Navarro not very good thread.

[jordanseagull]

I got so, so frustrated with Navarro today. He is unfit, and as a result, sticks out a huge useless leg to anybody about to run past him, giving away free kick after free kick. Gave them the free kick where they hit the bar, too.

Skinned with extreme ease, he offers nothing. He does tackle hard, because he is very heavy. However, only 30% of his tackles end up anything other than a failure, or a foul. IF he gets the ball, he'll either play a slow ball to the right person, or a nicely paced ball behind the man. 1 out of every 10 occasions, however, we do see the best of both worlds.

The problem is, when he's been passed, there is no catching up. He has to stop tumbling forwards first.

Just like Colchester, where he had to steady himself, after committing to a block by the byline, before trying to run after the player. Unfortunately, the ball was in the net by this time, and the game had restarted.

I am not blasting him here, with a sole purpose of putting the guy down. He may be trying his best, fair enough. But the fact is, I really do see nothing that he can add to s Leauge 1 club. He cannot tackle consistently. He cannot sprint fast. His fitness is woeful. He hasn't had a shot in about 15 matches. He cannot be part of, what we hope, next year, to be a play off team.

In response to WW above me, I feel as though Navarro was better with his first spell. Most were saying he deserved the place ahead of Crofts, back then.

 

[cjd]

2) Navarro has been alright during his second spell in the team, He's a defensive midfielder who does what he's good at - which in his case is making the tackles and getting rid of the ball fast.

f***ing brilliant comedian you are.



PS: Your pitiful support for Navarro is as useful as Lord Longfords support for Myra Hindley.

 

[theonesmith]

Sorry WW- I respect your opinion and will not lower myself to insulting you- but I do disagree strongly. Did you see the game today? He actually offered nothing. Nothing. That's the best and simplest way of describing him today. Nothing. Maybe took up space. Dicker was, in contrast, excellent. Won the ball- despite you saying he is unable to do that, dribbled with the ball, played through balls to our forwards feet- all this from the LEFT side of midfield.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Sorry WW- I respect your opinion and will not lower myself to insulting you- but I do disagree strongly. Did you see the game today? He actually offered nothing. Nothing. That's the best and simplest way of describing him today. Nothing. Maybe took up space. Dicker was, in contrast, excellent. Won the ball- despite you saying he is unable to do that, dribbled with the ball, played through balls to our forwards feet- all this from the LEFT side of midfield.

Didn't go today thankfully.

Fair enough if that's what happened, I'll take your word for it, but I'll have to have a pinch of salt with it I'm afraid.

I'm no mystic meg, but I could have started a thread at 2pm forecasting what people would come out with about our performance, particularly that of Navarro and Dicker - I've yet to be surprised.

 

[Silent Bob]

1) Dicker is a tidy player but he doesn't offer any more than "composure" - he isn't good enough defensively to regain posession, and he doesn't do enough if the final third to change matches. You won't see him make the 'killer pass'. Tidy, simple passing is good, if you can do it over a variety of distances having won the ball from your opponent, but Dicker doesn't do that.

2) Navarro has been alright during his second spell in the team, but the majority continue to slate him simply because he didn't perform at the beginning of the season when he kept fans favourite Dicker out of the team. He's a defensive midfielder who does what he's good at - which in his case is making the tackles and getting rid of the ball fast. He's in the team doing this job to add to the defence, which clearly isn't up to it.

It's no co-incidence that there are threads on here about how shit Navarro is each week despite him playing on the left, yet as soon as Poyet tries playing Dicker there instead and it doesn't work, it's all the managers fault for playing a man out of position.

I disagree with your assessment, in fact I'd say that Dicker's longer passes are probably better than his shorter ones I think the view that he doesn't score or "assist" is far too simplistic. There are other things you can do on the football field, Dicker may not create that many opportunities because he mostly plays in the middle third, but he is usually the one who starts the moves which lead to opportunities with intelligent and accurate passing. Also, I disagree about his defensive capabilities, this must be a perspective thing because while he doesn't make that many spectacular eye catching tackles I often see him just nip in and take the ball from players.

On the other hand Navarro seems to struggle to even get close to players, he always seems to be 2 yards off the play, and when he does get close he never actually wins the ball. He can be outpaced easily, and more surprisingly he seems to be brushed off with alarming ease. In possession he's poor, that's undeniable. He certainly hasn't been playing on the left anyway, we've been playing no one on the left, Dicker and Crofts in the middle, and Navarro ostensibly playing between the defence and midfield. That was the same today as in the last 4 or 5 games we've been using this formation, Dicker perhaps pulled out to the left a little more than he has done so far, which was predictably ineffective.

 

[theonesmith]

Didn't go today thankfully.

Fair enough if that's what happened, I'll take your word for it, but I'll have to have a pinch of salt with it I'm afraid.

I'm no mystic meg, but I could have started a thread at 2pm forecasting what people would come out with about our performance, particularly that of Navarro and Dicker - I've yet to be surprised.

Without attacking your point of view- maybe this deluge of posts is repeated regularly on this subject as most people see these players in this light. No doubt there is a stereotype in some peoples sides, and some people jump on the bandwagon, but I don't think there is any defending Navarro's performance today in his favoured holding role, and Dicker was perhaps my man of the match- maybe beaten by Bennett. As much as I can recall he only made one mistake- and he won the ball straight back after that..

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Didn't go today thankfully.

Don't make ignorant comments then. Navarro was the worst player on the pitch and I'd go so far as to say Hawkins' performance against Hartlepool in the FA Cup last season was a masterclass in comparison. Navarro was a joke today, fact.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Don't make ignorant comments then. Navarro was the worst player on the pitch and I'd go so far as to say Hawkins' performance against Hartlepool in the FA Cup last season was a masterclass in comparison. Navarro was a joke today, fact.

Haven't really made ignorant comments have I, as I've given an opinion on NSCers and the games I've seen Navarro play - i.e. not todays game!

(without wanting to sound like a show-off, I've seen 10 out of the last 11 games, so I'm fairly sure I'm justified in having an opinion)

 

[Ninja Elephant]

You're justified in having an opinion, unlike you I don't begrudge someone having their say and don't throw a load of abuse and vile someones way. But you weren't there specifically today, so you can't comment on how bad he was today. He was pathetic, and you would have loved his performance because you could have moaned about it all the way home.

 

[seagullwedgee]

is it just me?

the worst of the lot today, by several country miles, was Crofts.

totally anonymous from start to finish, way behind the pace, did precisely nothing. is he ill or injured, or both?

Leave off navs and d1cks, today the skipper let us down, and what's more he knows it...

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Crofts was less effective than usual, perhaps, but we was far more involved than Navarro and he was unlucky a few times that the ball didn't drop for him when he'd made some good runs into good positions. He looks the missing link to me, we should be playing him in the advanced role with Dicker next to him in a conventional 4-4-2 and when Poyet can sign a left winger in january, we'll see that I'm sure.

 

[shoreham moonraker]

Didnt Crofts have Douglas in his pocket?

 

[mona]

Swindon signed Jonathan Douglas on a free from Leeds during the summer. We were chasing players like Jake Wright, Smith and Navarro at that time. Bad summer signings have cost us dearly. Douglas would have been ideal for the Albion. Yesterday he played just in front of the back four and held the team together.
Part of Navarro's problem is his lack of athleticism - and Dicker won the ball more than he did yesterday.

 

[glasfryn]

No one in our car coming back from Swindon can think of a single good word to say about Navarro. Anyone know why he keeps getting picked?

cause everyone in the car does not manage the Albion Gus does and its his choice

 

[The Merry Prankster]

cause everyone in the car does not manage the Albion Gus does and its his choice

Wouldn't disagree with that. Just want to know if we are missing something. WW would have us believe that he is a defensive midfielder who's crunching tackles and excellent distribution add beef to a lightweight midfield comprised of showboating dllettantes like Dicker. Everyone else seems slightly baffled.

 

[Jim D]

The problem is, when he's been passed, there is no catching up..

I would agree with that. Against Charlton he started off well - made some tackles and looked busy. That lasted about 15 mins and then he just got slower and slower. In the end Charlton were going past him and he had nothing left. I don't know if its fitness or something else - an injury perhaps. It probably also explains why MK were happy to release him.

 

[theonesmith]

Incidentally, El-Abd had quite a mixed game yesterday. Some excellent stuff and he looked much more comfortable going forward, but I think he still needs a couple of games just to re-adjust to playing on the right. Put in a great ball on his left foot though- think he's ambidextrous now!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Didnt Crofts have Douglas in his pocket?

Well, no.

Dicker put in ALOT of firm tackles on him though, that was fantastic to see. The DR loved seeing Dicker fight off about 4 tackles from your blokes (including one when he was on the floor!) and not one of them could get it off him. That was class.

But in all seriousness, Douglas was absolutely brilliant yesterday and must have been a very close second to McGovern for man of the match, both were brilliant.

 

[Acker79]

Wouldn't disagree with that. Just want to know if we are missing something.

I'd say you were. And so are the majority on here.


I don't know what it is though. Gus has picked him and given him a task to do, and whatever that task is, he must be doing it. Gus has no reason to keep picking him if he isn't. He didn't sign Navarro, so isn't persevering in the hope of being proved right in picking him. He isn't someone Gus has history with as a great player and so Gus plays him in the hope of bringing out the old Navarro. Gus has show a willingness to drop players who aren't performing.

So, he must be doing whatever it is Gus asks of him, even if we can't work out what it is.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I'd say you were. And so are the majority on here.


I don't know what it is though. Gus has picked him and given him a task to do, and whatever that task is, he must be doing it. Gus has no reason to keep picking him if he isn't. He didn't sign Navarro, so isn't persevering in the hope of being proved right in picking him. He isn't someone Gus has history with as a great player and so Gus plays him in the hope of bringing out the old Navarro. Gus has show a willingness to drop players who aren't performing.

So, he must be doing whatever it is Gus asks of him, even if we can't work out what it is.

Were you there yesterday? Did you see how inept he was? If he had a job, he specifically didn't do it. He didn't influence the play at all, he was about as effective as Steven Thomson was, completely invisible and seriously hampering the team. I would go so far as to say that playing Navarro yesterday was the equivalent of playing Swindon with only 10 men. That's how bad he was.