The College Dropout

Ba played well alongside Best, Shola and HBA. Seemingly can do better with limited service. Only HBA had any kind of form.

Gouff's tracking back is excellent btw.

The width he creates gets wasted coming central. Baines best move is actually on the inside between defenders like he did against us, you can still do that on your proper side. Yes he does need to develop a left-foot. Should practice every day in training. Debuchy's put in at least 3 great balls that someone should've scored in 3-4 games. I'm talking 1-1 vs. keeper opportunities, not Sissokho scoring half chances. Nobody is saying he's shit. People are saying he's already an excellent player. He's not. He's an excellent prospect but needs a lot of work to be the final product.

We didn't. We played 4-4-2 for all but 6 games out of 14 when he joined. being a target man isn't the only way to lead the line. Self-less running, with or without the ball is crucial. When the balls at feet or chest, to continue the momentum. He doesn't do that. There's only been a handful of games where Papiss has played well without scoring.

Falcao, RVP, Wayne Rooney, in form Torres, even Demba Ba etc. aren't target men either but they still lead the line, work the channels, bring others into play, create space for others intentionally. If you're going to be upfront by yourself you're going to need to lead the line.

It never is. In a narrow midfield it's important that the fullback provides width. He doesn't really offer this. but even then not 50% and 50% attacking width.

having seen it again (and again and again) taylor could have done better but as last man, colo was flat footed and slow to react. most of the blame goes to colo here. He was flat footed because he expected Taylor to win the earlier challenge which until the last second it looked like he was going to. Even if Taylor had tried to win it, he might have been too far away. And Colo couldn't react quick enough from his starting position. And Bale is lightening quick. It was really unlucky for them both TBF, and yard or two difference in either of their positions and it's not a goal. It looked like Taylor stumbled slightly when going for the challenge which allowed Bale to steal that vital yard. In any case, Bale caused us a lot of problems all afternoon. I don't know if anyone was detailed to keep him quiet but it didn't work. We either tried to make him defend or ignored him. He plays the Cronaldo position for Spurs though. Looks like he's told not to track back too deep/much and be up the field to spring counters like Cronaldo. That leaves the LB vulnerable but we didn't we get at him. I think it was the City match, Vertoghnen was playing LB, no protection whatsoever. He was knackered lol.

He's nowhere near yet. Plenty young enough to become "so good" but he's pretty damned poor defensively, which is after all, his main job as a left back. In the Danny Simpson thread people where saying it's 50/50 as a fullback apparently.

Because that's what top strikers do. Be a fucking out ball

his injury record for us was bad, but wow at what it's been like since.

You're going to compare the best player ever, to Papiss Cisse? A false nine, to a true nine? I expect Cisse to lead the bloody line.

Yes it is better for a LB to be purely left footed. Baines is all left, Cole is all left. They can still go in the box and take shots. They can get to the edge of the six yard box and cut the ball back. They're just unlikely to cut in and have a shot from outside the box. The only defender that does that to any effect is Glen Johnson, cuts on his left to shoot a lot. The potential is there but yeah, don't like the lack of left.

I know what you are saying but it often means he is cutting back into the busiest part of the pitch. For example, when we had that great opportunity to break yesterday instead of just bombing on to shoot with his left foot or getting to the touchline to cross, he tried to cut in and had 3 spurs players around him and lost the ball. All because he doesn't trust his left foot at all. Fully agree. As a wide man it's always nice when you know... you can go wide. HBA is left footed and when on the RW likes to cut in but he has the ability to go wide and clip it into the box e.g. Cab's goals against S'land & L'pool came from that move. With Santon he's cutting in 100% of the time. As a LB is better to always going wide and thus creating space and stretching the play, than always going central. Means teams don't have to worry about the overlap from Santon too, because if he does overlap he then has to try and take a man on, while Baines or Evra will bang it in with quality first time, so someone always has to be wary of them. He often properly tries to take them on too. I've seen Young, cut back on his right foot whilst being on the left, push the ball out a bit and whip it in a lot. Not so much trying to go past his man but just creating space for a cross. With davide it's like he wants to run into the box a lot of the time.

IMO he's not really a wide man. Gouff's outright pace and directness. likes to get ahead of play where as Marv likes to dictate play more with his feet on the ball, passing or skipping past one or two. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but bringing Obertan on for Gouff and Marv for Perch, pushing Mous deeper would've been better. Can't complain though, Marv is leagues ahead of Obertan football intelligence wise.

You look at Gouff and you see how influential he was, even without the goal he was causing them trouble and helping the team get up and forward. We never get that from Cisse and it's not good enough. Someone made a Shearer linkage with goal scoring form. Thing is, Alan Shearer was an all-rounder. You could pump it up to him to hold it up or flick it on, he ran the channels, he was an excellent crosser.

I'm not claiming he's not a good striker or a poor finisher. I just don't think he offers enough to the team.

I know what you are saying but it often means he is cutting back into the busiest part of the pitch. For example, when we had that great opportunity to break yesterday instead of just bombing on to shoot with his left foot or getting to the touchline to cross, he tried to cut in and had 3 spurs players around him and lost the ball. All because he doesn't trust his left foot at all. Fully agree. As a wide man it's always nice when you know... you can go wide. HBA is left footed and when on the RW likes to cut in but he has the ability to go wide and clip it into the box e.g. Cab's goals against S'land & L'pool came from that move. With Santon he's cutting in 100% of the time. As a LB is better to always going wide and thus creating space and stretching the play, than always going central.

Half the time Ba was here he played upfront.

IMO that was his best substitute performance for us. I'm certain brig on the bench makes him very angry. As soon as he gets on he's like a rabid dog.

When he comes off the bench he's like a talented fan on te pitch. Runs about a lot, tackling like a crazy man and being over ambitious. I guess that happens when you bring him on at 2-1 down.

I'm waiting for 'Cabaye can do everything, pass, shoot, model but he can't tackle Har Har'

Defensively poor.

Adebayor gives our lads nightmares. He's stronger and faster than all of them with a great touch so you can't get tight.

Lambert with a selfless run

What about the first?