His first game, I thought he looked incredible.
Second game, tired, lethargic.
Subsequent games, got about a bit but couldn’t pass a ball to save his life.
Today, looked skilful but scared and lacking ideas about what to do with it……until the goal went in. He suddenly looked lary, half a yard quicker, aggressive and up for it.
Fuck knows he needs to step it up to that level because we can’t afford him to carry on being a passenger.
I’m just about keeping an open mind.
Tag?
I don't think he did anything good tonight apart from the goal.... Kept giving the ball away.
To be fair to him, the last two games he has been played on the left.... And I don't think he wanted to be out there.
After the last two displays and the form of Lang, I think maybe we guaranteed him game time.
Having such a great first game probably set expectations a bit too high for him. It is very difficult as a young player to come in to a club over halfway through a season and make an impact, especially after replacing Robertson. There's a player in there but he has had to play a couple of different positions and yes maybe a bit of a lack of confidence after the last few weeks. He'll be fine.
He spent his entire time on the left, in the first game.
(13-02-2024, 10:40 PM)Cunninglinguist Wrote: [ -> ]He spent his entire time on the left, in the first game.
He played through the middle vs Port Vale in his first game!.
I thought he was poor tonight- again, other than his goal he offered almost nothing, little back heels which more often than not don’t come off, very one footed. TBH we’d be better off with Rolf Harris
Trying telling Lane that. He practically stood on his toes on that left touch line.
Aimed at Mix, obviously. Bloody Tag getting in the way.
One thing I will say in his favour though is that he constantly wants and shows for the ball. His mentality is clearly very strong on that front, there wasn't even a hint of hiding or giving up like so many young players having a tough game. Obviously character will only go so far if performances don't follow but I think we'll see better from him and soon.
Well we can’t see much worse. Yes he gets credit for not hiding and wanting the ball. However, it’s what he does ( or should I say doesn’t do) with it when gets it. The amount of scoring positions he gets into but can’t do anything because he’s only got one foot.
(13-02-2024, 11:17 PM)bluetagagain Wrote: [ -> ]Well we can’t see much worse. Yes he gets credit for not hiding and wanting the ball. However, it’s what he does ( or should I say doesn’t do) with it when gets it. The amount of scoring positions he gets into but can’t do anything because he’s only got one foot.
Players generally seem more and more one footed now. It reminds me of this miss from the A league where the player could roll it in to an empty net with his left foot but switches to his right. (Should still score mind).
https://twitter.com/HLTCO/status/1756284...de=profile
How good would Merson have been if he’d been two footed? He was the most archetypal one footer I’ve ever seen. What a foot though!
Very pleased for him, hopefully that important goal will settle him and give him some confidence.
We need all our players playing well.
We do indeed but not at the expense of others . Our first choice attacking midfield should be Kamara Lang Lane
(13-02-2024, 11:07 PM)D'Alessandro dreaming Wrote: [ -> ]One thing I will say in his favour though is that he constantly wants and shows for the ball. His mentality is clearly very strong on that front, there wasn't even a hint of hiding or giving up like so many young players having a tough game. Obviously character will only go so far if performances don't follow but I think we'll see better from him and soon.
That and that first game for us are we give me a slender hope. His attitude when he scored too. Almost a shame he got taken off. I would have liked to have seen him strut around with the team well in front.
I certainly don’t want him to fail. We’ve had enough of loanees getting experience at our expense.
Give him a chance lads - only just got in the door!
He must have a bit about him. Brentford fans are very excited about him and we've already seen him produce a performance in a Pompey shirt. It'll come.
The problem is (I think) is that a lot these premiership U21 players have been told how good they are and what a career they're going to have etcetc, however, when they drop down to play in L1 they need to realise quickly (or should do) that they're playing with the big boys and don't have anywhere near as much time on the ball. It's taken Kamara half a season to become a decent L1 player that will go back to Norwich better than he arrived. Robertson was a different kettle of fish as his background and growing up in a football environment has obviously helped.
(13-02-2024, 10:45 PM)essentialmix75 Wrote: [ -> ] (13-02-2024, 10:40 PM)Cunninglinguist Wrote: [ -> ]He spent his entire time on the left, in the first game.
He played through the middle vs Port Vale in his first game!.
He was playing the central role v Port Vale, but kept drifting out to the left getting in Lane's way. It was widely commented on it at the time, in commentary and on here.
I think his passing problem is just a matter of 'wavelength' - his passes are to where he might expect a Brentford player to be moving to but we just don't play like that. There was a perfect example in the first half when Pack passed to him just inside our half and he returned the pass to Pack behind a Cambridge player further up the pitch, but Pack had not moved forward.
But Lang must start in that position on Saturday.
As regards passing, when I first watched Pompey regularly, Bobby Doyle often passed to where a better player would have been.
Very early to write him off.
Says more about the pointless U23 set up than the individuals. They learn nothing that is of use in the proper mens' leagues.
You can see him, every time there is the slightest contact thinking "fall over" draw the foul and all that lot. He should talk to Colby about how far that will get him in this league.
He plainly has ability but seems to over complicate things, he needs to simplify his game a bit for this level of football.
Hopefully the goal will be the springboard for greater things.
(14-02-2024, 09:15 AM)bluetagagain Wrote: [ -> ]We do indeed but not at the expense of others . Our first choice attacking midfield should be Kamara Lang Lane
Wouldn't argue against that tag and I expect that will may well be the 3 Saturday.
However, our manager will rotate between the 4.
He's frustrating because we've been told and we have seen in moments that he is too good for this league.
I'm looking forward to a young lad putting down a marker of a performance where we sit and say to the opposition. 'You work out who is coming at you and from where, because we font even know'!
So interchangeable, a real headache for tge opposition