How must Aaron Lennon be feeling right now

[RJ1882]

Would play Dempsey on the right every single time over Lennon.

Lennon is quick but hasn't done enough to warrant a starting place over the last few seasons - starts more due to a lack of options.

His crossing is abysmal and he rarely does much more than cut in and pass it. Need more attacking options and Dempsey surely will be exactly that - just look at his record.

Dempsey played very, very little there for Fulham last season. Used mostly on left, sometimes in middle, occassionallly up front, rarely on the right. But yeah, it'll be him and Bale in the two wide postions until we need Lennon's explosive impact from the bench.

 

[elDiablo]

The thing with Lennon is, he's got it in him to be explosive, but he doesn't have the balls to do it. For me you have to risk losing it a couple of times, for the opportunity to skin your defender, which then sows the seed and then creates the space for you. Lennon instead thinks it's better to play it safe and knock it to a team-mate. Which isn't wrong, but he does it too often for a man of his dribbling ability (or getting past a defender ability anyway).

Agree completely. Between him and Townsend we have the perfect winger.

 

[double0]

Underrated (IMO) is Aaron Lennon...How his not in the England Squad is a joke, anyhow with Huddlestone back I'm looking forward to the Thudd Lenn combo.

 

[Kingstheman]

Underrated (IMO) is Aaron Lennon...How his not in the England Squad is a joke, anyhow with Huddlestone back I'm looking forward to the Thudd Lenn combo.

The Sumo and the Ninja?

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Underrated (IMO) is Aaron Lennon...How his not in the England Squad is a joke, anyhow with Huddlestone back I'm looking forward to the Thudd Lenn combo.

Not sure about the combo but 100% agree about AL being underrated

 

[Matthew Wyatt]

Hodgson has said that any losses to the squad through injury will be replaced by youngsters as he feels it's an insult to established players to have them on standby, hence Sterling replacing Walcott.

 

[jamesc0le]

wow england really needed lennon instead of milner tonight..

sort it out roy!

 

[Kendall]

He's been crap for us for a good while now.

 

[sim0n]

Hodgson has said that any losses to the squad through injury will be replaced by youngsters as he feels it's an insult to established players to have them on standby, hence Sterling replacing Walcott.

Roy seems to have a unique approach to the national squad. Most national managers bring in their best national players to compete,... looks like fielding youngsters did not work well against ukraine,... makes you wonder what the scoreline might have been with,...well hindsight is 20-20

Roy is getting a lot of support to continue to drop points. Lowered expectations seems to make the FA happy...

 

[ItsBoris]

He's probably thinking that Woy Hodgson is a fucking idiot, which to be honest, is a feeling I share. I don't think he knows what he's doing, and I'm actually worried England won't qualify for the WC.

Some of his quotes are priceless. One of my favorites was along the lines of "I'm not going to ask a player of Michael Carrick's quality to sit on the bench" as justification for not even including him in the squad, while taking players like Jordan fucking Henderson to the Euros instead. 100% full of crap imho. I believe he said that about a few players who should have undoubtedly gone as well actually.

 

[kungfugrip]

Lennon needs to up his game. When we signed Bentley to give him competition, Bentley in his previous two years with Blackburn had scored 16 goals and had 23 assists. We all know it didn't work out for Bentley (to Russia Without Love) but that's the kind of return I would hope and expect from our wingers. Lennon can only dream of stats like that and Hodgson knows it.

 

[jamesc0le]

Lennon needs to up his game. When we signed Bentley to give him competition, Bentley in his previous two years with Blackburn had scored 16 goals and had 23 assists. We all know it didn't work out for Bentley (to Russia Without Love) but that's the kind of return I would hope and expect from our wingers. Lennon can only dream of stats like that and Hodgson knows it.

yh i know milner has really been banging the goals in

 

[jamesc0le]

He's probably thinking that Woy Hodgson is a fucking idiot, which to be honest, is a feeling I share. I don't think he knows what he's doing, and I'm actually worried England won't qualify for the WC.

Some of his quotes are priceless. One of my favorites was along the lines of "I'm not going to ask a player of Michael Carrick's quality to sit on the bench" as justification for not even including him in the squad, while taking players like Jordan fucking Henderson to the Euros instead. 100% full of crap imho. I believe he said that about a few players who should have undoubtedly gone as well actually.

yh he said the same thing of crouch. (i think after carrols injury)

what's that woy? you don't want crouch on the bench to maybe change the shape of an attack that is failing? no? ok then

 

[ultimateloner]

How anyone can say Lennon is under-rated is beyond. Here are stats fom soccernet:
2011-2012 season, 32 games played, 4 goals 6 assists
2010-2011 season, 49 games played, 3 goals 7 assists
2009-2010 season, 29 games played, 3 goals 14 assists
2008-2009 season, 52 games played, 5 goals 8 assists
2007-2008 season, 42 games played, 2 goals 8 assists
2006-2007 season, 50 games played, 5 goals 13 assists

a few things come out of this: he's played a fair amount of games (and most of the appereances are games started), he doesn't score enough, and he has only had 2 seasons of 10 + assits. Average winger in PL, in terms of productivity.

Below's Walcott's stats from the same source:
2011-2012 season, 51 games played, 9 goals 11 assists
2010-2011 season, 47 games played, 13 goals 12 assists
2009-2010 season, 37 games played, 4 goals 3 assists
2008-2009 season, 38 games played, 8 goals 3 assists

Pretty similar stats to Lennon until the last 2 where he's clearly the more productive player; more efficient and effective.

 

[kungfugrip]

yh i know milner has really been banging the goals in

So you don't think Lennon needs to up his game, which was my point? You think he's playing well?? by the way, Milner who is only about a year older than lennon has scored 43 Prem league goals. Lennon.......... half that.

 

[kungfugrip]

How anyone can say Lennon is under-rated is beyond. Here are stats fom soccernet:
2011-2012 season, 32 games played, 4 goals 6 assists
2010-2011 season, 49 games played, 3 goals 7 assists
2009-2010 season, 29 games played, 3 goals 14 assists
2008-2009 season, 52 games played, 5 goals 8 assists
2007-2008 season, 42 games played, 2 goals 8 assists
2006-2007 season, 50 games played, 5 goals 13 assists

a few things come out of this: he's played a fair amount of games (and most of the appereances are games started), he doesn't score enough, and he has only had 2 seasons of 10 + assits. Average winger in PL, in terms of productivity.

Below's Walcott's stats from the same source:
2011-2012 season, 51 games played, 9 goals 11 assists
2010-2011 season, 47 games played, 13 goals 12 assists
2009-2010 season, 37 games played, 4 goals 3 assists
2008-2009 season, 38 games played, 8 goals 3 assists

Pretty similar stats to Lennon until the last 2 where he's clearly the more productive player; more efficient and effective.

Interesting stats on Lennon. I kind of hoped he would get consistently better year on year. Don't get me wrong, I like him, a real threat when he's on form, but you wonder where his carrer is going. I'm worried he's turning into Ruel Fox.

 

[jamesc0le]

So you don't think Lennon needs to up his game, which was my point? You think he's playing well??

he's not doing all that badly. ever since his injuries he seems to be playing a safer game. less full on attacks on the fullback per game will no doubt result in less stresses on the joints,less tackles received. i don't mind this too much, i can understand it.
he won't just attack the player, he'll try n weigh up quickly how good the opportunity is, at the same time looking for a creative angled or sideways through ball, but more often than not safely passing back.

when the whole team,formaton and tempo + movement off the ball begins to click i think lennon will look far more dangerous again , not least because more gaps will be opening up in the opposition. he'll never have the goals i don't think but , as he often has done, will prove his value to the team.

but if we ever have to rely on him to be our only attacking outlet like we used to, those days are over.. he'd get injured pretty soon .

no way should we sell him, if the team is properly managed he is an important player, has actually developed from the early days, pretty decent with his left peg and i'm quite confident he can do well as a wing forward once we get up n running.

 

[jamesc0le]

I'm worried he's turning into Ruel Fox.

oh no u didnt!

 

[ultimateloner]

Interesting stats on Lennon. I kind of hoped he would get consistently better year on year. Don't get me wrong, I like him, a real threat when he's on form, but you wonder where his carrer is going. I'm worried he's turning into Ruel Fox.

Just out of curiosity i had a look at Gigg's stats too from the same source. He has been in double digits for assits and always 5+ goals per season for the duration of the PL; playing the lowest of 30 games per season (last 1) and in 06/08 where he had 50 games, got 18 assits and 7 goals. So thats the standard required of a top PL winger..

Below is Bentley stats in his more productive years with Blackburn:
2007-2008 season, 40 games played, 7 goals 12 assists
2006-2007 season, 51 games played, 7 goals 13 assists
From these stats you could see why we paid 15m back then for Bentley; he had similar stats to Lennon at his best (who i recall Fergie had a bid of 15m at). Walcott's also delivering giggs-like stats...(if he maintains his progress).

 

[jamesc0le]

that's the problem with stats. when giggs is being compared to walcott , you know stats are only half the story, if that.