DarrenFreemansPerm
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There isn’t a player in our team that wouldn’t benefit from us having a true defensive midfielder. It’s a large and glaringly obvious hole. Baleba isn’t it, he’s a good player but he’s more box to box than DM.
I remember one guest talking quite strongly about this on Albion Roar.excellent point - there was a thread at some point that summer suggesting we should sell MacAllister
He’s ok when we are on top. Showboating.He hasn’t got up to speed in the premier league yet and I don’t think he ever will. It’s clearly too fast and too physical.
This. We’ve clearly sold Caicedo “out of sequence” (we’d have been planning to lose him next summer). This is one of the risks with our strategy if one of our talents progresses hugely and quickly (coupled with greedy leeching agents), we could find ourselves short in a key area. Hopefully lessons for the club, as we now (IMHO) need to find a first team ready DM in January, along with a fullback, in a window when we traditionally don’t do much business.There isn’t a player in our team that wouldn’t benefit from us having a true defensive midfielder. It’s a large and glaringly obvious hole. Baleba isn’t it, he’s a good player but he’s more box to box than DM.
Perhaps but don’t we always a short list for key staff / players at all times ? And Caicedo leaving was no secret for months really.This. We’ve clearly sold Caicedo “out of sequence” (we’d have been planning to lose him next summer). This is one of the risks with our strategy if one of our talents progresses hugely and quickly (coupled with greedy leeching agents), we could find ourselves short in a key area. Hopefully lessons for the club, as we now (IMHO) need to find a first team ready DM in January, along with a fullback, in a window when we traditionally don’t do much business.
Jesus, what a fantastic post.Baleba's 19, very inexperienced and in a new league. I'd say he's doing well. The fee was high but we're investing in potential.
I'd say he's doing pretty well so far.
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(all stats per 90 in the PL this season)
He was virtually anonymous. Our Midfield non existent. Was a lot better with more control when Gilmour came onHe shows glimpses of real quality but also doesn't seem capable of doing the simple things at times. Not giving up on him yet but the performance today didn't exactly do much to atone for costing us two points against Sheff U. Hopefully he'll come good eventually.
with Mitoma, Igor and Hinshlewood.He was virtually anonymous. Our Midfield non existent. Was a lot better with more control when Gilmour came on
Interesting. But watching games as played rather than by stats. I don't think anyone would seriously argue that Baleba is currently a better player for us than Caicedo was?Baleba's 19, very inexperienced and in a new league. I'd say he's doing well. The fee was high but we're investing in potential.
I'd say he's doing pretty well so far.
View attachment 171017
(all stats per 90 in the PL this season)
Does he though? Maybe as a kind of play making AMC, but defensively he’s woeful… so expecting him to run the midfield with industry and tenacity in the tackle is the dictionary definition of a folly… yet, Roberto seems to be of another opinion… in short he reminds me of lazy Davy, who needed a ball winning ball breaker or two behind him to look the part…Think Dahoud will come good. He has the quality.
Feel he would benefit from a decent run of games though, which he hasn't had yet (partly his own fault).
Interesting. But watching games as played rather than by stats. I don't think anyone would seriously argue that Baleba is currently a better player for us than Caicedo was?
The one benchmark I keep thinking back to is Biss in his first season (young age, from French League 1), he too was similarly raw with inconsistent performances, flashes of something special but also not quite at it consistently.
We all know how pivotal and improved Biss became with time, patience and games.
I'm really hopeful in 19yo Baleba we will have another Bissouma. Next season will be his year, this season is about finding his feet.
Potential is evident
Except he did make telling contributions in the Everton and Ajax games so writing him off completely is just the standard NSC poster overreactionDoes he though? Maybe as a kind of play making AMC, but defensively he’s woeful… so expecting him to run the midfield with industry and tenacity in the tackle is the dictionary definition of a folly… yet, Roberto seems to be of another opinion… in short he reminds me of lazy Davy, who needed a ball winning ball breaker or two behind him to look the part…
Sadly we sold both of our PL level and genuine DMC/MCs over the summer and recruited an inexperienced box to box flyer who is somewhere between early Biss and errrmmm himself, something we don’t really know much about ourselves right now… Roberto doesn’t seem to either, which is a slight concern.
Back to Mo… he’s not pulling up trees, he’s not doing enough, he’s not making telling contributions… it’s a case of he should be better than he is… so why isn’t he ? He’s not 21, he’s played at a high level… for me, he’s not being used correctly but I doubt he will be unless we fix the deeper midfield areas and fast.