The Great Baines/Pienaar debate!

[RFUS]

If I had Chico's mad vault excavation skills I'd find a few of my posts from ages ago, basically saying I think Baines made Pienaar look a lot better than he was. Baines and Pienaar's performances since the January window have confirmed this.

That said, Pienaar and Baines had a near-psychic understanding. It was ridiculous. And Pienaar, before this season, could always be counted on to track back. Osman and Bily don't track back enough, and neither link up with Baines as well. However I second the notion that Gueye could be the answer. He was tracking back well yesterday, for starters, which surprised me. But -- as shown by his deft through ball for Beckford -- he's got vision, and he's got skill. I think he really could compliment Baines incredibly well.

 

[Bluekahunaburgers]

They could each anticipate what they were each gonna do. Baines' 1-2's with peanuts and bainsey then running on and delivering a cross into the box. Watching baines playing for England the other night, you could see him trying emulate what he does week in week out for us. The other England players just didn't utilise him in that way.

Nail and head spring to mind

 

[kenada_blue]

It's the same question when we sold lescott. Who's is more important, jags or lescott etc

But the overall picture is that... They worked well together and had a partnership teams who spends millions would give their left nut for.

If we still had lescott and pienaar we'd be a better team because they just worked for the team.

I love pienaar, he's a cracking player and has been playing with more freedom at spurs. But baines has been less effective nowdays but that's down to his partner on the left. We may never find a right combo for him now.

 

[Brownie]

You can talk about efficiency, but you also have to look at the bigger picture. Much of our best football and our best results of Moyes's time came when Pienaar was in the side. Yes there are more direct players with better goalscoring records, but as a rule they're either extremely expensive or don't offer as much for the team. For me Pienaar was the perfect foil for Baines - although Leighton has still been brilliant, I don't think we have created nearly as many chances from the left hand side since Pienaar left. It's easy to forget just how good they were together, think about it, between them they used to make about seven or eight chances a game.

If we'd had the same kind of partnership on the right, I'm convinced we would have been amazing. Shame we'll never find out now.

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Baines is the better player, but Pienaar was brilliant for us.

Sooner or later, he'll regret that he left.

This^^^

It's a shame, that players like Pienaar have to find out the hard way, that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Oh, and defo Baines btw.

 

[chicoazul]

He's a cracking little player Pienaar and we do miss him. However, his output really wasn't all that when you consider his lack of goals and assists for the past season or two. He did do some boss backheels and play in Baines past the fullback though so it looks boss on MOTD. We miss him, but 3m with six months left was sound.

Never forget the little twittering beaut played down his contract on purpose despite a really good offer so as soon as he left he went into my playersimnotarsedabout.xls list.

 

[zed]

Baines is pretty much irreplaceable and the end result wasnt there enough with pienaar

 

[Goat]

Pienaar was a cracking player for us, anything is better than Billy currently.

We could have played Mucha yesterday and he would have made more effort then Billy.

 

[chicoazul]

Pienaar was a cracking player for us, anything is better than Billy currently.

We could have played Mucha yesterday and he would have made more effort then Billy.

I'm sensing you don't like Bily?

 

[Seamus Colemole]

This^^^

It's a shame, that players like Pienaar have to find out the hard way, that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Oh, and defo Baines btw.

Just out of interest, why will Pienaar regret leaving?

 

[chicoazul]

Just out of interest, why will Pienaar regret leaving?

Because he thought he'd be superskillz'ing all over the show with Spurs and he's turned out to be more average than most of their midfield.

I hope he has Borussia flashbacks, the little greedy ted.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

I'm sure on Tuesday he'll be wishing he was he could be driving round Leicester in Yaks range rover.

 

[chicoazul]

I'm sure on Tuesday he'll be wishing he was he could be driving round Leicester in Yaks range rover.

Defo. He won't even play lad. He's not good enough but his ego thought he was.

backheels*

 

[Goat]

I'm sensing you don't like Bily?

I had a lot of time for the Russian playboy, but I spent yesterday with my mouth open and not just when I was in the Gents............

Hes awful and he cares so little its scary.

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Just out of interest, why will Pienaar regret leaving?

Because I can't seem him fitting into the Spurs starting 11 for the big games. I can understand him wanting to play CL footy, but think he'll be a spectator most of the time. Now, I can't see much joy for him in that. At least at Everton he was almost guaranteed a starting place, because he fitted our needs/system as much as we fitted him.