Marvelous Nakamba

[MentalM]

4 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

That isn't his job.

We don't need a playmaker in every position.

Not to be demanding, but I do think our players need to be able to ATLEAST pass a ball 11 yards!

[Laughable Chimp]

5 minutes ago, MentalM said:

Not to be demanding, but I do think our players need to be able to ATLEAST pass a ball 11 yards!

Nakamba actually had a high percentage of successful middle length passes last season (defined as passes between 15 and 30 yards). He just didn't attempt a lot of these passes and a lot of them were sideways or backwards. If anything, it was his short passing stats that seemed the worst.

I think Nakamba is adequate at passing when given time and space. But he struggles badly when pressured, which tends to be immediately after he wins the ball and ends up passing it straight to the opposition too much as he's looking for the nearest teammate to lay the ball off too.

 

 

[Delphinho123]

13 minutes ago, MentalM said:

Not to be demanding, but I do think our players need to be able to ATLEAST pass a ball 11 yards!

Ignore him.

Nobody is saying he should be a playmaker, but his passing needs to be better to be a more effective defensive midfielder. It's all well and good being able to break up play, but you also need to have better basic skills to make sure you don't hold the team back when we are attacking. 

Marvelous isn't a bad player, he can hold his own and I'd argue he makes us better in the matches where we're not expected to have much of the ball. He also helps balance the midfield 3 out and it allows McGinn, Luiz. Ramsey or whoever to perhaps get forward more knowing Marvelous is there to break up a potential counter attack. 

It's just great to have a squad tbh. Seeing players like Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Nakamba, Hause and others who I didn't think were good enough, come in and do well, is refreshing. 

 

[TRO]

Marv the Rottweiler...love him when he is in this form.

[TRO]

9 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Ignore him.

Nobody is saying he should be a playmaker, but his passing needs to be better to be a more effective defensive midfielder. It's all well and good being able to break up play, but you also need to have better basic skills to make sure you don't hold the team back when we are attacking. 

Marvelous isn't a bad player, he can hold his own and I'd argue he makes us better in the matches where we're not expected to have much of the ball. He also helps balance the midfield 3 out and it allows McGinn, Luiz. Ramsey or whoever to perhaps get forward more knowing Marvelous is there to break up a potential counter attack. 

It's just great to have a squad tbh. Seeing players like Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Nakamba, Hause and others who I didn't think were good enough, come in and do well, is refreshing. 

 

The thing is....you need the ball to win a game....he wins it.

Its equally all well and good being a good passer of the ball, but someone has to win the darn thing.....and he does it well on form...he does break the play up, but he takes opponents threat out too.

You are right, its about balance and he is an important member of the squad on this form.

The fact that we haven't lost when he has played, cannot be ignored, he plays a crucial role imo.

[rodders0223]

17 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Ignore him.

Nobody is saying he should be a playmaker, but his passing needs to be better to be a more effective defensive midfielder. It's all well and good being able to break up play, but you also need to have better basic skills to make sure you don't hold the team back when we are attacking. 

Marvelous isn't a bad player, he can hold his own and I'd argue he makes us better in the matches where we're not expected to have much of the ball. He also helps balance the midfield 3 out and it allows McGinn, Luiz. Ramsey or whoever to perhaps get forward more knowing Marvelous is there to break up a potential counter attack. 

It's just great to have a squad tbh. Seeing players like Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Nakamba, Hause and others who I didn't think were good enough, come in and do well, is refreshing. 

 

I agree. I love the guy been championing him to start but I get really disheartened when he lets himself down with silly passes.

If he wants to go a level he needs to stop that spell when his head goes frantic, he stops looking for the easy sideways pass and tries to thread balls into the channel. His forward passing is not good. 

If he plays to his strenghts the positon is his to lose.

[villalad21]

I didn’t see his passing being a problem against Leeds. 

All he did when winning the ball was just a simple pass to the player next to him. Like a dm is supposed to do. 

Think i read somewhere he had around 90 % pass accuracy that game. Which is good. 

[jimmygreaves]

17 hours ago, MentalM said:

Not to be demanding, but I do think our players need to be able to ATLEAST pass a ball 11 yards!

I'm convinced people haven't watched him play. Yeah, he's never going to be Gordon Cowans, we get it, but his general play and passing is really good. Particularly his first time passing which I think he's worked on a lot.

He breaks up play with interceptions and some tackling.... that's his game.

But, like I say, his first time passing is excellent. He's able to recycle the ball really quickly to get the team moving forward.

I think his general play is really underrated by many on here.

[rodders0223]

11 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

I didn’t see his passing being a problem against Leeds. 

All he did when winning the ball was just a simple pass to the player next to him. Like a dm is supposed to do. 

Think i read somewhere he had around 90 % pass accuracy that game. Which is good. 

It is generally okay but then he gets the brain fuzz after a certain spell of pressure or not seeing the ball, and he will see Targett or Cash to his side in acres of space and ignore,  and try to fire one into the forward.

It is harsh but I want him to be the guy. It is an area he needs to improve.

[MentalM]

15 minutes ago, jimmygreaves said:

I'm convinced people haven't watched him play. Yeah, he's never going to be Gordon Cowans, we get it, but his general play and passing is really good. Particularly his first time passing which I think he's worked on a lot.

He breaks up play with interceptions and some tackling.... that's his game.

But, like I say, his first time passing is excellent. He's able to recycle the ball really quickly to get the team moving forward.

I think his general play is really underrated by many on here.

100% agree. I think he has been close to flawless when he has ben called upon this season. 

[KentVillan]

He has played well this season. His passing is definitely a limitation, though - he just doesn’t strike the ball as cleanly as the players like Targett, Grealish, Dougie, AEG, etc.

What has happened this season is he’s got better at playing within his limitations, which is why his pass completion % is so high. But clearly he won’t be unlocking defences with any diagonal passes - which is something Luiz and McGinn do most games. When Nakamba tried to do this last season, it was usually a bit of a face palm moment.

One other thing to be aware of is that if he starts regularly, it’s possible other teams will try to target his touch. Having said that, his composure under pressure has improved I think.

A good option to have in the squad and pleased to see him playing well. He’s definitely effective. Has earned a run of starts. 

[AntrimBlack]

I think he does the job that he is there to do very well.

He is the only player we have who is a proper DM.

[Delphinho123]

9 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

I think he does the job that he is there to do very well.

He is the only player we have who is a proper DM.

Definitely agree with you on this point which is why he should be a starter in some matches, or certainly in contention.

I've mentioned it before but I think a DM should be our first port of call this Summer. An upgrade on Nakamba in that position will transform our team. 

[Jono62]

I'll admit I don't know many DM's out there, mainly Kante really. Who would you go for?

[paul514]

He is crap when being pressured, but that aside he is pretty decent, definitely keep him in the summer.

I would still look for another 6 but I do think he should be played more, John McGinn isn't a 6, he is an 8 or 10

[TRO]

9 hours ago, rodders0223 said:

It is generally okay but then he gets the brain fuzz after a certain spell of pressure or not seeing the ball, and he will see Targett or Cash to his side in acres of space and ignore,  and try to fire one into the forward.

It is harsh but I want him to be the guy. It is an area he needs to improve.

I think when he has come back in lately....he is far better than the version we had before.

I think you maybe describing the old Marvellous.....but he has to keep up this form of course, to be valued like he is now.

[TRO]

6 hours ago, paul514 said:

He is crap when being pressured, but that aside he is pretty decent, definitely keep him in the summer.

I would still look for another 6 but I do think he should be played more, John McGinn isn't a 6, he is an 8 or 10

but you could say that about most of our team...and many other teams.....only teams like Man City are press resistant.

You need a strong physicality and superb ball control to counter it as an individual.....quick thought and movement too.

[GENTLEMAN]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

but you could say that about most of our team...and many other teams.....only teams like Man City are press resistant.

You need a strong physicality and superb ball control to counter it as an individual.....quick thought and movement too.

Must just be 5 hour rondo sessions each day at the Etihad Campus

[lapal_fan]

It has been said that should Marv, Sanson AND McGinn start a match at the same time, then Villa would have so much energy, that the ball would become magnetised 5 yards away from any one of our players. 

This is a problem for Smith, but one I believe he can probably over come with some strapping. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

He’s like a shit Kante. (I mean that as a compliment).