2023/24 Amadou Onana

[nsno-chris]

The frustration with watching Onana is you know what he’s capable of. He’s the only in the team can transition us quicky, he can move through the gears and past people with ease

That’s what I’d love to see from him most games

 

[maccavennie]

Should have stopped the cross by ambling over to Hamer.
Otherwise played really well , needs to impose himself more often tho.

Ambling is a great word. Talking about one of our main centre midfielders who you need them to press and close down, but he just ambled over without a care in the world.

 

[kenada_blue]

Ambling is a great word. Talking about one of our main centre midfielders who you need them to press and close down, but he just ambled over without a care in the world.

Yep. Said the same after the match. Lazy.

Looks like a budget Pogba when he could be a new Viera.

 

[Baines' left foot]

I actually find the tone in this thread weird and borderline disturbing so I generally avoid it, but on Onana aside from the physical work he does he is the only one of the midfield 3 who doesn't give the ball away. Will undoubtedly be a champs league player.

It’s really weird. The last player thread I remember being like this was Lukaku. I ended up putting the OP on ignore because I got fed up of seeing the same guff being posted every day. He’d score 20+ a season, often creating goals by himself and yet he was perceived as lazy by many.

 

[Scillachi]

Thought he was OK today

 

[AussieToffee11]

Easily our most talented player and far from our biggest problem.

I think his issue is that he is trying to be a bit of everything. Deep lying, forward running, putting in crosses, big sliding tackles. Neither manager has grabbed him and told him to play in a particular way and just do it.

I'd love him to be our number 6 anchor, breaking up play and distributing.

 

[Zatara]

Ambling is a great word. Talking about one of our main centre midfielders who you need them to press and close down, but he just ambled over without a care in the world.

Hope you have some free time to watch the game at some point

Yep. Said the same after the match. Lazy.

Looks like a budget Pogba when he could be a new Viera.

Very lazy and a great example of Pogba..

A midfield anchor out of position and an attacking midfielder.

Wonderful.

 

[Zatara]

Easily our most talented player and far from our biggest problem.

I think his issue is that he is trying to be a bit of everything. Deep lying, forward running, putting in crosses, big sliding tackles. Neither manager has grabbed him and told him to play in a particular way and just do it.

I'd love him to be our number 6 anchor, breaking up play and distributing.

I think Lampard and now Dyche see hes very good at everything.

Theyve decided to mould him into a CM. Without actually coaching him or developing him as one.

He IS a midfield anchor. Always has been.

Its ridiculous now not to use him there when Dyches own tactics are effectively ineffective defensively.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Hope you have some free time to watch the game at some point

I kind of agree with both you and macca here Zatters.

It does feel like he ambles a lot but he's not got a defined position so he's trying to be a bit of everything currently. Sadly it seems we're enabling that currently - is he a pure CM? Box to box? Pivot/holding midfielder? Nah he's all of those and expected to go forward too - it'll lead to fatigue or lack of positional play in some cases as he'd be somewhere you least expect him to be anyway.

Lampard in the first few games used him as a bit of a DM/CM holding hybrid which could work well for him, but past that he's lost imho, and that's not a bad thing, as long as he sticks to it. IIRC he plays something similar for Belgium but I've seen 1 half of him playing for them

Problem #2 with that is that he'd be the ideal replacement for someone like Gana, however don't think Dyche will do that (Garner + Onana midfield duo) for now as he's a slug.

Fully expect him to be used in the Doucoure role when that donkey gets a pointless red or something next instead FWIW

 

[Zatara]

I kind of agree with both you and macca here Zatters.

It does feel like he ambles a lot but he's not got a defined position so he's trying to be a bit of everything currently. Sadly it seems we're enabling that currently - is he a pure CM? Box to box? Pivot/holding midfielder? Nah he's all of those and expected to go forward too - it'll lead to fatigue or lack of positional play in some cases as he'd be somewhere you least expect him to be anyway.

Lampard in the first few games used him as a bit of a DM/CM holding hybrid which could work well for him, but past that he's lost imho, and that's not a bad thing, as long as he sticks to it. IIRC he plays something similar for Belgium but I've seen 1 half of him playing for them

Problem #2 with that is that he'd be the ideal replacement for someone like Gana, however don't think Dyche will do that (Garner + Onana midfield duo) for now as he's a slug.

Fully expect him to be used in the Doucoure role when that donkey gets a pointless red or something next instead FWIW

Hes been sat behind the midfield for Belgium. Theyre saying he's far superior than Axel Witsel ever was.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Hes been sat behind the midfield for Belgium. Theyre saying he's far superior than Axel Witsel ever was.

Fair enough, he looks like he'd fit the role. Unsure on the discipline but that comes with playing in the role/position more. Hope we see it too really.

 

[micknick]

He shows real glimpses of quality and then you see that he’s lost a man and the opposition have a great chance. Lapse in concentration or because he’s being asked to do everything rather than a specific job?

He’s just 22 and has all the tools to be a quality midfielder let’s just look after him and see how he develops.

 

[GoodisonRoadSupperBarWool]

I wish we played him further forward. Not been his biggest fan but think if we had him off Beto we would be fine.

 

[jimmythenut]

Thought he was better yesterday. Noticed how Gana in his role is always happy to receive the ball deep, turn, and look for a pass through the middle or forward.

Onana really needs to work on his link up and be more willing to receive the ball and press forward or look to switch. Think he done this better yesterday but he can still improve. I'd prefer to see him slightly deeper and closer to Onana.

And defensively, where is his presence? Surely get him on the front post from corners and when we lose possession he needs to be getting right back like Gana does to help the two CBs.

 

[maccavennie]

Hope you have some free time to watch the game at some point



Very lazy and a great example of Pogba..

A midfield anchor out of position and an attacking midfielder.

Wonderful.

I watched it Zat. Your love in for him is incredibly sad for a player who doesn't influence the game anywhere near enough for the time he's on the pitch.

He had a decent 2nd half yesterday where he actually started taking responsibility and ownership of the ball, but I suggest you watch the match again and watch him amble over to close down the player who crossed it in for their goal.