Lewis Hall

[alexf]

We're running this guy into the ground unfortunately. 

 

Now has to go up against Lamine Yamal in a few days. 

 

Feel for him.

[Si67]

Let’s hope he doesn’t get put at RB at any point in that match 

[Minhosa]

3 hours ago, The Butcher said:

One of the best players in the league, never mind full backs.

Best NUFC LB of my lifetime. He’s fucking elite. Our best player along with Bruno. 

 

 

Edited March 8 by Minhosa

[The College Dropout]

Looked exhausted. Savinho got some good success out of him. Scared for him midweek.

[Minhosa]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Looked exhausted. Savinho got some good success out of him. Scared for him midweek.

To be fair, I thought Barnes did Hall no favours tonight in terms of protection. Savinho was a threat all night though. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, Minhosa said:

To be fair, I thought Barnes did Hall no favours tonight in terms of protection. Savinho was a threat all night though. 

Think it’s more Woltemade. Barnes man is Nunes, Nunes don’t do too much. Our LCM is the on to help out the fullback on Woltemade didn’t.  Because he’s not a LCM. 

[Minhosa]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

Think it’s more Woltemade. Barnes man is Nunes, Nunes don’t do too much. Our LCM is the on to help out the fullback on Woltemade didn’t.  Because he’s not a LCM. 

Very true. I just thought there were times, first half particularly, where Barnes could’ve dropped in and doubled up a bit more. 
 

Mind, that’s where I was sitting so I was perhaps a bit too close to it all to see the Wolte impact. The game completely passed Woltemade by in general terms though. 
 

We were lucky Bernardo Silva didn’t play as he’d have absolutely killed us with all the gaps in midfield. 

[Disco]

4 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

To be fair, I thought Barnes did Hall no favours tonight in terms of protection. Savinho was a threat all night though. 

I know you’re not a fan but the covering Elanga for Trippier before he went off was night and day. Albeit I wouldn’t be surprised if Howe had told Barnes to stay higher to exploit the space. 
 

Playing with 1 player who is capable at defending in midfield obviously compounded everything further.

[Minhosa]

9 minutes ago, Disco said:

I know you’re not a fan but the covering Elanga for Trippier before he went off was night and day. Albeit I wouldn’t be surprised if Howe had told Barnes to stay higher to exploit the space. 
 

Playing with 1 player who is capable at defending in midfield obviously compounded everything further.

I get very frustrated with Barnes generally tbh. He’s a centre forwards profile but playing out wide. He’s a super finisher but can’t beat a man, hasn’t got a trick and leaves Hall exposed more often than not. He's weak in the challenge too. 
 

When he’s scoring he’s effective but when he’s not he’s a passenger. 
 

I won’t pollute another thread with Elanga talk but he’s just as bad off the ball imho. Rarely ‘gets’ to a challenge, is slow as fuck to close people down and when he does he never has any intention of winning the ball. It’s performative defending imho. I take the point that he’s closer to Trippier in that he’s actually there but he’s only there as a body, his actual defensive contribution is generally shite. 

 

 

Edited March 8 by Minhosa

[Disco]

Just now, Minhosa said:

I get very frustrated with Barnes generally tbh. He’s a centre forwards profile but playing out wide. He’s a super finisher but can’t beat a man, hasn’t got a trick and leaves Hall exposed more often than not. 
 

When he’s scoring he’s effective but when he’s not he’s a passenger. 

I’ll leave the other point and to a degree you’re right albeit something is better than nothing but aye the above is spot on. 
 

And then you open the Gordon v Barnes debate… 

[toontownman]

33 minutes ago, Minhosa said:

Best NUFC LB of my lifetime. He’s fucking elite. Our best player along with Bruno. 

 

 

 

Take that filth out of your mouth, Apologise and put Carl Serrant rightfully back in.

 

Really hope Hall doesnt get injured before a hopefully shoe in England call.

[The College Dropout]

It’s not Elanga or Barnes fault that our fullbacks are knackered and not strong enough defensively at this point.  
 

Savinho has 1 PL G/A all season. Was almost sold in Jan.  He was MOTM.  that’s on Howe and Hall.  This was a game too far for Hall and Trippier legs wise. 

 

 

Edited March 8 by The College Dropout

[Keefaz]

I dunno, man. He has to pick up Savinho here, doesn't he?

[Keefaz]

I mean, I say that with hindsight. Obviously, the ball's got to go through a lot of bodies to get there. And no doubt Barnes is looking for a quick counter. Maybe that's an acceptable risk. Some coaching genius can weigh in.

[Kid Icarus]

27 minutes ago, Keefaz said:

I dunno, man. He has to pick up Savinho here, doesn't he?

Look at where Botman and Thiaw are. It would take more effort than I can be arsed to do, but that looks like a situation that Man City have created to me.

 

 

Edited March 8 by Kid Icarus

[Keefaz]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's why teams learn to drag players out of position.

[Magpie Mover]

Opinions banded about on here about our players normally verge between they are better than they actually are or worse. Hall is not world class, he's young and learning. He's not the best fullback in the premier league. Has has good qualities and poorer ones. If you could merge him and Tino into one player you would have a very good player, Hall is technically gifted, good on the ball, attacks well and crosses well, however defensively he is relatively slow, not very physical and tactically still naive. Tino is a physical monster, fast, athletic and as good as any fullback defensively, but going forward he's Wan Bissaka, no real quality and he can't cross. Both can improve but at the moment they have major flaws in their games. 

[The College Dropout]

45 minutes ago, Keefaz said:

I dunno, man. He has to pick up Savinho here, doesn't he?

At first glance I say yes but that would be 9 players in our own box in a line defending 6 attackers.  
 

Doku is elite 1v1 but the 2 on 1 + all those bodies in the box shouldn’t allow the ball to get that far. The first 2 should get a block in.  
 

 

Also the bodies in the box have confused us. Thiaw is on the LB - probably shouldn’t especially that deep. CM and RCB is on the main striker. Hall is with the RB on the penalty spot. It’s not where we want to be. 

[kingxlnc]

Why can’t Barnes play CF instead of Gordon out of interest? 
 

much better finisher and less defensively sound on the wing than Gordon

 

surely makes more sense?

[kenlau88210]

6 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

At first glance I say yes but that would be 9 players in our own box in a line defending 6 attackers.  
 

Doku is elite 1v1 but the 2 on 1 + all those bodies in the box shouldn’t allow the ball to get that far. The first 2 should get a block in.  
 

 

Also the bodies in the box have confused us. Thiaw is on the LB - probably shouldn’t especially that deep. CM and RCB is on the main striker. Hall is with the RB on the penalty spot. It’s not where we want to be. 

 

Seems terrible defending against Doku. So passive. Elanga should be more aggressive and close Doku down and force him to make a decision while Trippier marking him

[The College Dropout]

25 minutes ago, kenlau88210 said:

 

Seems terrible defending against Doku. So passive. Elanga should be more aggressive and close Doku down and force him to make a decision while Trippier marking him

Doku is literally top 3-4 (maybe higher) at 1v1 take ons in European football tbf statsitically. But the my should do better, he doesn’t have that many assists. 

[Sandrotastico]

Brilliant - lucky to have him. Technically incredible and works his nuts off.

[Nucasol]

Had a hard shift last night. I thought Savinho gave the best performance by an away player at SJP this season, completely outshone Doku on the other side. 

[Beren]

Savinho has played 30 minutes combined in Man City's last 10 Premier League games for those getting on Hall's back.

 

He's fresh as a daisy to run at him again and again and again.

[Kilcline]

Probably a bit of an unintended back-handed compliment (and/or a sign of how good he is), but I thought he had one of the poorest games he's had in ages last night, not that he was crap or anything mind - just a 6.5/7/10 rather than his usual 8.5/9, and yet was still pretty comfortably our best player, looking forward to seeing how he matches up with Yamal on Tuesday.