- Oct 18, 2004
- 2,842
- 1,558
Seen a lot of comments about these three in particular after the first two games of the season. The implication has been that they're all shit because they haven't fulfilled some other player's role. So Livermore is shit as he isn't creative enough. Jenas is shit because he's not defensive enough and Defoe is shit as he can't play as a solo striker. Thing is that those aren't the roles those players are best at anyway.
So, Jenas (who I recognise can be one of the world's most infuriating players) has only ever shone as an attacking midfielder in a central midfield three. To play him in a defensive two is ludicrous. As such don't get annoyed if he doesn't become Scott Parker overnight.
Livermore is a defensive player. He's pretty good at that. To be angry that he can't pass like Luka Modric is utterly insane.
And Defoe. We all know he can't play as the only striker. He relies on being able to play on the shoulder of the last defender. He can't link up well enough to play up top by himself. He's good at what he does. So to call him shit is just a complete fallacy.
Put simply, in the two games so far we've has square pegs I round holes. Yes, strikers have played up front and defenders in defence. But football is much more nuanced than that. So far I think we've held a failure of tactics in relation to the personnel we have rather than a failure of personnel per se.
So, Jenas (who I recognise can be one of the world's most infuriating players) has only ever shone as an attacking midfielder in a central midfield three. To play him in a defensive two is ludicrous. As such don't get annoyed if he doesn't become Scott Parker overnight.
Livermore is a defensive player. He's pretty good at that. To be angry that he can't pass like Luka Modric is utterly insane.
And Defoe. We all know he can't play as the only striker. He relies on being able to play on the shoulder of the last defender. He can't link up well enough to play up top by himself. He's good at what he does. So to call him shit is just a complete fallacy.
Put simply, in the two games so far we've has square pegs I round holes. Yes, strikers have played up front and defenders in defence. But football is much more nuanced than that. So far I think we've held a failure of tactics in relation to the personnel we have rather than a failure of personnel per se.