2017/18 Gylfi Sigurdsson

[kenada_blue]

Sigurdsson is genuinely a very, very good player. That hasn't disappeared overnight.

However, he's playing slightly out of position with the wrong personnel around him. He's not a Ross Barkley - he doesn't naturally improve everyone around him because he's not that type of player.

He has been brought into a side that is built to play the exact opposite way he needs to get the best out of him. He needed a Giroud - someone to hit with a quick ball, hold play and give clever return balls to advance him up the pitch with his face to goal to pick out runners, or dive into spaces and shoot from the edge of the box.

He's not a player who can come deep and carry the game, like Barkley can. As such, there's a gaping hole between the very deep Schneiderlin and Gana and the abundance of "number tens" on the edge of the box - Rooney is dropping into that gap instead of a player naturally owning that space, like Barkley would.

As such, Sigurdsson is constantly in no man's land. So that's the excuse and valid reason he's been terrible. But he's also meant to be a £45m player now, and for that money you want a player who grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and makes the game his. Rooney, at the very least, is trying to do that every week - Sigurdsson isn't.

We overpaid. He's a very good player, but we overpaid. He was always going to be a downgrade on Barkley, but the circumstances have made that even more true.

Ross never got a pass for this. Rooney is getting slated for it.

But Siggurdson gets a "pass" even though he's one of the most expensive premiership signings.

 

[Axlswhk]

Put him on the left and he is a back pass one trick pony.
Move him 10 yards toward the middle and all of a sudden his range of passing and vision improves tremendously.

It's funny how 10 yards can change a man completely.

 

[GwladysBlue]

No one ever complained about Pip getting "in the way" of better players though

He got in the way of Coleman starting his Everton career at right-back earlier.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

It would help if he had a big fellow to aim at.

Would help, but there is more than just lumping it ion onto someone's head, should be able to mix it up.

 

[dannyboy]

Put him on the left and he is a back pass one trick pony.
Move him 10 yards toward the middle and all of a sudden his range of passing and vision improves tremendously.

It's funny how 10 yards can change a man completely.

I'm not having it at all that this would be the case. His problem right now is our disjointed attack and lack of players to play off - this would happen regardless of the position he's in.

In right set up he's the type of player who could be brilliant playing from the inside left but isn't what we've got right now.

 

[LEONARD]

If Everton signed Lionel Messi, he would morph into Brett Angel overnight.

 

[Norwegian Cow]

Ross never got a pass for this. Rooney is getting slated for it.

But Siggurdson gets a "pass" even though he's one of the most expensive premiership signings.

when almost every player in our team is playing bad, then of course he gets a " pass "

 

[CRIMHEAD]

I'm not having it at all that this would be the case. His problem right now is our disjointed attack and lack of players to play off - this would happen regardless of the position he's in.

In right set up he's the type of player who could be brilliant playing from the inside left but isn't what we've got right now.

Completely agree. People are a little too obsessed with where people are on the pitch - a playmaker doesn't sudden lose their mind if they have time and space on the left, right, or middle. What matters MORE is the spacing relative to each other. NOW, that doesn't mean I don't like him playing in the middle because he can score and without a true target guy, whipping in crosses from the left isn't going to be as productive. But that doesn't make him a worse player or not effective out there, he just might not be effective on THIS TEAM out there.

 

[gonetomorrow]

Why are the commentators all suddenly calling him Zigitson?

He's morphed.

 

[dannyboy]

Completely agree. People are a little too obsessed with where people are on the pitch - a playmaker doesn't sudden lose their mind if they have time and space on the left, right, or middle. What matters MORE is the spacing relative to each other. NOW, that doesn't mean I don't like him playing in the middle because he can score and without a true target guy, whipping in crosses from the left isn't going to be as productive. But that doesn't make him a worse player or not effective out there, he just might not be effective on THIS TEAM out there.

Arteta and Pienaar being classic examples of players who had great spells cutting in from the flanks for us. You're so right about people being obsessed with positions. 9/10 it's just a bad excuse for poor form. Usually you can tell a good player regardless of the position they're in.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Arteta and Pienaar being classic examples of players who had great spells cutting in from the flanks for us. You're so right about people being obsessed with positions. 9/10 it's just a bad excuse for poor form. Usually you can tell a good player regardless of the position they're in.

Totally agree. Pienaar had OUTSTANDING chemistry with Baines. They figured it out. Pienaar wasn't a winger, either, but that squad had NO PROBLEMS providing width and danger from wide positions.

That being said, team selection and tactics can help. Koeman better figure it out sooner rather than later. I do think Niasse and his movement will help. Vlasic's aggressiveness was a breath of fresh air - reminded me a bit of Pienaar, actually. Maybe we'll see Lookman, too. Kevin will run, albeit pointlessly at times. But Rooney...man. Not sure what to do there. There were times when he got wide and seemed effective, even if that seems odd. There was space out there. But I'm not sure if he and Siggy can figure it out soon enough.

 

[upthetoffees]

Are we really turning our nose up at a player like Mirallas who can play where Siggy has been playing? I know he has an attitude issue and doesn't fit Koeman's "plans" but doesn't seem to me as though we're playing like we have any plans whatsoever.

Mirallas seems to be the missing piece if we insist on running this awful formation into eternity.

 

[billyblue80]

Siggy should be playing number ten he is better at that position than Rooney now.

 

[Efcjake]

15 minutes in here and he's pointing more than Phil Neville on peak pointing form. He needs to make runs off the ball when someone is looking to pass instead of finding somewhere to point to.

 

[sageyefc]

Crap