Great depth signing with all the matches we'll be playing throughout the season. I'm not willing to drop him in for Pienaar immediately, as he and Baines link up well and have had a pretty solid chemistry going for awhile. The kid looks like he can bring some energy and athleticism to crucial parts of a match, but let's not get crazy with the Deu comparisons just yet.
Christian Atsu
- Thread starter tadpole
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FTY
Player Valuation: £80m
It's a second team because it has no first team players in it.
Azza
Player Valuation: £80m
I know that's why he's gone for Atsu, rather than Kennedy or someone else. I'd imagine he will value his experience for cup games a lot to make sure we don't need to have McGeady or Pienaar pushing themselves to much.
Especially Pienaar with his injury problems last season.
mkrudden
Player Valuation: £40m
Ridiculous.
We had 4 wingers from January last season, all of which played a huge part in the first team. The manager talks about flexibility and without 2 right wingers and 2 left then we are always going to be inhibited.
Arsenal and Man Utd away - the defining games of last season where everyone started to believe - any co-incidence that Pienaar played in both? I think not. Against Utd particularly he was a joy to watch.
Hull at home - scores the winner with a finish that McGeady is unlikely to even be capable off.
Southampton at home - great through ball for McCarthy who simply teed it up for Lukaku to score the winner
His unbelievable vision and pass saw Deulofeu one on one with the keeper at the Derby - should have been a goal and therefore an assist for SP.
He made only 25 appearances in all competitions last year - it was one to forget from that perspective, granted.
The fact is though that he is a top quality player when fit. We NEED him. We dont want 4 wingers who have a direct 'get to the bi-line' and cross mentality. We want flexibility. Baines had a quiet-ish year last year, could point towards the fact his mate played so few games on the left hand side with him. Baines is a far better crosser than Kev or McGeady yet both of them blank Baines because they are typical wingers - mavericks after their own glory. Pienaar isnt, hes got a fantastic football brain and knows that if he can generate some space for Baines to get a cross in then its likely we're going to have a chance of scoring.
Atsu coming in is going to give us options which is great, but the notion of 'Pienaar is finished' is, as i said earlier, ridiculous.
bluebud
Player Valuation: £35m
Great post, 100% agree.
Pavement Blue
Player Valuation: £950k
I was trying to be diplomatic like but yep couldn't agree more
Pienaar may not be finished but if he keeps getting isolated and knocked off the ball then his playing time will be restricted. He needs to move the ball faster to compensate for his size and weight against stronger players. I cannot see the refs giving him any easy free kicks anymore this season and he needs to pack it in at shouting at other players when he gets it wrong.
Adapt or move on.
Mark Pembridge
Player Valuation: £1m
Could defo be an outlet, especially away from home with him and mirralas on the flanks hitting teams on the break
Smudge1985
Player Valuation: £950k
I wouldnt say Pienaar is finished with us...but then we've advanced far enough that he shouldnt really be first choice and play every single game. Under Moyes, he had zero competition for his place, and I think that complacency showed in his performances sometimes, especially Moyes' last 2 seasons. However, he is still good enough and important enough to play a lot of games, but having other quality players in his position to allow us to take him out now and then when its a game that doesnt suit him will only make us better.
Same with Osman, as good as Barkley was last season, there were games where he just wasnt doing it, and having Osman there to come on in his position and change things a little bit helped us. Barkley is a better player with Osman behind him, just as Pienaar will be a better player with McGeady and Atsu behind him.
Same with Osman, as good as Barkley was last season, there were games where he just wasnt doing it, and having Osman there to come on in his position and change things a little bit helped us. Barkley is a better player with Osman behind him, just as Pienaar will be a better player with McGeady and Atsu behind him.
Matthew Martinez
Player Valuation: £1m
Oh my bob, another quality addition. If this continues I might throw a sneaky tenner on us to shock the world and take the title.
Plus, we have to remember that last season Martinez would regularly bring three attacking subs on to change how a game was going, which resulted in us scoring more late goals than any other team. Having some quality options on the bench will be a real asset.
People underestimate what Pienaar does as his best work is off the ball. He's a player who knits attacks together by dropping intelligently into space, being an out ball who keeps the flow of play moving.
Say we got Atsu - you'd all notice pretty quickly that the dynamic of our left hand side would change radically, as it'd mean Baines would not advance as much as we'd be playing more direct football to get the quicker player stretching the opposition.
There's more than one way to approach the game. Pienaar offers one dynamic, whilst the likes of Deulofeu/Atsu offer an entirely different one. One style is not automatically better than the other, even if it is more eye catching.
Say we got Atsu - you'd all notice pretty quickly that the dynamic of our left hand side would change radically, as it'd mean Baines would not advance as much as we'd be playing more direct football to get the quicker player stretching the opposition.
There's more than one way to approach the game. Pienaar offers one dynamic, whilst the likes of Deulofeu/Atsu offer an entirely different one. One style is not automatically better than the other, even if it is more eye catching.
Can I be the first to say that I'm really looking forward to this season, or am I a bit late?
Tennessee Blue Mike
Player Valuation: £50m
Atsu could be a super sub as well being prominent in the early Europa stages. He has speed to burn. Clarkson needs to rate him on Top Gear.
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