Let's have your honest criticism of N'zogbia

[Winn]

Duff is a much better player than N'Zogbia.  Id like to keep him as hes still young and something might come of him but at the moment hes not good enough and if he doesnt want to be here get rid and get someone better in the summer!

[Guest Sniffer]

N'zogbia was absolute shite yesterday. Bottom line. He is non existent as a defender and offered little going forward. When Barton lost posession did anybody notice it was good old charlie who played a pass to him even though Barton was immediately closed down by two manure players?  Chicken shit player just wanting to get rid of the ball and not bothered about playing somebody into trouble.

 

 

[TRon]

N'zogbia was absolute shite yesterday. Bottom line. He is non existent as a defender and offered little going forward. When Barton lost posession did anybody notice it was good old charlie who played a pass to him even though Barton was immediately closed down by two manure players?  Chicken shit player just wanting to get rid of the ball and not bothered about playing somebody into trouble.

 

 

 

Absolute bollocks of the highest degree. Barton was given the ball with acres of space but still managed to give it away. Watch it again, or more likely, don't reply. Zog was one of our best playesrs 2nd half when he pushed further forward.

[Guest RodrigoPalacio]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but shite in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

[Martin Lol]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but s**** in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

 

It doesn't help when he's having to play out of position either.

[bulivye]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but s**** in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

 

It doesn't help when he's having to play out of position either.

 

i think i took it into consideration that he's been played out of position, in the OP.  but that 1st goal was down to something in his head or attitude...  which is why i began the thread in the 1st place-- i rate zoggy and was very concerned that le havre was going to get him back yadda yadda yadda.  but now, after seeing his lack of, what, enthusiasm?  heart?  footballing brain?  there's SOMETHING more to his lack of progress, and i'm worried.  i want him to finish his mazy dribbles with a good pass or shot on target rather than just doing them to prove that he's better one-on-one than anyone in a black & white shirt.  i think he does them just to do them, sometimes.  sigh.  i just want this team to snap out of their malaise...perhaps i've too harshly singled out charles.  but, really, are we seeing his fullest potential on the pitch?   

[Cronky]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but shite in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

 

In which case he's not much use to us at the moment. We need players who are going to give their team-mates a lift. He can be George Best for all I care, but if he's going to stand there looking gormless while a player runs past him then we'd be better off with someone with a better attitude.

[Guest StJames]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but s**** in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

 

It doesn't help when he's having to play out of position either.

 

i think i took it into consideration that he's been played out of position, in the OP.  but that 1st goal was down to something in his head or attitude...   which is why i began the thread in the 1st place-- i rate zoggy and was very concerned that le havre was going to get him back yadda yadda yadda.   but now, after seeing his lack of, what, enthusiasm?  heart?  footballing brain?  there's SOMETHING more to his lack of progress, and i'm worried.  i want him to finish his mazy dribbles with a good pass or shot on target rather than just doing them to prove that he's better one-on-one than anyone in a black & white shirt.  i think he does them just to do them, sometimes.  sigh.  i just want this team to snap out of their malaise...perhaps i've too harshly singled out charles.  but, really, are we seeing his fullest potential on the pitch?   

 

 

And just how many of these mazy dribbles end up without a shot on goal or a pass and Nzogbia just running into a brick wall. Hardly productive

[Guest nufc_geordie]

A few comments to add about this post:

 

1) First and foremost N'Zogbia isn't a left back. As Martin Jol said in an earlier post what appears natural to a full back isn't neccessarily so to an attacking player. Not excusing the Zog because if you watch a replay of the first goal he didn't see Rooney, he was caught ball watching and Rooney ran in behind him, schoolboy error for a defender but maybe not so for a more attack minded individual, I disagree with the lazy comments.

 

2) For the first 20 minutes or so he linked up well with Duff, then Duff appeared to tire and the link ups pretty much stopped.

 

3) All these posts claiming he isn't a great player are entirely correct, he isn't, what he has is great potential, the kid is only 21 for christ sake, not a 27/28 year old established international.

 

4) With regards to his dribbling and decision making. I would love to see him play regularly on the wing in a confident team where players want the ball and offer movement. At the moment there is an argument to say he is one of the few people in the team who appear to want the ball, to try and make something happen, and I sure as hell know that if I was surrounded by a team of players who a) clearly don't want the ball and b) are scared of it, © Haven't got the ability to do anything with it, why would he pass?

 

This is typical of the Newcastle United fan. Let's find someone to blame and not take collective responsibility.

[madras]

nufc-geordie....you raise some good points.

 

1) he does get caught ball watching,which he often does when playing inother positions. he's not a good enough player with the ball to allow to be poor without it.

 

2)i saw it as n'zogbia took up some good positions to help duff (as a full back or midfielder should) then stopped.

 

3) correct but many think hebetter than he has been for the last season and a half.

 

4) even in his preferred position he does little off the ball and increasingly holds on too much and makes wrong decisions which cut out other players.

 

what is also typical of newcastle united fans( fans of all clubs really) is that when they have a favourite they can't see when he is playing poorly.

[toptoon]

We need to try this team ASAP. Although i do not know why Enrique is being overlooked, unless theres something seriously wrong with him, he should play. We have to put Faye back into CM to hold us together alongside one of Emre, Barton or maybe Zoggy. Zoggy, Milner, Emre* Duff and Martins should be good against MOST opposition to create and score goals .

 

                Given

 

Beye  Taylor  Edgar  Enrique

 

Milner    Faye  Emre*  Zoggy 

 

                        Duff

              Martins 

 

Subs Harper, Geremi, Barton, Owen, Ameobi/Carrol

[Slugsy]

Duff's legs have gone, maybe useful at home against the poorer teams but for me that shouldn't be a reason to play him, we need to either play Zog full time at left wing or find a replacement for both, its very obvious now why Mourinho let Duff go.

[Winn]

We need to try this team ASAP. Although i do not know why Enrique is being overlooked, unless theres something seriously wrong with him, he should play. We have to put Faye back into CM to hold us together alongside one of Emre, Barton or maybe Zoggy. Zoggy, Milner, Emre* Duff and Martins should be good against MOST opposition to create and score goals .

 

                Given

 

Beye  Taylor  Edgar   Enrique

 

Milner    Faye   Emre*   Zoggy 

 

                         Duff

              Martins 

 

Subs Harper, Geremi, Barton, Owen, Ameobi/Carrol

 

 

That looks good I agree that we need Faye in centre midfield.  We desperately need a new centre back though GUTTED about woodgate.  Maybe play Faye centre back till then but really he shud be centre mid.

 

Duff behind martins could really work!!! no harm in trying that nout to loose Smith Owen doing nothing!!

 

I wanna see that line up against blackburn!!!

[Rich]

He just needs some confidence and to play with decent players.  I think he'd be areet in a canny team, but shite in a below-par team.  Needs players around him to give him a lift.

 

In which case he's not much use to us at the moment. We need players who are going to give their team-mates a lift. He can be George Best for all I care, but if he's going to stand there looking gormless while a player runs past him then we'd be better off with someone with a better attitude.

 

Think that's a very unfair post Bob, he looked disgusted with himself after their first goal. Accepting responsibility and chastising himself for it.

 

Certainly looked like he cared to me.

[Guest alex]

Exactly. Fuck all to do with attitude and everything to do with awareness.

[TRon]

Hopefully with Geremi back around the place, his mood will have lightened as well. He does tend to get stroppy when his French-speaking mates aren't in the side.

[Cronky]

Even if Zoggy was playing on the left of midfield, he'd still have to do some defending and he'd still have to face the situation where an opposition player was running past him to try and get on the end of a chance. Even if you don't get the ball, if you try to track back you may do enough to put them off or break their concentration.

 

There's no excuses here. If Milner or Duff had let their man go past them and not make the slightest attempt to get back, they'd be getting a hammering.

[bulivye]

Hopefully with Geremi back around the place, his mood will have lightened as well. He does tend to get stroppy when his French-speaking mates aren't in the side.

 

this is a good point.  perhaps some of his flaws could be improved if he spoke better english? 

 

fao The Janitor:

    did you notice my thread's initial cap? 

[Guest alex]

Even if Zoggy was playing on the left of midfield, he'd still have to do some defending and he'd still have to face the situation where an opposition player was running past him to try and get on the end of a chance. Even if you don't get the ball, if you try to track back you may do enough to put them off or break their concentration.

 

There's no excuses here. If Milner or Duff had let their man go past them and not make the slightest attempt to get back, they'd be getting a hammering.

Yes, but it was poor awareness, not because he had a poor attitude / didn't care. I'd make allowances for Duff and Milner in the same situation too, given they aren't defenders either.

[Rich]

Even if Zoggy was playing on the left of midfield, he'd still have to do some defending and he'd still have to face the situation where an opposition player was running past him to try and get on the end of a chance. Even if you don't get the ball, if you try to track back you may do enough to put them off or break their concentration.

 

There's no excuses here. If Milner or Duff had let their man go past them and not make the slightest attempt to get back, they'd be getting a hammering.

Yes, but it was poor awareness, not because he had a poor attitude / didn't care. I'd make allowances for Duff and Milner in the same situation too, given they aren't defenders either.

 

Was just posting the same response. The fact that he was up against Rooney, who must be one of the best around for ghosting in like he did, as well, would have been added.

 

People have short memories as far as N'Zogbia and Milner are concerned, while the likes of Duff - who is yet to really do anything for us - are hailed as "being almost back to their best". If we lose N'Zogbia in the summer, I for one will be extremely downhearted because of it.

 

He's one of a very minute group of players we have who is capable of creating something out of nothing, but he struggles to do it from LB. I'd rather play Duff there and start N'Zogbia in midfield, if Enrique isn't going to get a sniff and the former has to be selected.

[Guest alex]

Duff's been fucking shit. Can't believe some of the praise he gets. Even his better displays have only been good relative to his usual non-shows in black and white.

[TRon]

It's not as if he's the finished article, or without flaws, we can see that. But he's the only one of our current squad who would command a decent fee, that tells you a lot. How many good left wingers are there around if we needed a replacement in the summer?

 

 

[Rich]

Hopefully with Geremi back around the place, his mood will have lightened as well. He does tend to get stroppy when his French-speaking mates aren't in the side.

 

this is a good point.  perhaps some of his flaws could be improved if he spoke better english? 

 

fao The Janitor:

    did you notice my thread's initial cap? 

 

It was magical stuff, aye! You missed the capital Z off N'Zogbia like

[johnnypd]

N'Zogbia does deserve stick for not picking up Rooney, no doubt. but so does the Manager for playing him at LB, it is asking for trouble to play a winger there.

 

There are one or two exceptions where you can see that a player has some of the attributes needed to adapt to a different position, like Solano last season. Similarly there are players simply not cut out for the position, Robert for instance would be awful in there.

 

Managers seem to think that because N'Zogbia never stops running and likes a challenge, that he can play at LB. But one of his major weaknesses is awareness and if you haven't got this to your game you should be nowhere near the defence. It is no suprise that he's not picked up a runner ghosting behind him, and if he continues to play LB it won't be the last time it happens.

 

Quite why Enrique isn't being selected there is a mystery, since he's looked fine when he's played.

[Cronky]

Even if Zoggy was playing on the left of midfield, he'd still have to do some defending and he'd still have to face the situation where an opposition player was running past him to try and get on the end of a chance. Even if you don't get the ball, if you try to track back you may do enough to put them off or break their concentration.

 

There's no excuses here. If Milner or Duff had let their man go past them and not make the slightest attempt to get back, they'd be getting a hammering.

Yes, but it was poor awareness, not because he had a poor attitude / didn't care. I'd make allowances for Duff and Milner in the same situation too, given they aren't defenders either.

 

Was just posting the same response. The fact that he was up against Rooney, who must be one of the best around for ghosting in like he did, as well, would have been added.

 

People have short memories as far as N'Zogbia and Milner are concerned, while the likes of Duff - who is yet to really do anything for us - are hailed as "being almost back to their best". If we lose N'Zogbia in the summer, I for one will be extremely downhearted because of it.

 

He's one of a very minute group of players we have who is capable of creating something out of nothing, but he struggles to do it from LB. I'd rather play Duff there and start N'Zogbia in midfield, if Enrique isn't going to get a sniff and the former has to be selected.

 

I don't know whether it's that Zoggy 'doesn't care', but there's something about his temperament that's a bit suspect, and that got exposed on Saturday. He looks a bit of a loner, not communicating much to his team-mates or taking much responsibility. Yes, if he gets the ball in space moving forward he can go past people, but you can't play 90 minutes only doing the things you're good at.

 

What bothered me was that he stood still and watched. It was like his ego was reluctant to let him try and fail. The actual decision itself was easy.