Lewis Hall

[BullyDogs]

We've allocated 28m for this fella yet he gets nowhere near any minutes

 

That 28m could be so much better used elsewhere

[cubaricho]

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since Howe has come in it’s don’t write anyone off. Remember when everyone was bitching about spending money on Gordon? On Livramento? 
 

If this kid ends up costing us 30m it will have been very meticulously thought about and debated over and ultimately, worth it.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by cubaricho

[Lish007]

Gordon took half a season and a Euros to settle and he had few more years on Hall. 

 

Could be a number of things keeping Hall on the bench; fitness, tactics, not completely understanding Howe's way. Even the fact that he's 19 (and don't say but Miley...) Every player is different. He might need to build his confidence - you don't know! Don't write him off just yet.

 

Not sure why this board never learns... 

[Cronky]

He'll be disappointed that he's not been given the nod with Burn being out, and the right-footed Livramento being given the nod. Both are young and inexperienced and can be caught slightly out of position. That's all it takes at this level, but Tino has the athleticism and quick feet to recover, I think. Trippier is too important to the side as a whole, so we're not going to see Tino and Hall together.

 

Eddie does take his time to bring new players in - even Bruno had to wait a few games, so that's another factor.

 

Full back isn't the position where a manger is under most pressure to rotate and rest players. Eddie really needs strikers and midfield players to be available to ease the current situation.

 

I've seen enough of Hall to believe in his talent, but perhaps his attacking ability will always be a bigger asset than his defending. It'll be easier to play someone like that when we have a better squad as a whole. 

[Chris_R]

On 08/12/2023 at 16:46, reefatoon said:

 We got beat so the sky is falling in again.

 

Not at all. I'm a massive fan of Howe's, but I don't think he rotates enough.

 

I thought this when we were winning too, for example his refusal to rest or change a tired Dan Burn often felt like it might cost us.

 

I can criticise without it being an over reaction to a defeat. He's fabulous, but we don't have to pretend he's perfect. None of us are.

[The Prophet]

It was widely reported in the latter weeks of the transfer market we wanted a RCB or a left back, but only if they were available on an obligation to buy. We brought him in for the exact reason it allowed us not to commit any funds until summer 2024.  If he hadn't have been available on a loan to buy we probably wouldn't have bothered, we didn't allocate any of last summer's budget to his signing.

 

Next season he'll almost certainly be playing more regularly. We've seen a number of times players can often take time to adjust to Howe's methods.

[The College Dropout]

I questioned the Hall transfer at the time because he was unlikely to become first choice this season and we needed a first choice LB. 
 

But the same logic applies then as it applies now. It was a transfer for the future. There was always a chance he wouldn’t be ready this season but we expect him to eventually be a top player.  
 

 

Considering the demands of this season, it is right to question whether that was the right strategy. How things have turned out eg him not being ready… was always a big possibility and the club knew that.  

[The Prophet]

Guesswork, but perhaps they weren't expecting Burn and Targett to pick up long term injuries?

[The College Dropout]

19 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

Guesswork, but perhaps they weren't expecting Burn and Targett to pick up long term injuries?

Exactly.  It it is fair to question if signing a 3rd choice left back  was a wise allocation of a squad space

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Exactly.  It it is fair to question if signing a 3rd choice left back  was a wise allocation of a squad space

 

I guess the flip side is we potentially wouldn't have signed anyone if he hadn't have been available on a loan to buy.

[andycap]

No excuse to not get minutes like. Too many games he sits on our bench and doesn't get a sniff of playing time, then when he does get a chance howe hooks him in quick fashion his confidence would've taken a hiding like. poor handling of a promising talent in my book. 

[ponsaelius]

The lad hasn't even looked bad when he's played. I thought he was great against Man United, equally as impressive as Tino just more quality distribution rather than ball carrying.

 

Dortmund was a bit more of a struggle for him but he was completely fucked over by that ridiculous yellow card right at the beginning.

 

 

[ponsaelius]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

 

I guess the flip side is we potentially wouldn't have signed anyone if he hadn't have been available on a loan to buy.

 

I think we do have to re-iterate this. To me he was a bonus signing rather than one that was allocated funds over somebody else. The very specific circumstances that allowed for a loan-to-buy is why it happened - opportunistic in many respects.

[ohmelads]

6 hours ago, Lish007 said:

Gordon took half a season and a Euros to settle and he had few more years on Hall. 

 

Could be a number of things keeping Hall on the bench; fitness, tactics, not completely understanding Howe's way. Even the fact that he's 19 (and don't say but Miley...) Every player is different. He might need to build his confidence - you don't know! Don't write him off just yet.

 

Not sure why this board never learns... 

 

From what I can see, no one's writing him off. Quite the opposite; people are keen to see him given a chance especially in an injury crisis as virtually the only rotation option.

[LFEE]

Lot of tosh been talked about this 😆

 

He played at Bournemouth. Since then we’ve played Chelsea which he was unavailable for and Tino played and got MOTM. Then PSG and again Tino MOTM in a game that was so finely balanced no subs were made to avoid disruption of rhythm. Then we played Man Utd and again Tino arguably MOTM but scoreline again so tight we played it out without disrupting the back line. Then we’ve played Everton in a game we were in the slight ascendancy reaching the 80th minute before two goals changed the game but even then Isak scores on 90mins and we’ve 10mins to get an equaliser.

 

I could accept he could’ve played the full 90mins against Bournemouth but he was getting a bit out muscled it felt hence the change made at HT 🤷🏼‍♂️ 

 

His signing was a bonus this season and technically doesn’t join permanently until next season when the Fee starts leaving the accounts. Judge him and his game time next season.

[SUPERTOON]

I don’t think anyone is criticising him or the signing are they ? Just saying that when we have looked absolutely dead on our feet the last few games, he hasn’t played a minute and Matt Ritchie has. Probably nowt in it at all, but does seem a bit odd. 

[LFEE]

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

I don’t think anyone is criticising him or the signing are they ? Just saying that when we have looked absolutely dead on our feet the last few games, he hasn’t played a minute and Matt Ritchie has. Probably nowt in it at all, but does seem a bit odd. 

I’ve just laid out the reasons for this in my post so not sure why anyone would think it was odd. Wouldn’t even be a discussion if we’d got a point at Everton.

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, LFEE said:

I’ve just laid out the reasons for this in my post so not sure why anyone would think it was odd. Wouldn’t even be a discussion if we’d got a point at Everton.

You don’t think Ritchie getting minutes over him is a bit strange? Again not a criticism of Howe or club, but to not have gotten a single minute over the last few games does stand out to me.

[Kanji]

Ha, I think it’s funny as hell that anyone would spend a moment in time questioning this signing when the freak injuries to the first and second choice left backs didn’t result in Hall getting the nod, but it turned out justifying the future right back being equally good at left and right back in Tino. Further, the sensible approach would probably have always been slotting Trippier over there and bringing the more experienced Tino in anyway but it shifted the balance of our attacking play too much. Instead Tino and AG have been class together with Big Joe on the left. 
 

Not everything needs pure crystal ball thinking here. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Kanji

[Ronaldo]

Playing Ritchie ahead of anyone with talent makes zero sense to me. I think there’s something a bit odd about Hall’s lack of minutes even with the squad (and his position) severely depleted but we’ll find out end of this season.

[LFEE]

9 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

You don’t think Ritchie getting minutes over him is a bit strange? Again not a criticism of Howe or club, but to not have gotten a single minute over the last few games does stand out to me.

Nope. Ritchie came on 90+7 against Man Utd and 90+1 against Everton at 2-0 down. He literally got 9mins and probably a couple of kicks of the ball maximum. It’s EH’s way of showing gratitude to MR for how hard he’s trained that week so he’ll get an appearance bonus. Just like when he defended Lascelles in the summer press conference these little things have a habit of repaying you.

 

Hall’s time will come. Patience.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by LFEE

[andycap]

Hall could of been used up top on a wing to save gordon almiron isak from getting an injury. Fresh legs are needed in the psg game a couple of subs could of stemmed the flow just by Harrying there fullbacks and centre half's. Bournemouth match he should of been kept on as others were playing just as bad and with him not been able to play against chelsea it made no sense. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2023 by andycap

[The College Dropout]

Eddie trusts Ritchie’s experience to see out games.   He’ll track runners and waste time. 
 

Hall has looked inexperienced in most of his appearances.  

[TBG]

 

 

[Aiston]

Looked actually OK when he came on...why couldn't he get more minutes I wonder.