And some, I'm sure, will have a sh*t fit about that comment because he's a forward...but it needs to be done more if we're to play this way.
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He just doesn't suit the way he is being asked to play/being taught how to play. I am glad he has worked with big dunc to pick up some tips but its alarming at how little these days he looks to run in behind or at least turn and run with the ball like he did when he first signed (back against west ham)
Perhaps a large part of the reason he no longer looks to make that run is because he was under used a lot last season when he made a run down a channel, he did it a bit more against wolfsburg and looked to turn and run with the ball and its the best he had played for a while, now it just feels like ok we get the ball we pass around for a bit get it to a winger then hope for something to happen or the other scenario of ok we will still play this slow patient game but lets aim into roms feet when a defender has followed him out and wait for him to mis-control because he doesn't use his physique well enough when a defender gets touch tight.
best moment of the game for him today combined both the drop short taking the defender away then a quick spin and run in behind if it wasnt for hart pulling out a top save it was 1-1 but all game that was it no other run in behind because it kept going to eto'o, coleman or mirallas and they would try to beat 3 or 4 men then look to get it into the box
even this gif shows the contrast of then compared to now, when was the last time we saw either jagielka look to play this ball or rom to get back onside and make the run, it just doesnt happen anymore and when he does this it makes the defender 2nd guess his movements.
I still believe the Moyes DNA on the team for bobs first season was very noticeable mostly with how the defenders did still look long when they felt there was no better option or feel the need to have to have to use continual slow control of possession, now that martinez has had a full season to integrate his method we now see the likes of jags, distin, alcaraz more than prepared to play 4 or 5 short passes get pressured then give it to howard to do the exact long ball they could play before the opposition pushes high and shuts off any room for rom to work into and run.
Can't even knock his goal record either, hes still on for a similar ratio to last year and hes being criminally used in a way that doesn't target his main strengths instead he is seen as trying to fulfil a role for the rest of the team to work around which 75/80% of the time doesn't work because he can't take the ball under control regularly when getting pressured.
If lukaku had beckham supplying him he would score 25-30 a season.
The fact is that other than barkley and mirallas we dont have any players to feed him.
Even Barkley has only had 1 assist in 2 seasons.
I'm not a fan of moyes but ive said the same all season this is now a fully martinez team without any influence of moyes left in it.
lukaku is ten times the player streller is, mate.I hope he's watching the Basel game, Streller has been superb. Wonderful first touch control, brilliant sense of awareness and a great performance as lone striker!