Now be careful here: this is not a thread to all out attack players you don't like for whatever reason. In fact, it may be just the opposite: who is the player that- within his capabilities and heretofore proven qualities- has let you down the most? Again: I'm NOT interested in having us slate players for the sake of it ("I hate Sissoko; he's so limited and offers nothing in the middle of the park"-type stuff); rather, I am wondering who you really thought would for HIM play well/help us more this campaign. You can pick two or three if you like, but let's limit it to that. I'll go first:
1) Toby
Yes, Toby- who has admittedly at times played supremely well at CB this season. Unfortunately, whether it be through age or through a hunger-to-get-better drop (which I think affects a great deal of players playing in their final "real" contract years), he has underwhelmed. I realize he is playing with Eric Dier- who I don't personally rate much at any position on the pitch (I think he's a fine squad player but I don't reckon he excels at anything)- but still, I just don't think Toby has kicked it up a gear and really marshaled the defense like I wished he would. I think a large part of our horrendous, heart-in-mouth set-piece play is down to him; not only is he often wrongly positioned, he is also oddly passive. I was hoping to see some fire from him- some bite- some nastiness even-- but instead it's just steady-Eddie, 6.5 out of 10 most games which is ok, but below what I was hoping for from him.
2) Bergwijn
It's not just "those" misses; it's his inability to shock (in a good way) all of us and play a blinder every 3/4 games. He did it last season but so far this year he's been so "meh." He does a lot of off-the-ball work which is great- and I also realize he's playing under Jose, not Pep, but still- I just thought that a settled, acclimated Stevie would offer something more than he has, which has been not much tbh. He's a strange player in that he has all the tools and even, seemingly, the drive-- yet he seemingly often goes missing. I thought that with all of the attention Son and Kane get he'd be having defenders on toast, but not thus far.
3) Bale
Yeah I know- it doesn't take a genius to see that this one hasn't gone as planned- but honestly I'm actually kind of terrified. He doesn't look like he's lacking match sharpness; he looks like he's 45. I think Madrid realized that the guy who could just boot it over the defender's head and then simply burn past him, regain the ball and score is gone, never to return- and that he doesn't have the mentality of, say, a Kane to adjust his game accordingly and still be an effective player. Jose leaving him out of big home matches against top teams tells me that there are real problems there; and not just with "nagging injuries" or "lack of game time." Zlatan-freaking-Ibrahimovich walks into teams and scores, because he backs himself. Bale doesn't seem to have that belief, which to me is terrifying. Of course I wasn't expecting "Taxi-for-Maicon"-Bale, but I was expecting a guy who plays tricks and mind-games with defenders and either scores a fair few or at the very least serves it up on a plate for Sonny and Harry; instead I see a player that can't square a ball to an open teammate (something Kieran Trippier could do FFS). What's worse is that I don't think he will "come good;" rather, I think he's done. Sorry- but that's how I feel. And God in heaven how I want you lot to remind me of this quote in May, when he's tearing it up in his new role as talented and crafty elder statesman- the guy who finally helped get us over the line and hold a cup aloft. NOTHING WOULD MAKE ME HAPPIER THAN TO BE DEAD WRONG ON THIS ONE. Seriously: please Gareth, make me look stupid.
Honorable mentions:
-Lo Celso. I think he's been extremely underwhelming and it saddens me because I thought that this guy- settled and acclimated to the Prem- would tear the League up this season. Instead he's played out of position (he's an 8, not a 10) and looks bang-average.
-Ndombele. Same as Lo Celso except I will admit he's been better than last year (fairly low bar, but ok); still though, he still seems a bit of a pansy- like a supremely talented Cowardly Lion. He doesn't take the game by the scruff of the neck yet like he did countless times for Lyon. He's clever with the ball- yes- but rarely seems "up for the fight." Hell, even players I don't rate at all (e.g. Dier, Davies, etc.) at least appear to be fighting for the cause. Ndombele, otoh, seems like a player who yes- does fight the men marking him- but doesn't fight the other team- if that makes any sense. Why is this? I mean, imagine if this player had Hojbjerg's heart...
-Doherty. Didn't really know him from before so I can't act as if I'm "disappointed" in him; I just haven't seen anything at all to make me think he was a good acquisition. Yeah I know: the Reguillon acquisition ruined our plans for the guy- but fuck me if he isn't one of the worst defenders I've seen lately. I reckon there are blokes on SC that could defend better than him. I mean an attacker still has to be able to at least somewhat defend...also, he played for Wolves for God's sake; doesn't that mean he was asked to defend, Wing-Back or not?!? I always saw Wolverhampton as a squad that defended, well, as a squad- meaning that NO player was a passenger and that everyone had to chip in to the defensive cause. Yet he puts on a Spurs kit and it's as if it's made of lead.
So that's a list of my player disappointments thus far- and I'll add one more non-player: Mourinho. He was out-coached by Brendan Rodgers yesterday. Also, let's be real: we've won games where he has been out- coached by the opposing gaffer who simply lacked the talent to overcome our team (Burnley/Dyche for example). So yeah we won- but not because of "genius"-level coaching; rather, we had better players who came through when needed. Look- I get it- his clearly a good- or even great- manager-- and unlike others I actually like the guy-- but he's starting to scare me. Yesterday was exactly like the Everton game: one of the worst matches I've seen us play under him, period. It wasn't that we lost; it's how we lost: not one single player seemed to give a rat's ass about anything to do with the match. Sure, this could just be a "blip"-- but I have to say I'm gravely concerned. From top to bottom the team's attitude was fucking horrific. It was as if we were playing with 11 Davinsons. The gaffer's the one tasked with changing that- and seeing it rear its ugly head this far into the season is most unsettling.
1) Toby
Yes, Toby- who has admittedly at times played supremely well at CB this season. Unfortunately, whether it be through age or through a hunger-to-get-better drop (which I think affects a great deal of players playing in their final "real" contract years), he has underwhelmed. I realize he is playing with Eric Dier- who I don't personally rate much at any position on the pitch (I think he's a fine squad player but I don't reckon he excels at anything)- but still, I just don't think Toby has kicked it up a gear and really marshaled the defense like I wished he would. I think a large part of our horrendous, heart-in-mouth set-piece play is down to him; not only is he often wrongly positioned, he is also oddly passive. I was hoping to see some fire from him- some bite- some nastiness even-- but instead it's just steady-Eddie, 6.5 out of 10 most games which is ok, but below what I was hoping for from him.
2) Bergwijn
It's not just "those" misses; it's his inability to shock (in a good way) all of us and play a blinder every 3/4 games. He did it last season but so far this year he's been so "meh." He does a lot of off-the-ball work which is great- and I also realize he's playing under Jose, not Pep, but still- I just thought that a settled, acclimated Stevie would offer something more than he has, which has been not much tbh. He's a strange player in that he has all the tools and even, seemingly, the drive-- yet he seemingly often goes missing. I thought that with all of the attention Son and Kane get he'd be having defenders on toast, but not thus far.
3) Bale
Yeah I know- it doesn't take a genius to see that this one hasn't gone as planned- but honestly I'm actually kind of terrified. He doesn't look like he's lacking match sharpness; he looks like he's 45. I think Madrid realized that the guy who could just boot it over the defender's head and then simply burn past him, regain the ball and score is gone, never to return- and that he doesn't have the mentality of, say, a Kane to adjust his game accordingly and still be an effective player. Jose leaving him out of big home matches against top teams tells me that there are real problems there; and not just with "nagging injuries" or "lack of game time." Zlatan-freaking-Ibrahimovich walks into teams and scores, because he backs himself. Bale doesn't seem to have that belief, which to me is terrifying. Of course I wasn't expecting "Taxi-for-Maicon"-Bale, but I was expecting a guy who plays tricks and mind-games with defenders and either scores a fair few or at the very least serves it up on a plate for Sonny and Harry; instead I see a player that can't square a ball to an open teammate (something Kieran Trippier could do FFS). What's worse is that I don't think he will "come good;" rather, I think he's done. Sorry- but that's how I feel. And God in heaven how I want you lot to remind me of this quote in May, when he's tearing it up in his new role as talented and crafty elder statesman- the guy who finally helped get us over the line and hold a cup aloft. NOTHING WOULD MAKE ME HAPPIER THAN TO BE DEAD WRONG ON THIS ONE. Seriously: please Gareth, make me look stupid.
Honorable mentions:
-Lo Celso. I think he's been extremely underwhelming and it saddens me because I thought that this guy- settled and acclimated to the Prem- would tear the League up this season. Instead he's played out of position (he's an 8, not a 10) and looks bang-average.
-Ndombele. Same as Lo Celso except I will admit he's been better than last year (fairly low bar, but ok); still though, he still seems a bit of a pansy- like a supremely talented Cowardly Lion. He doesn't take the game by the scruff of the neck yet like he did countless times for Lyon. He's clever with the ball- yes- but rarely seems "up for the fight." Hell, even players I don't rate at all (e.g. Dier, Davies, etc.) at least appear to be fighting for the cause. Ndombele, otoh, seems like a player who yes- does fight the men marking him- but doesn't fight the other team- if that makes any sense. Why is this? I mean, imagine if this player had Hojbjerg's heart...
-Doherty. Didn't really know him from before so I can't act as if I'm "disappointed" in him; I just haven't seen anything at all to make me think he was a good acquisition. Yeah I know: the Reguillon acquisition ruined our plans for the guy- but fuck me if he isn't one of the worst defenders I've seen lately. I reckon there are blokes on SC that could defend better than him. I mean an attacker still has to be able to at least somewhat defend...also, he played for Wolves for God's sake; doesn't that mean he was asked to defend, Wing-Back or not?!? I always saw Wolverhampton as a squad that defended, well, as a squad- meaning that NO player was a passenger and that everyone had to chip in to the defensive cause. Yet he puts on a Spurs kit and it's as if it's made of lead.
So that's a list of my player disappointments thus far- and I'll add one more non-player: Mourinho. He was out-coached by Brendan Rodgers yesterday. Also, let's be real: we've won games where he has been out- coached by the opposing gaffer who simply lacked the talent to overcome our team (Burnley/Dyche for example). So yeah we won- but not because of "genius"-level coaching; rather, we had better players who came through when needed. Look- I get it- his clearly a good- or even great- manager-- and unlike others I actually like the guy-- but he's starting to scare me. Yesterday was exactly like the Everton game: one of the worst matches I've seen us play under him, period. It wasn't that we lost; it's how we lost: not one single player seemed to give a rat's ass about anything to do with the match. Sure, this could just be a "blip"-- but I have to say I'm gravely concerned. From top to bottom the team's attitude was fucking horrific. It was as if we were playing with 11 Davinsons. The gaffer's the one tasked with changing that- and seeing it rear its ugly head this far into the season is most unsettling.
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