Jonás Gutiérrez (now managing Club Almagro)

[Ronaldo]

Neither were particularly effective that season, although Jonas started well enough.

[Mick]

Duff was one of the most pointless signings we've made, we had a limited budget and brought a player in to challenge N'Zogbia who had been brilliant for us the season before.  A third of our tranfer budget was wasted on a player who was nowhere near the player that Blackburn sold to Chelsea.

[Taylor Swift]

Jonas has been a brilliant signing. We've done well from his signing given the outlay in fees and wages but that's in the past now. He's just not an effective player anymore.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Duff was one of the most pointless signings we've made, we had a limited budget and brought a player in to challenge N'Zogbia who had been brilliant for us the season before.  A third of our tranfer budget was wasted on a player who was nowhere near the player that Blackburn sold to Chelsea.

 

Yep, it was an absolutely crazy idea. If we hadn't signed him N'Zogbia might well still be performing for us in the PL now.

[Guest JS]

Reading the first page again and it's like nothings really changed. Except he got slower and his hair got longer

[AlanSkÃrare]

Still the sort of character I'm proud to associate the club with. Hurts like hell to see him decline so rapidly. I think he's one of those who's really suffering from the collective drop of confidence. He's not THIS bad. His performances at CM towards the end of last season were terrific and not reliant on his physique.

[Ronaldo]

They weren't terrific at all. They were OK.

 

When we win - Jonas's workrate allows us to do so. When we lose - Jonas creates nothing. He benefits from good results far more than we benefit from him.

[AlanSkÃrare]

They weren't terrific at all. They were OK.

 

When we win - Jonas's workrate allows us to do so. When we lose - Jonas creates nothing. He benefits from good results far more than we benefit from him.

 

He was making us tick quite well. I remember him getting huge amounts of praise on here.

[TRon]

Jonas has been a brilliant signing. We've done well from his signing given the outlay in fees and wages but that's in the past now. He's just not an effective player anymore.

 

That's my view as well. Two years ago he was a vital cog in a poor team. Now we've moved on and with really good strikers up front we need players who can put in quality deliveries from wide areas.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Jonas has been a brilliant signing. We've done well from his signing given the outlay in fees and wages but that's in the past now. He's just not an effective player anymore.

 

That's my view as well. Two years ago he was a vital cog in a poor team. Now we've moved on and with really good strikers up front we need players who can put in quality deliveries from wide areas.

 

Yep, essentially we're carrying a few leftovers from a lower-standard first team. Players like Willo, Simpson, and unfortunately Jonas aren't on the same planet as Cabaye, Cisse, Ben Arfa or even Anita and Marveaux.

 

Hopefully we will continue to add better quality, obviously it hasn't happened quite as fast as we'd like.

[DJ_NUFC]

Jonas has been a brilliant signing. We've done well from his signing given the outlay in fees and wages but that's in the past now. He's just not an effective player anymore.

 

That's my view as well. Two years ago he was a vital cog in a poor team. Now we've moved on and with really good strikers up front we need players who can put in quality deliveries from wide areas.

 

Yep, essentially we're carrying a few leftovers from a lower-standard first team. Players like Willo, Simpson, and unfortunately Jonas aren't on the same planet as Cabaye, Cisse, Ben Arfa or even Anita and Marveaux.

 

Hopefully we will continue to add better quality, obviously it hasn't happened quite as fast as we'd like.

 

Bang on. I love Jonas and he's pretty much a legend for his positive contribution to the club -- albeit a small legend -- but we really cannot have our entire left flank unoccupied as it currently sits.

[Deuce]

I've got it. He's morphed into an even poorer version of James Milner.

[TRon]

Jonas' lack of delivery from wide has been even more highlighted by us not having a natural left back. I don't think it's a coincidence that our best work down the left used to come when he was teamed up with Enrique. If we are going to play Santon there then we need a left winger with a peach of a left foot.

[TaylorJ_01]

I've got it. He's morphed into an even poorer version of James Milner.

 

But can't cross or shoot.

[Ronaldo]

Milner, N'Zogbia, Routledge: other clubs wanted them. That's why they're gone and he's still here.

[Guest]

If Jonas was available at Routledge's fee & wages, he'd be snapped up.

[Ronaldo]

By who? A manager who hadn't done his research perhaps.

[Guest]

Someone in the Premier League, or even Spain or Italy would imo.

[Guest neesy111]

I highly doubt that tbh.

[Guest tollemache]

Jonas' lack of delivery from wide has been even more highlighted by us not having a natural left back. I don't think it's a coincidence that our best work down the left used to come when he was teamed up with Enrique. If we are going to play Santon there then we need a left winger with a peach of a left foot.

 

I'd much much much much rather just play Santon down the right, where he's a force of nature

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We definitely suffer from the amount of players we have who want/need to cut inside. If we matched Debuchy and HBA on one side, and Santon and Marveaux on the other, we would look more fluid and versatile.

 

FWIW I think Santon is fine on the left, and I would leave him there.

[Guest tollemache]

He's very good indeed on either side, fullback or winger, but I remember when he broke through at Inter and kept Maicon out of the team while Mourinho creamed over him... He really was blistering over on the right

 

I've already rabbited on about this in the wrong thread but Gutierrez is clearly not even a winger. He's the most natural carrilero going, but what does he ever provide from the wing? Work rate, making a three man midfield seem like a four man midfield, surging runs through the middle, making space for more creative players... this is a hunch but, being Argentinian, I think it's very likely indeed that he grew up as a carrilero and became a winger after he moved to Europe. They all play 4-3-1-2 in Argentina, with players just like him either side of a Veron type with a Riquelme or an Aimar in front, and there isn't really a culture of wingers. And he's certainly no fullback, as he demonstrated in the last World Cup. He's a carrilero so we should use him as one, in a midfield three.

[Kanj]

We definitely suffer from the amount of players we have who want/need to cut inside. If we matched Debuchy and HBA on one side, and Santon and Marveaux on the other, we would look more fluid and versatile.

 

FWIW I think Santon is fine on the left, and I would leave him there.

 

Agree. The issue here is our right RB and LW are crap. Upgrading that by adding an attacking RB (Debuchy) and finding someone to play on the left side (even if that means adding just a more mobile midfielder on the left side of 3 CM's or Marv on LW or Ba on LW) it instantly makes both sides (assuming Ben Arfa is wide right) more potent.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He's very good indeed on either side, fullback or winger, but I remember when he broke through at Inter and kept Maicon out of the team while Mourinho creamed over him... He really was blistering over on the right

 

I've already rabbited on about this in the wrong thread but Gutierrez is clearly not even a winger. He's the most natural carrilero going, but what does he ever provide from the wing? Work rate, making a three man midfield seem like a four man midfield, surging runs through the middle, making space for more creative players... this is a hunch but, being Argentinian, I think it's very likely indeed that he grew up as a carrilero and became a winger after he moved to Europe. They all play 4-3-1-2 in Argentina, with players just like him either side of a Veron type with a Riquelme or an Aimar in front, and there isn't really a culture of wingers. And he's certainly no fullback, as he demonstrated in the last World Cup. He's a carrilero so we should use him as one, in a midfield three.

 

That's definitely where he's looked best for us in recent times.

[Disco]

He's very good indeed on either side, fullback or winger, but I remember when he broke through at Inter and kept Maicon out of the team while Mourinho creamed over him... He really was blistering over on the right

 

I've already rabbited on about this in the wrong thread but Gutierrez is clearly not even a winger. He's the most natural carrilero going, but what does he ever provide from the wing? Work rate, making a three man midfield seem like a four man midfield, surging runs through the middle, making space for more creative players... this is a hunch but, being Argentinian, I think it's very likely indeed that he grew up as a carrilero and became a winger after he moved to Europe. They all play 4-3-1-2 in Argentina, with players just like him either side of a Veron type with a Riquelme or an Aimar in front, and there isn't really a culture of wingers. And he's certainly no fullback, as he demonstrated in the last World Cup. He's a carrilero so we should use him as one, in a midfield three.

 

Superb analysis, totally agree as well although I'm not sure we've the players for a 4-3-1-2 not am I sure it'd work in the PL.