Anthony Elanga

[KaKa]

Eddie on Elanga so far.

 

 

[TRon]

9 minutes ago, Groundhog63 said:

He did two of those in the first half against Barca. Gordon's legs turned to jelly then Barnes had hit shot blocked by the keeper. Any other game it's 2-0

 

Yep. While I think he has a lot of rough edges, he has the ability to really hurt teams when he gets it right. 

[The College Dropout]

3 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

Tbf to both Elanga and Gordon, how many times this season have you seen them put a ball in only for there to be no one there and you think to yourself "that's a really good ball tbf"?

 

I can think of about 5. Elanga should easily have had a couple of assists from some of the balls that have actually made it to players as well.

 

 

 

Is it not one of the other wingers that should be in the box too?

 

0 league goals and assists for the pair I don’t think is wildly out of sync based on how they’ve played.  Between them they’ve probably put in 5-6 really great balls into the box in the league. 
 

Elanga needs to adapt to the team, tactics and get his confidence up. 
 

As a top 6-8 winger, you are the better team in most of your fixtures. You’ll face low to mid blocks more often than not. He needs to be able to offer something in those games. In time I think his delivery quality and timing will become Murphy like.  He’ll find our players. 

[Roids]

On 25/06/2025 at 12:29, Roids said:

Forest sit back, embrace pressure and hit on the counter.  Perfect for someone like Elanga who's then given acres of spaces to run into 

We won't/don't have that luxury, we saw vs Everton how stagnant the offence is when teams don't offer space (Arsenal have suffered with this all year, Man City too for most of the season)

 

Need better quality, not just pace merchants if there are ambitions of consistent Top 4/5

 

 

 

Got griefed for this inconsequential post by the same contingent who were clamouring for DCL, was also told he was better than Kudus.

 

Both our wingers are limited speed merchants, puts a ceiling on what the team ultimately achieve.

 

It is what it is.

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by Roids

[nufcjmc]

6 minutes ago, Roids said:

Got griefed for this inconsequential post by the same contingent who were clamouring for DCL, was also told he was better than Kudus.

 

Both our wingers are limited speed merchants, puts a ceiling on what the team ultimately achieve.

 

It is what it is.

 

 

 

 

I think speed merchant and Howe's desire to get us up the pitch quickly is a good thing not a bad thing, obviously we want and we need more. The fact Elanga came with such a large price tag adds to the expectation to hit the ground running and be impactful. 

 

He needs to do more and we need to get the best out of his current skill set even yesterday Trips kicking it up the pitch for him to chase but not getting the weight of the pass right  adds to the look its not quite clicking. The complete change to the forward line (striker I mean) and injuries has certainly been mitigating factors to some extent he isn't the only fresh face we have added in and the team by Eddie's own admission aren't getting the training sessions in as the games come thick and fast. 

 

I don't want to already rule him out but admit its been a slower start than I wanted from him he wasnt my first choice to drop big money on but clearly someone Howe wants to work with and with age on his side he should get better. 

[Roids]

Just now, nufcjmc said:

I think speed merchant and Howe's desire to get us up the pitch quickly is a good thing not a bad thing, obviously we want and we need more. The fact Elanga came with such a large price tag adds to the expectation to hit the ground running and be impactful. 

 

He needs to do more and we need to get the best out of his current skill set even yesterday Trips kicking it up the pitch for him to chase but not getting the weight of the pass right  adds to the look its not quite clicking. The complete change to the forward line (striker I mean) and injuries has certainly been mitigating factors to some extent he isn't the only fresh face we have added in and the team by Eddie's own admission aren't getting the training sessions in as the games come thick and fast. 

 

I don't want to already rule him out but admit its been a slower start than I wanted from him he wasnt my first choice to drop big money on but clearly someone Howe wants to work with and with age on his side he should get better. 

we need speed plus technique (Kudus, Mbuemo etc) 
Technique being key, our fullbacks & CBs have it, our CMs have it but it's lacking on the wings

[KaKa]

20 minutes ago, Roids said:

Got griefed for this inconsequential post by the same contingent who were clamouring for DCL, was also told he was better than Kudus.

 

Both our wingers are limited speed merchants, puts a ceiling on what the team ultimately achieve.

 

It is what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

Then surely the evidence shows that this is what the manager wants and prioritises for his system 

 

As far as it putting a ceiling on what the team can achieve, I'd say it's going pretty well so far 

 

Think some of you just don't fancy Howe's style of football tbh. The guy loves his "speed merchants" down the wings and it works for him.

[Roids]

26 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Then surely the evidence shows that this is what the manager wants and prioritises for his system 

 

As far as it putting a ceiling on what the team can achieve, I'd say it's going pretty well so far 

 

Think some of you just don't fancy Howe's style of football tbh. The guy loves his "speed merchants" down the wings and it works for him.

You can have speed and tech, they aren't mutually exclusive. We already have a few  (Tonali, Livra, Thiaw)

Don't make unwarranted assumptions, I have no issues with Howe's style, he's been great here from day one.

I want better for the team and that involves wanting better talent not limited players. 

 

 

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, Roids said:

You can have speed and tech, they aren't mutually exclusive. We already have a few  (Tonali, Livra, Thiaw)

Don't make unwarranted assumptions, I have no issues with Howe's style, he's been great here from day one.

I want better for the team and that involves wanting better talent not limited players. 

 

 

 

Yeah, they aren't mutually exclusive.

 

But ultimately, we've ended up with two wingers, one either side, for decent outlay, that you describe as "speed merchants".

 

Clearly the manager values their attributes highly and believes they are good enough for his team, and doesn't think they are limited in what he wants from them. Seems to me he doesn't agree with you.

 

I think a lot of people want to see a different type of winger in those positions and don't really like the approach to our play down the wings, which is fine. I just don't see Howe changing it though. I don't think it's an accident we've ended up with both Gordon and Elanga.

[Roids]

28 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Yeah, they aren't mutually exclusive.

 

But ultimately, we've ended up with two wingers, one either side, for decent outlay, that you describe as "speed merchants".

 

Clearly the manager values their attributes highly and believes they are good enough for his team, and doesn't think they are limited in what he wants from them. Seems to me he doesn't agree with you.

 

I think a lot of people want to see a different type of winger in those positions and don't really like the approach to our play down the wings, which is fine. I just don't see Howe changing it though. I don't think it's an accident we've ended up with both Gordon and Elanga.

Not sure why you keep trying to position me as a anti-Howe...

If I'm not mistaken, our first target this summer was Mbuemo, we also went for Ekitike and Pedro. 

Would read to me like Howe similarly wants to elevate our forward line with greater technique but had to settle for lesser alternatives.

[KaKa]

9 minutes ago, Roids said:

Not sure why you keep trying to position me as a anti-Howe...

If I'm not mistaken, our first target this summer was Mbuemo, we also went for Ekitike and Pedro. 

Would read to me like Howe similarly wants to elevate our forward line with greater technique but had to settle for lesser alternatives.

 

Doesn't have anything to do with being anti Howe. It's just a stylistic preference, which is fine.

 

Mbeumo prior to scoring all those goals last season was often referred to as not being good enough on here. Even now you will find some Man Utd fans complaining about his end product. Last year most on here were down on Kudus. Any run of decent form and most of these guys get hyped up and any run of poor form and they get written off.

 

Ekitike and Pedro are not players for the right wing. They are strikers that get involved in build up play. Woltemade was the alternative to those two.

[TRon]

20 minutes ago, Roids said:

Not sure why you keep trying to position me as a anti-Howe...

If I'm not mistaken, our first target this summer was Mbuemo, we also went for Ekitike and Pedro. 

Would read to me like Howe similarly wants to elevate our forward line with greater technique but had to settle for lesser alternatives.

 

 

I think you are negating your own argument here. We went for Mbuemo first and he turned us down. Pretty sure we would have liked Kudus who you also cited but he probably chose Spurs over us. We can't buy players if they choose somewhere else over Newcastle. 

[Mole]

I think outside of being needlessly antagonistic, I do think it's possible that he might be right about the wingers not being good enough.

 

At least when it comes to becoming genuine threats to Arsenal, Liverpool etc. I'm not there yet, I need to see more and to be fair that isn't a realistic goal for this year anyway but but I have concerns about their output relative to how much of the ball they have.

[TRon]

4 minutes ago, Mole said:

I think outside of being needlessly antagonistic, I do think it's possible that he might be right about the wingers not being good enough.

 

At least when it comes to becoming genuine threats to Arsenal, Liverpool etc. I'm not there yet, I need to see more and to be fair that isn't a realistic goal for this year anyway but but I have concerns about their output relative to how much of the ball they have.

 

 

I agree, but I think we went for Elanga because our preferred choices went elsewhere. The argument then becomes do we end up overpaying for proven PL talent instead of going abroad, because Eddie wants tried and tested over potential. 

[Erikse]

If we compare our starting 11 (and not depth) with the teams that are expected to finish above us (with everyone fit), I think the quality at the wings make up for the biggest difference. Competing with the likes of Saka and Salah is a tough ask, though.. At the same time our wingers do a lot more defensive and off the ball work. Against a low block you'd obviously want to have one of those £70m+ wingers. If only..

 

Atleast Murphy isn't too bad against a low block. I'm hoping Elanga will prove himself more useful in such gamestates.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by Erikse

[KaKa]

13 minutes ago, Mole said:

I think outside of being needlessly antagonistic, I do think it's possible that he might be right about the wingers not being good enough.

 

At least when it comes to becoming genuine threats to Arsenal, Liverpool etc. I'm not there yet, I need to see more and to be fair that isn't a realistic goal for this year anyway but but I have concerns about their output relative to how much of the ball they have.

 

Both Liverpool and Arsenal have looked at Gordon.

 

When you really dig into it there's not too many wingers that have been as productive as Gordon and Elanga over the past couple of seasons.

[The College Dropout]

Hasn’t been impressed by Elanga’s work rate either tbf. 
 

AG has been dining off that 1 season for some time. His G/A over the last 15 months is ok at best.  
 

The likes of Kevin Schade and Ismaila Sarr have been more productive in inferior teams. These are good PL players in their own right. In a team of our ambition we should have at least one winger that is among the best in the league and we haven’t had that. It’s difficult because we want immediate success. 

[timeEd32]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Both Liverpool and Arsenal have looked at Gordon.

 

When you really dig into it there's not too many wingers that have been as productive as Gordon and Elanga over the past couple of seasons.

 

But would Elanga be productive in City or Arsenal's team facing low blocks most of the time? That's the debate really.

 

It's possible and probably likely he's always better in a more open game, but I'm not sure why everyone overreacts so much to slow starts from new players. Has Eddie not shown time and again that the best is yet to come?

[TRon]

13 minutes ago, Erikse said:

If we compare our starting 11 (and not depth) with the teams that are expected to finish above us (with everyone fit), I think the quality at the wings make up for the biggest difference. Competing with the likes of Saka and Salah is a tough ask, though.. At the same time our wingers do a lot more defensive and off the ball work. Against a low block you'd obviously want to have one of those £70m+ wingers. If only..

 

Atleast Murphy isn't too bad against a low block. I'm hoping Elanga will prove himself more useful in such gamestates.

 

 

 

 

 

I think Murphy isn't any better against a low block personally. He can cross a wicked ball, but then so can Elanga. But Elanga brings a few extra special powers to the table like extreme pace and a more attacking intent. I also think his quick one two attempts are underrated. He does look for really aggressive touches inside the defensive lines, and even if he loses the ball now and then, it has potential to open them up when it works. 

[timeEd32]

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Hasn’t been impressed by Elanga’s work rate either tbf. 
 

AG has been dining off that 1 season for some time. His G/A over the last 15 months is ok at best.  
 

The likes of Kevin Schade and Ismaila Sarr have been more productive in inferior teams. These are good PL players in their own right. In a team of our ambition we should have at least one winger that is among the best in the league and we haven’t had that. It’s difficult because we want immediate success. 

 

It's very hard to get those players in our position, especially the much coveted left-footed RW. 

 

We need to buy the next Olise a year or two earlier or find one from abroad.

[Roids]

55 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

I think you are negating your own argument here. We went for Mbuemo first and he turned us down. Pretty sure we would have liked Kudus who you also cited but he probably chose Spurs over us. We can't buy players if they choose somewhere else over Newcastle. 

I'm not negating my argument as I'm not even making an argument 

My only point is that we'd be better served with those (attainable) level of players, unfortunately we couldn't get them, such is life

 

The 50/50 games turn more to our side when you have wingers you can occasionally rely on not one season wonders, we don't happen to have them.

 

Just highlighting areas for improvement in an otherwise good team/squad

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by Roids

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Roids said:

I'm not negating my argument as I'm not even making an argument 

My only point is that we'd be better served with those (attainable) level of players, unfortunately we couldn't get them, such is life

 

 

Oh yeah. Well I'm sure we'd always be better served with buying the best players.  

[Erikse]

Luckily the very top teams tend to face more and deeper low blocks than what we do. Those who do park the bus against us are often the worst defences in the league, and are prone to individual mistakes. Thanks to our tight defence we haven't been chasing an equalizer against anyone other than Liverpool yet. In the Leeds game, well.. They didn't even need to park the bus as we went 5 at the back.

[KaKa]

7 minutes ago, timeEd32 said:

 

But would Elanga be productive in City or Arsenal's team facing low blocks most of the time? That's the debate really.

 

It's possible and probably likely he's always better in a more open game, but I'm not sure why everyone overreacts so much to slow starts from new players. Has Eddie not shown time and again that the best is yet to come?

 

Pep/Arteta/Maresca style of football often makes life difficult for wingers. They actively slow down play to pin teams back and so majority of the time go against low blocks as they rarely look to punish teams in transition even when it's on.

 

Most of the wingers at Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal last season failed to have any sort of decent production. Only Saka out of the lot has looked a threat in those setups really.

 

Most of the wingers we would have looked at to come in this summer came from teams that played in a more transition style, and so I'm not sure how we'd guarantee who would do well against low blocks.

 

I really think we need to work on better patterns of play to attack teams that set up that way. Also didn't help that Hall and Tino were out, as their attacking movements are much more dynamic and dangerous than Burn and Trippier are capable of.

[Roids]

2 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

Oh yeah. Well I'm sure we'd always be better served with buying the best players.  

See you get it 

Hopefully they're monitoring Yamal's contract situation.