2019/20 Tom Davies

[Kever10]

While I probably - and these days, only very tentatively - disagree with Bernard being on here, you do strike at the major problem. Davies is an absolute stinker, but the club needs to focus on shifting (going back to my recent thread and removing the ones already gone, or with agreed deals like Stek):

Gylfi
Davies
Walcott
Delph
Bolasie
Sidibe
Tosun
Sandro
Besic
Dowell
Pickford
Baningame
Iwobi

It's almost unfeasible that Davies will be the focus of any activity. And genuinely, I think he's delighted by that, another season of getting to mess around the city with his mates, waiting for the knock on his door to arrive, incredulous that he's survived another summer. I remember Koeman getting the blame for his development, but Davies must want to send him a pack of Titleist golf balls every morning for getting him in for that City game. He's the Bob Geldof of football players, dining out on one gig years later (I may have used this for Snivelley).

I still think Davies benefits from a loan out, either to a top championship side, or similar, the same way Chelsea have done with a number of their young players. The problem is, whether you like him or not, he has come into a series of terrible sides with a number of players who lack ability and or motivation, and so he has pretty much been in and around the starting 11 ever since. If he is introduced gradually to a better side, with better players, he doesn't look nearly as bad, I'm convinced of this.

When he 1st broke through, he had the likes Barry, McCarthy, and Barkley to play alongside, who offer much more than the current crop, so he hasn't had to do anything remarkable to be there, and this is a problem. Once he's in, there is nobody waiting in the wings to replace him. But he is also, barring Gordon, still the youngest player in the team. Rightly or wrongly, it should not be his responsibility to lead from the front and set an example.

Like I say, far more pressing and far more expensive misfits, some or most of whom are full international players, who need to be shifted before he does. He's not been great, or even good, but he should not be the scapegoat for this lot either.

Send him on loan and let him prove himself.

P. S. Bernard is atrocious. He fell over unchallenged again today... TWICE. He earns 5 or 6 times the amount Davies does and offers very little. But he's Brazilian, so he's boss.

 

[Papa Shango]

Pembridge > Davies

Pembridge was a hard worker with a decent left foot when taking corners.

I don't even think there is a comparison to be made.

 

[MACCA75]

Has no place playing in this league. Doesn’t have the physical attributes to improve either. Could get 5 million for him maybe?

Matty Longstaff at Newcastle is out of contract, if we were taking a punt on a young player who could improve, then I’d rather have him.

 

[Hickson9]

After defending his place in the squad, I'm coming more and more round to the idea of selling him.

£10m+ of pure profit would look great in our accounts.

 

[PhilRegan]

He makes scott gemmill look like pirlo

 

[MercuryBlue88]

Think he is too comfortable here, could do with a loan to the championship. Preferably a defensive side that constantly do positioning drills and simple passes.

 

[Tin-Tin]

Just think he's not bothered about football, its just a means to live his lifestyle

 

[Oasis1878]

How many PL teams would he start for? Can’t be many...

 

[Disgruntledgoat]

After defending his place in the squad, I'm coming more and more round to the idea of selling him.

£10m+ of pure profit would look great in our accounts.

We're going to have to keep some English players on the books because we need 8 of the squad to have trained in country between 16 and 21 for 3 years or be English. That means some of Pickford, Keane, Baines, Holgate, Davies, Walcott, Iwobi, DCL, Kenny and Delph will have to be retained or replaced with other English (or trained in England) players. Gordon I'm keeping out of that reckoning because he won't count towards squad registration next season.

 

[Eggs]

Just think he's not bothered about football, its just a means to live his lifestyle

...I actually disagree with that. I think footy does matter to him but he’s totally lacking physicality and quality. I’ve always been nervous of him in possession even if he tries to work the ball forward.

He’s very heavy legged, I can’t understand why the coach leaves him on the half-way line when we have a corner. Partnered with Sigurdsson or Gomes, once the opposition is beyond them they are out of the game and our back four exposed.

For too long we’ve had too many players of his kind in key positions. They get found out against pace and quality.

 

[TommyDavo]

No pace and moderate ability will always get you found out at this level. Every time he receives the ball on the turn he tries to buy a foul cos he just doesn’t have the pace to get away.

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

We're far too sentimental. He's basically Jay spearing, but instead of binning him off because he's clearly nowhere near good enough we've (in the recent past) given him the captain's armband.

Awful footballer who has no above average attributes.

Said similar. Quite a few youth players at PL clubs get a gig in the top league for maybe a dozen games before they end up in the Championship/League One. It’s remarkable that Davies has somehow managed 100 appearances. And 30k per week? The lad has pulled off a miracle. Watching the lower leagues there are far more talented players who never got the chance to play in the PL.

Speaking of youth players out of their depth, I never rated Rodwell either. He got that decent goal vs United and the media then went to town on a young English player, and he made an absolute killing off of that.

 

[ah11984]

Can we not furlough him??

 

[longers]

Said similar. Quite a few youth players at PL clubs get a gig in the top league for maybe a dozen games before they end up in the Championship/League One. It’s remarkable that Davies has somehow managed 100 appearances. And 30k per week? The lad has pulled off a miracle. Watching the lower leagues there are far more talented players who never got the chance to play in the PL.

Speaking of youth players out of their depth, I never rated Rodwell either. He got that decent goal vs United and the media then went to town on a young English player, and he made an absolute killing off of that.

Rodwell was a footballing god relative to Davies.

 

[Big Sams Undies]

I can't hate the lad like some seem to cos he's local and a blue but it's pretty evident that he's not at the level that is required.

Who knows, maybe he'd come on leaps and bounds on loan and be a good option in a couple of years but as it stands... Not good enough I'm afraid.