Aaron Lennon - Honest Opinions

only1waddle · May 21, 2013

michaelden said:
We don't miss Bale when he's injured either, we just miss a "like for like replacement"... um yeah, this argument carry water. NOT!

We could get a player close to Lennon's ability to rotate far easier than a player of Bale's ability.
I don't recall bringing Bale into my reply either as he is irrelevant in this discussion, mainly due to him being miles better than Lennon, hence me saying we need a like for like replacement for Lennon, ie: not putting Dembele, Holtby, VDV,Kranjcar, Sig's,.Dempsey as out and out wingers, as we have done last/this season, because they are not wingers..... like for fecking like..

I hope this help's you :LOL:

Kendall · May 21, 2013

Personally, I don't see a place for him in this system any longer.

He is best in a 4-4-2 really, where he can be the out and out winger and there's likely to be 2 or 3 in the box to aim for. He doesn't score/shoot enough and he seems to have lost the ability to really skin a defender like he used to, despite not looking any slower.

michaelden · May 21, 2013

only1waddle said:
We could get a player close to Lennon's ability to rotate far easier than a player of Bale's ability.
I don't recall bringing Bale into my reply either as he is irrelevant in this discussion, mainly due to him being miles better than Lennon, hence me saying we need a like for like replacement for Lennon, ie: not putting Dembele, Holtby, VDV,Kranjcar, Sig's,.Dempsey as out and out wingers, as we have done last/this season, because they are not wingers..... like for fecking like..

I hope this help's you

I'm saying Lennon's skills, while unappreciated by some, are as rare as Bale's which is why we can not just replace like for like... there just aren't many out there like Lennon

The Apprentice · May 21, 2013

Impact sub.

IGSpur · May 21, 2013

This is what I dont understand. Lennon is a very good PL player in my opinion but too one dimensionalto be World Class, but he never creates problems and has always given 100%, and if we had better strikers no doubt he'd get more assists. But people want to get rid of him as he is not the standard we think we need. When with have players 'above our station' Modric/Carrick/Berbatov who want to join better clubs (not so much Carrick) we call them traitors and would never have them back. Why would a player show loyalty to us, when we dont show loyalty to them. JD/BAE/Lennon are all very good players that people would happily shift off even if they wanted to stay as they are deemed no longer good enough. Isnt it a bit hypocritical?

Anyway as for Lennon, as I mentioned he is one dimensional but he is very good. Thing is we cant just sell everyone we need some consistency somewhere throughout the squad. What I would like is for Townsend, Bale/Sig, Lennon/Son next season. Means we have Bale who is WC, Townsend/Son who have great potential at 21/20 respectively and Lennon a player who has experience that you can trust and knows the club. I think it will help the development of future players.

Season after Bale will leave. Then we, depending on how they kick on, will have two potentially WC wingers in AT/Son with Lennon providing rotation . By then Pritchard, Ceballos could start coming through the ranks.

So ye I think we shoudl keep him

Dannyspur · May 22, 2013

speed is his only asset - rarely beats a defender with skillful footwork or trickery. running onto balls in the channel at speed is great but seldom gets in a great cross at the end of it. Just bounces off defenders who stand their ground. Doesn't score enough goals.
has been guilty of some awful eyebrow styling.
Having said that, he is useful to have on the bench!

Mouse! · May 22, 2013

Townsend - Bale - Lennon
Bale - Lennon - Townsend
Lennon - Townsend - Bale
Townsend - Lennon - Bale
Bale - Townsend - Lennon
Lennon - Bale - Townsend

This formation should be happening behind the striker if we play 4-2-3-1 at any point next season. Yes, all of that, at once. Those three all have the capability to play right accross those three positions and should be driving opponents mad with constant interchanging and movement, and of course, devastating pace.

The Apprentice · May 22, 2013

S.Mouse! said:
Townsend - Bale - Lennon
Bale - Lennon - Townsend
Lennon - Townsend - Bale
Townsend - Lennon - Bale
Bale - Townsend - Lennon
Lennon - Bale - Townsend

This formation should be happening behind the striker if we play 4-2-3-1 at any point next season. Yes, all of that, at once. Those three all have the capability to play right accross those three positions and should be driving opponents mad with constant interchanging and movement, and of course, devastating pace.

Not a lot of brains in that three. Plenty of speed but not convinced they could unlock doors any more than we have struggled to this year. There needs to be a playmaker/VdV type in that three.

RuskyM · May 22, 2013

cozzo said:
I actually prefer Sig when he comes on.

^^^

Lennon's a triffic triffic lad. In the sense that he's perfect for 'Arry. Thing is, under Andre (and if we want to go further), we need players with more technical attributes than "he's fast" or "he throws himself in" or "he's a big bastard" (this is also why I think we can improve on Walker, Parker and Dawson), which Lennon just doesn't have. He doesn't score. He doesn't assist. He's a constant threat, but he never really does anything with that threat.

I'm not advocating selling him by the way, we've definitely got positions of a higher priority and I'd prefer having him than going up against him. But he's definitely not at the same level as Lloris, Vertonghen, Bale, Sandro.

Chris_D · May 22, 2013

Honestly he's still a wonderful talent but he's still not quite delivering. He's still quick and I was afraid he would lose his pace but his crossing and shooting still isn't great. However when he plays with Bale I think we scare the life out of the opposition as I don't think any full back wants to come to the Lane against those two. Now that Bale is coming inside more I get the feeling Lennon doesn't know if he should stay out wide right, where I think he's at his best, or move over the left so he looks a little lost at times. His passing has got better in 8 years, he now tracks back which he hardly used to do even if I don't think I recall an important tackle, he's still useless in the air so if he could just improve his crossing we'd have another world beater in the side. I wouldn't compare him with Walcott as I think both are out and out winger only Walcott can finish better but let's not forget Walcott is no Henry. Played as a right winger we have a potentially world class player on our hands because his wing play is better than Walcott's.

BringBack_leGin · May 22, 2013

While I also question if Lennon is quite good enough (though I've always been a huge supporter, and remain as such), I have to laugh at anybody doubting his technique, they've obviously not watched him. The guys ability to ride a tackle and hold the ball under pressure is superb, and he has the best first touch of any player in our squad, and that includes Bale and Dembele. What he lacks is nothing to do with either physical or technical ability, it's all a mental thing. I don't think it's a lack of intelligence as his link up play and ability to find different types of passes and crosses from a variety of situations does not indicate a player without thought behind his contribution, so it has to be either attitude or confidence. He either can't be arsed to do the things he's great at, or he doesn't believe in himself enough to do it. I'd suggest it's the latter, and at this point in our and his development (he should be coming into his prime) he needs to get over that hurdle if he is to be what we need. The return of Townsend should mean that between the two of them we have slightly different players who can occupy the same position and fight with one another for it, and I'd be pretty comfortable if those two, Sigurdsson, and a new signing (or Pritchard if he's deemed ready) occupied the four squad places which would fight for the two attacking positions remaining after Centre Forward and Bale are filled in on the team sheet.

HildoSpur · May 22, 2013

He is an excellent squad player but no more than that imo, the main reason he has been important for us is that he gives the team balance on the right side of the pitch, we can do better though and I'm not sure he is suited to the way AVB wants the team to play.

Japhet · May 22, 2013

Seems to be more confident now in his fitness which was an issue over the last couple of seasons. Every time he gets the ball now there are 2 men on him (which creates space for the likes of Bale) and hasn't really been mentioned. He often doesn't have anyone to find in the box either which can make him look bad. I'd also point out the defensive work he does which allows Walker to attack. Also has been 100% loyal. What's there to discuss?

PeeEyeEmPee · May 22, 2013

"frightens defenders with his pace"

am I the only one who finds this phrase irritating? I'd rather we had someone frighten defenders with their consistency and end-product, but hey maybe that's just me

Main Man · May 22, 2013

PeeEyeEmPee said:
"frightens defenders with his pace"

am I the only one who finds this phrase irritating? I'd rather we had someone frighten defenders with their consistency and end-product, but hey maybe that's just me

Irritating or not, it is an attribute which opposing defenders will be fearful of.

I think the point often made when using that particular phrase is that his pace/threat on the counter attack often subdues attack minded full backs. Infact it ALWAYS does.

PeeEyeEmPee · May 22, 2013

and just how useful is frightening defenders without actually hurting them? Lennon very very rarely hurts defenders, yet some here have him as indispensable. it's a real head-scratcher...

JerryGarcia · May 22, 2013

PeeEyeEmPee said:
and just how useful is frightening defenders without actually hurting them? Lennon very very rarely hurts defenders, yet some here have him as indispensable. it's a real head-scratcher...

He has 93 combined goals and assists for us in just over 300 games, how is that "very very rarely" hurting a defender? And if he keeps their full backs from attacking us, all the better. There aren't many wingers in the league these days with more experience than him either so he's still a good asset for the club.

Dannyspur · May 22, 2013

Lennon is like a replica gun - can be threatening, but fuck all use in a shoot-out (same could be said of adebayor I 'spose)

BringBack_leGin · May 22, 2013

I love how a player who rarely hurts a defender provided more assists than any other Spurs player last season in a season during which we achieved only 1 short of our highest premier league goals total, and during which his own season was disrupted by injury.

According to the official Premier League site, he achieved 8 assists. Four of these were in fact from inside the area, amazing that a player who doesn't hurt the opposition finds himself in their area with the ball so often. The other four were from deeper, three of them from central positions, and the split between passes and crosses overall is 4 of each.

It's not an amazing assist rate, but given how much we spread around and mix up our use of the ball (Walker is our next highest with 6, another player often accused of not providing enough going forward, joint with Dempsey's 6, while Sigurdsson produced 5 himself despite limited playing time, as did Defoe. Holtby and Dembele managed two each).

If Lennon rarely hurt a defender, then he would not, in a team where the ball is spread evenly though a variety of different attacking players and positions, have managed to top our assist chart. He has though, because he puts a lot of balls into the box, many of them very dangerous, and had our strikers been better he may well have had another 4 or 5 easy.

PeeEyeEmPee · May 22, 2013

you're just quoting stats, and those stats really aren't that great either. if you wanna play that game, I see people here comparing him to Walcott (who I don't rate that much) who had 38 combined goals and assists in 43 games this season, 24 in 46 the season before, and 19 in 38 the season before that. THAT'S a guy whose pace frightens defenders and who actually does hurt defenders more often. more importantly, his totals improve each season, Lennon's don't.

that's just using your stats argument.

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