Ayozé Pérez (now playing for Real Betis)

[Wallsendmag]

Thought he was very poor yesterday. Confidence looks shot to bits and he allowed the sunderland players to bully him. I'd take him out the firing line now and go with Cisse and Mitrovic up top until the end of the season because what we need more than anything now is goals and that represents our best chance of getting any.

[themanupstairs]

He's been nowhere near the Ayoze we know tbh. The one that could turn on a penny and change direction before oppositions players could even blink. The one with the silky touches on the ball and incisive passing. His quality is still there but it just feels like he's trying to change his game somehow and it's to his and the team's detriment.

[Varadi]

Was too congested for him in the middle, Kirchoff was all over him every time he got the ball - looked a lot livelier when he moved out wide once De Jong came on.

[themanupstairs]

Was too congested for him in the middle, Kirchoff was all over him every time he got the ball - looked a lot livelier when he moved out wide once De Jong came on.

 

He has the ability to dance around heal-snapping challenges the same way Wijnaldum does, but we're just not seeing it from him. His touches are now a lot more deliberate and easier to predict. I guess it could be a phase he's going through as part of his learning curve.

[Wallsendmag]

Was too congested for him in the middle, Kirchoff was all over him every time he got the ball - looked a lot livelier when he moved out wide once De Jong came on.

 

Agree with this mind.

[themanupstairs]

It's not only the position he found himself in but he also has a better understanding with de Jong who is a technician just like him. Maybe those two need to play up front together?

[ujpest doza]

He looked much much better when Colback went off and he played further to the left and allowed De Jong to get a grip on midfield.

 

[Lush Vlad]

Was too congested for him in the middle, Kirchoff was all over him every time he got the ball - looked a lot livelier when he moved out wide once De Jong came on.

 

Agreed.  However, it was annoying that he wasted about 4-5 decent openings down the left channel.  Usually he glides past players, but he seemed to keep doubting himself, or he wanted too many touches.  Sissoko was just as guilty of this. 

[Deuce]

Newcastle striker Ayoze Perez is a shock target for Barcelona.

 

Barca scouts have identified the Spanish striker as a potential understudy to their megastar front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar - and the Catalan club have contacted Toon chiefs.

 

Current Barca reserve forwards Sandro and Munir El Haddadi have grown tired of life on the bench at the Nou Camp and will depart this summer.

 

And that will leave the 22-year-old Perez with a dilemma - whether to continue playing regular first-team football on Tyneside or to join the world's most glamorous club, knowing game-time will be extremely limited.

 

Perez was signed from Tenerife for a bargain £1.5million in 2014 and has netted 13 Premier League goals for Newcastle in two seasons since.

 

Toon owner Mike Ashley may be tempted to cash in if Barca table a bid which represents a significant profit.

 

And Perez's decision may be depend on whether the Geordies avoid relegation from the top flight - with life as a Barca reserve likely to appeal more than a drop into the Championship.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/barcelona-plot-shock-ayoze-perez-7898081

 

Okay.

[Zero]

Cash plus Halihovic would do me.

[nemtizz]

Cash + Busquets more like.

[Unlucky Luque]

Messi for me like

[HawK]

I know he's popular on here, but I think he loses the ball unnecessarily quite often, and he doesn't look up enough either. If he had a bit more end product I would put him in the starting 11 but I just think we've got better options at the moment.  When what he's trying to do comes off, it's great, but I think teams are wise to him now and he's become increasingly ineffective.

 

Hell if Barcelona come in for him, let him go.

[joeyt]

He's been pretty poor this year compared to last year, which is a shame, but you can tell he's got loads of talent. That WBA goal last season and his goal against Chelsea this season. Absolutely lush

[Lush Vlad]

I'm sure he seemed quicker when he first broke into the team?  He has great feet, which often buys him a yard.  But he looks really slow and weak, a lot of the time. 

 

Barca I'm sure he'd get loads of chances.  They need to improve their front three.

[The College Dropout]

A 1 in 5 player atm. You'd like him to be much closer to 1 in 3.

[Dave]

I think he's a huge talent and though he's not progressed quite as much as hoped this season (shock, horror), it would be absolute madness to sell him.

[steve_69]

To be fair to him we've been shit for the entire season apart from the last 4 games, it's hardly a reasonable period on which to judge him.

If we stay up I fully expect Rafa to shape him into the player we know he can be. So far the poor fecker has had to work under Pardew, Carver and McLaren and yet he's come out of that shitstorm near enough smelling of roses. 

 

[themanupstairs]

Has more talent in his big toe than most of our squad. Clearly out of sorts lately, but it's more to do with him trying too hard to make an impact and impress Rafa/the fans than anything else. He's just not playing his natural game which was ever so smooth and elegant. He's just stuttering and bouncing all over the place and can hardly bring a ball under control like we're used to him doing.

[Mole_Toonfan]

As if Barcelona actually want him anyway

[AyeDubbleYoo]

His position at the moment does him no favours either. I could maybe see him playing there as a wide forward in a very fluid 4-3-3, but he'll always have an uphill struggle where he's playing now.

[triggs]

I think he generally does well when he comes on but doesn't seem as confident this season. Hope he's here for a long time to come

[triggs]

His position at the moment does him no favours either. I could maybe see him playing there as a wide forward in a very fluid 4-3-3, but he'll always have an uphill struggle where he's playing now.

Was doing poorly when played in the middle too

[Teasy]

I know he's popular on here, but I think he loses the ball unnecessarily quite often, and he doesn't look up enough either. If he had a bit more end product I would put him in the starting 11 but I just think we've got better options at the moment.  When what he's trying to do comes off, it's great, but I think teams are wise to him now and he's become increasingly ineffective.

 

Hell if Barcelona come in for him, let him go.

 

He's just in poor form, when he was in good form his decision making was better and he was just quicker with everything he did.  Even at his worst he's a good squad player with a lot of potential, at his best he's looked brilliant, so I wouldn't sell him.

[TRon]

I know he's popular on here, but I think he loses the ball unnecessarily quite often, and he doesn't look up enough either. If he had a bit more end product I would put him in the starting 11 but I just think we've got better options at the moment.  When what he's trying to do comes off, it's great, but I think teams are wise to him now and he's become increasingly ineffective.

 

Hell if Barcelona come in for him, let him go.

 

He loses the ball because he wants more time on the ball than you often get in the premier. It's incredibly frustrating because if he is given time you can see he has loads of ability to produce something special. You can see why he might do well abroad, especially Spain where the bigger pitches and slower tempo would allow him that extra touch. He's a genuine talent, but I really expected him to have adapted to English football better by now.