Time for Lennon to take a back seat.

[Chimbo!]

just give it time and he will come good again because form is temporary, class is permanent.

 

[Sanj]

Very harsh on our Lennon.
Lennon has recently got back from a series of injuries and not really had a good run in the team without picking up another injury.
Also, lennon has struggled with Bales immergance as a lot more of teh play is gpoing down Bales side, and lennon is regularly starved of the ball. Lennon is an out and out winger and relies on early ball. Its no conicidence that Lennon has done well with corluka who can get the ball to lennon earlier and doesnt get in lennons way too early in an attack, but lennon has struggled for spurs and england with Hutton and Johnson behind him who like to get forward earlier.

Lennon actually put in a couple of really good crosses today and and beat his man a couple of times, but again was very starved of quick early ball.
Let him get a run of games under his belt, ad i think we will then be able to judge him.

 

[The Lilywhites]

Rax I totally agree with what you said about England destroying AL 's confidence, the same as it did for Paul Robinson. Lennon will regain he's touch in time, now JD's back.

 

[Destroyer]

Rax I totally agree with what you said about England destroying AL 's confidence, the same as it did for Paul Robinson. Lennon will regain he's touch in time, now JD's back.

Dont forget a few seasons back JD started the season on fire, got selected for England by Sven, Michael Owen got injured & what did Sven do ?? Play Rooney up front on his own !!! The poor lads confidence was shot for the rest of the season after that snub.

 

[ohh_when_the_spurs]

When Lennon came onto the scene he was amazing, then he got complacent again. We signed Routledge then he upped his game.

Again he got complacenet and put in lazy performances, once we signed Bentley he put in the form of his life. Now that Bentley has been frozen out, Lennon is going back to how he was.

I agree that Bentley should take his place for a bit, Bentley done ok against Sunderland and deserves a shot. Lennon has been awful and it'll be a wake up call that you cannot just walk around and get paid for it.

we signed them pretty much the same time and routledge was our number 1..........then he got injured and lennon burst on the scene

 

[yusrisafri]

Did you not notice the way Fabio C***lo treated Lennon in the Summer?

FFS, that shit would have destroyed any player's confidence. All Azza needs is game time and plenty of encouragement.

Capello's a ****, and we should be suing him for fucking up one of our best players. Can you imagine if Lennon was at his best, with Baaaaaale on the other wing. We'd be frickin unstoppable. Well, we would if we had a striker anyway.

That is so, so lame, blaming Azza's form on Capello. Just admit it, he was low on confidence the minute he came back from injury, and he has never recovered since. Stop blaming it on other people, as if our players can never be faultless.

 

[mike_l]

But BAE comes over the half way line, Bale seems to do all right?

Without making too many excuses for Lennon, I definitely think BAE is more intelligent with his runs and general play than Hutton and Glenn Johnsen are, which makes life easier for Bale.

Lennon hasn't been anywhere his best since his injury last year. Sure, he was never going to be on fire again instantly on his return from injury, especially as he's so reliant on his pace, but to be this far from where he was?? I'm not necessarily talking about today, but ever since his comeback he's looked a shadow of his former self. I can count on one hand the amount of times he's gone on the OUTSIDE of his fb and got a decent cross in. He did it more times in one game (Wigan) last season than he has this year. It's also utter nonsense to say he tore villa and inter apart - he played well, but that was it.

He needs some real competition on the right - at the minute he clearly doesn't have that.

Not so sure, there are times when he has been fit this season when he has been left out, a few games for example to use VDV on the right. So he knows he needs to work hard to keep his place, I think it's more a confidence issue than a complacency one.

 

[camaj]

Lennons been a shadow of himself for years. He was good because he could do the following:
Dribble down the wing, and go around the defender on the outside
Dribble down the wing and be in enough space to play a cross in
Run towards the corner and have a team mate hit it in front of him
Have team mate hit a ball into the corner and beat the defender to it.

The problem with Lennon is I haven't seen him do any of that in years. He's reluctant to make a run and when he has the ball he doesn't seem to be able to outpace the defenders.

However, in todays game he actually did that! Somebody hit the ball into the box and he ran onto it and got there before the defender. So rather than dropping him, we should hope he keeps it up!

 

[senseispab]

For me, Bentley's performance (albeit as sub) against Man City on the back end of last season convinced me that he deserves more time on the pitch.

Given Lennon's poor form at the moment, I'd definitely start Bentley.

I think Lennon still has great potential, and I also think he'd benefit from not thinking he's an automatic starter right now.

 

[camaj]

Bentley? Are you his agent or something? Even his mum would probably groan at his name on the team sheet. If football was won by doing everything slowly and making things as easy for your opponent then Bentley would be the first name on the team-sheet. But it's not, so he isn't.

 

[double0]

Lennon has to trust his body again you can see his not quite comfortable...

 

[lifeof...]

I thought he was turning the corner actually. Slow start to the season (following a not-very-great World Cup) and completely changed the game against Villa. Been good in Europe too. Got overshadowed by Bale in the Inter game, but he was a casualty of a horrific team first half performance today. Not necessarily his own.

I agree, with most of this, in that i did start to see signs of the old Lennon returning, but he was poor yesterday, he did seem to be hiding a little. It seems IMO, he has a fragile confidence level, at the mo, I hope we do see it back,

Edit: Those asking for Bentley to replace him...No,,,Just No...If lennon isn't going to play, and Now Defoe is back, i would rather see VDV, nominally on the right with a free role, Bale Swapping as he desires

 

[Legend10]

Bentley? Are you his agent or something? Even his mum would probably groan at his name on the team sheet. If football was won by doing everything slowly and making things as easy for your opponent then Bentley would be the first name on the team-sheet. But it's not, so he isn't.

Ridiculous comment, Bentley has barely played this season but when he has he's done ok for us.

He doesn't have great pace but he does have good ability on the ball and should definitely be in contention for a place on the right especially if VDV plays off of JD.

 

[edson]

What about playing Hutton Rm with Charlie behind him until Lennon gets himself fully fit?.ITS WORKED FOR BALE

 

[AngerManagement]

I think it's true, we work better with one out and out winger and a VDV/Modric style player filling the other wide position.

Before Lennon on the right with Modric on the left worked well, but Bale has just eclipsed what Lennon can do and although he could be put at Left back so we could accomdate VDV and Lennon I think currently the best line up we have availble is pretty much how we started the second half yesterday.

 

[Raxscallion]

That is so, so lame, blaming Azza's form on Capello. Just admit it, he was low on confidence the minute he came back from injury, and he has never recovered since. Stop blaming it on other people, as if our players can never be faultless.

How's about you go boil your head?

I've posted what I believe to be the case, and several people agree with me. You may not be one of them, which is fine, you're entitled to have your own view. But please refrain from going on the attack for no feckin reason and putting words in my mouth. You socknut.

 

[StartingPrice]

let me get this right, lennon has come back into our team today after 3 weeks out and gone straight into a game away from home against our biggest rivals, yet fans are suprised he wasnt on top of his game?

Before he was injured he was getting back to form and as pointed out tore Villa and inter apart.

No. I think it goes back to his being played against United when he was, IMHO, not 100% and Bentley had been doing fine. Normal service for AL was roasting Evra, in that game normal service was not resumed. I don't think that helped his confidence. I don't think he has everquite regained match fitness, I don't think Capelloand the WC helped him or his confidence, and I don't think this latest injury has helped his fitness or confidence I alos believe, as I explained above, that the fact that everything used to go out to him, whereas now it goes the opposite way o Bale, isn't really helping him.

That said, he has gone from being our MVP - literally drooled over much like Bale is now, with the media 'trying' to engineer a move to United, to a relatively ineffective figure.

I have been deliberately harsh in my assessment, not bcause I don't think he will ever get his form back, but because ATM I think 'Arry is getting this one all wrong. Bentley/Hutton OR Lennon/Corluka; if Lennon is off form, not match fit or just lacking in confidence, drop him. I really don't think he should be playing at the moment, until his fitness is up AND he has had a fewe games coming on as a sub and showng he is getting back to being a played capable of terroising some of the best full-backs in the contry AND deserving of keeping a player of the ability of Bentley out of the side.

Lennon hasn't been anywhere his best since his injury last year. Sure, he was never going to be on fire again instantly on his return from injury, especially as he's so reliant on his pace, but to be this far from where he was?? I'm not necessarily talking about today, but ever since his comeback he's looked a shadow of his former self. I can count on one hand the amount of times he's gone on the OUTSIDE of his fb and got a decent cross in. He did it more times in one game (Wigan) last season than he has this year. It's also utter nonsense to say he tore villa and inter apart - he played well, but that was it.

He needs some real competition on the right - at the minute he clearly doesn't have that.

This.
But think Bentley did okay last season, and just needs 'Arry to 'trust' him in the same way that he is 'trusting' Lennon ATM.

For me, Bentley's performance (albeit as sub) against Man City on the back end of last season convinced me that he deserves more time on the pitch.

Given Lennon's poor form at the moment, I'd definitely start Bentley.

I think Lennon still has great potential, and I also think he'd benefit from not thinking he's an automatic starter right now.

THIS.

 

[3Dnata]

Say what?

 

[tooey]

Say what?

x2

 

[Dr Know]

Everything in time boys!!!