Comments on: Yet more thoughts on Jonathan Greening

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:02:11 +0000

Nick W – Don’t think Dikgacoi’s registered for Europe so we’ll have to wait until Sunday to see a bit more of him. Maybe a chance for Milsom?

I think Greening’s solid – and does a decent job. There’s scope for him to improve as he gets more games under belt too. Nobody knows what the fee will be but, as Rich says, I’d make him pretty good value.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:04:13 +0000

Thing is, how much does a centre-midfielder who can step in and keep things going quite well cost? £4m seems about right to me. Yeah, you could’ve paid less, but there’s a certainty with Greening because he’s done it before.

By: Hercule Poirot

Hercule Poirot — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:03:01 +0000

(Ray is “Dad’s Army” from Tiff, Nick. Which may explain the views!)

By: NickW

NickW — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:33:19 +0000

Coming or Cohen – Dikgacoi did look impressive, although he certainly gave me a fright when he nearly got tackled which would have resulted in a clear run at goal!

He also looked pretty impressive in the little that he played at Manchester City and West Ham. Reckon that he will get an outing against Sofia tomorrow, especially as Murphy is certainly not going to play the full ninety minutes.

I am, however, very much looking forward to seeing how a Baird-Murphy combination works tomorrow. Baird has really impressed me so far this season, and I think I am right in saying that he is not suspended for tomorrow’s game. But if he is, then that gives Dikgacoi more of a platform to show us all what he can do.

By: NickW

NickW — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:28:20 +0000

Ray – read my article in which I explain why I believe Zamora does help us to do so: http://hammyend.com/?p=3567

Much of our play originates with a ball played up to Zamora, who in turn lets the midfield get the ball in advanced areas. He’s not somebody who gets the ball and simply runs forward, trying to beat five players in the process – that’s not in the nature of his game, nor the type of thing that Hodgson demands of his players. With our midfield sitting deep when the opposition have the ball, we need somebody who can hold it up until the midfield advance up the pitch. We will create more chances this way, and can build sustained pressure.

In addition, when he doesn’t play, we do lack an “out-ball”, and frequently this simply invites wave after wave of pressure, as we struggle to make the ball stick in the opposition third – it just comes straight back. Look at the home game against Roma as an excellent example of this. He has been superb for us this season, and in my opinion really missed him against Blackburn.

As for Greening – yes, he does give away the odd free-kick, but that’s bound to happen when you make tackles. Saying that he “is not capable of making a clean tackle” is utter balderdash IMO – you have to tackle if you want to get the ball, and you are bound to give away the odd free-kick if you do so. Would rather have somebody like that than somebody who shirks making tackles in the midfield.

In addition, like I said before, the transfer fee reportedly agreed for Greening is not his fault, and it is therefore unfair for us to use that with a stick with which to beat him. Much like Steve Marlet – he certainly wasn’t worth £12m, but he was by no means a bad player.

I admit that he is perhaps not the greatest player in our squad, and yes, we perhaps could have got better for that kind of money. But we have him now – criticising his every move is only going to be counter-productive. He is doing a decent job, and certainly keeps the ball much more than he gives it away.

By: Ray

Ray — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:59:07 +0000

Zamora helps us play in the final third of the pitch? How can that be said ? He stops the forward flow of the ball, when we need speed of movement of the ball & players to cause induced errors from the opposing defences. He & Greening give away too many free kicks, as they are not capable of making a clean tackle, so giving the ball back to the other team. Greening is not the most aware player when it comes to following a player, who is trying to make
a break through out defence.
Greening is too long in the tooth to have his game changed drastically, & we need younger blood to take his place, as the £4 million quoted as his transfer fee is way too high for such a moderate player.

By: L

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:33:18 +0000

Well the two best defenses we played, statistically, and g-keeper wise are a-v and them lot. dm wasn’t at a-v, but was against chels***. arsenal was a bit of an odd ball b/c manone had a blinder, yet proceeded to have bad games every other time he played.

By: Coming or Cohen

Coming or Cohen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:15:30 +0000

Excellent Post. I would also like to heap praise on Dikgacoi, whic the press/website seems to have not given any emphasis too. I thought he looked really good in his brief appreance vs Bolton. Any thoughts on where he could be accommodated in a fully fit midfield?

By: Jason Gatties

Jason Gatties — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:05:35 +0000

I just wish Greening would stop shooting.

By: NickW

NickW — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:59:38 +0000

Good points all round. L in particular raises a very interesting point about the need to sign a more creative midfielder. We do need to start finding and/or grooming a replacement for Murphy. The trouble is, we are very unlikely to find a young version of Danny Murphy who will be willing to come to us – the young Danny Murphy himself was winning cups aplenty at Liverpool. Our only real chance of getting a replacement for Murphy is looking for somebody around the 30-year-old mark just as Murphy leaves. Either that or break the bank on an unproven youth player.

As for L’s point about us scoring more goals this season without Murphy than with him, that is very interesting. Although could it be argued that we have played poorer teams than we did when Murphy was fit? Or perhaps a recurrence of last season, when we started the season poorly, and improved as the players got more and more used to the system again and the players around them? Certainly worth thinking about.