How good a player is Steven Pienaar?

[Summerskin]

Nothing new to add, but i'll sum up my thoughts:

Excellent engine without any real pace.

No end product whatsoever, final balls included (his assists speak for themselves but watching him week in week out it's a weakness in his play, if you get me).

Revels in being the #1 creative focus, hence why he'd never shine in a team with VdV and Modric and had a stormer when Arteta was out.

Keeps the tempo of our game raised, adds spark to our possession.

Looks worse without his braids.

Speaks weird.

Thought he was playing for Tottenham in a Europa League away tie on Saturday.

Does more for Everton in terms of our play then Arteta did (two years in the middle aside), but isn't as cultured a player overall, nowhere near in fact.

Hits women & is apparently a right w*nker.

 

[Summerskin]

when he was on loan he had something to prove and played out of his skin, hasnt been the same since he signed his contract.

Ahh, the old Louis Saha excuse.

 

[McQueen]

I think he's fantastic

 

[jtl60]

I think he is very underrated. If you look at the teams above us and players they have in that position such as Ashley Young & James Milner I'd want Pienaar over them

 

[pfim]

I'm sorry, but that's ludicrous.

The main reason Baines and Pienaar are so good is because of the one twos they play, which involves one of them offloading the ball and then making a well timed run past a marker to be in a position to take the ball again. That is the essence of how Baines and Pienaar play, if Pienaar didn't have good off the ball movement our left side would be nothing compared to what it is today.

Barely a game goes by where either Pienaar or Baines don't end up having a run on goal from the byline having beaten the last man with a well timed run. Pienaar and Baines both have fantastic off the ball movement and timing, if they didn't they wouldn't be back heeling it to each other with almost telepathic accuracy all the time.

Sorry, playing one-twos doesn't take a lot of vision or tactical awareness. They're very much effective because of their close control and short passing in tight spaces. That is what gets them space, not wonderful runs from Pienaar (Baines has great awareness in this area and the speed to take advantage).

I'm not having a go at the guy, because his level of close control and passing are both uncommon in a player. He isn't going to make great runs off the ball because he just isn't fast enough. He needs to play the one twos because he doesn't have that ability.

 

[Joe De Loach]

Sorry, playing one-twos doesn't take a lot of vision or tactical awareness.

They're very much effective because of their close control and short passing in tight spaces. That is what gets them space, not wonderful runs from Pienaar (Baines has great awareness in this area and the speed to take advantage).

I'm not having a go at the guy, because his level of close control and passing are both uncommon in a player. He isn't going to make great runs off the ball because he just isn't fast enough. He needs to play the one twos because he doesn't have that ability.

Your first line is unbelievable! So if I watch matches in the conference, they will be 90 minutes of one - twos and wall passes because after all, they 'don't take a lot of vision or tactical awareness'. I have been a coaching a team for 7 years and the number of successful 1 - 2s, you could count on one hand! The hardest skill to time and perfect, also impossible to defend at pace!

 

[pfim]

Your first line is unbelievable! So if I watch matches in the conference, they will be 90 minutes of one - twos and wall passes because after all, they 'don't take a lot of vision or tactical awareness'. I have been a coaching a team for 7 years and the number of successful 1 - 2s, you could count on one hand! The hardest skill to time and perfect, also impossible to defend at pace!

How much tactical awareness does it take to pass the ball back to the person who just passed it to you, in a more advanced position? Of course you don't see it in the conference, because players in the conference don't have close control and the passing ability to consistently pull it off. You're confusing skills, imo.

 

[kenada_blue]

Sell him to Spurs for 3mill ffs!

 

[Coach]

Sorry, playing one-twos doesn't take a lot of vision or tactical awareness. They're very much effective because of their close control and short passing in tight spaces. That is what gets them space, not wonderful runs from Pienaar (Baines has great awareness in this area and the speed to take advantage).

I'm not having a go at the guy, because his level of close control and passing are both uncommon in a player. He isn't going to make great runs off the ball because he just isn't fast enough. He needs to play the one twos because he doesn't have that ability.

How do you do a one-two without running off the ball?

Finding space in tight areas is one of THE most difficult things to do and he does it brilliantly.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

Fúcking stupid reasoning, yeah of course he was playing for a wage cut at Everton with 4 years left on his 75k a week Spurs contract.

 

[Joe De Loach]

How much tactical awareness does it take to pass the ball back to the person who just passed it to you, in a more advanced position? Of course you don't see it in the conference, because players in the conference don't have close control and the passing ability to consistently pull it off. You're confusing skills, imo.

We do hours of drills on one - twos playing first time, to feet and into space, they do it excellently without pressure, then with pressure, the ball goes every where. A big centre half can turn a Glenn Hoddle passer into a Phil Neville. The skill is passing under pressure, the player needs to know where the defender marking him is, and the team mate. That's tactical awareness and reading the game!

 

[Southall1EFC]

I see Pienarr's strength to be his vision off the ball, especially when combining with Baines down the left. The overlap ball to Baines in the corner played square back to Pienarr across the face is one of the signature moves of our side.
That said, I don't rank Pienarr alone to be a top 10 wing player in the world. I'm encouraged by the development of Magaye Gueye. I see Pienarr as an effective threat for maybe another two years. If Gueye can work himself into the rotation by then, we should be just fine for the forseeable future on the left flank.

 

[Joao Moutinho]

Thought he did alright today kept the ball well, gave us a good tempo in the first half and allowed us to break away in the second. Needs to seriously improve his end product though.

 

[tim cahill]

Thought he did alright today kept the ball well, gave us a good tempo in the first half and allowed us to break away in the second. Needs to seriously improve his end product though.

I'm not so sure, I think he's been letting us down over the last month or so. He isn't influencing the game like he can.

 

[heatmeiser]

Thought he did alright today kept the ball well, gave us a good tempo in the first half and allowed us to break away in the second. Needs to seriously improve his end product though.

I think he's massive for us. Always available, doesn't brick it when on the ball, keeps it nice and simple and links up brilliantly.

Just because he's not doing 40 yard boss scissor kicks and 30 yard screaming volleys doesn't mean he's in poor form.