2025/26 Idrissa Gana Gueye

[chopper6]

But I literally said I didn’t think he was that bad, that’s the point? It’s interesting that professor mike has agreed with you rather than pulling you up on clearly not understanding the context of the word narrative though. Thats how narratives come about I suppose.

What a brilliantly condescending reply.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I can see why we kept him on this season but he’s not the future of the team. We’re not going down this season so why not give the games to Tim, Armstrong Rohl or Alcaraz. He’s messing up the balance of the midfield and can’t cover that up any more by making big recovery runs. He’s getting caught out and then punished.

 

[Lanolin]

What a brilliantly condescending reply.

The condescension wasn't aimed at you. The point stands though, I was just saying I didn't think last night was actually evidence of what was being said, which is why I specifically used the word narrative. It's not to say I don't agree to some extent with the underlying points, or that I would have Gana in the starting XI at the moment, it's just that I didn't actually think he was as bad last night as some people were making out and certainly didn't think some of the specifics stood out to me, like his age/number of games in the week being a factor.

 

[ToffeeScot]

I’ll be honest and say I didn’t think he was that bad tonight, feels like he’s become a bit of a scapegoat. Not saying he was great like, but no worse than most.

Sometimes it's best for the team to look to the future though. I think it's time that we stop seeing him as an undisputed starter. We are starting to look better as a team when he's not playing.

 

[Joey66]

To me he just plays his role not for the team - in a virtually two man midfield he just drifts all over leaving gaps - as pointed out our midfield particular the one away Villa with a solid three looked far better IMO ...

 

[Lanolin]

Sometimes it's best for the team to look to the future though. I think it's time that we stop seeing him as an undisputed starter. We are starting to look better as a team when he's not playing.

Yeah I agree. I think we should be looking to the future all over the pitch and it's one of my biggest frustrations with Moyes that we aren't. Personally I think the main issue with Gana is that he and Garner aren't a natural partnership, rather than his own performances as such. That's what prompted me to comment last night, I felt like some of the issues people were pinning on Gana were equally (or in some cases entirely) James Garner's fault, but one is currently flavour of the month while the other is seen as yesterday's man, so the criticism doesn't get distributed equally. There were times when they picked holes in our midfield where it seemed to me as if Gana had been told to push up and it was supposed to be Garner who was covering the gap but wasn't, then people were blaming Gana for doing - as far as I could tell - exactly what the manager had asked him to do. That's obviously not Garner's fault either, he's a better player when not tasked with that role and we need to find a way to make the balance better to get the most of what we have, which we're clearly not doing at the moment.

 

[ToffeeScot]

Yeah I agree. I think we should be looking to the future all over the pitch and it's one of my biggest frustrations with Moyes that we aren't. Personally I think the main issue with Gana is that he and Garner aren't a natural partnership, rather than his own performances as such. That's what prompted me to comment last night, I felt like some of the issues people were pinning on Gana were equally (or in some cases entirely) James Garner's fault, but one is currently flavour of the month while the other is seen as yesterday's man, so the criticism doesn't get distributed equally. There were times when they picked holes in our midfield where it seemed to me as if Gana had been told to push up and it was supposed to be Garner who was covering the gap but wasn't, then people were blaming Gana for doing - as far as I could tell - exactly what the manager had asked him to do. That's obviously not Garner's fault either, he's a better player when not tasked with that role and we need to find a way to make the balance better to get the most of what we have, which we're clearly not doing at the moment.

Completely agree.

 

[Furey1878]

He still makes our best XI for me, but games like last night were we need better control of the ball in the midfield aren't for him, especially when we're chasing.

 

[Swartzy]

I'm not saying I agree with his selections, but I firmly believe that he thinks it's the best team to win the game. My point is, he's not going to give minutes to youngsters for the sake of it, because he runs the risk that by the time it pays off, he's out the door

Moyes is blinded by Gana

The lad has had one good game all season, he creates the gaps all over the pitch.

He needs to pull the Gana blindfold off, because it's only going to come back and bite him in the ass..

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Players like Rohl, Alcaraz and Ireogbunam aren’t academy kids. They have played top flight football before, it’s not some crazy gamble to put them in the team.

Yes, and Gana is better than all of them, even now

 

[Nymzee]

It’s nice we’ve had an extended break this week. Now he’ll be fully recharged to play 90 mins for every game till the season ends.

 

[Joey66]

Yes, and Gana is better than all of them, even now

No he is not ...

 

[hetion]

Yes, and Gana is better than all of them, even now

And you sometimes need to rest your better, older players and play your younger, worse players so that they turn into your better, older players

 

[Curtis]

Kinda weird how he can just slap another teammate in the face during a game , then after returning from AFCON. gets back in the team immediately despite other players distinguishing themselves in his absence. He is typically awful on the ball yet Moyes has him anchoring the midfield like Dyche despite his style to roam

 

[Vaughan]

Kinda weird how he can just slap another teammate in the face during a game , then after returning from AFCON. gets back in the team immediately despite other players distinguishing themselves in his absence. He is typically awful on the ball yet Moyes has him anchoring the midfield like Dyche despite his style to roam

if charlie or dibling had slapped a player we’d have not seen them since