catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Just for clarity, the half season comment really relates to the fact he got his goals in the 2nd half of the season. It was more to show how he was coming on in that time, and adding goals to his game. Also worth noting, he started 25 games, so a fair few sub appearances in that.
I do take the point that the goal was deflected, but also perhaps worth caveating he had a goal basically taken off him against Bournemouth by DCL, so you do win some/lose some from that regard.
I don't think he carried us. I don't know if that suggestion is being made, but if it is I would certainly challenge that, so we are in agreement with that. It seems people expect him to start carrying us now, and are getting frustrated that he isn't. He didn't last season, and he won't this season. So if that's what people expect, inevitably there will be some disappointment.
At the present time, there is not really anybody at a point where they are threatening to push him out. If McNeil lives up to expectations, and Gray shows his best consistently he will be out of the team, but that is as much of an if as with Gordon. Honestly, I'd be delighted if that happened too. So I think he has a bit of time left. We still have quite inconsistent players, even in that part of the team.
There are certainly improvements to be made. I noted yesterday, he has to start heading the ball with more conviction, as he actually has a good leap and gets into good areas. He needs to be more clinical with shots and I still think he needs to get fitter. I'd say he has a good engine for 60 not 90.
That being said, I was a bit surprised to see the criticism of him on yesterdays display. Watching live, I thought he did well in an unconventional position. I listened back to the footage, and the commentators seemed to think he was our best attacking outlet, and just needed some support. That is close to how I saw it.
I just sort of think people have got to temper what is realistic with him, hence why I asked that question. Like realistically, how many goals do people think he should be getting, Foden, who plays in a far better team, and would rightly be regarded as an elite wide player (and is older than Gordon) has got 5,9,9 league goals the last 3 seasons. If Gordon is someone in and around those numbers, in a far weaker team, that would be good for me. I just worry a bit for a lot of people that will be seen as a poor season.
We seem to do this a fair bit, overhype a young player, then saw the expectation level to a riduculous level, then get angry when they don't reach it. I hope we can all, on all sides, be realistic on Gordon. Just because he's not getting 15 goals a season at 21, doesn't man he's letting the team down etc.
