Matt Ritchie (now playing for Portsmouth)

[Hanshithispantz]

If we have a proper striker with a good partner behind him, as well a far better winger than Atsu on the left, Ritchie's negatives won't be as bad like. Benitez probably as much as any other top level manager in the Premiership has always had players like that. Dirk Kuyt the obvious one.

 

EDIT: Fergy was similar.

[triggs]

Atsu's been much better than him in general play this season IMO

[Guest]

[Hanshithispantz]

But the onus is on Atsu to run at defenders and make things happen - he does the former well but never makes anything of it. Often runs down blind alleys or whips in a rubbish ball. That's not Ritchie's game. If we're replacing one we replace the one who's genuinely pretty poor at his role rather than the one who basically does what's expected of him.

[Sean]

He's fine at this level imo. Started off shaky but has picked up a fair amount of assists considering how useless we are up front and has had some good shots saved or hit the post. He's someone to upgrade upon further down the line, when we have a striker, a number 10, a left back, a keeper, then probably a better player on the left first.

 

This. Just off the top of my head he hit the post today and also put a cross in that Gayle should have scored from. Plus he works his bollocks off. The least of our worries for now.

[triggs]

But the onus is on Atsu to run at defenders and make things happen - he does the former well but never makes anything of it. Often runs down blind alleys or whips in a rubbish ball. That's not Ritchie's game. If we're replacing one we replace the one who's genuinely pretty poor at his role rather than the one who basically does what's expected of him.

But we'd never get up that end of the pitch at all without Atsu running at them

[Hanshithispantz]

I don't think Atsu is that effective like, but that's sort of the point. We need to replace Atsu with someone who can carry the ball forward and do something with it. Along with a proper AM and a striker obviously.

 

Ritchie isn't infallible obviously but I think he's pretty far down the list of who we need to replace.

[Infinitely Content]

I don't think Atsu is that effective like, but that's sort of the point. We need to replace Atsu with someone who can carry the ball forward and do something with it. Along with a proper AM and a striker obviously.

 

Ritchie isn't infallible obviously but I think he's pretty far down the list of who we need to replace.

 

Atsu is one of the last players we should be thinking about replacing tbh. He's doing absolutely fine he just needs genuine targets to aim for in the box which he doesn't have currently.

[Menace]

Absolutely fine? All he does is run quick

 

Our squad is incredibly average with 2-3 good players imo.

[Hanshithispantz]

Ritchie's assist rate is pretty much limited to set-pieces but there's a pretty clear improvement over him putting balls into the box compared to Atsu and Yedlin like. Atsu just isn't that great in the final 3rd. He's meant to be our direct winger, the one who has it in him to carve a side open, and he rarely ever does.

 

Was decent in the first half today like.

[Infinitely Content]

Absolutely fine? All he does is run quick

 

Our squad is incredibly average with 2-3 good players imo.

 

And he's one of them. Our only attacking threat at times, carries us up the pitch, holds onto possession, makes something of nothing with a good first touch, has a cracking shot on him as shown today. To say he just runs quick shows a lack of understanding tbh.

[triggs]

Ritchie's assist rate is pretty much limited to set-pieces but there's a pretty clear improvement over him putting balls into the box compared to Atsu and Yedlin like. Atsu just isn't that great in the final 3rd. He's meant to be our direct winger, the one who has it in him to carve a side open, and he rarely ever does.

 

Was decent in the first half today like.

You're basically criticising him for not being able to do something that Ritchie isn't able to do either then? Also, his target in the box has been fucking Joselu most of the season

[Hanshithispantz]

I'm saying Ritchie isn't tasked with running at defenders so I'm not going to judge him on that in the same way I will Atsu. This is like comparing Guttierrez with Obertan or something. Obertan was legitimately just shite where as Jonas was a fairly average player who formed a great partnership with Enrique due to his workrate and the understanding they had. Both were awful in the final 3rd.

 

 

[triggs]

I'm saying Ritchie isn't tasked with running at defenders so I'm not going to judge him on that in the same way I will Atsu. This is like comparing Guttierrez with Obertan or something. Obertan was legitimately just shite where as Jonas was a fairly average player who formed a great partnership with Enrique due to his workrate and the understanding they had. Both were awful in the final 3rd.

So what exactly do you judge Ritchie on?

[Hanshithispantz]

He's our best set piece taker by a mile, his crossing is far better than anyone else in the squad in general when he gets into position, his link up play with Yedlin is pretty strong, he's one of the better passers we have in the squad, he works his bollocks off to help out in defence, he doesn't lose it cheaply. He's all around just a solid option on the right who fulfils the role of 'grafting winger' well enough.

 

I don't think he's amazing. He carries out his role well enough though where as I don't think Atsu does.

[Wallsendmag]

He's our best set piece taker by a mile, his crossing is far better than anyone else in the squad in general when he gets into position, his link up play with Yedlin is pretty strong, he's one of the better passers we have in the squad, he works his bollocks off to help out in defence, he doesn't lose it cheaply. He's all around just a solid option on the right who fulfils the role of 'grafting winger' well enough.

 

I don't think he's amazing. He carries out his role well enough though where as I don't think Atsu does.

 

Atsu looks great. Untl he gets the ball under control.

[Dinho lad]

Atsu is a bit like Gutierrez: good work rate and athleticism, but impotent.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Again he's the last of our problems.

 

Dunno Striker and AM aside he's pretty far up the list, i have never understood the fanfare around him personally. He's basically a 2nd fullback and contributes fuck all going forward.

 

Atsu aside he's just as irrelevant offensively as everybody else tbh, one thing i do like about him however is he doesn't treat the football like a grenade like most of the team.

[joeyt]

Never understood the fanfare

 

For the most part last season he was really good and he contributed massively towards the end of the season when the team looked like we were going to hit a brick wall. He's not been as good as I hoped this season but I really don't think he plays like a 2nd full back and contributes f*** all going forward

[HaydnNUFC]

Again he's the last of our problems.

 

Dunno Striker and AM aside he's pretty far up the list, i have never understood the fanfare around him personally. He's basically a 2nd fullback and contributes f*** all going forward.

 

Atsu aside he's just as irrelevant offensively as everybody else tbh, one thing i do like about him however is he doesn't treat the football like a grenade like most of the team.

Doesn't he have the most assists in our team?

[Mole_Toonfan]

Again he's the last of our problems.

 

Dunno Striker and AM aside he's pretty far up the list, i have never understood the fanfare around him personally. He's basically a 2nd fullback and contributes f*** all going forward.

 

Atsu aside he's just as irrelevant offensively as everybody else tbh, one thing i do like about him however is he doesn't treat the football like a grenade like most of the team.

Doesn't he have the most assists in our team?

 

That will happen when you are a good set piece taker for a team that does fuck all outside of set pieces.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

There’s probably 7 or 8 players in our squad that need replacing before Ritchie.

 

A real leader on the pitch too, him organising the defence in the first half when Lascelles was down

[HaydnNUFC]

Again he's the last of our problems.

 

Dunno Striker and AM aside he's pretty far up the list, i have never understood the fanfare around him personally. He's basically a 2nd fullback and contributes f*** all going forward.

 

Atsu aside he's just as irrelevant offensively as everybody else tbh, one thing i do like about him however is he doesn't treat the football like a grenade like most of the team.

Doesn't he have the most assists in our team?

 

That will happen when you are a good set piece taker for a team that does f*** all outside of set pieces.

I can recall two of his crosses which led to goals in open play from the top of my head. He doesn't contribute "f*** all" going forward and we have much bigger problems than Matt Ritchie in our team, if you can call him a problem.

[Mole_Toonfan]

There’s probably 7 or 8 players in our squad that need replacing before Ritchie.

 

A real leader on the pitch too, him organising the defence in the first half when Lascelles was down

 

If you are happy with wingers who are good defenders who regularly go weeks without doing anything and then blaming Atsu when he has to do everything like everyone else seems to then sure.

 

But i personally i don't like rewarding mediocrity.

[Figures 1-0 Football]

There’s probably 7 or 8 players in our squad that need replacing before Ritchie.

 

A real leader on the pitch too, him organising the defence in the first half when Lascelles was down

 

If you are happy with wingers who are good defenders who regularly go weeks without doing anything and then blaming Atsu when he has to do everything like everyone else seems to then sure.

 

But i personally i don't like rewarding mediocrity.

 

Doesn’t Ritchie have the most assists in our team?