Spadge Vernacular
Player Valuation: £60m
But you have a total grasp of reality, don't you. You know exactly which players/managers get this club moving forward.
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It's all a huge if, and I'm not sure it's realistic. He was completely ineffective due to a combination of form and injury since the turn of the year. To be our best player then you have to be effective. He is simply not our best player. There is no evidence to back up that view point. It's a romantic opinion rather than factual.
If he wants to be the player he can be then it's all in his hands. It's up to him to show his commitment and get to full fitness. He is not going to be a pivotal player though in my opinion. He is a player capable of outstanding moments of quality and individual brilliance, but not a player who will control matches and perform on a consistent basis.
£225,000 per week is a lot of money to pay weekly for a luxury midfielder who has been a fantastic player in the past - now struggling with injuries etc ....
ForeverBlue92
Player Valuation: £80m
We've tried the expansive manager in Martinez
The young progressive manager in Silva
The flavour of the month manager in Koeman
The hollywood manager of Ancelotti
Its time we went back to a pragmatic disciplined manager like Moyes which Benitez is - bring in his own players to rebuild this cowardly squad of misfits.
That's just not true is it?
Scored that screamer v Leicester - Pickford cocked up for their goal or that's three points
Scored the equaliser v Utd that none of our players would have been able to do with that close control and finish.
Set up the opener v Anfield and then worked his socks off for 60 mins in a proper defensive display. You can say the same about his workrate in games v Wolves and Brighton (both away) too.
Scored that brilliant goal v Palace and ran the show until Ancelotti bafflingly decided to take him off and literally none of our other players could hold onto the ball and Palace equalised.
His poorest game for us was the Sheff Utd (h) one when he was crap. But even in that match, he produced that brilliant pass for Richarlison which should have been a goal, but both Richarlison and DCL missed from yards out.
That's just examples off the top of my head. He wasn't 'completely ineffective' at all. Also won us the pen v Spurs, set up six chances and was brilliant that game in which again if not for defensive mistakes we would have won.
The last month was a joke, agree with that, with his injuries and lack of planning from CA.
What ever it is, teams are disinterested in him as we can't get rid ......
We'll deffo know after 11pm if he's going or staying
Bennie will have to decide to use him or not if he stays.
Rodriguez will have to decide if he's arsed playing nor not
Home Vs Burnley Mon 13th Sept...all will be revealed - maybe
Bennie will have to decide to use him or not if he stays.
Rodriguez will have to decide if he's arsed playing nor not
Home Vs Burnley Mon 13th Sept...all will be revealed - maybe
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Carloblues
Player Valuation: £30m
It's a myth that he doesn't work hard off the ball though, you've got to realise he isn't a defender and doesn't have the pace/fitness of Richy to run up and down the wing all game.
Players of his quality shouldn't be expected to be chasing strikers back into his own box to get the ball back.
It's an easy kop out to say he's lazy and doesnt work hard, would he suit the system we have played so far this season? Maybe not but he'd still be a massive asset to our team IF FIT
He was largely unavailable, but provided some moments of brilliance. On the whole he was ineffective. The Newcastle and Sheffield United games stand out as games were he was extremely poor. He was extremely good for 3 or 4 months then through form and injuries he didn't contribute much.
If you want the odd moment then of course he will provide them, but he didn't do it anywhere near enough to be considered our best player. I wasn't debating whether he was a good player or not. I was responding to people saying he's our best player. It's two very different questions. Of course he can be a good player when available, but I think it's total nonsense that people think he's our best and most important player. There's a lot of romanticism in this thread rather than looking objectively at the outlay versus the productivity.
Jim Hopper
Player Valuation: £40m
Doesn't the European market stay open a bit longer than ours? He could receive an offer after our deadline if that’s the case.
I've done a quick count, just based on bare numbers (goals and assists), from the turn of the year mate
1 assist v Rotherham for Doucoure's winner, FA Cup 3rd round
2 assists v Sheff Wed, FA Cup 4th round
1 goal v Leicester, PL
1 goal v Man Utd, PL
1 assist v Liverpool, PL
1 goal v Palace, PL
If you count winning a pen as an assist (I don't, but they are now used in that 'expected threat' stat) then he got us the pen v Spurs too.
(I may have missed some but don't think I did)
Compare that to the output of our other midfielders and attackers in the same timeframe.
Come on Tim, he wasn't 'completely ineffective'. I agree in those games you say, he was poor, but again, why did we have no other way of playing? Those teams just focused on kicking him out of the game (Newcastle especially) because Ancelotti didn't have any other idea of what to do and our other players hid away.
On a technical, quality level, he is the best footballer at the club. By miles.
But in terms of importance, he's pretty much down the pecking order right now. That being said, we need more than one way of playing. So if he stays should be used accordingly.
All of those goals I listed there, btw, nobody else in our squad was or still is capable of those finishes. Nobody.
Egil Olsen
Player Valuation: £8m
I've been pretty consistent when it comes to JR all the way. He has amazing spatial skills and a left foot that is among the best in the world. But during a football match, the average time a player has the ball is 60-90 seconds. This means that the ball is largely free in football, and it takes a lot of running and sprinting to win the ball (both defensively and offensively).
Most goals in football also usually come after a maximum of 3 passes. Then you can refer to Manchester City and the other top clubs, and point out that they have an enormous amount of ball possession. But if we adjust this ball possession based on the opponent, we will find that the more equal the teams are, the more important it becomes what you do when the ball is free. That is, sprints, duels, running distance, and tackles.
In the PL this is even more important than in many other leagues. Everton are not a top team, and can not in the world's most intense league have players who do not have the physical capacity to do this job. Even the best teams do not have free passengers. KDB and Bruno Fernandes are two examples of creative playmakers who sprint, run a lot, win duels, etc.
Unfortunately for JR, his lack of physical capacity has caught up with him. Modern football does not have room for creative players who are only creative from time to time, and who can not do the job needed when the ball is free. This applies not only defensively, but also offensively. (Xavi and Inestia were fantastic without the ball by the way)
Most goals in football also usually come after a maximum of 3 passes. Then you can refer to Manchester City and the other top clubs, and point out that they have an enormous amount of ball possession. But if we adjust this ball possession based on the opponent, we will find that the more equal the teams are, the more important it becomes what you do when the ball is free. That is, sprints, duels, running distance, and tackles.
In the PL this is even more important than in many other leagues. Everton are not a top team, and can not in the world's most intense league have players who do not have the physical capacity to do this job. Even the best teams do not have free passengers. KDB and Bruno Fernandes are two examples of creative playmakers who sprint, run a lot, win duels, etc.
Unfortunately for JR, his lack of physical capacity has caught up with him. Modern football does not have room for creative players who are only creative from time to time, and who can not do the job needed when the ball is free. This applies not only defensively, but also offensively. (Xavi and Inestia were fantastic without the ball by the way)
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