2021/22 Lucas Digne

[TonyT65]

Yeah but he does defend quite well so the narrative that he can't defend is ridiculous.

I think we'll realise how good a defender Digne actually is when we see Mykolenko settle into the league.

That's not to say Mykolenko will be bad, he's just going to need time.

I've watched that lad play TWO games and put in more winning tackles than I have Digne in the last 12 months to be honest.
Now I'm not saying he's the perfect answer but I'm willing to have a look !

 

[BlueToff]

Like I said mate I think that's what he was getting at, rightly or wrongly. As he kept mentioning how stats don't matter for 10th and 12th place finishes

yeah, and he's full of bs - but I agree with you.

He can't say stats don't matter and then come out and shout about running stats. He can't say stats don't matter if you finish 10th when we'd be lucky to finish 15th at this rate.

I mentioned it earlier on another thread but as crap as last season got, we'd have to take 40 points from the last 60 on offer now this season to finish on the same points total.

 

[MikeH72]

Fridge lol

It's opta tbf, and this is what every club in the PL uses.

Yeah, personally, I think getting skinned by Matty Cash would have counted as an error. But then there's all the other 'errors' that lead up to it. Like I said though, it balances it out because likewise, when Micheal Keane gets skinned by whichever child Hull play up top tomorrow, it won't count as an error for him either. Errors in this case count as when the player directly gives the ball away and it leads to a goal/shot. So, just off the top of my head, Coleman in the derby to Salah.

Yeah but this is my whole point, I don’t want any of those things counted on the stats either, because I’m not arsed about the stats. Digne being miles out of position for Salah to run clean through on goal for the 2nd goal in that game doesn’t count as an “error leading to goal” on the stats either, but I watched the game and know it was a poor piece of positional play and it led to a goal. The long and short of it, is I don’t need a spreadsheet to tell me that Digne isn’t a very good defender, because he clearly isn’t. You don’t have to pretend he is, plenty of top full backs aren’t.

 

[TonyT65]

The 1980s called and want you back

Don't we all want the 80s back ffs !

 

[BlueToff]

Digne hasn’t said a word though has he mate? He signed a new long deal as a sign of commitment a few months back, happy to be here and was one of the better players.

Utter professional to maintain his counsel in the face of the FSW’s public provocation and lies.

the only thing Digne has publicly said on it has been this:



Everything else has been through Benitez. Either in his actions or his words.

 

[Carloblues]

He has played worse then Keane, Iwobi and Gomes but still has a fan club, its weird

he hasnt been at his best but LOL

have a day off you bad lizard

 

[BlueToff]

Yeah but this is my whole point, I don’t want any of those things counted on the stats either, because I’m not arsed about the stats. Digne being miles out of position for Salah to run clean through on goal for the 2nd goal in that game doesn’t count as an “error leading to goal” on the stats either, but I watched the game and know it was a poor piece of positional play and it led to a goal. The long and short of it, is I don’t need a spreadsheet to tell me that Digne isn’t a very good defender, because he clearly isn’t. You don’t have to pretend he is, plenty of top full backs aren’t.

It was also poor positional play from Godfrey... because the manager was playing an insanely high line against Liverpool wasn't he? So it all adds in. It's an error from the manager in the set up, the players playing that set up etc.

We'll agree to disagree on the being a good defender part. I don't think it's his best facet, and I'd rather have a few other FBs in a last-ditch situation, but over the time he's been here he stacks up against any of them mate in all the categories. That's not to say I wouldn't rather have Azpilicueta, Walker or even someone like Coleman (at RB, like) making that last-ditch tackle or whatever.

 

[ZissouBlue]

I'm resigned to him leaving now, but man I really, really, really don't want to see him loaned to Chelsea for the rest of the season. Or loaned at all for that matter. Would be embarrassing for the club unless there was a hefty obligation clause.

 

[MikeH72]

It was also poor positional play from Godfrey... because the manager was playing an insanely high line against Liverpool wasn't he? So it all adds in. It's an error from the manager in the set up, the players playing that set up etc.

We'll agree to disagree on the being a good defender part. I don't think it's his best facet, and I'd rather have a few other FBs in a last-ditch situation, but over the time he's been here he stacks up against any of them mate in all the categories. That's not to say I wouldn't rather have Azpilicueta, Walker or even someone like Coleman (at RB, like) making that last-ditch tackle or whatever.

Yes it was. He is also majorly guilty of this a lot but it won’t be picked up by the stats.

 

[ToffeeTim]

He has played worse then Keane, Iwobi and Gomes but still has a fan club, its weird

What

 

[MikeH72]

He has played worse then Keane, Iwobi and Gomes but still has a fan club, its weird

I think Digne’s been poor this season, but I’d contest this.

 

[davek]

What I took from it was Benitez was saying Digne was complaining about his stats (probably because he wants to stay in the national side) and Benitez is saying your stats don't matter for a team that's finished 12th and 10th. I.e. it's not like your stats are winning trophies. Your stats can be sacrificed if it means moving up the table to more meaningful positions. So Digne has thrown his toys out of the pram in self interest rather than putting ego, national team and stats aside to help us get results. I could be wrong but that's how I took what he was saying. If I've interpreted correctly then Digne needs to go 100%

That's exactly what he was saying.

He is saying the things we all want these players to hear.

But there are some people willing to back those players rather than get behind the man who wants change.

They have to look to themselves these people. There's easily a way to criticise the manager's results so far AND back his calling out of failure and egos in the dressing room.

 

[davek]

I think he'll be a good signing but defensively he'll make us realise that Digne is actually very consistent.

That's because Mykolenko is young and comes from a weaker league. He'll need time.

People have this idea that he's aggressive but based on the data which is all I have to go off because I've never watched him play properly, he doesn't really have the stats that an aggressive defender would do (which is a lot of duels (like Digne), a lot of attempted tackles (like Digne). It'll be based on some stupid concept that Ukrainian players are all from war-torn villages and orphaned by the age of 5.

My main criticism of Digne's defending has been he's been a bit too culpable of lunging in at times, especially recently, though he has been isolated 1v1 A LOT in the Benitez system, and that's probably where Digne's main flaw is when defending.

He'll be an upgrade on a player who had failed to turn up for the past 18 months, that's for sure.

 

[davek]

Digne hasn’t said a word though has he mate? He signed a new long deal as a sign of commitment a few months back, happy to be here and was one of the better players.

Utter professional to maintain his counsel in the face of the FSW’s public provocation and lies.

If he hasn't said a word he can sue this manager for libel...

 

[Kev The Rat]

I'm resigned to him leaving now, but man I really, really, really don't want to see him loaned to Chelsea for the rest of the season. Or loaned at all for that matter. Would be embarrassing for the club unless there was a hefty obligation clause.

It’s almost definitely going to be a loan and frankly he will have won and the club will have suffered all because Benitez sought confrontation.