A fucking awful signing.
Adam banana
- Thread starter Skullflower
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
But like, really really fucking shite
For ten mill possibly. Fucking awful signing.
We overpaid, but he's still a decent signing, pretty simple this one, doesn't deserve a thread or a childish name.
I was delighted we signed him but blimey he's been very, er, frail. I didn't realise how often he'd been subbed for Southampton - whether it was for tiredness or poor form I don't know, but it's been much the same for us. On form he's a really crafty player, but we haven't seen much of that. He needs to really work in pre-season to show he's up for the fight.
I'm still none the wiser why Rodgers wanted him so much. If he thought we were keeping Suarez then Coutinho and Sterling (not to mention Markovic) were more than enough in that broad creative midfield role. If he knew Suarez was off surely the priority should've become putting everything into trying to compensate for that.
I've found it an infuriatingly awful signing right from the start.
I've found it an infuriatingly awful signing right from the start.
Yeah I didn't see the point in the signing at all, and thought we could have got better players for half the price in that position. Shaqiri for example was a player I wanted instead, although I don't know how he's done this season. I thought this signing had giant red flag all over it for so many reasons and sadly it hasn't worked out in any aspect for us. We won't even be able to sell him for decent money due to his age despite this weird belief he's young.
never the right profile for our ambitions.
Actually I don't think that's the problem with him. When he *has* been on the field he's shown no lack of willingness to work hard and battle. The real bugbear has been his fitness and there are certainly some questions to be answered in that respect.
I think he's a good player but as said, the money was inflated big time. He's not really done enough to justify the outlay, other than being a sort of Barmby/Yossi type signing, that would have been ok for a more realistic figure.
The biggest frustration watching him is that he'll do a brilliant turn, or pick a ball out the air with an amazing touch, but then fail to produce anything from it, by being too indecisive and slowing up everything or playing the wrong ball. There was an instance against Chelsea when we had a player free on the left, crying out for the pass, with another player on the right with three opposition defenders around him, so he carries the ball and carries the ball and plays it into the player surrounded by Chelsea players.
He's got alot of talent, but at his age now he really needs to have a couple of seasons where he's on top of his game and fitness, otherwise he'll prove to be another expensive flop.
The biggest frustration watching him is that he'll do a brilliant turn, or pick a ball out the air with an amazing touch, but then fail to produce anything from it, by being too indecisive and slowing up everything or playing the wrong ball. There was an instance against Chelsea when we had a player free on the left, crying out for the pass, with another player on the right with three opposition defenders around him, so he carries the ball and carries the ball and plays it into the player surrounded by Chelsea players.
He's got alot of talent, but at his age now he really needs to have a couple of seasons where he's on top of his game and fitness, otherwise he'll prove to be another expensive flop.
I feared when we signed him that there was a reason he'd never really played at the top level despite being 26. We're finding out now why. Technically he's very good, but as Mark and others have pointed out, he's not intelligent or athletic/fit enough.
I dont think you can use the not fit enough argument.
He covered the 5th most distance in the league last season, with nearly the same total as Henderson in 4th.
He was also very high up in the most sprints per game stats and pressing/winning the ball back.
Was hardly injured before he signed for us aswell.
Oh, I wasn't claiming that he lacked any of that. I just meant he doesn't seem equipped physically to match his creative ambitions. In a weird way he reminds me of Wiltshire. Wiltshire seems to have a game that invites challenges designed to cripple him. I've never seen another player get as many head injuries as Lallana. I still can't quite figure out what he's doing to get them, but the number of times he gets elbowed in the cheek, jaw and head is astonishing. Maybe it's a tactic by the opposition to stop any 'clever' business he has planned, I don't know, but he surely needs to learn some tricks, and get some strength, to avoid this. And, as you say, he seems to lack stamina, which also needs some work over the summer.
I think the fitness and injury propensity thing is a bit of a red herring. He's just not particularly good. Plus we didn't need him.
The fee we paid is a fucking joke. Compared to similar foreign players we could've gone for, he was worth about £7-8m. Given his age on top, a genuinely fair price was £5-6m.
The fee we paid is a fucking joke. Compared to similar foreign players we could've gone for, he was worth about £7-8m. Given his age on top, a genuinely fair price was £5-6m.
I think he's worth a bit more than that, but I agree with pretty much everything else.
He was always taken off before he joined us to save him from breaking down. Plus, you can tell from his body type that he isn't a natural athlete. We'll see a lot more of these injuries during his time with us I feel. I'd honestly consider selling if anyone came in for him for anything over £10m.
Agree with the natural athlete point but not the rest. He's not to reliant on any pace and he has almost never been injured in his career.
He played 3102 mins last season, thats an average of 81,63 mins in the 38 games he was involved.
Seeing as he in that time ran the 5th most in the league, you could say that the fitness issue is bollocks.
Being subbed early in some games is more down tiredness from his work rate, pressing and running (sprints) imho.
I'd give him more time. He's a good player.
He's a very good footballer.
I said this all year long, but imagine how much better he, sterling, Coutinho, and possibly Markovic would have looked had they a Suarez/Costa/Rooney/etc playing in front of them.
Get a fucking world beating number 9 in this summer, and all of a sudden the reliance on the 3 or 4 wingers and number 10's we have to provide the goals diminishes.
Lallana's a good player. In a team full of talent, he'll be even better.
I said this all year long, but imagine how much better he, sterling, Coutinho, and possibly Markovic would have looked had they a Suarez/Costa/Rooney/etc playing in front of them.
Get a fucking world beating number 9 in this summer, and all of a sudden the reliance on the 3 or 4 wingers and number 10's we have to provide the goals diminishes.
Lallana's a good player. In a team full of talent, he'll be even better.
We paid a premium for him being able to come in and perform straight away for us and in that context he has been a failure, which should have been identified by the scouts.
I don't think there's any denying his talent, though, and I expect big things from him next year.
I don't think there's any denying his talent, though, and I expect big things from him next year.
I don't think we've had a more two footed player for decades, and he's incredibly classy with his touches.
But his final ball and decision making are both pretty awful.
If he doesn't step up next season, he's finished with us, I imagine.
Having a great number 9 won't make that big a difference if he continues to make the wrong decisions in the final third, or stops good counter attacks by doing his Enrique 360 turns.
But his final ball and decision making are both pretty awful.
If he doesn't step up next season, he's finished with us, I imagine.
Having a great number 9 won't make that big a difference if he continues to make the wrong decisions in the final third, or stops good counter attacks by doing his Enrique 360 turns.
That is the biggest problem with him - but let's see if Ryan's theory (if we get a proper 9) comes true (hoping we get a proper 9)
Well there's that as well, short of the criticism about end product, it's difficult to have any when what's in front of you is either the completely unintelligent, the completely static, or a winger "filling in". There are concerns about his fitness though and he has been too below par, either through the team performing badly or his own injury issues. If he can put that behind him he'll continue to contribute and hopefully have a big season next year.
Maybe with Stevie going out, it'll push Lallana, Henderson and Coutinho to now go up to that extra level.
FFS that's ridiculous. For a 26 yr old in his prime and an England player.
I get that the price was steep, but can you name an equivalent player with Premier League experience we could have bought for £7-8 million?
Lallana is very good. I enjoy watching him play; I particularly enjoyed watching him link up with Coutinho.
Lallana is very good. I enjoy watching him play; I particularly enjoyed watching him link up with Coutinho.
Every point in the thread is correct, he is technically excellent, is injury prone, would do better with better players etc...
The issue is we don't have those better players around him and for all the hype and price HE should be delivering more. We level criticism to Coutinho for not scoring more or creating more this should be leveled at Lallana even more. Whereas Coutinho stays on the outside of the area when we attack Lallana goes into the box looking for the goal, Coutinho is waiting for the block - so Lallana should be scoring more.
For a team that is about high pressing and pace in attack he cant do the pace in attack it is the complete opposite of his game. He can do the pressing but when we win it back he wants to slow things down which loses the impetus and momentum of the moment, decent footballer but never in a million years suitable to the football we want to play.
Having said that more than happy for him to be a squad player, starting those games in the early stages of the Europa, League Cup and easy FA cup games - never a first teamer though.
The issue is we don't have those better players around him and for all the hype and price HE should be delivering more. We level criticism to Coutinho for not scoring more or creating more this should be leveled at Lallana even more. Whereas Coutinho stays on the outside of the area when we attack Lallana goes into the box looking for the goal, Coutinho is waiting for the block - so Lallana should be scoring more.
For a team that is about high pressing and pace in attack he cant do the pace in attack it is the complete opposite of his game. He can do the pressing but when we win it back he wants to slow things down which loses the impetus and momentum of the moment, decent footballer but never in a million years suitable to the football we want to play.
Having said that more than happy for him to be a squad player, starting those games in the early stages of the Europa, League Cup and easy FA cup games - never a first teamer though.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
- Locked