Anthony Elanga

[Smal]

he actually looked technically competent in this game. First touch was decent, dribbling decent, and made 20/22 passes which is high for a winger. A lot of those were forward as well.

 

Hope it’s the start of him turning a corner.

[Yorkie]

1 minute ago, Smal said:

he actually looked technically competent in this game. First touch was decent, dribbling decent, and made 20/22 passes which is high for a winger. A lot of those were forward as well.

 

Hope it’s the start of him turning a corner.

 

Yeah he was really positive with his passing last night, including that one headed pass into Gordon which led to the Ramsey incident. 

 

I thought he had the better of Mazraoui all night. Think it was him he robbed the ball off on the touchline, he beat him to play that low ball across the box which Barnes should've left for Burn, and he also bought the free-kick off him (that Tonali whipped in).

 

Thought it was a solid 7/10 performance. After the start he had we're looking for green shoots and he's clearly providing them imo. Means nowt if he doesn't keep progressing from here obvs.

[Minhosa]

7 hours ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

 

Does a player have to have a goal or assist to receive compliments? 

In isolation, no.  After 8 months and at a cost of £55m, yes.  

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, Minhosa said:

In isolation, no.  After 8 months and at a cost of £55m, yes.  

Still no. 

[Dr.Spaceman]

2 hours ago, KaKa said:

 

He put many of his crosses on Chris Wood's head at Forest, whilst taking their set pieces also. He'll get enough of those right. When he has this season the players through the middle have mostly failed to make the most of them.

 

Just needs to keep improving his general play which was good yesterday, and keep stretching the opposition with his runs in behind and exploiting that space as that is such a useful outlet and gets the opposition turned around.

 

The drop-off from his Forest spell should be studied, he was much better in almost every aspect of his game. Like I say though he is definitely improving and is still relatively young. The things he's looked terrible with since the move look 'trainable' if that makes sense. Be like Garrincha next season and make me and others look like mugs.

 

 

Edited March 5 by Dr.Spaceman

[Geordie Ahmed]

2 hours ago, Minhosa said:

In isolation, no.  After 8 months and at a cost of £55m, yes.  

But the compliments he was getting was not for 8 months of performances

 

It was for the performance last night, which was positive 

[TRon]

2 hours ago, Minhosa said:

In isolation, no.  After 8 months and at a cost of £55m, yes.  

 

 

He's better than Murphy, at least that's some consolation, even if he's not worth what we paid for him.

[Hanshithispantz]

Not seen much to suggest he's better than Murphy like.

[Minhosa]

4 hours ago, TRon said:

 

 

He's better than Murphy, at least that's some consolation, even if he's not worth what we paid for him.

I haven’t seen anything to suggest that yet tbh. 

[TRon]

3 hours ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Not seen much to suggest he's better than Murphy like.

 

I think he's better on the ball and thinks faster. His control lets him down but ditto for Murphy. Personally I would be giving Elanga more start so he can build his confidence and learn how to play with this team. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He’s a much better footballer than Murphy but obviously may never be able to use that as impactfully as Murphy has managed to do. 
 

Murphy for me is really an example of maximising one thing he can do well and still be basically really bad at most other aspects of the game. 

[The College Dropout]

Looked threatening. Would like him to use his left more as he can do it. Thought the quality of cross was poor largely. But looked threatening. 

[alexf]

First half I was still getting frustrated with him. Two times he was fed down the right with loads of time to set himself and he blazed both crosses way too high and long. Then he also kept losing the ball for a spell, one of which was really sloppy and was what caused Ramsey to get his first yellow because he felt he had to stop the counter attack after the turnover. 

But he did grow into it. Problem will always be the price tag with him. If he was a £10m prospect like Osula was when he signed, you take the rough with the smooth and accept it. I think the £55m will always be in people's heads and rightly or wrongly they expect alot more of a finished article player for that sort of fee. Sometimes he barely resembles a footballer and that's not good for someone who you have invested that heavily in. 

Time will tell . 

[Mountain]

5 hours ago, alexf said:

First half I was still getting frustrated with him. Two times he was fed down the right with loads of time to set himself and he blazed both crosses way too high and long. Then he also kept losing the ball for a spell, one of which was really sloppy and was what caused Ramsey to get his first yellow because he felt he had to stop the counter attack after the turnover. 

But he did grow into it. Problem will always be the price tag with him. If he was a £10m prospect like Osula was when he signed, you take the rough with the smooth and accept it. I think the £55m will always be in people's heads and rightly or wrongly they expect alot more of a finished article player for that sort of fee. Sometimes he barely resembles a footballer and that's not good for someone who you have invested that heavily in. 

Time will tell . 

 

Basically this, he was good last night.

 

But 55 million is just unfathomable money.

 

Will take time, consistency and goals before the consesus shifts.

 

But very positive and good for him, those two poor crosses in a row didn't help but looked spritely.

[Guillaume]

His crossing was atrocious last night, twice they basically didn't even land in the 18yd box.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Do not get what people get out of constantly bringing up fees. Obviously we didn't pay the money for the performances we've had this season, that would be mental. We paid it for what he had done at Forest. 

[Menace]

Cause he's one of our most expensive signings?

[Lotus]

7 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Do not get what people get out of constantly bringing up fees. Obviously we didn't pay the money for the performances we've had this season, that would be mental. We paid it for what he had done at Forest. 

Surely you pay more money for taking less risk.

 

you’re paying more for the lesser risk they’ll perform at least at the previous levels and probably at a higher level once surrounded by better players/coaches.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

2 minutes ago, Lotus said:

Surely you pay more money for taking less risk.

 

you’re paying more for the lesser risk they’ll perform at least at the previous levels and probably at a higher level once surrounded by better players/coaches.

Well yes, that’s the theory. That’s what justifies the fee, the problem is he hasn’t done it. 

[duo]

He is getting better - had a shot at goal which was nearly on target

[TheBrownBottle]

8 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Do not get what people get out of constantly bringing up fees. Obviously we didn't pay the money for the performances we've had this season, that would be mental. We paid it for what he had done at Forest. 

He’s the third most expensive signing in our history and in the age of PSR this has an enormous impact.  This isn’t the days where you make a mistake in the transfer market and you just try again in the summer - you’re lumbered with the consequence for years afterwards.  He’s nowhere near a £55m footballer, and while it’s good that he looks thoroughly average rather than complete dogshit, we didn’t pay £55m for thoroughly average. 

[TheBrownBottle]

21 minutes ago, duo said:

He is getting better - had a shot at goal which was nearly on target

😁

 

(which he bottled with a defender closing in)

[Yorkie]

23 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

He’s nowhere near a £55m footballer, and while it’s good that he looks thoroughly average rather than complete dogshit, we didn’t pay £55m for thoroughly average. 

 

Do you think you'd have assessed his performance the other night as 'thoroughly average' if he'd cost £5m? 

 

I've got faith that he'll be a useful player for us but concede that it's unlikely he'll ever justify what was a truly enormous fee. However, I feel like some of the critique of him (especially now) is anchored by how much he cost so he isn't getting his dues when he's genuinely putting in much better performances. 

 

The ManU game is the perfect example. He was a big positive for us the entire time he was on the pitch. 

 

However as I keep saying, it counts for very little if he just keeps reverting to type. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Yorkie said:

 

Do you think you'd have assessed his performance the other night as 'thoroughly average' if he'd cost £5m? 

 

I've got faith that he'll be a useful player for us but concede that it's unlikely he'll ever justify what was a truly enormous fee. However, I feel like some of the critique of him (especially now) is anchored by how much he cost so he isn't getting his dues when he's genuinely putting in much better performances. 

 

The ManU game is the perfect example. He was a big positive for us the entire time he was on the pitch. 

 

However as I keep saying, it counts for very little if he just keeps reverting to type. 

I think I’d view him the same as Osula (despite a cracking winner) - ultimately jot good enough but we’d likely be able to sell for a profit and help progress the club.  As it stands the lad is a massive albatross around the neck - and while that isn’t on him, it doesn’t detract from the fact that he’s been a stupendously poor buy to date. 

[The College Dropout]

14 hours ago, alexf said:

First half I was still getting frustrated with him. Two times he was fed down the right with loads of time to set himself and he blazed both crosses way too high and long. Then he also kept losing the ball for a spell, one of which was really sloppy and was what caused Ramsey to get his first yellow because he felt he had to stop the counter attack after the turnover. 

But he did grow into it. Problem will always be the price tag with him. If he was a £10m prospect like Osula was when he signed, you take the rough with the smooth and accept it. I think the £55m will always be in people's heads and rightly or wrongly they expect alot more of a finished article player for that sort of fee. Sometimes he barely resembles a footballer and that's not good for someone who you have invested that heavily in. 

Time will tell . 

Aye agree it’s the expectations and the fee. I like a lot of average players for us. Didn’t expect much in the first place. It’s the ones that were meant to be good and don’t scale heights I’m ambivalent or worse towards like a Scott Parker. 
 

It’s not his fault but it was clear he was not it talent wise from day 1. I’m so upset at the club for sanctioning the move - let alone the fee. 

 

 

Edited March 6 by The College Dropout