Allan Saint-Maximin (now playing for Fenerbahce, on loan from Al-Ahli)

[Wolfcastle]

3 hours ago, Pata said:

 

Are Wood, Almiron, Fraser and Murphy getting in that team?

Mostly not but there's no debate about them, that's more like Winterburn, Clough and Smith trying to get in - nobody's even watching them really - whilst Gazza has a chance and is entertaining and you actually want him to, if he'll buckle down.

Fraser might on account of being useful and reliable now. He'd be Trevor Steven.

 

55 minutes ago, elbee909 said:

Clearly needs more bandages.

Maxi-pads (I bet that's already been done, but just in case)

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Pata]

14 minutes ago, Wolfcastle said:

Mostly not but there's no debate about them, that's more like Winterburn, Clough and Smith trying to get in - nobody's even watching them really - whilst Gazza has a chance and is entertaining and you actually want him to, if he'll buckle down.

Fraser might on account of being useful and reliable now. He'd be Trevor Steven.

 

Maxi-pads (I bet that's already been done, but just in case)

 

 

 

 

Don't think the analogy really makes sense unless you think we are buying close to 20 players in the summer.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Pata

[Kanj]

He needs to go back to Puma

[Wolfcastle]

13 minutes ago, Pata said:

 

Don't think the analogy really makes sense unless you think we are buying close to 20 players in the summer.

 

 

 

I/we mentioned 3. So obviously not.

ASM is the only one borderline. Like Gazza was. The others we know are or aren't good enough.

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Wolfcastle

[Ronaldo]

Tough to judge him when he’s alongside Wood, Almiron etc. He’s basically our only option in far too many attacking situations and teams know this. Hardly ideal ground on which to thrive. 
 

 

[Disco]

2 hours ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

23 goal contributions in 83 appearances for us, where we've been mostly shit. For a comparison, Robert has 55 goal contributions in 150 appearances. Not much in it, Robert ever so slightly ahead on goal contributions per 90 and he took set pieces.

 

He's in a bad patch of form, all players have them and we've all seen what he's capable of when in form. We're so close to the end of the season now and today and Sunday are games I'm not going to read too much into especially given the alternative forward options. Upgrade those alternative options and next season will be make or break for him. Not having reactionary calls to sell him, sorry like.

A healthy percentage of people used to despise Robert with all the same tropes tbf.

[GWN]

Very poor yesterday. I want to have a pop at him but I just can’t yet.

[r0cafella]

19 minutes ago, GWN said:

Very poor yesterday. I want to have a pop at him but I just can’t yet.

Given we are a proper football club going in the right direction let’s leave having a pop to the manager ?

[GWN]

1 hour ago, r0cafella said:

Given we are a proper football club going in the right direction let’s leave having a pop to the manager ?

only criticism on here from me , however a lot sitting around me are losing patience with him.

[Heron]

The problem is he's making bad decisions all of the time and has a defsult setting of showmanship. Losing the ball and wafting his arms about, not tracking men and not closing down are all easy ebough fixes and I don't foresee Howe not telling him these things. He was a big fish in a small pond and star of our show under Bruce. Hence why he liked Bruce. He doesn't appear happy anymore because he's no longer star of the show. I'd argue he's been the weakest link in our first 11 since the turn of the calendar year, yet he also poses one of the biggest threats because everyone knows how talented and capable he is. However, at present time, he's not the type of player we need. We need effectiveness and work rate, not step overs and running down blind alleys... 

 

Wouldn't get on his back at the game, there's no point, but he's getting by on ifs and maybes at present.

[tgarve]

20 minutes ago, Heron said:

The problem is he's making bad decisions all of the time and has a defsult setting of showmanship. Losing the ball and wafting his arms about, not tracking men and not closing down are all easy ebough fixes and I don't foresee Howe not telling him these things. He was a big fish in a small pond and star of our show under Bruce. Hence why he liked Bruce. He doesn't appear happy anymore because he's no longer star of the show. I'd argue he's been the weakest link in our first 11 since the turn of the calendar year, yet he also poses one of the biggest threats because everyone knows how talented and capable he is. However, at present time, he's not the type of player we need. We need effectiveness and work rate, not step overs and running down blind alleys... 

 

Wouldn't get on his back at the game, there's no point, but he's getting by on ifs and maybes at present.

I don’t do ifs, buts or maybes I do absolutes. If ASM doesn't score in all the big games then he isn't world class but he does so he is see what I’m saying?

[ExiledGeordie]

I think he’ll get next season to see what he can do in a set up with a proper right winger, and other attackers. I think that will help him a lot as someone stated on this thread earlier. That said I’m not convinced he’s disciplined enough in the role or consistent enough to be here long term. I can see Howe potentially selling him at some point. 

[Wild Geese]

It’s getting harder and harder to defend Maxi, he’s not a team player, to much maverick.

[Mazzy]

He wasn't great yesterday, but no one stood out other than perhaps Dubravka and Bruno. I'm not going to make a judgement on whether he can have a future here until next season (World Cup Break) when he's had a full pre season under Howe and he has different players around him in attack and midfield.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Mazzy

[Kid Icarus]

The thing that I don't get is that imo he's clearly started passing it more, particularly to Targett on the overlap or to whoever's running through the middle, yet it's coincided with more people claiming he plays for himself.

[The Prophet]

ASM is undoubtedly in poor form, he's not been great since he came back from injury. 

 

If it wasn't for him and Wilson, we'd have gone down long ago, so he's got plenty of goodwill in the bank for me. As I've said, there are parts of his game he needs to work on and if he doesn't improve along with the squad, I have no doubt Howe will show him the door. As it stands though he's still arguably our best attacking outlet and there are three or four we need to replace before we even start to think about getting rid.

[Mazzy]

Just now, Kid Icarus said:

The thing that I don't get is that imo he's clearly started passing it more, particularly to Targett on the overlap or to whoever's running through the middle, yet it's coincided with more people claiming he plays for himself.

 

Definitely has changed his game in the last 4/5 games. He was far more willing yesterday to close down defenders. I think it's just a sign of the progress we've made, every other player in the team has moved up a level and ASM has stood still more than anyone else. It's just the fact he is no longer the one player we rely on so he's getting more stick.

[RS]

1 minute ago, Kid Icarus said:

The thing that I don't get is that imo he's clearly started passing it more, particularly to Targett on the overlap or to whoever's running through the middle, yet it's coincided with more people claiming he plays for himself.

He didn’t seem to want to pass yesterday.  His decision making was poor. I’ve only seen him play in the flesh once though but the lad next to me said he’s been poor for a couple of months now. 
Playing against the best team in the world will show every weakness, but the Liverpool defence coped with him without breaking sweat. 

[The Prophet]

To add to the above, he's at his most effective when he isolates the full back. While in time, adding other facets to his game could make him more effective, the lack of threat across the forward line means that sides are happy to stick multiple men on him.

[Kid Icarus]

For me his final shot or pass has been poor since he returned from injury and that's what's forming people's opinions of him, which is fair enough.

 

I don't think much else about his game has gotten worse though, in fact it's got better in some areas. If he can sort his end product out, people will miraculously start saying he's a a world beater again imo.

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

For me his final shot or pass has been poor since he returned from injury and that's what's forming people's opinions of him, which is fair enough.

 

I don't think much else about his game has gotten worse though, in fact it's got better in some areas. If he can sort his end product out, people will miraculously start saying he's a a world beater again imo.

 

Most of the people wanting rid are also the same people piling on Wood every game, despite his painfully obvious limitations.

[GeordieDazzler]

Under Bruce he was the one person who could make something happen or at least make the game worth watching. As we were just a collection of players a maverick like him stood out and produced the few moments worth seeing.

 

Now the team is a much more cohesive unit the same things make him stand out for the wrong reasons. We’re so much improved across the pitch that his lack of ball retention and end product is a lot more glaring. 
 

 

[Guest]

I like him but wouldn’t be disappointed if we replaced him.

[Heron]

1 hour ago, tgarve said:

I don’t do ifs, buts or maybes I do absolutes. If ASM doesn't score in all the big games then he isn't world class but he does so he is see what I’m saying?

Not really, nar. 

[Heron]

31 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

The thing that I don't get is that imo he's clearly started passing it more, particularly to Targett on the overlap or to whoever's running through the middle, yet it's coincided with more people claiming he plays for himself.

It's not so mich that he doesn't pass as that he doesn't make the right decisions for me. With and without the ball. Should have played to Krafth on the overlap running into the box yesterday being one example.