....chuffed Davies played well but I also wonder how much he contributed to Gomes’ return to top form. I don’t think that was a coincidence.
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catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
I said as much after the game. To have a 2nd player in there who can carry the ball and make space to pass the ball forward seems to help Gomes and means you can't just mark him.
On a broader point both he and Davies are almost throwback midfield players who did a bit of everything.It's refreshing and shows to a certain degree that the game of football doesn't inherently change. There's been a lot of trying to box midfielders in to a specific role, but actually if you get two lads who want to tackle, pass, carry the ball, press and get into both boxes they can cover for one another.
I had a similar feeling watching Manchester United and Brighton (against Spurs) in relation to strikers. We've been told for a while 2 strikers doesn't work, it's old fashioned, it's too rigid etc. Yet what I saw in both games were a pair of strikers, with good mobility and movement really help their sides out and dovetail well.
Anyway back to Davies, football is about partnerships. Even when Davies enjoyed good form it never felt we had found the right partner for him, and I suspect the same is true for Gomes (but for a bit at the back end with Gana). I hope these two get a little run together where we can put a few positive results on the board.
Stoic Ape
Player Valuation: £5m
Is osm any good?
Should Davies be playing a similar role to Greilish do we think?
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
Shock horror that football team plays better football when best two midfield footballers are selected together in midfield.
Managers keep returning to this kid because he has got something about him. You can knock him for his lack of pace, lack of goal scoring, and whatever else he gets criticised on here for but time and time again his selection proves that when he plays he makes stuff happen and other players play well around him. He links play, he looks forward, he can take it on the turn. Schneiderlin Gbamin and Delph just cannot do these things. He deserves credit where it’s due and deserves an opportunity in the team because frankly Schneiderlin and Siggurdson have been disgraceful.
Managers keep returning to this kid because he has got something about him. You can knock him for his lack of pace, lack of goal scoring, and whatever else he gets criticised on here for but time and time again his selection proves that when he plays he makes stuff happen and other players play well around him. He links play, he looks forward, he can take it on the turn. Schneiderlin Gbamin and Delph just cannot do these things. He deserves credit where it’s due and deserves an opportunity in the team because frankly Schneiderlin and Siggurdson have been disgraceful.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
Be fair, we have no idea if Gbamin can do that yet.
Saint Domingo
Player Valuation: £80m
I like Gbamin and think he comes back into the line up when fit but from what little we saw of him he looks like a screening defensive mid rather than a midfield schemer. That will be useful in certain games for sure but what has been proven time and time again is we can’t just put Schneiderlin and Siggurdson our as 2/3s of a midfield three and expect to play flowing football. It won’t happen. Both are too static and lacking in skill.
Schneids back in on Saturday with Lewin and Sigurdsson.
Blue Magic
Player Valuation: £1.5m
In Peaky Blinders?
Cool_Blue
Player Valuation: £35m
We may have found our new super sub after Saturday, keep off the pitch until the final 10 minutes then come on and score a wonder goal
Diogenes the Cynic
Player Valuation: £40m
That's the thing for me mate, to say "we're missing Gbamin" when we don't actually know how good he is, or what he's going to bring to the side. You would think he's played loads of games before his injury and was absolutely boss. He's a 'reserve judgement' player at this moment in time.
Diogenes the Cynic
Player Valuation: £40m
Toms problem was never talent, full tilt and playing to his full potential hes an excellent player always was, his problem has been consistency, hes 21 years old, still 5-7 years off his peak, understanding that and allowing for inconsistency in his development and not making a snap judgement on his worth at 21 is the key, he will have many more up and down moments as he develops.
Bit im delighted he showed his worth at the weekend.
Bit im delighted he showed his worth at the weekend.
I wouldn't say 'time and again'. He's had plenty of games where he's been awful and made the players around him look worse too. I believe we won 3 of the 10 league games he started last season, 2 of them against teams who finished 19th and 20th, so it might be stretching the truth a little to suggest that we always play better with him in the side.
He's not a bad player, but my issue with Davies is that his level on Saturday is about as good as he ever is, and it's only 'good' rather than 'excellent'. Hopefully he can use this performance as a springboard and start to put consistent quality performances in.
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