Jags
Player Valuation: £10m
We have one. Gomes just isn't fit yet
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We have one. Gomes just isn't fit yet
He's a great asset down that side.
Both him and Zouma were very poor for the second goal, but it all came from a stupid mistake from Pickford as well.
Digne got criticised for being caught high up the pitch for the first goal, but the issue was that the midfielder's weren't covering. The point of having a holding midfielder (two!) is to cover the fb's when they get forward.
Both him and Zouma were very poor for the second goal, but it all came from a stupid mistake from Pickford as well.
Digne got criticised for being caught high up the pitch for the first goal, but the issue was that the midfielder's weren't covering. The point of having a holding midfielder (two!) is to cover the fb's when they get forward.
davek
Player Valuation: £150m
He is a massive upgrade on Baines. But I dont think we can expect him to be making up ground like he was forced to for that first goal. He was very high up the pitch and it was painfully Baines-like seeing him trying to get back on terms with Yarmolenko having given him a 20 yard start. The CB pairing is going to have to be well drilled for us to get away with Digne playing so high up the pitch.
Fantastic crosser of the ball though. He has real class about him.
Fantastic crosser of the ball though. He has real class about him.
Papa Shango
Player Valuation: £70m
Oh certainly. I like him a lot but he still has a way to go.
After seeing Walcott's little man bun thing this weekend I now agree with you, get rid.
Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
Gomes is a central midfielder lads...not a DM.
Exactly right...the DMs role is to cover, instead they both were sauntering randomly around the centre of the pitch, jogging backwards while being destroyed by one touch passing...
Hes in Ashley Williams mode...
Errrrm.
That's the point - or should be, at least - of having holding midfielders. Neither Gana or Schneiderlin did their jobs yesterday and by the second half we had to go 4-4-2 so pretty much had nobody there.
It's why we're so limited with Gana being our playmaker. It's ludicrous.
He was abysmal in every department yesterday, and he gave the ball away for their first goal with a reckless pass. But why we're having him as that player is the issue.
Gomes will ideally sort that, and let Gana do what he's good at which is covering the space. He wasn't good yesterday, at anything, but we know he does have the capability to be good at that and has shown over his time here that is his best asset. McCarthy is waiting in the wings in few weeks as well and as much as people don't like him on here, he's a good option for that type of player.
Foot Long Hot Dog
Player Valuation: A packet of pork scratchings
The top knot was a shocker, someone needs to have a word.
Neither is Neves.
Gomes isn't as good with his passing as Neves, but he's better than what we have. He's also a ball carrier, which we miss.
Gana is a DM. It's what he's good at. But we're trying to play him - and have been for the last year now - as a box-to-box player. I think in Silva's case this is largely due to the options currently available, and that's why we've brought Gomes in.
Gomes - Gana - Gylfi is a good midfield three. It has a mix. Just like Rooney - Gana - Davies did last year.
The key is getting the ball into Gylfi and the front men where they can do damage. We simply struggle to do that too many times. Yesterday, Gana was the one tasked with doing it in the first half and he cost us the first goal with a crap pass. He was dreadful, but the point remains that if we're asking him to do that role we're barking up the wrong tree.
Ultimately, we need better. A Doucoure type who can get us on the front foot through sheer power but also has that pass in him as well.
But I wouldn't write Gomes off. I see him as being that player who drops back and dictates our play and moves us up the pitch.
Barkley was the last one who did it - not consistently enough - and not once in the last season and a bit since he's been gone have we sustained an attack. Everything is in moments. Because that's what we've got. Players who can play in brief moments.
One player changes it massively. Hopefully Gomes is that one, because we definitely have the front players to do damage.
Foot Long Hot Dog
Player Valuation: A packet of pork scratchings
Stick a player in that midfield who can carry the ball and take players on, and it opens up space for our attacking talent. Ironically I reckon Barkley could have flourished under Silva.
Absolutely, shouldn't be a problem for the LB to push on if DMs cover and CBs are switched on. Playing such a high line against arnautovic was asking for trouble.
Barkley would have done. He's exactly the type of player we need for that role, albeit the question was always his consistency/brains.
Gomes is a similar player though. When he first came through at Benfica and Valencia, he glided around the pitch.
He's never been as quick as Ross was before his injuries, but his footballing brain is better. I've always thought they were comparable players.
I think Gomes - Gana has the balance that Gana - Schneiderlin lacks, and clearly lacked massively yesterday.
And switching it back to Digne, if we have that player who can get us up the pitch, it means we're not as stretched. It means we can move up as a unit and that means if we do lose possession, we're on hand to quickly press and ensure we aren't countered. There was so much space yesterday it was untrue.
Foot Long Hot Dog
Player Valuation: A packet of pork scratchings
If the lad can regain the form and confidence that he had at Valencia he could well be the ‘missing link’ in that side, I agree.
What I’ve seen so far bodes well under Silva, it’s a world apart from last season already.
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