Aaron Lennon - Honest Opinions

[Misfit]

He's annoying the ever-loving snot out of me on feefuh 14. Remarkably accurate game really. Good to have in the squad I think but his time a bona fide starter should really be at an end. He's made zero progress in almost 10 yrs. In fact, he was a more dynamic attacking threat when he was 18.

 

[Spurger King]

In the first half of last season it was a toss up between Lennon and Sandro as to who was our best player (obviously before Bale went full Supersimian). There was a MotM performance at the Lane against United where his attacking play and tracking back was incredible.

God only knows what happened since then. He looks about as useful as a sandpaper condom.

 

[Real_madyidd]

In the first half of last season it was a toss up between Lennon and Sandro as to who was our best player (obviously before Bale went full Supersimian). There was a MotM performance at the Lane against United where his attacking play and tracking back was incredible.

God only knows what happened since then. He looks about as useful as a sandpaper condom.

Jenas syndrome.

 

[SpursOldBoy]

I look at Aaron Lennon and then compare him to Rahem Sterling and wonder why it is we could not have developed Lennon into a more complete footballer? The club has failed him in a way by not coaching his bad habits out of him. I just hope that we can stop Andros from going down the same path and becoming one a dimensional player.

Bringing on board Ginola as a coach, who could then work with the more attacking players and getting them to think about decision making and movement off the ball, is something I would love to see.

In fact, I think all positions would benefit from a specific coach (i.e. Mabbutt or King on defence) in a similar way that NFL teams have positional coaches.

 

[chinaman]

In the first half of last season it was a toss up between Lennon and Sandro as to who was our best player (obviously before Bale went full Supersimian). There was a MotM performance at the Lane against United where his attacking play and tracking back was incredible.

God only knows what happened since then. He looks about as useful as a sandpaper condom.

Oh, sandpaper would be better than ribbed condom to excite the vagina into contraction.

 

[CowInAComa]

Aaron completed 8 passes against Everton.

 

[nidge]

Aaron completed 8 passes against Everton.

Out of 11 attempted.

 

[Sanj]

Aaron completed 8 passes against Everton.

is that entirely Aaron's fault?
Why is he getting the ball so few times in a match, to complete only 8/11 passes?
Is he hiding? i don't think so - always look to be showing for ball, not always in teh right places though.
Is he taking up the wrong positions? coming inside far too much imo, but the coaches seem to want that.
or are midfielders just not getting ball out wide? i think that this is a major issue in our team at the moment.
As an ex-winger i have had many frustrating weeks where the ball just does not come across to the wing and this is one of the major frustrations of playing on a wing.
Also had even more weeks where the ball was coming to me and i had an absolute stinker, but that's another debate, as currently i don't think lennon is seeing enough ball.

 

[weststandvoice]

Aaron completed 8 passes against Everton.

But he dry try to complete 11.

 

[weststandvoice]

is that entirely Aaron's fault?
Why is he getting the ball so few times in a match, to complete only 8/11 passes?
Is he hiding? i don't think so - always look to be showing for ball, not always in teh right places though.
Is he taking up the wrong positions? coming inside far too much imo, but the coaches seem to want that.
or are midfielders just not getting ball out wide? i think that this is a major issue in our team at the moment.
As an ex-winger i have had many frustrating weeks where the ball just does not come across to the wing and this is one of the major frustrations of playing on a wing.
Also had even more weeks where the ball was coming to me and i had an absolute stinker, but that's another debate, as currently i don't think lennon is seeing enough ball.

Maybe he was hiding. Has the pitch been checked for secret trap doors?

 

[Real_madyidd]

is that entirely Aaron's fault?
Why is he getting the ball so few times in a match, to complete only 8/11 passes?
Is he hiding? i don't think so - always look to be showing for ball, not always in teh right places though.
.

I think it was a total lack of effort on his part. On a few occasions he looked like he wanted it then just didn't stick his leg out. Not sure I would call it hiding, just not exactly busting a gut.

 

[nav007_2000]

I think with Townsend coming back, Lennon needs to get onto the training pitch and get back to learning the basics of what made him so deadly and got him into the England team early in his career. He needs to get into the positions to ask for the ball, run at the full backs and get the crosses in from the line and not cut in and pass it back all the time. He has the pace yet i think, the effort is now missing. He should look at how Bale developed his game and improve.

His place isn't guaranteed anymore and he should realise that and do something good to get himself back to his best.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

2 completed forward passes in 86 minutes is the one that gets me. the only player with fewer than than that was Defoe, and he at least had the excuse of only playing 5 minutes. and not knowing how or why to pass.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

is that entirely Aaron's fault?
Why is he getting the ball so few times in a match, to complete only 8/11 passes?
Is he hiding? i don't think so - always look to be showing for ball, not always in teh right places though.
Is he taking up the wrong positions? coming inside far too much imo, but the coaches seem to want that.
or are midfielders just not getting ball out wide? i think that this is a major issue in our team at the moment.
As an ex-winger i have had many frustrating weeks where the ball just does not come across to the wing and this is one of the major frustrations of playing on a wing.
Also had even more weeks where the ball was coming to me and i had an absolute stinker, but that's another debate, as currently i don't think lennon is seeing enough ball.

Townsend played for half an hour and made 9 passes. I don't think the excuse of the ball not being played out wide enough is a valid one

I think with Townsend coming back, Lennon needs to get onto the training pitch and get back to learning the basics of what made him so deadly and got him into the England team early in his career. He needs to get into the positions to ask for the ball, run at the full backs and get the crosses in from the line and not cut in and pass it back all the time. He has the pace yet i think, the effort is now missing. He should look at how Bale developed his game and improve.

His place isn't guaranteed anymore and he should realise that and do something good to get himself back to his best.

unfortunately, the opposite seems to be true

 

[Sanj]

I think it was a total lack of effort on his part. On a few occasions he looked like he wanted it then just didn't stick his leg out. Not sure I would call it hiding, just not exactly busting a gut.

maybe, but that can come from the frustration of not getting any decent ball. that shouldn't excuse him tho.
i seriously think the coming inside that the coaching team are keen on has hampered him as he does not get any ball wide on the right where he can run at his man.
But i agree with the majority on here and lennon does need a week or 2 on teh bench to get him to focus again.

 

[Sanj]

Townsend played for half an hour and made 9 passes. I don't think the excuse of the ball not being played out wide enough is a valid one

unfortunately, the opposite seems to be true

But Townsend came on when there were huge spaces on the pitch as everton pushed further forward, and townsend stayed wide.
Not trying to excuse lennon, but i think your point isn't a fair comparison due to the space and also tactics of pushing lennon inside. Also, If lennon doesn't get the ball he will struggle to make passes so there has to be some responsibility with the midfield.
personally i think the fault lies with the midfield, with the tactics/coaching and of course with lennon. It seems that there is a lot to fix to bring lennon and his style of play back into form.

 

[Buckoxx]

Run to the byline, try a cross, fail, repeat

Thats basically Lennon.

However he does show glimpses of an outstanding player, and hes got better at tracking back, hes a player you love to hate.

 

[Main Man]

He really is a shadow of his former self at the moment which is a real shame because Lennon in full flow, attacking defenders with pace, always got the crowd going.

Indeed, apart from the goal - his run down the right just before the interval was the only 'off your seat' moment from a Spurs perspective in the whole game. That isn't me defending him mind.

He has been really poor recently, but who can play instead of him?

I was amazed to see him on the team sheet yesterday, but where is Chadli? What exactly is wrong with Lamela.

First half in-particular yesterday, it seemed he was tasked with getting as close (centrally) to Adebayor as possible - what manager would ask Aaron Lennon of all people to do that?

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

But Townsend came on when there were huge spaces on the pitch as everton pushed further forward, and townsend stayed wide.
Not trying to excuse lennon, but i think your point isn't a fair comparison due to the space and also tactics of pushing lennon inside. Also, If lennon doesn't get the ball he will struggle to make passes so there has to be some responsibility with the midfield.
personally i think the fault lies with the midfield, with the tactics/coaching and of course with lennon. It seems that there is a lot to fix to bring lennon and his style of play back into form.

would Lennon not have had the same space that Townsend did when Everton were pushing on though? and if the problem was originally Lennon pushing inside, how were the other central players able to see so much more of the ball?

I don't know that there was a single area of the pitch that was starved of the ball yesterday, surely the problem is that Lennon himself just didn't get involved enough?

 

[ultimateloner]

I look at Aaron Lennon and then compare him to Rahem Sterling and wonder why it is we could not have developed Lennon into a more complete footballer? The club has failed him in a way by not coaching his bad habits out of him. I just hope that we can stop Andros from going down the same path and becoming one a dimensional player.

Bringing on board Ginola as a coach, who could then work with the more attacking players and getting them to think about decision making and movement off the ball, is something I would love to see.

In fact, I think all positions would benefit from a specific coach (i.e. Mabbutt or King on defence) in a similar way that NFL teams have positional coaches.

Agree that we failed to coach him well but not sure its entirely the club's fault.

Lennon doesn't strike me as a lazy type. If you track back so much you've gotta be disciplined.

However he isn't intelligent, and lacks the first touch/close control that you need to create in the final third. So useless if we don't counter attack. I think theres only so much you can teach.

For his own good we should sell if given the right offer. He has passed the age where he will improve his game and he still gives you that little bit of edge in very specific circumstances.