Shaun Wright-Phillips
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joey55
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- May 20, 2005
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I think SWP's game is well suited to the left. The highest scoring left wingers are usually right footed. Players like Overmars and Pires scored as many goals as most strikers on the left. This is becasue they find lots of space out wide and can cut in on to their shooting foot, which a left footed player can't do on the left. Jol himself said that if Lennon could improve his strikinghe could score 20 a season cutting on from the left. However, he is unlikley to ever have a good enough shot, but SWP has a great shot. Bale will provide the width and quality crosses we've been missing on the left. SWP would be a fantastic signing and on the let we could expect 10+ goals per season. If we signed a left footed LW who can make 10 assists formthe left we'd be delighted, so why on earth don't people want a player who can potentially score 10?
joey55
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But surely that is the same with a left footed LW. Arsenal went the season unbeaten using two wide players and Utd just won the title. I think the key is to bring in a new DM. Even so, I'm not really suggesting SWP plays LW all the time, but just that with this option, it means there are plenty of games for both him and Lennon, and they could play in the same team. But, I would share your concerns about us not being solid enough in midfield if the only player we bring in is SWP. To be honest and it isn't something I've posted before, as it wouldn't be at all popular, but if I were to pick a team from our current squad, I think I'd play TT on the left and Steed on the right, and drop Lennon.
Bus-Conductor
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- Oct 19, 2004
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I'm going to make a suggestion here. If we are into SWP, I think there is a very good chance that lennon may be going the other way or elsewhere. Firstly Chelsea hate selling to us. Secondly Jol does not like Lennon (or at least has had attitude issues with him).
joey55
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I can't see Lennon as a Mourinho type of player. He hardly picked Joe Cole in his first season and did the same with SWP. This was becasue of their poor decision making and off the ball work. To me Lennon is pretty poor in both these areas. I'd guess his all round game is well short of what Mourinho would consider good enough, even for a youngster.
- Oct 2, 2004
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Sadly I think you may be true. Much as I'd love to think we could accomodate both I just can't see either being happy playing second fiddle to the other.
Plus I don't think Jol would want to try and play either on the left as that hasn't worked desperately well with Lennon and SWP has never played there.
All in all I think SWP in would mean Lennon out...whether that's a good thing is a debate I can't be arsed to get into at the moment.
longdistancespursfan
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- Dec 11, 2005
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[/b]
we should look at ratio of shooting and decide defoes better.
:grin:
joey55
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We should play at least 50 games next season. That means there will be about 100 starting opportunities for wide players (50 on the left and 50 on the right). When you consider that between them last season Lennon and SWP only started 54 games (35 Lenn, 19 SWP), it shows that there is more than enough games for both of them. We could even bring Petrov in as well and still have enough games for all 3. Even without injuries they could all play 33 games. For Petrov and SWP, to start 33 games a season would be a shock to the system.
joey55
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No chance.
Agree, but don't know if Jenas himself would enjoy playing second fiddle next year, especially in the big games. Moyes could try to tempt him over to Everton. We'll see I guess.
SpurSince57
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I've seen very little of Sneijder, so I'm entirely reliant on those who actually watch the Eredivisie. And from what I've read, if we sign him (whch remains a very big 'if'), and if we continue with a 4-4-2, a Jenas-Sneijder CM seems a strong possibility, or at least a stronger one than a Sneijder-Zokora combination. (Awaits howls of protest/outrage from the DZFC).
Whilst you can fairly criticise some aspects of JJ's game, is it a coincidence that our improved performance over the last third of the season came when he and Keano were regular starters again? No. Jol clearly rates him very highly; why else did he choose him over Ghaly for the cup replay against Chelsea, despite Ghaly's having been our best midfielder in the 'first leg'? Jol said himself earlier in the season that he would love to give Ghaly a chance, but couldn't because of Jenas.
In short, MJ isn't going to dispense with Jenas' goals from midfield. Defensively, Jenas and Sneijder would be at least as strong as Jenas and Zoko, and if we went 4-3-3 Jenas, Sneijder and Zoko could be a seriously serious proposition.
Whilst you can fairly criticise some aspects of JJ's game, is it a coincidence that our improved performance over the last third of the season came when he and Keano were regular starters again? No. Jol clearly rates him very highly; why else did he choose him over Ghaly for the cup replay against Chelsea, despite Ghaly's having been our best midfielder in the 'first leg'? Jol said himself earlier in the season that he would love to give Ghaly a chance, but couldn't because of Jenas.
In short, MJ isn't going to dispense with Jenas' goals from midfield. Defensively, Jenas and Sneijder would be at least as strong as Jenas and Zoko, and if we went 4-3-3 Jenas, Sneijder and Zoko could be a seriously serious proposition.
doubledecker
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- Nov 26, 2004
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doubledecker
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Lennon can go the other way for any 2 from Cole , SWP and Robben.
SpurSince57
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Distinctions are getting blurred. Perhaps we should have one vast 'Players we have been linked with (and those we haven't, but who gives a shit?), and how they will affect next season's line-up' thread.
Assuming Berba, King and (possibly) Keane as nailed-on starters, that's eight new players to argue about. Hooray!
Bus-Conductor
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I don't have a problem with your maths at all. And I don't particularly want Lennon to go either, but I just have a feeling that Jol thinks he may be a bit of a cocky twat, and doesn't necessarily want a bad apple floating around the dressing room under minding his authority. This is complete conjecture, but I noticed Lennon's negative body language at times last season, forinstance one occassion I remember him getting arsy with Berbatov.
If I'm wrong and he wants SWP and lennon, it could be that he's earmarked Lennon for a slightly different roll, as this is something else that Jol has hinted at previously, with maybe Bent (unfortunately) coming in maybe Defoe leaving, perhaps Jol fancies Lennon playing in the hole or as a keane back up ??
What do you think ?
Disconosebleed
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- Dec 22, 2005
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It should be obvious to anyone who watched us regularly last season that Lennon isn't yet ready to play 50 games a season - he was shattered a good couple of months before the end of the season, and that was after having a month out earlier on in the year. If we were to get Wright-Phillips (and it's a huge if, I think it's very unlikely that we will actually sign him), I imagine Wright-Phillips will be 'first choice' of the two, but Lennon will be very much hot on his heels, will be the first name on Jol's mind when he considers rotating his squad, and will regularly come off the bench anyway - Wright-Phillips, like Lennon, is prone to tiring towards the end of matches. Between the two of them, they might just about have 90 minutes in them!
It's more than possible, though, that he could sign Wright-Phillips as our answer to the left-hand side problems, in that he will play SWP on the right and push Lennon out to the left. I know we all consider Lennon to be more effective on the right, but I think that's because it is the position he's used to playing - there's every reason to believe that he could be as good, possibly even BETTER, on the left.
The main reason for this is that Lennon is not a right winger who bombs down the wing and gets his crosses in - he likes to face his man, and beat him whether on the inside or outside. Because of this, it's not really essential that he play down the right.
Remember how many times you'd see him running parallel to the area? It was practically his trademark, but rarely led to anything. Imagine how much more effective he could be doing that from the left. Once he's used to that position, making those same runs would open up more opportunities, simply because he would be facing goal with his right foot - so getting shots off or threading passes through to the strikers would be more viable than cutting in in the same way from the right, where a shot would have to come off his far weaker left foot.
So those are two possible reasons why we're after Wright-Phillips - either as direct competition for Lennon, or as part of the same plan.
It's more than possible, though, that he could sign Wright-Phillips as our answer to the left-hand side problems, in that he will play SWP on the right and push Lennon out to the left. I know we all consider Lennon to be more effective on the right, but I think that's because it is the position he's used to playing - there's every reason to believe that he could be as good, possibly even BETTER, on the left.
The main reason for this is that Lennon is not a right winger who bombs down the wing and gets his crosses in - he likes to face his man, and beat him whether on the inside or outside. Because of this, it's not really essential that he play down the right.
Remember how many times you'd see him running parallel to the area? It was practically his trademark, but rarely led to anything. Imagine how much more effective he could be doing that from the left. Once he's used to that position, making those same runs would open up more opportunities, simply because he would be facing goal with his right foot - so getting shots off or threading passes through to the strikers would be more viable than cutting in in the same way from the right, where a shot would have to come off his far weaker left foot.
So those are two possible reasons why we're after Wright-Phillips - either as direct competition for Lennon, or as part of the same plan.
