may come again, maybe he needs more time to adapt. We seem to be having a block promoting Dummett. Do it now, don't wait. Look at Shaw at Southampton. Everyone raves about him and he is good. We only know that because he has played. Pards has a tough call to make with Debuchy. He has a french international who doesn't look worthy of a starting spot.

Its easy sitting a home or in the stands judging of course, but personally I'd play Dummett now and put Santon right back. The lad has not put a foot wrong.

 

Blimey that's a bit harsh isn't it? Give the lad a bit of credit when he does something good, and that was a GREAT goal no matter who the opposition was.

I don't think he miscontrolled it at all, you could see in the way he positioned himself to roll the defender before he even got the ball.
Knocked it out far enough to make the space and buried it brilliantly on the turn.

Read too that he ran straight over to the bench to celebrate with Bigi, seems the two are good friends which says a lot about Gouff in my view...

 

Sorry, I was watching live in blurry internet-vision! Maybe it's a bit harsh, I was just affronted at the Shearer comparison!!No, it's a very good goal for sure and I am pleased for him, he seems like he really puts his head down and gets on with it. Just a shame that, really, he's second fiddle to Remy rather than a potential threat to Cisse. If there was just a bit more to him, he might be a better choice CF.

I wondered who he ran off to, I wondered whether it was Benny.

 

Gouffran miscontrolled and took a swing? - This is tongue in cheek surely?

 

Yeah, but he's not. He's a right-FOOTER, but "by trade" he's a left back. He's been one for his professional career, he's played there as a full international, it's where Mourinho and Maldini raved about him. There's no doubt whatsoever that if he was a right back he'd have been there well before Debuchy arrived. We have to accept that Pardew MUST see something different in training. Or maybe it's like you say, the Ben Arfa factor. Debuchy doesn't get forward anywhere near as much as Santon likes to.

 

Gouffran surprised me with his strength and hold up play for that goal.

 

As noted on another thread, he is a right back by trade. Its only us and Mourinho who have used him left side. Began life as a right winger in the Inter youth teams. He broke into the Inter team as a left back because of an injury crisis (may have ben when Chivu smashed his head in). All his representative football for the national team has been played as right back, most recently as captain of the U21's. His loan spell at Cesena was also spent as a right back. Mourinho simply raved about his potential and versatility. The comparison with Maldini came from Lippi who reckon he had a similar elegance to his play.

I think the issue here is we have only had one left back in his entire time here after selling Enrique. Now we have Haidara and Dummett I reckon its time to return him to his natural role.

 

It would be typical of us to sell him for a minor profit in a "good player, wanted him to stay but contract running down/money was right" and "not getting the opportunities/better options within the squad" way, then see someone else convert him a la Bale and have a £20-40m player on their hands.

Has Gouffran played a full 90 mins yet? He's starting to look well pissed when substitutions are made.

 

That strike from Al is an absolute beaut! Propper mugged off a first class CB in the process.

 

That strike from Al is an absolute beaut! Propper mugged off a first class CB in the process.

 

I know right......

But take nothing away from Gouf. His was a strike any player would be proud of as well.