Aaron Lennon

[gregga]

Anyone else getting concerned about his lack of progress? He was playing quite well a few weeks ago but in the last couple of games has slipped back into anonymity.

The season before last he was easily our most dangerous player - I remember some games our game plan consisted entirely of whacking it to him and waiting for him to beat his man. Now he seems afraid to take players on.

I'm worried that he might turn into another Simon Davies - and since routledge appears to have fallen off the face of the earth there is absolutely no competition for him.

So what's the verdict - has he been found out? Or is he simply a little jaded from playing so much at such a young age?

Answers on a postcard please.

 

[Tickers]

I am increasingly concerned by the fact that every single one of our players does not play absolutely brilliantly every week. Without playing brilliantly well every week how can we possibly blah, blah fucking blah.

 

[Yid-ol]

i thought he was improving over the last few games :shrug: seems more willing to run at players again and even putting in some better cross's

 

[nidge]

The only player to blame for Lennon's poor showing is Chimbonda :lol:

 

[gregga]

He's had some decent games but hasn't played to his potential once yet this season, thats all I'm saying.

 

[rez9000]

I don't have any postcards, gregga, so I'll just use this handy little window at the bottom of the page.

I think Lenny (as I understand his nickname has now become) is still learning and there will be setbacks along the way. I reckon with him it's a series of peaks and troughs until he full develops.

I think we'll see some periods of amazing prowess (that will start to get longer) followed by periods of decline (that will become shorter and shorter) until he gets to the point where he knows what he's doing as a footballer. What kind of footballer he'll be I don't think is something we can tell at this very early stage (bearing in mind that he's only 20 years old), but I think it's too early to tell. Also remember that his placeholder in the England squad, Shaun Wright-Phillips, was 23 before he started winning the plaudits at Citeh, so there's still plenty of time for Lenny.

 

[gregga]

I don't have any postcards, gregga, so I'll just use this handy little window at the bottom of the page.

I think Lenny (as I understand his nickname has now become) is still learning and there will be setbacks along the way. I reckon with him it's a series of peaks and troughs until he full develops.

I think we'll see some periods of amazing prowess (that will start to get longer) followed by periods of decline (that will become shorter and shorter) until he gets to the point where he knows what he's doing as a footballer. What kind of footballer he'll be I don't think is something we can tell at this very early stage (bearing in mind that he's only 20 years old), but I think it's too early to tell. Also remember that his placeholder in the England squad, Shaun Wright-Phillips, was 23 before he started winning the plaudits at Citeh, so there's still plenty of time for Lenny.

Thanks Rez, thats exactly the kind of answer I was looking for.

In some ways his game has developed (especially his tackling back), yet at the same time its very rare that we see him fully open up and use his pace at the moment. I wonder whether his injury earlier in the season has affected him in some way.

 

[eViL]

I'm getting concerned with the ever expanding amount of muppets we're attracting to these forums..

 

[Mullers]

He tried a shot at long range yesterday, I can remember a time when he hardly ever shot at all. I am confident that he will improve under Ramos.

 

[Yid-ol]

He tried a shot at long range yesterday, I can remember a time when he hardly ever shot at all. I am confident that he will improve under Ramos.

it was on his left foot at well! straight at the keeper but he did get some power behind it

 

[Krafty]

The problem Lennon is having is that the opposition is doubling up constantly on him. But this means room for other players, and is probably one of the reasons why Steed is doing so well, because he is able to isolate his opponent and has the skill to get by him.

I think he is progressing, his pace seems to have come back, and he offers us width and an outlet. He has been gettting into more forward positions when the strikers get dragged out wide, his delivery is improving, and he is helping out defensively as well.

 

[walworthyid]

it was on his left foot at well! straight at the keeper but he did get some power behind it

I think that of the goals he has scored for us only 1 has been on his right foot!

 

[dontcallme]

So a few weeks ago he was good and now he's fallen back into anonymity? You don't become a good player overnight the same as you don't become a bad one overnight.

He was injured at the beginning of the season and since coming back he has put in some top performances and some average ones. Occasionally players like Lennon get marked out of the game and get the tag of 'inconsistent' as a result. He's working hard for the team and when he's given space he can rip teams to pieces. For a 20 year old who cost us £1 million he's doing pretty well.

 

[gregga]

I think perhaps one of the main reasons he has been less effective is the quality of the service.

In his break through season we had carrick spraying beautiful raking balls out to the wings which lenny could take advantage of, whereas at the moment our most creative midfielder, malbranque, plays on the other side of the pitch.

The first goal against city was lennon used to his full potential - jenas needs to step up and deliver more of those incisive passes.

 

[walworthyid]

The only player to blame for Lennon's poor showing is Chimbonda :lol:

Been saying it since Chimbo came to spurs. He holds the ball too long and this means that Lennon has either no space to run into because Chimbo has brought the ball forward too far and too slow before releasing, or, if we are being pressed Chimbo has held the ball too long in our half and Lennon is marked tightly by the time he gets it and is facing our own goal.

Having said all of that Lennon needs to learn a few new tricks to buy himself some space, which is something I believe the much criticised Martin Jol was trying to do last season by playing him on the left and behind the strikers.

 

[rez9000]

Been saying it since Chimbo came to spurs. He holds the ball too long and this means that Lennon has either no space to run into because Chimbo has brought the ball forward too far and too slow before releasing, or, if we are being pressed Chimbo has held the ball too long in our half and Lennon is marked tightly by the time he gets it and is facing our own goal.

Having said all of that Lennon needs to learn a few new tricks to buy himself some space, which is something I believe the much criticised Martin Jol was trying to do last season by playing him on the left and behind the strikers.

That's a very interesting point. What do you feel is different in the team that makes Lennon less effective? Obviously, we've only really had Stalteri and Chimbonda at RB with Lennon, so is it something that Stalteri did do but Chimbo doesn't or is it something else?

 

[gregga]

That's a very interesting point. What do you feel is different in the team that makes Lennon less effective? Obviously, we've only really had Stalteri and Chimbonda at RB with Lennon, so is it something that Stalteri did do but Chimbo doesn't or is it something else?

Stalteri's passing is one of the weaker aspects of his game though, I fail to see how his replacement with chimbonda could have affected lennon's game that much.

Lennon's best season was his first - and we played much more defensively then, hitting teams on the break. I think lennon suits this style of football much more, he isn't creative enough to open up a static defence very often.

 

[rez9000]

It's very difficult to tell though because Lennon is still so young. It could be down to inexperience, or it could be as walworthyid suggested that he doesn't have the right player behind him. Or even more complicatedly (is that a word? It is now), it may be both of those things.

Also, there were allegations that Lennon is a big fan of the sherberts and was known to paint the town red on ocassion. I think Ramos may have put a stop to that, and his form did pick up recently. Perhaps it's just a small dip in form.

 

[wirE]

I think he was great against pompeys and Man shitty. No worries.

 

[SpursManChris]

He doesn't seem to be able to beat his man as well as he used to, he seems to get beaten by them and dispossesed more often. He has decent trickery and stuff, but it's looking a down shade worse than what it used to be. And as for his crossing, well it can get very unconvincing. Some of them are simply god awful. I'm sorry to have to say it, but at the moment, I'd much rather have a David Bently or an Ashley Young on that right side.