I have to say when we first signed him I thought 'decent enough, good cover, great at set pieces for the last 20 minutes when we need a goal'. I didnt see him as being much more than that for us, maybe getting full games thanks to injury or against the so called 'lesser' sides.
Seems I was wrong, and I am delighted to be. His recent performances have been superb. He seems to have really settled in in the last few games and has been one of the main driving forces in the side. He has developed an excellent understanding in the middle with Lucas and I genuinely look at the centre of midfield and think that when Gerrard returns he will just have to wait until one of the other two gets injured or suspended, or play in a 'lesser' cup game.
Adam has been at the heart of many of our attacks with his range of passing and ever improving work rate. What has impressed me most in terms of his improvement is his range of influence. We all knew he was a good passer of the ball and was deadly from set peices (although the latter has rarely been the case in red) but he has developed into something of a box to box player. Putting in the hard yards at the back, and equally keen to get in and around the box to support attacking play, and even more impressively maintain this effort for an entire match.
Quite rightly Enrique has been highlighted as our best signing so far, but I think a few more performances of that level and Adam will have to be considered at a similar level.
Charlie Adam
posted on 29/11/11
I wouldn't kick Alonso out of bed
But Adam - deffo
what about Dirk Kuyt?
posted on 29/11/11
Firstly I watch football. Thats where my main judgement comes from.
Secondly stats help to back any judgement I may form, but I understand their limitations...the old saying "there are stats, stats and damned lies" (or something like that)
Take the Villa game for example at WHL. Modric was exceptional, he was involved in everything, made the team tick. All the pundits big-upped him at the end and rightly so. No assists and no goals from Modric.....I saw with my own eyes that he was brilliant. I am sure his passing stats etc would have better showed what influence he had but these are rarely produced. But Assist/Goal Stats will never truly demonstrate the man's quality because his role is different to all that. he plays in the middle third and Spurs have 2 wingers and VDV in behind the striker which is where the final pass usually comes from.
I have seen a bit of Downing this season. At the Lane, LFC have been on the box a few times. he looks ok. he has not been stand out. But when you are a wider player or player in the creative third, goals and assists are what you make your name from. Lennon and Bale have been criticised in the past for not settting up/scoring enough and that is fair. Like LFC their stats have been victims of poor finishing...very much so last season when we missed a hatful of chances and dropped lots of easy points at home..like LFC this year.
I have never said Adam is having a poor season. He is doing well, better tha i expected.
I think most would admit that Downing is not doing any better than OK. His stats say 0 goals and i have seen him miss some good chances...so he certainly could do a lot better. IMO bellamy has looked a bigger threat than Downing on most occassions. These are my observations and they just happen to be backed up by STATS...not STATS informing my observations. Clear?
posted on 29/11/11
I'm deffo female, so no need to worry. Kuyt is a duracell bunny so i would just leave him with my vibrator.
posted on 29/11/11
fitflfc
posted on 29/11/11
Absoluetly spot on Devonshirespur. I'm having a similar debate with a Chelsea fan on another thread. He's saying that because Suarez has only scored 4 goals he can't be having a good season. My reasoning is that despite his average goal return (which could and should be much better with more clinical finishing) he is having a good season because of everything else he does on the pitch; his hard work, his holding up, his link up play, his passing, his trickery, his movement etc etc. Stats tell you nothing about this side of his game. You can only appreciate it by watching football.
It is a very annoying new phenomena amongst football fans, probably brought about by fantasy football. Stats only ever provide part of the picture.
posted on 29/11/11
I read a stat somewhere that Joey Barton had more assists and scored more goals for Newcastle last season than Xavi did for Barca.
That says all you need to know about stats.
posted on 29/11/11
I read a stat somewhere that Joey Barton had more assists and scored more goals for Newcastle last season than Xavi did for Barca.
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So did Charlie Adam. Again tells you all you need to know about stats.
posted on 29/11/11
I saw how we played, I don't need a link.
4-2-3-1. When we attacked Lucas sat, Adam went. This is normal. Henderson played further forward of Adam and Kuyt and Downing attacked and defended when needed.
4-2-3-1. We don't have the players for 4-3-3, which is why we don't use it. Also you can bet your bottom dollar if we were playing 4-3-3 that both Carroll and Bellamy would start.
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I hope you realise that 4231 and 433 are essentially the same formation...
So tell me how we don't have the players to play 433 when we clearly do.
And also, that link offer a much more indepth analysis of our (and many other) matches and I for one trust their 500+ word articles more than I trust 'I saw how we played'.
posted on 29/11/11
No, it is not the same, hence why it's different and why we don't employ it. We don't have the players for it.
Also, I don't care what you trust, I have no interest in changing your opinion as I disagree with 90% of what you say on here anyhow. If I cared, then I would be expressing my disagreement everytime you decided to make a comment on the site. I let you have your opinion and I have mine.
posted on 1/12/11
No, it is not the same, hence why it's different and why we don't employ it. We don't have the players for it.
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Implying I said they were the same formation...
Tell me TOOR, do you know the meaning of the word 'essentially'?
Have fun living in your bubble. With all your misinformed opinions and cantankerous behaviour.