is he actually the best in the premiership??

[simyid]

is lenno actually the best right winger in the league well lets see.

Chelsea - decoManchester United - valenciaArsenal - walcottTottenham Hotspur - lennonAston Villa - James milnerManchester City - shaun wright phillipsLiverpool - KuytSunderland - MalbranqueStoke City - lawrenceBurnley - EaglesBlackburn Rovers - EmertonFulham - DaviesBirmingham City - LarssonEverton - osman/ArtetaWigan Athletic - N'zogbiaHull City - MendeyWest Ham United - BeharamiBolton Wanderers - Tamir CohenWolverhampton Wanderers - Michael kightleyPortsmouth - tommey smith


so looking at that it is very hard too look beyond lennon as the best right winger in the prem however looking at this it is clear that the league has a shortage of top quality right winger.

 

[Bulletspur]

is lenno actually the best right winger in the league well lets see.

Chelsea - decoManchester United - valenciaArsenal - walcottTottenham Hotspur - lennonAston Villa - James milnerManchester City - shaun wright phillipsLiverpool - KuytSunderland - MalbranqueStoke City - lawrenceBurnley - EaglesBlackburn Rovers - EmertonFulham - DaviesBirmingham City - LarssonEverton - osman/ArtetaWigan Athletic - N'zogbiaHull City - MendeyWest Ham United - BeharamiBolton Wanderers - Tamir CohenWolverhampton Wanderers - Michael kightleyPortsmouth - tommey smith


so looking at that it is very hard too look beyond lennon as the best right winger in the prem however looking at this it is clear that the league has a shortage of top quality right winger.

I stopped reading as soon as I saw your first entry. Deco a right winger? Dont think so somehow

 

[C0YS]

Deco is ACM not a right winger, for starters Chelsea playes dimond which normally means no wingers

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

Lennon is the best natural winger in the league.

Then there are players like Arshavin, Nasri, Joe Cole, Malouda, Kuyt (underrated) who are good in LWF/RWF positions....and probably some of them are better than Lennon.

 

[maldini]

I stopped reading as soon as I saw your first entry. Deco a right winger? Dont think so somehow

:rofl:

That's where I stopped too. I had to look at the word "deco" twice just to be sure.

 

[simyid]

:rofl:

That's where I stopped too. I had to look at the word "deco" twice just to be sure.

if we are talking aboit who plays on the right for each club then deco choice is justifiable

 

[dimiSpur]

if we are talking aboit who plays on the right for each club then deco choice is justifiable

Zokora played right midfield once or twice for us... What a winger he was...

 

[C0YS]

simyid A dimond dosn't play wingers, In theory Deco plays RCM in a diomand formation

 

[bogosian]

deco right winger or not it misses the point - the point is can YOU think of a better right winger in the leage

lennon is up on top for me, even if second he still is a top class RW with the potential to go even beyond.

 

[Legend10]

Lennon's pace is frightening and at one time or another he has taken top class LB's like Evra, Cole and Clichy to the cleaners. Has any other wide player been able to do this?

Lenny is starting to add the only missing ingredient on a consistent basis which is end product.

He also has a massive impact on the shape of games because teams are frightened of his pace.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I think to say he's starting to add end product consistently is a little premature. The last three seasons his end product has been pretty poor. Up until Sunday his end product this season hadn't been radically better either - which was what was disappointing me the most - which after so long it should be.

He was outstanding sunday but we have to look at it analytically and say that was partly because Edman was terrible and also received no support where most teams make sure Lennon gets looked after much better than that. The first goal was a great example. Edman just stood off him (a bit like Ekotto does too often) and allowed him to cross the ball. It's harder under pressure to deliver quality.

I think as far as consistency goes, he needs to do it week in week out, like other top creative players like Arshavin, Nasri, Rosicky, Malouda, etc etc.
Players like that create chances for their team mates consistently, which is why their teams win more consistently.

He's not always going to get as many easy chances to hurt a team as he did sunday which is why quality of delivery and intelligent use of the final ball is vital.

My criticism of Lennon is sometimes seen as "bashing" but it is not. I think often he shows a real lack of intelligence. I also think his contribution has been over hyped at times. But having players like him are vital and I like him. I just try to be as realistic in my appraisal as possible.

Just compare his stats with other wide creative players (combining the goal and assists to form a goal/assist per minute ratio):

Lennon 2008-9 ---------------- 279 g/a pm
Lennon 2007-8 ----------------- 427
Young 2008-9 ------------------ 228
Young 2007-8 ---------------- 142
malouda 08-09 ---------------- 184
petrov 07-08 ---------------- 228
Arshavin 08-09 -------------- 90


This season - with a huge boost from sunday obviously, where he virtually doubled his tally for the season - Lennon's ratio is down to the following:

Lennon 09-10 ------------- 106 g/a pm

Before Saturday:---------- 176 g/a pm

A really great ratio post sunday and a fairly decent one before Sunday (but nowhere near as good as arshavin's) but lets see what happens for the rest of the season before we hail him the best in the EPL eh ?

I hope the confidence he takes from that game helps him. Having people like Crouch and Defoe offering the type of movement and commitment to crosses into danger areas - as opposed to Keane who just does not have the courage to venture into those areas and commit to the ball will also help (I also think that Pav would feed off similar service as well - he did in Russia)


But I have seen Lennon flatter to deceive on many occasions - not always his fault (wrong players around him, opposition playing him well etc) and still believe that there are vital roles for players like GDS, Kranjcar and maybe even Taraabt as alternative options.

For me Kranjcar was even better than Lennon on Sunday and played the best through ball of the game, but Lennon was also great and I appreciate there will be games that suit different players and it's great that we are starting to have options like those players. Having two/three/four players like that performing so well in tandem is the reason why teams like Arsenal, Chelsea & ManU dominate. The competition they will provide for each other is also useful.

 

[Sputic]

I hope the confidence he takes from that game helps him. Having people like Crouch and Defoe offering the type of movement and commitment to crosses into danger areas - as opposed to Keane who just does not have the courage to venture into those areas and commit to the ball will also help (I also think that Pav would feed off similar service as well - he did in Russia)


But I have seen Lennon flatter to deceive on many occasions - not always his fault (wrong players around him, opposition playing him well etc) and still believe that there are vital roles for players like GDS, Kranjcar and maybe even Taraabt as alternative options.

The first of these paragraphs is an example of how you can be right and wrong at the same time. I often think that Lennon's lack of productivity after his first season when Mido and Keane were the preferred strikeforce, was due to the fact that he'd get into a crossing position and see either (or both) Berbatov and Defoe picking their arse on the edge of the area. Leaving Keane alone in the area with three or four defenders around him.

Now Defoe was better than Mido (though not Keane at the time) and Berbatov was better than both, but neither seemed eager to get fox in the box, goalscorer's goals.

However, Defoe seems to have decided that it's worth getting the unspectacular goals too. And Spurs, Lennon, and Defoe himself are beginning to reap the benefits.

The latter paragraph makes me wonder slightly. Your repeated bigging up of GDS comes off the back of a much hyped, but actually pretty unsubstantial club career. Apart from the hat-trick game (on the last day of the season, vs less than stellar opposition) his performances at Barca were mediocre at best. Which is why he went cheap. And he's not done much for Spurs really (though he's not really had much opportunity). So if Lennon flatters to deceive, how would you describe GDS? Or Tarrabt for that matter?

And I remember Krancjar at Pompey, the odd good game and spectacular goal interrupting weeks of lazy dross. He was the epitome of flattering to deceive there. I'm hoping it won't happen at Spurs and he's been great so far, but remain cautious.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

The first of these paragraphs is an example of how you can be right and wrong at the same time. I often think that Lennon's lack of productivity after his first season when Mido and Keane were the preferred strikeforce, was due to the fact that he'd get into a crossing position and see either (or both) Berbatov and Defoe picking their arse on the edge of the area. Leaving Keane alone in the area with three or four defenders around him.

Now Defoe was better than Mido (though not Keane at the time) and Berbatov was better than both, but neither seemed eager to get fox in the box, goalscorer's goals.

However, Defoe seems to have decided that it's worth getting the unspectacular goals too. And Spurs, Lennon, and Defoe himself are beginning to reap the benefits.

The latter paragraph makes me wonder slightly. Your repeated bigging up of GDS comes off the back of a much hyped, but actually pretty unsubstantial club career. Apart from the hat-trick game (on the last day of the season, vs less than stellar opposition) his performances at Barca were mediocre at best. Which is why he went cheap. And he's not done much for Spurs really (though he's not really had much opportunity). So if Lennon flatters to deceive, how would you describe GDS? Or Tarrabt for that matter?

And I remember Krancjar at Pompey, the odd good game and spectacular goal interrupting weeks of lazy dross. He was the epitome of flattering to deceive there. I'm hoping it won't happen at Spurs and he's been great so far, but remain cautious.

Your whole post is a fantastic example of how you can be wrong and wrong at the same time.

As an example, Kranjcar had a better a/g pm ratio in 2008-9 and 2007-8 to Lennon. He also outpassed him (despite playing 200 minutes less aggregate over the two seasons) by 530 passes.

Your post is also an example of how hard it is when not possessing a fully functioning football brain to differentiate between what you want to be true and what actually is.

When GDS has been given the opportunity to make 126 appearances for spurs then we can discuss him in comparison to Lennon, but until then all I have actually said is I think there could be a role for him and personally I'd like to see him given the same chance to develop as Lennon was at his age/stage of career.

 

[ShelfSide18]

Your whole post is a fantastic example of how you can be wrong and wrong at the same time.

As an example, Kranjcar had a better a/g pm ratio in 2008-9 and 2007-8 to Lennon. He also outpassed him (despite playing 200 minutes less aggregate over the two seasons) by 530 passes.

Your post is also an example of how hard it is when not possessing a fully functioning football brain to differentiate between what you want to be true and what actually is.

When GDS has been given the opportunity to make 126 appearances for spurs then we can discuss him in comparison to Lennon, but until then all I have actually said is I think there could be a role for him and personally I'd like to see him given the same chance to develop as Lennon was at his age/stage of career.

And this is an example of how you think you are completely right all of the time.

 

[C0YS]

firstly lennons job is to unstabalise defences, to get two players on him, to win free kicks, to scare the opposition, none of this directly contributes to a goal, but it can lead up to it

 

[Sputic]

Your whole post is a fantastic example of how you can be wrong and wrong at the same time.

As an example, Kranjcar had a better a/g pm ratio in 2008-9 and 2007-8 to Lennon. He also outpassed him (despite playing 200 minutes less aggregate over the two seasons) by 530 passes.

Your post is also an example of how hard it is when not possessing a fully functioning football brain to differentiate between what you want to be true and what actually is.

When GDS has been given the opportunity to make 126 appearances for spurs then we can discuss him in comparison to Lennon, but until then all I have actually said is I think there could be a role for him and personally I'd like to see him given the same chance to develop as Lennon was at his age/stage of career.

Yeah, yeah, you keep giving out these stats. But I don't see a source and to be honest from previous posts I have reason to doubt their veracity.

But I apologise for not fully backing your current man of the moment. But I know what I saw at Portsmouth and it was a player that only played when he wanted to.

Lennon wasn't given that chance to develop, he took it. That's what GDS needs to do.

And that third paragraph simply serves as an example of why you are the most breathtakingly arrogant poster on this site.

 

[lilywhitecurtis]

Yeah, yeah, you keep giving out these stats. But I don't see a source and to be honest from previous posts I have reason to doubt their veracity.

But I apologise for not fully backing your current man of the moment. But I know what I saw at Portsmouth and it was a player that only played when he wanted to.

Lennon wasn't given that chance to develop, he took it. That's what GDS needs to do.

And that third paragraph simply serves as an example of why you are the most breathtakingly arrogant poster on this site.

Yeah, due to a lack of proper referencing and footnotes in Bus-Conductor's post, he needs marking down.

Also his whole argument about judging wingers hinged on goals and assists, which is fair enough by the way. However he undermines his statistical based argument by stating Kranjcar was better than Lennon on Sunday.

Let me remind you the stats from sunday tell us
Kranjcar 90 g/a pm
Lennon 19.5 g/a pm

Surely someone with such a fantastic football brain can recognize that statistics are limited.
Fantastic bits of skill can be rendered completely irrelevant by statistical analysis.

For example, Defoe missed the one on one created by Kranjcar's impressive through ball, thus he isn't credited statiscally with an setting up a goal. Oh Dear.....

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Yeah, yeah, you keep giving out these stats. But I don't see a source and to be honest from previous posts I have reason to doubt their veracity.

But I apologise for not fully backing your current man of the moment. But I know what I saw at Portsmouth and it was a player that only played when he wanted to.

Lennon wasn't given that chance to develop, he took it. That's what GDS needs to do.

And that third paragraph simply serves as an example of why you are the most breathtakingly arrogant poster on this site.

Here is the link to the stats.

Lennon didn't have any viable competition of the standard that GDS now has in Lennon, Modric, Kranjcar, Bale, etc etc.

How many live (90 min) portsmouth games have you seen in the last three years ?

 

[nicdic]

The only other wide player with better or equal assists to Lennon this season is James Milner.

And Lennon has scored 3 whilst Milner has scored 2.

Milner has also played one more game than Lennon I think.

 

[Hoowl]

When GDS has been given the opportunity to make 126 appearances for spurs then we can discuss him in comparison to Lennon, but until then all I have actually said is I think there could be a role for him and personally I'd like to see him given the same chance to develop as Lennon was at his age/stage of career.

If GDS is good enough, he'll make it. There aren't many players who we've let slip through our hands and go on to be great elsewhere. At the moment I'm not particularly optimistic about him but I'd love it if he could play a part in our season.