Aaron Lennon ( On Loan January 2015 )

[catcherintherye]

He had the team actually playing with the width to stretch sides and create space. Martinez tends to use width to get the ball to the corner flag and then play it back and eventually try and force our way through the middle.

I totally agree he needs some clever management and to change his tactics a little to get the best of the squad.

I hope Martinez is ruthless about Lennon and uses him for the rest of the season and doesn't pay any fee in the Summer or give him a long contract like he did with Barry. At 27 the lad has no resale value and struggled to hold down a place in a side we are competing with. No end product either, although I hear the defensive side of his game is really good.

Well 27 still has some re-sale value. He's the same age as Mirallas!

He has his best years ahead of him. I'm not saying we should definitely buy him, but having some experienced players is still necessary.

 

[boris]

McGeady has everything Lennon has; pace. Except McGeady can defend, cross and beat a man sometimes. Lennon cannot. Lennon can at least shoot though to be fair, and I expect his passing to be an upgrade on McGeady.

There's so much wrong here I don't where to start.

Lennon is quicker than McGeady, McGeady can cross & beat a man although he doesn't do it nearly enough as he should do.

They both are excellent at defending but McGeady can shoot a lot better.

There's been a few high profile misses, like Sat and vs Wolfsberg but if you want to question whether he can shoot, see the goals vs Leicester and for Ireland in August, Lennnon's never finished like that in his life.

 

[sageyefc]

Im alright with this, he has pace to burn, will be looking to prove himself and if all else fails, hes one of the hardest working wingers in the league, will be a good thing for Coleman whos been a bit exposed this season

 

[Little Ralphy]

Well 27 still has some re-sale value. He's the same age as Mirallas!

He has his best years ahead of him. I'm not saying we should definitely buy him, but having some experienced players is still necessary.

I saw your earlier post so I understand we're looking at this from different ends of the spectrum, but they are completely different types of player. How many little players with pace, do you see going strong in to their 30's?

Mirallas doesn't rely on his pace and Mirallas himself knows that his next move is an important one for him as it could well be his last. Hence why he's posturing for a big move himself.

Experienced players are great granted, but you want your experienced players to be model professionals like Jags, Barry etc. For a club that doesn't generate lots of cash, what funds we do have should be aimed at players earlier in their careers, so we can use their hunger to succeed to drive the club on, and then sell them on for a profit and use that money to buy the next batch. If you spend 7m on players like Lennon, you end up with no funds further down the line, and just a group of ageing players you can't get rid of.

 

[pablo aimar]

Lennon is much quicker than mcgeady, as an irishman Mcgeady has defintely lost a bit of pace and isnt as strong a runner as he was, hes caught in between adapting his game at the moment. Lennon will be a great option should benifit all even mcgeady, another winger would have been great, januzay would have been ideal.

 

[Aidey9]

Interesting to see how the lad get's on, it's obvious he has pace to burn ,but seeing that the majority of teams come to Goodison and sit deep i wonder how he will use his pace. we need a clever midfielder that can unlock packed defences.

Very good points. That's why when Martinez said he was after a creative midfielder, I thought he wanted someone who can play in the whole and unlock defences at will. We still lack that type of player in our side. For how good Barkley is and can be, he doesn't seem to be that type of player and Naismith definitely isn't, he's just a second striker that plays at 10 and runs beyond Rom and gets into the box and offers a goal threat, but when teams come to sit and make things difficult, you need that player that can see and execute a forward pass to open up defences, and hopefully Martinez will address that in the summer!

As for Lennon, I'm not is biggest fan, for me he's all pace and no substance. And if you sit deep against him and double up he becomes very ineffective and a lot of teams now come to Goodison and do such a thing so it'll be interesting to see how he and us as a team approach games now as for large parts of the season, we've been welcoming teams on to us and looking to win the ball back and break on the counter with not a lot of success and with Lennon, he'll help massively with that as with his pace he will stretch teams and give us an out ball.

 

[sageyefc]

Very good points. That's why when Martinez said he was after a creative midfielder, I thought he wanted someone who can play in the whole and unlock defences at will. We still lack that type of player in our side. For how good Barkley is and can be, he doesn't seem to be that type of player and Naismith definitely isn't, he's just a second striker that plays at 10 and runs beyond Rom and gets into the box and offers a goal threat, but when teams come to sit and make things difficult, you need that player that can see and execute a forward pass to open up defences, and hopefully Martinez will address that in the summer!

Now we have so many Wingers i wouldnt mind seeing Pienaer go into the Number 10 role, thats if he ever gets fit again

 

[catcherintherye]

I saw your earlier post so I understand we're looking at this from different ends of the spectrum, but they are completely different types of player. How many little players with pace, do you see going strong in to their 30's?

Mirallas doesn't rely on his pace and Mirallas himself knows that his next move is an important one for him as it could well be his last. Hence why he's posturing for a big move himself.

Experienced players are great granted, but you want your experienced players to be model professionals like Jags, Barry etc. For a club that doesn't generate lots of cash, what funds we do have should be aimed at players earlier in their careers, so we can use their hunger to succeed to drive the club on, and then sell them on for a profit and use that money to buy the next batch. If you spend 7m on players like Lennon, you end up with no funds further down the line, and just a group of ageing players you can't get rid of.

Yes I think a lot of that is fair. As I said in the previous post I would rather we signed a Deulofeu or the like with the money. These players though often cost a lot more money and will deliver a lot less in terms of consistent performance.

I do think you need to balance bringing in younger players, with having some people who can do a job immediately. He is not in his 30's.

While players who rely on pace can struggle, there are some who last well. The obvious example is Ryan Giggs but there are others. Ronaldo is another one who has got better with age. I think it really depends on whether they are able to add other elements to their game. His end product will need to become much better.

I am not against just loaning him for 5 months though. I think it's a sensible deal and it gives us a different option. However if he comes up and hits the ground running, fits into our system it would be sensible to keep him on. Especially if Mirallas goes. I can see us desperately scratching around for a replacement, whereas now we have potentially covered ourselves.

 

[tmgc]

Now we have so many Wingers

Martinez is turning us into Wingan.

 

[zandvoort blue]

Im alright with this, he has pace to burn, will be looking to prove himself and if all else fails, hes one of the hardest working wingers in the league, will be a good thing for Coleman whos been a bit exposed this season

exactly this

 

[Rook]

just picked up some of this guys vital stats from www.football.com

two feet
likes to play on grass
hips that can swivel, legs that pivot at the knee (both legs)
can jump, run, head AND kick
not bald


sounds like he could be a bit of a sniffer with the right head on his shoulders

I'm in!

what's his 40 time?

 

[Steve Wigan]

Very good points. That's why when Martinez said he was after a creative midfielder, I thought he wanted someone who can play in the whole and unlock defences at will. We still lack that type of player in our side. For how good Barkley is and can be, he doesn't seem to be that type of player and Naismith definitely isn't, he's just a second striker that plays at 10 and runs beyond Rom and gets into the box and offers a goal threat, but when teams come to sit and make things difficult, you need that player that can see and execute a forward pass to open up defences, and hopefully Martinez will address that in the summer!

As for Lennon, I'm not is biggest fan, for me he's all pace and no substance. And if you sit deep against him and double up he becomes very ineffective and a lot of teams now come to Goodison and do such a thing so it'll be interesting to see how he and us as a team approach games now as for large parts of the season, we've been welcoming teams on to us and looking to win the ball back and break on the counter with not a lot of success and with Lennon, he'll help massively with that as with his pace he will stretch teams and give us an out ball.

If defences double up on Lennon, that will be good for Lukaku, Naismith, and others that we have who can exploit space in the final third. I think its a very sensible signing by Martinez, and effects the balance and style of the team more positively than Sammy did,

 

[Little Ralphy]

Yes I think a lot of that is fair. As I said in the previous post I would rather we signed a Deulofeu or the like with the money. These players though often cost a lot more money and will deliver a lot less in terms of consistent performance.


I do think you need to balance bringing in younger players, with having some people who can do a job immediately. He is not in his 30's.


While players who rely on pace can struggle, there are some who last well. The obvious example is Ryan Giggs but there are others. Ronaldo is another one who has got better with age. I think it really depends on whether they are able to add other elements to their game. His end product will need to become much better.


I am not against just loaning him for 5 months though. I think it's a sensible deal and it gives us a different option. However if he comes up and hits the ground running, fits into our system it would be sensible to keep him on. Especially if Mirallas goes. I can see us desperately scratching around for a replacement, whereas now we have potentially covered ourselves.

I agree about the loan, it’s a better idea to cover this season. In the Summer though we’ll have the new TV money and potentially some cash to spend on players, so I’d rather we used the 7m and spent it more wisely. Besic has showed there are decent deals out there if you look hard enough. Like you say a Deulofeu or the like.


In terms of pace, Giggs sort of re-invented himself as he got older and was no longer the flying winger he was in his hey-day. He was also a million times better than Lennon has ever been and always had an end product.


Ronaldo is a beast, and you can’t really compare the athletic ability of Ronaldo against Lennon. Even if Ronaldo wasn’t quick, he’s incredibly strong and a big lad.


I’m thinking more like Michael Owen, Andy Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips etc. Small lads who rely totally on pace. Unless they change their game completely, they tend to fall away before they hit 30. Once the pace goes (maybe after an injury or two), they’ve never had the physical strength to get them past people, so they no longer have the same affect on the game. Obviously there may be exceptions to this.

 

[Khalekan]

Now we have so many Wingers i wouldnt mind seeing Pienaer go into the Number 10 role, thats if he ever gets fit again

McGeady might be a revelation there.

I bet Bobby tries him in that inside left role.

 

[Pat's Van]

what's his 40 time?

20/65 firm