Steven Pienaar

[AndyZ]

Bonkers stuff. Especially that in bold.

Absolutely bonkers.

completely agree. Pienaar is absolutely key for us. Not saying he doesn't have an off game, but still largely a good player for us.

 

[dannyboy]

completely agree. Pienaar is absolutely key for us. Not saying he doesn't have an off game, but still largely a good player for us.

You wouldn't think he was key for us if we had a real quality player in that position contributing with goals and assists.

 

[mkrudden]

You must be watching something completely different to me then.

What do you think when you watch games like last night and Arsenal away? We enjoy a lot of possession without any cutting edge. In his position he's got to be giving us more if we want to get into Europe.

Sorry mate...

Are you saying that his performance against Liverpool last night was similar to his one against Arsenal away?

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Think he's been good at times this season. He's getting to the stage in his career though where he's beginning to lose his sharpness so will phase in & out of games regularly.

I think he's good for 70/75 minutes in a game, in which case subbing him with someone with more pace would give us an extra dimension. Perhaps that will happen regularly with McGeady coming in?

 

[Groucho]

It's easy to pull individual players to pieces after a defeat like that, but all were awful apart from Mirallas last night.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Bonkers stuff. Especially that in bold.

Absolutely bonkers.

In what way is it bonkers? Sure he's tidy but how many assists does he get? How many goals? He doesn't provide a direct threat. McGeady will replace him in the starting XI next year.

 

[dannyboy]

Sorry mate...

Are you saying that his performance against Liverpool last night was similar to his one against Arsenal away?

I'm saying that he lacks the ability to open a team up/effect a game where it matters. If Pienaar stays as a regular choice then we're going to continue looking short of ideas in the final third against teams who are well organised defensively.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

I'm saying that he lacks the ability to open a team up/effect a game where it matters. If Pienaar stays as a regular choice then we're going to continue looking short of ideas in the final third against teams who are well organised defensively.

Correct. He's someone we should be looking to replace in the first team soon, especially given his age. He was better in his first stint for us. I liked Pienaar mk1, I don't like Pienaar mk2.

 

[toffeestillidie]

I'm saying that he lacks the ability to open a team up/effect a game where it matters. If Pienaar stays as a regular choice then we're going to continue looking short of ideas in the final third against teams who are well organised defensively.

... Pienaar has always been that type of player for us... doesn't make him a less important player.

 

[dannyboy]

... Pienaar has always been that type of player for us... doesn't make him a less important player.

Why can't you see how much this affects our play though? We have Barry and McCarthy holding, we therefore need our front 4 to be causing all kinds of havoc down the other end.

Pienaar just doesn't have enough impact. I'll repeat the fact he has 1 goal and 1 assist this season. Is that good enough for an attacking player?

 

[Joey66]

No where near fit last night! also count Alcaraz and Jags also and RB just coming back a big gamble that back fired - on another point I have the full fixture book of past EFC games - Anfield = a graveyard of results just looking at some 1960's results 4 and 5 0 defeats were common - Elland road - Craven Cottage also bad away grounds for us also!

 

[UFO]

For those that know my opinion on Baines, forgive me for the repetition...

I totally and utterly disagree with you here mate.

He's NEVER going to get you more than 5 goals a year. He's highly unlikely to get you more than 5 assists.

It's these two points which I believe lead people like yourself mate to state that, in a word, he's cr@p.

Steven Pienaar is, on the ball, our best player (soon to be displaced by Barkley I must add).

He was worse than bad last night, but he look about 25% fit. He was risked and it didn't pay off.

He is one of the few players we have that can take the ball, under pressure or not, ANYWHERE on the pitch and distribute it sensibly.

His performance against Arsenal was only slightly shy of perfect. Between the lines of arsenals back four and midfield, he linked with the forwards and Oviedo brilliantly. Against Southampton he was fantastic too. There's other games, like Hull, where he's come on and made a difference with a piece of brilliance.

His partnership with Baines is still the best in the league.

I don't mean to rant mate, because it's a forum and your entitled to your opinion... It's just I think that being an everton fan is more than being a utd fan or, dare I say it, a kopites where players abilities are based on their goal/assist stats. We recognise and appreciate quality, and Steven pienaar is quality.

100% agree with everything you've written there. When fit, he is indispensable.

 

[mkrudden]

In what way is it bonkers? Sure he's tidy but how many assists does he get? How many goals? He doesn't provide a direct threat. McGeady will replace him in the starting XI next year.

It's bonkers, reason being explained in my earlier post.

He's far more than just being tidy. See arsenal away. See Southampton at home. just because he wasn't the guy squaring the ball 5 yards for Lukaku to score then he isn't worth having? He's ineffective? He's just 'tidy'.... And yet he was the one who set McCarthy free to make that pass with a through ball that few of our players even have the vision to see let alone the ability to execute it.

Sure he isn't a direct threat in that, as explained earlier, he won't get you bags of assists and goals... But in terms of making us play the Roberto way, using the ball well, opening up the opposition for the likes of Ross, Baines, Kev and Lukaku to thrive in...?

Football is so much more than goals and assists. Genuinely can't understand why you can't see that.

And to your proposal of just playing McGeady? We've seen him for a whole 20 mins in the premier league. 0 goals. 0 assists. Does that make him just 'tidy' too?

Deary, Deary me.

 

[graeme2911]

He has just not been the same since he came back from Spurs, slow and doesn't really offer much apart from good link up play with Baines. Think we should give McGeady a run in the team on the left and play Deulofeu on the right. I think Martinez will try and get rid of him in the next couple of years to be honest, apart from his goal against Hull has he really done much this season and will be do much more for us?

Not having that. It's his job to create chances and score goals in the position he plays within our system. He doesn't do either.

That's why we enjoy so much possession against teams without creating much in terms of chances.

Crazy.

The football manager and opta stats which has had such a presence in the last decade or so has really warped how people perceive a footballer.
A winger who doesn't score or assist every 2.3 games??? Must be gash.

Forget stats, open you eyes and watch the game and it's clear to see how important Pienaar (esp on song) is to us.

Btw, Barkley has 3 goals 0 assists in 20. Hardly setting the world on fire according to them stats.

 

[bicycleheader]

For those that know my opinion on Baines, forgive me for the repetition...

I totally and utterly disagree with you here mate.

He's NEVER going to get you more than 5 goals a year. He's highly unlikely to get you more than 5 assists.

It's these two points which I believe lead people like yourself mate to state that, in a word, he's cr@p.

Steven Pienaar is, on the ball, our best player (soon to be displaced by Barkley I must add).

He was worse than bad last night, but he look about 25% fit. He was risked and it didn't pay off.

He is one of the few players we have that can take the ball, under pressure or not, ANYWHERE on the pitch and distribute it sensibly.

His performance against Arsenal was only slightly shy of perfect. Between the lines of arsenals back four and midfield, he linked with the forwards and Oviedo brilliantly. Against Southampton he was fantastic too. There's other games, like Hull, where he's come on and made a difference with a piece of brilliance.

His partnership with Baines is still the best in the league.

I don't mean to rant mate, because it's a forum and your entitled to your opinion... It's just I think that being an everton fan is more than being a utd fan or, dare I say it, a kopites where players abilities are based on their goal/assist stats. We recognise and appreciate quality, and Steven pienaar is quality.

This is an absolute perfect assessment of Pienaar and his importance to us.

The only thing I would add, because the original post talks about replacing him in the team, is that AT THE MOMENT he is one of the first names on the team sheet every time....hugely important to how we play, and how we build up. He is a level above technically in taking the ball in key areas and turning to put us on the front foot. Him and Barkley. Without them, it's not the same, we don't get between the lines. Its staler and more predictable.

I say at the moment, because it is the two statistical faults mentioned here that mean he he is not good enough at the very top level and we should be looking to get a player who can do what he does but add an end product. However we do not have this player in our squad right now and because of this he stays in the team and starts whenever fit.

He is crucial, and I don't know how anybody can fail to see this.