2024/25 Abdoulaye Doucoure

[RomanReigns]

Just seen that chance he had , what the f was he fannying around for taking those big slow steps as if he was having a kickabout with a 5 yr old in the park

also if he had a football brain, he would have seen gabriel lunging towards and him and he could have faked shot to get rid of the defender and then he can cut inside and shoot at goal like what mcneil did against brighton for our 4th goal when we beat brighton 5-1

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

One of the most frustrating players I've watched...that recent 5th minute chance being a prime example. Unfortunately, after a decent start, Ndiaye is looking like a more skillful version.

 

[Tommy Chong]

also if he had a football brain, he would have seen gabriel lunging towards and him and he could have faked shot to get rid of the defender and then he can cut inside and shoot at goal like what mcneil did against brighton for our 4th goal when we beat brighton 5-1

And he's on 130k a week...

Hail to the Duke, baby!

We need him to be more clinical like 'Duke Nukem' when finishing...

But instead he's more haphazard like one of the 'Dukes of Hazzard', FFS.

 

[knowing your history]

How did we do in them? How many have we lost since he came back in?

2-0 up in the Bournemouth when he came on although I wouldn't blame him for the collapse as other subs weren't made that should've been at that point.

Surprisingly was an unused sub at Villa.

Since then he's been playing and it's been three wins, two losses and endless low scoring draws for over three months so I think him at 8 might have something to do with it.

A worry is it is now five games in six without actually scoring so while 0-0s are more than fine at Arsenal the overall trend is still a bit concerning. Also hardly created anything v Fulham until late on.

Gana is still fine for me and then I hope when he's fit again it's a choice of Garner/Mangala as the 8.

 

[SuperKev91]

2-0 up in the Bournemouth when he came on although I wouldn't blame him for the collapse as other subs weren't made that should've been at that point.

Surprisingly was an unused sub at Villa.

Since then he's been playing and it's been three wins, two losses and endless low scoring draws for over three months so I think him at 8 might have something to do with it.

A worry is it is now five games in six without actually scoring so while 0-0s are more than fine at Arsenal the overall trend is still a bit concerning. Also hardly created anything v Fulham until late on.

Gana is still fine for me and then I hope when he's fit again it's a choice of Garner/Mangala as the 8.

Yeah him and Beto were the worst two subs we could have picked there. Immediately conceded control and possession.
As an 8 he’s been awful but we haven’t won a game this season without him playing.

Once we’ve got someone with technique/athleticism he come straight out.

We’ve tried McNeil there who has technique but is a poor athlete and we’ve just been walked through. Doucoure for all his limitations helps us press/makes us hard to beat. We haven’t got the players to be expansive and go after teams on the front foot every game.

 

[CielosGrises]

Yeah him and Beto were the worst two subs we could have picked there. Immediately conceded control and possession.
As an 8 he’s been awful but we haven’t won a game this season without him playing.

Once we’ve got someone with technique/athleticism he come straight out.

We’ve tried McNeil there who has technique but is a poor athlete and we’ve just been walked through. Doucoure for all his limitations helps us press/makes us hard to beat. We haven’t got the players to be expansive and go after teams on the front foot every game.

Watched MOTD for the first time in ages - I was struck by watching Forest how much movement they had around Villas box - I'd almost forgotten football can be played on the front foot like that.

I know its only highlights - but is Forests squad really that much better than ours ? Maybe it is.

 

[SuperKev91]

Watched MOTD for the first time in ages - I was struck by watching Forest how much movement they had around Villas box - I'd almost forgotten football can be played on the front foot like that.

I know its only highlights - but is Forests squad really that much better than ours ? Maybe it is.

Miles better - they can afford to bring Elanga off the bench ffs.

Not many of our 11 get into theirs - Pickford, Branthwaite - anyone else?

 

[Bryan+]

Miles better - they can afford to bring Elanga off the bench ffs.

Not many of our 11 get into theirs - Pickford, Branthwaite - anyone else?

That’s what happened when you buy nearly 30 players in two seasons, which is what I am hoping happens to us.

 

[SuperKev91]

That’s what happened when you buy nearly 30 players in two seasons, which is what I am hoping happens to us.

Got a few wrong though haven’t they as well - few really good ones especially this summer though.

I’d jump at the chance to have their squad.

Only glaring hole I think is if Wood gets a knock.

 

[Bryan+]

Got a few wrong though haven’t they as well - few really good ones especially this summer though.

I’d jump at the chance to have their squad.

Only glaring hole I think is if Wood gets a knock.

Aye that’s expected. Like Chelsea you need good recruitment.

 

[SuperKev91]

Aye that’s expected. Like Chelsea you need good recruitment.

Our biggest problem in Moshiri’s era.

We could have built something really special with the amounts spent if we’d had a proper aligned plan and not a lunatic at the top.

Even if Brands had been left to his own devices and had full control of recruitment/managers I think we’d be in a great spot.

 

[CielosGrises]

Miles better - they can afford to bring Elanga off the bench ffs.

Not many of our 11 get into theirs - Pickford, Branthwaite - anyone else?

Then the other thing that came to mind is that their manager is Nuno Espirito Santo - who i thought had a negative-nelly reputation like Dyche.

So, yeah maybe it is the squad.

 

[Toffeepot]

2-0 up in the Bournemouth when he came on although I wouldn't blame him for the collapse as other subs weren't made that should've been at that point.

100% on Dyche
It wasn't that he came on it was that Dyche took off our 2 most effective players that were causing Bournemouth problems

 

[Toffeepot]

Miles better - they can afford to bring Elanga off the bench ffs.

Not many of our 11 get into theirs - Pickford, Branthwaite - anyone else?

This is always the weirdest argument
Not many of ours (under Dyche) get into theirs
Dyche's Chris Wood was a shadow of Forest's Chris Wood for example

 

[Egil Olsen]

Then the other thing that came to mind is that their manager is Nuno Espirito Santo - who i thought had a negative-nelly reputation like Dyche.

So, yeah maybe it is the squad.

Nottingham is a team that mainly defends deep (PPDA = 14.67 against our 14.84)

They have marginally a bit more possession than us, but it's not much. They have 348 passes on average per match, while we have 344.

In many ways they are quite similar to us - except that we don't have offensive players who can exploit the spaces the opponent leaves behind.

I would say they are not proactive in defence, but they are very offensive and take big risks when they win the ball.