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Grant Hall, Alex Pritchard & Ryan Mason - Swindon Town

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
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To be honest, Pritchard isn't really a threat to Lennon as I think his most natural position would be as an inverted attacking left player. Hopefully Lamela will become the full time replacement for Lennon's right sided position, especially if we continue to play 433 or even 4231.

But anyone who has watched Lennon over the last seven years, and more relevantly his recent invisibility couldn't possibly mind, with Lamela unavailable if (he was here and available for selection) if someone like Pritchard was given a couple of games to show what he's about at a higher level.

Football doesn't evolve if you just take the view that "he's played every week therefore he has justified his selection". That's piss poor rationale.
 

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
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You can't compare Bentaleb with Lennon.

Re Januzaj, fair point but I'm not sure he is that level yet or ever will be. It is just lunacy to advocate the inclusion of a promising kid based on league one YouTube clips over someone who has been playing EPL footy for 8 years.

That's not the point he's making, you used the feeble "but he's played week in week out" argument, completely ignoring that he's been anonymous for the last 4 or 5 games (and about 75% of his entire career).

If that applied then Bentaleb shouldn't have been given the start over the more experienced players available.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
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You can't compare Bentaleb with Lennon.

Re Januzaj, fair point but I'm not sure he is that level yet or ever will be. It is just lunacy to advocate the inclusion of a promising kid based on league one YouTube clips over someone who has been playing EPL footy for 8 years.

I'm not comparing Bentaleb and Lennon in terms of their position, I'm just givng examples of players being able to make the step up from Academy to First Team and do as well in their respective position as a current prem player is doing in his.

Also I'm not basing this on youtube clips and his league one performances. I have, and so have a few people in the u21s thread, watched Pritchard play live. Went to Everton and Barca matches where he was the best player, hence Barca being rumoured to go after him. He also ran the game away to them when we won 4-1. I've also watched games when they've played on MU or Lpool TV. It's why a few of us thought Bentaleb would have done well when he came on at Southampton. I don't really think it's lunacy after watching them play and it's also why I have thought Kane and Carroll would be able to play prem and theyve coped well whenever called upon and reckon Veljkovic would too.

I'm not just suggesting random players, those are all genuine prospects I don't think Coulthirst is anyone near ready for first team and he scored a hattrick against Barca. Also, some of us were saying that Pritchard should have been on the fringes of the first team this season and didn't want him to be loaned out but he has proving he can play at both Championship and League One levels.
 

Coyboy

The Double of 1961 is still The Double
Dec 3, 2004
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That's not the point he's making, you used the feeble "but he's played week in week out" argument, completely ignoring that he's been anonymous for the last 4 or 5 games (and about 75% of his entire career).

If that applied then Bentaleb shouldn't have been given the start over the more experienced players available.

Why is it feeble? He has done so. No one is that he has been sub par (anonymous is typical hyperbole from you and the bracketed comment is complete rubbish). I believe Bentaleb came on against Southampton when we had a number of injuries and impressed, as Lennon did all those years ago in lieu of the injured Routledge.

If Pritchard or any other player is deemed worthy of a chance and takes his opportunity, great. But I wouldn't base a view that we should jettison a regular experienced player based on isolated clips of a youngster impressing in a league two levels below, especially at this stage of the season.
 
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Coyboy

The Double of 1961 is still The Double
Dec 3, 2004
15,506
5,032
I'm not comparing Bentaleb and Lennon in terms of their position, I'm just givng examples of players being able to make the step up from Academy to First Team and do as well in their respective position as a current prem player is doing in his.

Also I'm not basing this on youtube clips and his league one performances. I have, and so have a few people in the u21s thread, watched Pritchard play live. Went to Everton and Barca matches where he was the best player, hence Barca being rumoured to go after him. He also ran the game away to them when we won 4-1. I've also watched games when they've played on MU or Lpool TV. It's why a few of us thought Bentaleb would have done well when he came on at Southampton. I don't really think it's lunacy after watching them play and it's also why I have thought Kane and Carroll would be able to play prem and theyve coped well whenever called upon and reckon Veljkovic would too.

I'm not just suggesting random players, those are all genuine prospects I don't think Coulthirst is anyone near ready for first team and he scored a hattrick against Barca. Also, some of us were saying that Pritchard should have been on the fringes of the first team this season and didn't want him to be loaned out but he has proving he can play at both Championship and League One levels.

I was referring the crazy post above. Fair enough, but there still isn't an argument for me to replace an experienced player with someone with zero EPL experience especially at this time of the season.
 

Coyboy

The Double of 1961 is still The Double
Dec 3, 2004
15,506
5,032
So you have no real idea against what you are arguing ?

How so?

I haven't seen any players from League One who play in Lennon's role. I have barely seen any Championship games either. I wouldn't argue for replacing Lennon with any of them, just as I wouldn't advocate bringing back Livermore to replace Dembele.

You have now said that you don't think he is like-for-like with Lennon, so you are just using this thread to shit on him. How novel.
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
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Swindon Town FC ‏@Official_STFC
NEWS: @pritch_93 nominated for Football League award #STFC - http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/article/pritchardnominated-1411240.aspx


Good to see he's been noticed

Thought this was just for League 1. The fact he is playing League 1 will probably go against him especially as the other 2 teams are doing well in the Championship, the one thing in his favour is that he has easily recorded output i.e. goals and assists. Would be great if he won it but suspect Will Hughes will.
 

DEFchenkOE

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2006
10,527
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Well at the least it shoes he's doing well to be recognised even if he doesn't win. We always say that when we have these youngsters going out on loan that if they can't stand out at a lower level then it's going to be difficult to make it in the epl.

It's a shame that Swindon have been struggling lately though it doesn't look like they'll get promoted. Having them in the championship and then continuing our "partnership" would have been ideal.
 

SlickMongoose

Copacetic
Feb 27, 2005
6,258
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73:33 Goal scored
Goal! Goal! Swindon Town 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 3. Michael Smith (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Pritchard.
 

theShiznit

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2004
17,800
23,813
Bit of a D'oh! moment from Alex today.

With the awards ceremony for young player of the year award (which he's been nom'ed for) coming up Tomorrow (The Football League Awards at The Brewery, London) he promptly got sent off today for "retaliation"
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
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Ye saw that and thought to myself, there goes his chance of getting that award. Tbh thought thought Will Hughes stood more of a chance anyway being younger, in the Championship and playing in a team doing well
 

razzmaster

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2008
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I actually like that he appears to have a really competitive streak and has picked up so many bookings this season. It's that will to win that can make the difference between making it at the top level and just being an also ran
 

IGSpur

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2013
7,939
13,758
I actually like that he appears to have a really competitive streak and has picked up so many bookings this season. It's that will to win that can make the difference between making it at the top level and just being an also ran

Him and Bentaleb both show that. Just need to make sure they dont go overboard sometimes
 
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