Lua Lua - Loan until end of season

[Withdean Wanderer]

Am I dreaming?

1) NSC agrees with me.
2) Nobody has called me a twat.

Unbelievable Jeff.

 

[Tomnorthi]

And he stopped his 3 series BMW to let me cross Eldred Avenue whilst walking to withdean. Number plate K9 LUA

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

And he stopped his 3 series BMW to let me cross Eldred Avenue whilst walking to withdean. Number plate K9 LUA

Best cross he did all day then

 

[Tomnorthi]

Best cross he did all day then

Yeah

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Wasn't Gus being lambasted for ignoring the left during the transfer window?

Gosh. We got a decent player on loan. Why didn't we offer £1m plus during the transfer window?

 

[Skaville]

Isn't it nice to have someone who beats players so easily? He just seems to drift past people without having to even make an effort. Makes you realise how long we've been putting up with people like Cox for. Sign this guy up NOW.

Lua Lua - Beats people, no end product
Cox - Can't beat people, end product

That's why they're both with a League One side. It's a funny old game.

 

[Skaville]

But for me, as a winger you've got to be able to beat a man unless you've got Beckham-like crossing ability. Clearly, noone in league one has got that. For far too long we've been one-dimensional, slow and predictable, but with a couple of truly flair signings in Calderon and Lua Lua we look like we've got something a bit different at last.

I didn't particularly mean to run down Cox, I don't mind him too much. But he can't beat a man and his crossing is pretty standard. I wouldn't describe him as having end product. If he sets up goals it's because he has a million attempts at doing so. Give me KAZENGA any day, because the bit he's missing is what we should be able to teach him.

I keep banging on about this, but he has finished number one on assists three seasons on the trot. Yes, he's had plenty of attempts, but so has every other midfielder we have had in the squad over the same period.

His cameo against Wycombe in the league this season is Cox playing to his potential and for me he has the kind of invention that nobody else in our squad has. I'm not sure that you can teach that.

 

[Tomnorthi]

Seagulls keen to extend LuaLua's loan From The Argus)

 

[Skaville]

But, and again I don't wish to start slagging him off, what real competition has he had for that accolade in the last three years? We haven't had a single creative midfielder for ages, and Cox has been the only regular winger. So, kind of by default I guess, he has to be top of the assist table.

Now we've actually got a couple of really threatening players out wide I think it shows what we've been missing out on. Ok, they might not be perfect, but you can see in the last 2 or 3 games how having dangerous players on the wings really messes with the other team's plans. Let's be honest, is defending against Cox really that difficult? He won't outpace you and if you show him outside he can't cross. I don't know, maybe he's got more to his game than I'm noticing

My point is he has guile and can play a defence splitting pass. Who else can do that at this club? Dicker maybe? I still think he's a terrific option even if it's off the bench and possibly played in the hole/central midfield. He'd be good in Navarro's current role - not a position he's been tried in within a 4-5-1 I don't think.

 

[Skaville]

I've always said I think Cox's best position is a central one. The problem is he's got no defensive ability so how do you fit him in? You would have to play 4-5-1 all the time. You're right, he can play a clever ball and we've suffered from having noone in the middle to do that for years, but I think Gus' mind is probably made up to be honest.

Yep. He's a gonna. Odds on to be turning it on at Southampton next season.

 

[pishhead]

I think the fact he hasn't been loaned out is probably a sign that gus does in fact rate him but wants him to possibly change one or two things about his game, If we are in fact safe come the end of the season I reckon we will probably see players like Cox being given a few games at the end of the season to show Poyet that he does indeed have something different and is worth persevering with.
Just my two penneth worth.

 

[Mowgli]

Would be great if we could get him permanently, seems to be able to go past pretty much anyone with ease, would love to see him really stretch his legs at some point and improve his final ball!

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

My point is he has guile and can play a defence splitting pass. Who else can do that at this club? Dicker maybe? I still think he's a terrific option even if it's off the bench and possibly played in the hole/central midfield. He'd be good in Navarro's current role - not a position he's been tried in within a 4-5-1 I don't think.

Don't think he could play in Navarros role, he plays just in front of the back 4 breaking up play and Cox is not a tackler. He could probably play in Dickers role, but would we want to leave him out to accomodate Cox?

 

[Skaville]

Don't think he could play in Navarros role, he plays just in front of the back 4 breaking up play and Cox is not a tackler. He could probably play in Dickers role, but would we want to leave him out to accomodate Cox?

The way I see it, Navarro's job does involve getting amongst it, but he is not predominantly a tackler (which is good thing as it's not his strongest attribute). Crofts is there to put himself about. Navarro's role is to take the ball from the defence and distribute it (exactly what Thomson failed to do in his time with the club).

Paul Scholes is an example of a player who can do this job well without necessarily being able to tackle well.