Left Midfield

[Lelouch]

Bernard/Iwobi.
I like Iwobi nea.

 

[kenada_blue]

Good player but never won anything or really turned up in the big games. Pienaar couldn’t handle the pressure at Dortmund. And when he left us for Spurs( at the time a better team than us and in the champions league) he again couldn’t handle the pressure and came back to us with his tail between his legs.

And soon got back into that routine of playing for a club happy to finish 6th or 7th. I see Bernard as exactly the same. Wouldn’t survive 5mins at a team in the champions league places.

Really? Was captain of his country, played in the champions League for Dortmund and Spurs (remember him playing against AC Milan that they won 1.0). So nothing wrong with pressure. He was injured at spurs and also got sold by a new manager in AvB when Redknapp left.

Pienaar's issue was always lack of pace so could only fit in certain systems/teams. He fit ours like a glove.

Also, we were finishing above Spurs with Pienaar in the side until they got that 4th spot one season.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Really? Was captain of his country, played in the champions League for Dortmund and Spurs (remember him playing against AC Milan that they won 1.0). So nothing wrong with pressure. He was injured at spurs and also got sold by a new manager in AvB when Redknapp left.

Pienaar's issue was always lack of pace so could only fit in certain systems/teams. He fit ours like a glove.

Well if he was so good, spurs and Dortmund wouldn’t have got rid as quick as they did.

And Bernard played in a World Cup semi final.

Yes he definitely fits a team finishing 6th and 7th like a glove, just like Bernard fits a mid table prem team like a glove.

This is about Bernard. And I can’t believe any fan really things he will help us push for top 4.

And regarding the last point, spurs eventually kicked on. And probably got Pienaar because he was cheap ( or was he free I can’t remember) but I doubt they would have big money for him

 

[Carlito]

Putting Bernard in the team every game and seeing if he can figure it out is exactly what we did last season at the end.

And results did improve, at least at home.

 

[kenada_blue]

Well if he was so good, spurs and Dortmund wouldn’t have got rid as quick as they did.

And Bernard played in a World Cup semi final.

Yes he definitely fits a team finishing 6th and 7th like a glove, just like Bernard fits a mid table prem team like a glove.

This is about Bernard. And I can’t believe any fan really things he will help us push for top 4.

And regarding the last point, spurs eventually kicked on. And probably got Pienaar because he was cheap ( or was he free I can’t remember) but I doubt they would have big money for him

Bernard was playing regular champions League and almost signed for Chelsea with Arsenal and the RS interested in him. To say he's mediocre is a little unjustified IMO.

As for Pienaar...again, we finished 5th and 6th and that wasn't his fault we'd never kicked on, more down to finances and a striker.

And yeah, I do think if we had more players of his technical level we'd be top 4 rather than having a squad full of limited footballers like Walcott, Iwobi, Schniderlin, Siggurdson

 

[Lloydystark]

Can we not go 3-5-2 with wingbacks? Digne or Baines on the left and Coleman on the right. Gives us the extra man which we really really need in centre mid too

If it is 4-4-2 I'd say bernard

 

[Carlito]

Played there a few times for Arsenal and for Nigeria.

Was also a million times better there when Siggurdson was benched under Silva

I can't comment on Nigeria, but Arsenal are on telly a lot and I never saw him play there for them.

If anything, he was more a classic no.12 than a 10.

 

[TheBigIguana]

And results did improve, at least at home.

Which was largely down to us defending better. We scored at a pretty consistent rate last year. That run during the last ten games was powered by conceding significantly less. And then we sold Gueye and didn't bring Zouma back and that whole way of playing went out the window.

 

[Carlito]

Which was largely down to us defending better. We scored at a pretty consistent rate last year. That run during the last ten games was powered by conceding significantly less. And then we sold Gueye and didn't bring Zouma back and that whole way of playing went out the window.

I've had it in for enough players myself to know that you shall not, you shall not be moved on the Bernard question, so I'm not going to argue the toss.

Not that any of these players are really worth going to bat for.

 

[kenada_blue]

I can't comment on Nigeria, but Arsenal are on telly a lot and I never saw him play there for them.

If anything, he was more a classic no.12 than a 10.

It was when Ozil was binned off. They tried Xaka in there at one point.

Basically Iwobi is a attacking 3 type player. He's not a proper winger. Nor a proper number 10

 

[Bigduke1234]

Really? Was captain of his country, played in the champions League for Dortmund and Spurs (remember him playing against AC Milan that they won 1.0). So nothing wrong with pressure. He was injured at spurs and also got sold by a new manager in AvB when Redknapp left.

Pienaar's issue was always lack of pace so could only fit in certain systems/teams. He fit ours like a glove.

Also, we were finishing above Spurs with Pienaar in the side until they got that 4th spot one season.

I’d have a moyes-era pienaar any day over Bernard. Sorry, but it’s true. Personally, I’d look to move him on now

 

[Carlito]

It was when Ozil was binned off. They tried Xaka in there at one point.

Basically Iwobi is a attacking 3 type player. He's not a proper winger. Nor a proper number 10

I was actually quite in favour of bringing him in, before I realised this.

Although, I don't think that 4-4-2 is going to be the answer long-term, so maybe he'll find a role at some point.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I've had it in for enough players myself to know that you shall not, you shall not be moved on the Bernard question, so I'm not going to argue the toss.

Not that any of these players are really worth going to bat for.

The same logic applies to Sigurdsson and Richarlison as a winger too. Yes our best run last season was with those players in those positions. But the attacking set up wasn't why that run happened so it really isn't proof of anything.

 

[Carlito]

The same logic applies to Sigurdsson and Richarlison as a winger too. Yes our best run last season was with those players in those positions. But the attacking set up wasn't why that run happened so it really isn't proof of anything.

If you don't think that the ball moves quicker and easier, or that Digne isn't in the game more, with Bernard in the team, fair enough.

 

[TheBigIguana]

If you don't think that the ball moves quicker and easier, or that Digne isn't in the game more, with Bernard in the team, fair enough.

Does that lead to us scoring more goals though? That's the part that matters and what I'm not so sure of.