Villa87 Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 His baby was born today hence being in Spain! Congrats etc, but also hopefully means he will be good to play on Sunday too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 13 minutes ago, Villa87 said: His baby was born today hence being in Spain! Congrats etc, but also hopefully means he will be good to play on Sunday too! lets hope he doesnt get the new born disease of Watkinsitus. it plagued Watkins for ages. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 3 hours ago, Villa87 said: His baby was born today hence being in Spain! Congrats etc, but also hopefully means he will be good to play on Sunday too! I think his baby was born 9/9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 His socials say it was the 9th. This trip to Spain is probably a bit of paternity leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_Afro Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 His reputation was massively enhanced yesterday without him even playing. This is not a slight on Swinkels at all, who did well but without him and Youri our ability to move the ball quickly and effectively through the press was non existent. It made us so easy to play against. He’s so key for our chance creation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted September 25 Share Posted September 25 3 hours ago, M_Afro said: His reputation was massively enhanced yesterday without him even playing. This is not a slight on Swinkels at all, who did well but without him and Youri our ability to move the ball quickly and effectively through the press was non existent. It made us so easy to play against. He’s so key for our chance creation. It was exposed when he was injured last season too. He is utterly crucial to us. And we are much less effective without him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted September 30 VT Supporter Share Posted September 30 For mine, I haven't seen enough from Pau's passing game this season to have him starting in the lineup over Mings (when fit). He's too easy for opposition forwards to target (albeit Ipswich hit the easier target: Konsa on our right). He's not quick. He's easily bullied. He's not great in the air. He's not a great man marker. He's not at all vocal on the pitch. When his passing game goes astray - as it did against Ipswich with too many simple turnovers - he's as much a liability as Konsa at RB or Carlos at RCB. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 1 hour ago, ozvillafan said: For mine, I haven't seen enough from Pau's passing game this season to have him starting in the lineup over Mings (when fit). He's too easy for opposition forwards to target (albeit Ipswich hit the easier target: Konsa on our right). He's not quick. He's easily bullied. He's not great in the air. He's not a great man marker. He's not at all vocal on the pitch. When his passing game goes astray - as it did against Ipswich with too many simple turnovers - he's as much a liability as Konsa at RB or Carlos at RCB. Hmmm not convinced by a lot of this especially that he's not vocal. I believe he's very vocal. Least of our problems - he brings calm and quality. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 30 VT Supporter Share Posted September 30 Yeah agreed. He wasn't great yesterday, too many long balls to nobody in particular, which is unusual for him. It happens, the whole team was poor Overall he's one of our most important players 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilbertoAVFC Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 No chance Mings starts over Pau in our current situation. Mings would start as RCB if anything, which is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderball Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 6 hours ago, ozvillafan said: For mine, I haven't seen enough from Pau's passing game this season to have him starting in the lineup over Mings (when fit). Wow, astonishing statement. Pau is possibly our most important player. Honestly, the expectation on modern "defenders" in a progressive team is more than being tall and good at a last ditch challenge, the team and its set up has failed if that's what we are relying on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted September 30 VT Supporter Share Posted September 30 10 minutes ago, thunderball said: Wow, astonishing statement. Pau is possibly our most important player. Honestly, the expectation on modern "defenders" in a progressive team is more than being tall and good at a last ditch challenge, the team and its set up has failed if that's what we are relying on. I agree - but the point I'm making is that the current passing levels Pau is producing is no better than Mings. Everything else is a trade off. We can't be shipping 2 goals a game because Pau has the occasional good pass in him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 That block in the second half was huge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Steve Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 2 minutes ago, Wainy316 said: That block in the second half was huge World class stuff. Pau is crucial to our play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 30 VT Supporter Share Posted September 30 44 minutes ago, ozvillafan said: I agree - but the point I'm making is that the current passing levels Pau is producing is no better than Mings. This isn't even close to being true 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picicata Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: This isn't even close to being true Was probably true about yesterday, his passing was nothing special. However, the whole team was crap so we shouldn't hold it against him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 30 VT Supporter Share Posted September 30 Just now, picicata said: Was probably true about yesterday, his passing was nothing special. However, the whole team was crap so we shouldn't hold it against him Yeah yesterday fine. I agree that Pau was off it on that front yesterday but the OP implied his passing in general Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterw Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 I've said this elsewhere but for me there is a huge 'the emperor's new clothes' about Torres. He's exceptional on the ball and without Luiz is probably alone in setting our tempo. He is absolute class on the ball and rarely gives it away or misplaces a pass. The intercepted pass Konsa made that led to their second yesterday, wouldn't have been such a technically poor execution if it had been Torres. However, he isn't there just for that he is there for his defending, which I have to say on the whole is very average at best. He'll get bullied by a bigger striker, rarely seems to win 50/50 duels on the ground and isn't very good in the air. I'm struggling to remember any corner or free-kick that we are defending when you see Torres has cleared it. Towards the back end of this season, and definitely going on into this season we concede so many goals with a ball into the middle from wide, or just players going through the middle that it is becoming noticeable that teams are targeting us there. I appreciate that a lot of runs through the middle would be negated with Kamara being there, but knowing he is out and neither Onana or Tielemans are DCM's it does become questionable that Dendoncker and/or Barrenechea were not retained for that role. However, there are reasons for them, and in particular Onana to be given the job and in the main he has been okay. Yet, we are conceding in every league game and that isn't acceptable. If we're being brutally honest neither Torres or Carlos are good enough for the levels we achieved last season, and what we are trying to achieve this. If you look across our back 4, 5 if you want to include Martinez, if they were all sold to an English team tomorrow what are their levels? Martinez would be at a CL team, Konsa likely to be picked up by a CL or Europa League team. Probably a Man U. Digne would also have his takers. Carlos? Well, we'll say Fulham or below. Torres? I'd say maybe a West Ham. He's just not good enough as a top defender. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 6 minutes ago, peterw said: Torres? I'd say maybe a West Ham. He's just not good enough as a top defender. This just isn't true. He'd be easily good enough for anyone in and around our position, Chelsea, Spurs, Brighton for a start and would more than likely be even better in a Liverpool, Arsenal or City team whereby he's not expected to do as much. The fact he's a Spanish international with 24 caps dictates he's a top defender. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 I thought some of the long balls were off target yesterday, but his short passing looked better; lots of sharp passes into feet in the middle of the park and getting Ipswich turned. That chance early in the second half where Ramsey messed up the ball to Rogers after great play down the left all started with Torres excellently beating the press. If anything, teams are targeting us down our right side, not down our left, because we look much more exposed there. Torress and Digne have for the most part been pretty solid overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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