Steven Pienaar

[bicycleheader]

I like it the best when he holds onto the ball long enough to slow the attacking move down

LOVE IT

He does do that in fairness Del, but he does plenty good too. I don't think him messing up an attack like this is any different than Kev running into a blind alley or passing straight at a defender...although maybe more annoying. The thing is they are all just a level below what we'd like to have. You dont want a guy who always slows the play down and you dont want the head down attacker who goes for it allll the time, but you'd ideally have a bit of both. Which I think we will have, but with better players.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

He's been gash this season.

Hope he doesn't play again. We've done well without him.

 

[bicycleheader]

He's been gash this season.

Hope he doesn't play again. We've done well without him.

certainly hasnt been gash, thats a nonsense.

always with the extremes on here...gash or world class

 

[toffeestillidie]

My god are you a fickle bunch, Pienaar was great last season and great at the beginning of this season. He's played poorly this season about as many times as Lukaku has, some on here only seem to assess players based on their last one or two performances.

We had a great run of form since Pienaar has been injured, great! We had our longest unbeaten run when Baines was injured, is Baines crap too? We've won every single game since Jagielka has been injured, so he's just a squad player now?

Get a grip, maybe he shouldn't be starting week-in, week-out, especially now that we have a fair amount of depth, but to say he's completely superfluous is ridiculous.

 

[canuckblue]

certainly hasnt been gash, thats a nonsense.

always with the extremes on here...gash or world class

World-class gash? Is that better than turbo gash?

 

[bicycleheader]

World-class gash? Is that better than turbo gash?

i dunno if its better, but itd be bloody expensive!

 

[Dymak]

He has another two years on his contract and is one of our highest earners, I can't see him going anywhere until his contract expires, as he won't get anywhere near the wages he is on at Everton anywhere else.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

certainly hasnt been gash, thats a nonsense.

always with the extremes on here...gash or world class

I really think he has mate. He's had about 3 good games this season and has contributed next to nothing (1 goal, 2 assists). Really hope that we get a replacement in the summer.

 

[bicycleheader]

I really think he has mate. He's had about 3 good games this season and has contributed next to nothing (1 goal, 2 assists). Really hope that we get a replacement in the summer.

replacement yep for sure, but he really hasnt been gash. he has played his part in our points total, puts a good shift in tracking back always too.

 

[messymascot]

He's been out of form for 18 months in my opinion but would still make a useful squad player. Next season hopefully he'll benefit from not playing every game. If we are to compete next season we need at least 2 new attacking midfielders as I suspect Deulofeu wont be back as Barcelona have that transfer embargo and will need all there current players, so we can ill afford having to buy a third when we would get very little transfer fee for Pienaar given his age.

 

[bicycleheader]

My god are you a fickle bunch, Pienaar was great last season and great at the beginning of this season. He's played poorly this season about as many times as Lukaku has, some on here only seem to assess players based on their last one or two performances.

We had a great run of form since Pienaar has been injured, great! We had our longest unbeaten run when Baines was injured, is Baines crap too? We've won every single game since Jagielka has been injured, so he's just a squad player now?

Get a grip, maybe he shouldn't be starting week-in, week-out, especially now that we have a fair amount of depth, but to say he's completely superfluous is ridiculous.

I was thinking this when I saw somebody post that Kev seems to be back to his best, as if he doesn't have possibly the most erratic form in the squad.

 

[andy4efc]

He does do that in fairness Del, but he does plenty good too. I don't think him messing up an attack like this is any different than Kev running into a blind alley or passing straight at a defender...although maybe more annoying. The thing is they are all just a level below what we'd like to have. You dont want a guy who always slows the play down and you dont want the head down attacker who goes for it allll the time, but you'd ideally have a bit of both. Which I think we will have, but with better players.

Osman does that too. Different games require different things. The games we were poor in may have required a little more intelligence that Pienaar can bring. The recent games, where we have been superb have required pace, direct attacking and strength, something of which Osman and Pienaar don't really give you.

The key to this season has been we have a good squad, not starting 11.

 

[chewee]

If we qualify for europe squad players like Osman & Pienaar will be even more important.

 

[maccavennie]

Pienaar fit = extra body to come in for the run in and make a difference. At this rate we could end up for the last 3 games or so a bench of -

Robles
Del
McGeady
Traore
Pienaar
Jagielka
Osman

That's if Ross and Mirallas and Naismith were picked in the first 11 so at some point these 3 will be on the bench.

That's leaving out Alcaraz has Jags would be in before him ( but maybe not displacing Stones currently ) and Gibson who may make it at the end but won't be match fit. With Kone and Oviedo ( both part of the squad next season ) and to a lesser extent Hibbert still back up it's a bloody good squad we have full of quality, youth, experience but most importantly a hunger to do well and smash the so called bullshit ceiling that they have been walking under the past few years.

 

[Ehrlin]

Pienaar give you something different than Deulofeu and Mirallas, he plays with little more awareness and judgement instead of always try to go for attack. You need someone like that in your attacking play to mix it up, that's why Osman have started many games when Pienaar is gone. In a perfect world we would find a younger and better version of Pienaar for a summer transfer, but they are usually very expensive. I prefer Pienaar over Osman but think both of them is very well needed in the squad and there role is underrated by many fans as they do very much to help the rest of the team to play and the ball to keep moving even if they aren't. I think Pineaar has a decent season.