Aaron Lennon - Honest Opinions

[SpurSince57]

Currently, and within budget, Mirallas, Walcott, Lallana are all more versatile players than Lennon and would improve our team. In my Onion.

*Walcott is obviously automatically disqualified from being a realistic purchase.

Walcott creates surprisingly few chances; a very high percentage get converted. Not many players created more chances from open play than Lennon last season.

 

[Cravenspurs]

I see you are still leading the Lennon debate.

How have you rated Navas' season so far?

He certainly hasn't overly impressed me, although I think he has been OK. His final ball certainly isn't what you told me pre-season!

The fact that he has a free scoring trio of strikers infront of him has made his impact look a lot greater than it actually is in my opinion.

I think if Lennon played for Man City, his stats would be just as good as Navas', if not better.

Now I have been on my horse about Lennon for awhile. I am not the biggest fan and believe he is the ideal impact sub.

I know this is a youtube video, but please watch the whole thing and recognize the difference in: whipped in crosses (can't remember the last whipped in cross Lennon had), early crosses (lennon is strictly byline and chip or pull back), a left foot with pace and accuracy, a right foot with pace and accuracy (something we all moan about with lennon) and the close control.

Navas is better. Please don't compare the two. One is a Spanish national, the other can barely make the English squad.

 

[Mr Pink]

Yeah the "If Soldado played for Man City he'd score bucket loads" argument can equally apply to Lennon's productivity and assist stats.

Assist stats can be misleading. A good example is Bale. Playing for us before his last Roy of the Rovers season his assist stats weren't actually that good on paper. However, no one really questioned his end product. In fact, I frequently thought as he fired another ball across the six yard box that if he played for Man Utd he'd get 15 assists easily.

Not comparing Lennon with Bale as a player but the stats can be misleading.

Lennon needs to be more consistent but people need to stop using stats as a stick to beat him with and recognize the role he plays in improving the overall impact of our attacking play.

That's an excellent post and the point you make is one I wholeheartedly agree with.

Your last sentence is exceptionally well put to. That's the pertinent point many miss IMO.

 

[Cravenspurs]

Walcott creates surprisingly few chances; a very high percentage get converted. Not many players created more chances from open play than Lennon last season.

In bold, above...your answer.

 

[Main Man]

Currently, and within budget, Mirallas, Walcott and Lallana are all more versatile players than Lennon, and EPL proven, and would improve our team. In my Onion.

*Walcott is obviously automatically disqualified from being a realistic purchase.

I would disagree on those whole-heartedly, but at least you tried.

Mirallas is talented, but is also a luxury player (similar to Lamela). If he doesn't play well he is a waste of space, Lennon at least does his tracking back and keeps shape etc.

I don't mind Lallana, but I can't help but feel his performances are slightly over-hyped. A player with such little pace would struggle out wide for us in my opinion (a la Bentley, Pienaar, Dempsey and Siggy).

I would also say they are both unrealistic signings.

 

[Mr Pink]

You have provided a fantastic example of why players should not be judged on statisitcs alone.

The Gareth Bale example is a a fairly obvious one looking back, but one I certainly hadn't thought of.

I like Azza, and what he brings to the team. I am not opposed to bringing in a replacement for him, but I just don't see a realistic solution to that.

I wish Lennon would just put his foot through the ball every now and then, show a bit of aggression in the final third. I have always struggled to understand why none of his managers have really drilled that in to him. If he had that Walcott in him if you like, we wouldn't be having a discussion about him right now.

But he certainly brings a lot of positivty to our play both offensively and defensivley, something which the haters just refuse to acknowledge unfortunately.

Liking this post as well.

 

[only1waddle]

Walcott creates surprisingly few chances; a very high percentage get converted. Not many players created more chances from open play than Lennon last season.

He may not create as many but he had 14 goals and 10 assists compared with Lennon's 4 goals and 7 assists, Walcott is also a much more versatile player, in my opinion of course.

 

[Charly***]

I am not going to waste time trawling through all last seasons games, but I certainly do remember Lennon's absence hurting us in the last two seasons.

Whether it was due to what he brings to the team, or the quality of his replacement I am not sure. I will let the others debate over that one.

I agree with you, I properly rate him. Even when he's not playing well, he always has to be marked up, so for me he always offers something even when he's doing nothing. But I appreciate he offers much more than that. Maybe what he offers is a bit intangible but for me we play with more zip when he's on the pitch. And I think he can still improve. He could still add more goals, there's more scope for that in the current system. As for his potential replacements quite possibly there's one or two with even greater potential, but Lennon has earned the shirt by consistently being far and away our best right winger & until anyone else can do the same or better then of course Lennon always plays when fit i.m.o.

 

[DannySafer]

I think Azza has been a great servant to the club and still has a lot to offer. He's part of the fibre of the club he knows what a NLD derby really means and you just cant get rid of these players. I'd hate to see him play against us.

 

[gushayes11]

I like Lennon a lot, always think we're better when he's in the team. He does create, teams worry about his pace and often double up on him which creates space. Works his socks off defensively too. People go on a about his final ball, which I don't think is that bad, but it's his shooting like a small boy that frustrates the most.

 

[Main Man]

Now I have been on my horse about Lennon for awhile. I am not the biggest fan and believe he is the ideal impact sub.

I know this is a YouTube video, but please watch the whole thing and recognize the difference in: whipped in crosses (can't remember the last whipped in cross Lennon had), early crosses (lennon is strictly byline and chip or pull back), a left foot with pace and accuracy, a right foot with pace and accuracy (something we all moan about with lennon) and the close control.

Navas is better. Please don't compare the two. One is a Spanish national, the other can barely make the English squad.

I have asked about Navas' performances this season for Manchester City in the Premier League.

You have provided a YouTube clip of his time at Sevilla...

I appreciate your effort, but Lamela's and Chadli's YouTube clips looked out of this world in the Summer.

Look how those two have performed so far...

 

[SpurSince57]

He may not create as many but he had 14 goals and 10 assists compared with Lennon's 4 goals and 7 assists, Walcott is also a much more versatile player, in my opinion of course.

Hardly surprising he's scored more since he's a striker rather than an out-and-out winger (he certainly sees himself as a No. 9 these days). Whether that makes him more versatile I'm not sure. Lennon has been tried in the hole with some success, I think.

 

[Main Man]

He may not create as many but he had 14 goals and 10 assists compared with Lennon's 4 goals and 7 assists, Walcott is also a much more versatile player, in my opinion of course.

Walcott spent a large chunk of last season playing as a central striker, and I think that is when he got a large chunk of his goals and assists.

But either way, Walcott is definitely more productive in the final third. If he had a brain he would be brilliant, but he doesn't. As wingers go, he is absolutely clueless.

 

[SpurSince57]

Now I have been on my horse about Lennon for awhile. I am not the biggest fan and believe he is the ideal impact sub.

I know this is a youtube video, but please watch the whole thing and recognize the difference in: whipped in crosses (can't remember the last whipped in cross Lennon had), early crosses (lennon is strictly byline and chip or pull back), a left foot with pace and accuracy, a right foot with pace and accuracy (something we all moan about with lennon) and the close control.

Navas is better. Please don't compare the two. One is a Spanish national, the other can barely make the English squad.

Navas may well be better. Do you think he'd have come to us instead of City?

 

[only1waddle]

I have asked about Navas' performances this season for Manchester City in the Premier League.

You have provided a YouTube clip of his time at Sevilla...

I appreciate your effort, but Lamela's and Chadli's YouTube clips looked out of this world in the Summer.

Look how those two have performed so far...

All competitions he has played 32 games (13 as sub) and has 6 goals and 13 assists.

 

[only1waddle]

Navas may well be better. Do you think he'd have come to us instead of City?

Not unless we have started paying wages in gold bullion.

 

[SpurSince57]

In bold, above...your answer.

Lennon created as many chances as Bale last season (or as near as makes no difference). Bale had fewer assists.

 

[only1waddle]

Walcott spent a large chunk of last season playing as a central striker, and I think that is when he got a large chunk of his goals and assists.

But either way, Walcott is definitely more productive in the final third. If he had a brain he would be brilliant, but he doesn't. As wingers go, he is absolutely clueless.

You find it so hard to fully agree with someone don't you

 

[Main Man]

All competitions he has played 32 games (13 as sub) and has 6 goals and 13 assists.

Yeah, I think I would post a similar return playing with those strikers and Yaya Toure infront of me.

I am not downplaying those stats btw, they are impressive. I just don't think he is by far and away, a huge improvement on Lennon.

I am fairly confident he would create just as many goals as Navas has playing in that team, in fact I think he would assist even more. But he certainly wouldn't have scored 6. That will never happen!

 

[only1waddle]

Yeah, I think I would post a similar return playing with those strikers and Yaya Toure infront of me.

I am not downplaying those stats btw, they are impressive. I just don't think he is by far and away, a huge improvement on Lennon.

I am fairly confident he would create just as many goals as Navas has, in fact I would think even more. But he certainly wouldn't have scored 6. That will never happen!

I'm not advocating Navas just providing the stat's, for me i would have Walcott over him, far more versatile, has certainly grown as a player the last few seasons.