2025/26 Iliman Ndiaye

[Gilbert..]

Got neither a goal nor an assist and was at fault by and large for their first goal

Best of a bad bunch, maybe. We can and should expect better.

Still love him like.

Possibly gets an assist if we had a centre forward with more instinct.
And i think the issue longer term. If you dont add a bit more quality around the ones you have you ultimately lose them.

 

[Eggs]

He's a fine player and I'm loathe to criticise him, but he doesn't do THAT nearly enough.

The difference between him and a player like, say, Silva is enormous.

People on here have been saying Pep will have the cheque out for him. Not a chance.

….the cross he stood up for Beto in the lead up to the Grealish goal was outstanding.

I do wonder what a truly effective striker would mean for players like Ndiaye and Grealish. Those types look for players on the same wavelength, almost like they don’t want to waste a pass. They enjoy the link play with good footballers, I think he has a few assists for Senegal in recent games.

 

[RichCee123]

Think Branthwaite is our big sale summer 2027. He'll be 25 and we can sell him at peak value. Next summer Ndiaye is 26 and we can sell him at peak value.

This is all *if* we need a big sale in each of those summers, but likely we will with PSR being what it is, and we can make a stonking profit on both of them.

Might sell both. Risk we will lose Myko and Garner from first team for free too.

Already need 2-3 full backs, 1-2 centre backs, 1-3 wingers, 1-3 strikers any 1-3 midfielders.

Selling these 2 helps fund a big chunk of that potentially - not that I particularly want that.

 

[RichCee123]

I keep hearing about Jack Grealish being our star player . Much as he has impressed me, so far, our star player, for me, is Ndiaye, the most valuable player at the club for me.

I prefer looking at stats. Grealish is clearly more valuable on that metric

 

[davek]

….the cross he stood up for Beto in the lead up to the Grealish goal was outstanding.

I do wonder what a truly effective striker would mean for players like Ndiaye and Grealish. Those types look for players on the same wavelength, almost like they don’t want to waste a pass. They enjoy the link play with good footballers, I think he has a few assists for Senegal in recent games.

For me, he hogs the ball too much.

You're right to underline that he can pick a pass out and get an assist. That just means it's there asa skill but he needs to do it more. He just gives the impression he enjoys the slaloming past opponents a bit more than he likes to put another player in who might have taken a good position up. In and around the box: sure. Not an issue, as he can be very dangerous then...and productive. Deeper, though, he can be frustrating ball hogger and slow down the pace of our attacks.

 

[Eggs]

For me, he hogs the ball too much.

You're right to underline that he can pick a pass out and get an assist. That just means it's there asa skill but he needs to do it more. He just gives the impression he enjoys the slaloming past opponents a bit more than he likes to put another player in who might have taken a good position up. In and around the box: sure. Not an issue, as he can be very dangerous then...and productive. Deeper, though, he can be frustrating ball hogger and slow down the pace of our attacks.

….actually think he does find short passes in tight spaces, never thought of him as a ‘ball hogger’ because I genuinely don’t believe he is.

 

[Tramps_mate]

Not a chance he's here next season..

 

[davek]

….actually think he does find short passes in tight spaces, never thought of him as a ‘ball hogger’ because I genuinely don’t believe he is.

He can run into trouble at times.

I mean, he's a great asset for his. I just think with him and Grealish we might just have one too many players who like to keep hold of the ball in attacking positions. I had hoped Dibling was going to be a direct player, but I dont see that.

Oh for a player like Kanchelskis...or even Radzinkski!

 

[Eggs]

He can run into trouble at times.

I mean, he's a great asset for his. I just think with him and Grealish we might just have one too many players who like to keep hold of the ball in attacking positions. I had hoped Dibling was going to be a direct player, but I dont see that.

Oh for a player like Kanchelskis...or even Radzinkski!

….i do believe an effective central striker and quality full-backs truly pushes this team on. That’s where the concentration needs to be.

Ndiaye and Grealish are terrific.

 

[leslad]

He's a fine player and I'm loathe to criticise him, but he doesn't do THAT nearly enough.

The difference between him and a player like, say, Silva is enormous.

People on here have been saying Pep will have the cheque out for him. Not a chance.

hmmmm. Mahrez was selfish in a similar way. Sterling too. Pep got the best out of both

 

[Swartzy]

I keep hearing about Jack Grealish being our star player . Much as he has impressed me, so far, our star player, for me, is Ndiaye, the most valuable player at the club for me.

Both beautiful to watch and both their differing styles compliment our game..
Jack can slow the game down when needed, hold the ball up as good as anyone and then just be jack.

Illy can flow you forward as good as anyone, just let him off his leash and he will chew you up..

Anyway, for the more knowledgeable posters on the contract side of things, when does Illy's run out ?

 

[ah11984]

Imagine how good he and Grealish would be with full backs who can overlap and interplay.

P.s does anyone have any stats about how much of our play goes through the left when Grealish plays. Feels to me like we ignore the right(Ndiaye) too much when he does.

 

[BigBeto1]

Iv felt this season kdh has been so focussed on just getting the ball to Grealish we almost neglect Ndiaye on the right.

We need to get better of switching it across to Ndiaye when Grealish isn’t available

 

[yarablue1994]

His defensive work should not go unnoticed. He was the first to anticipate every time the ball was coming to Doku. He nullified Doku for much of the game. Hes easily the best player at the club.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

He can run into trouble at times.

I mean, he's a great asset for his. I just think with him and Grealish we might just have one too many players who like to keep hold of the ball in attacking positions. I had hoped Dibling was going to be a direct player, but I dont see that.

Oh for a player like Kanchelskis...or even Radzinkski!

He played a great short pass through to Beto when Beto missed the goal and the flag went up. I think Moyes was right that if Beto scored then VAR gives that goal, just.