Zatman Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 was srprisingly up for it last night and thought did ok(maybe teh low expectations) but doesnt pass enough though played a good ball to Gabby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Honestly he ran through their defence on various occasions in first half before running out of steam 2nd. He could tear them apart at Villa Park if we get some defenders back and build some confidence in the side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaRoy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Our best player last night, but that's not saying much. The thing I like about Zog, is unlike many of our players, he is desperate to take players on. If he keeps doing that, he'll be a good asset for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan_007 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Still frustrates me. Looks like a school kid most of the time, head down running into players. Looked like the only one who gave a shit last night though, was desperate to score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted January 9, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 9, 2013 Our best player last night, but that's not saying much. The thing I like about Zog, is unlike many of our players, he is desperate to take players on. If he keeps doing that, he'll be a good asset for us. Would agree but he always seems to take on one too many. Number of times last night he looked like doing something special but having beaten a couple of men he kept running straight at the next one instead of looking to offload. Still, about the only player who came out of last night with any credit ( Weimann maybe being one other). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanvilla_1994 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Wouldn't mind him being so greedy if he could actually shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul33 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 He is - for whatever reason - a very intensely nervous character who plays with brittle confidence and lacks self belief big time. What we saw for twenty minutes last night was the real CNZ which is a player who is not only confident in running at players but one who is confident enough to get an effort on goal at the end of it. In the second half we saw the CNZ we've seen 99% of his time here which is a player who can and will run at players but who lacks the confidence to pull the trigger or to make a decision about who to cross to or how ..... that CNZ will simply run with his head down until he gets crowded out with nothing to show for his efforts. Lambert needs to somehow get into his head and say I don't want you to pass, I want you to run, beat one or two but then get your head up and shoot. If you shoot and miss, get up and do it again next time and the time after and keep doing it because goals will come. He needs self belief and he needs the encouragement to play his game with the fear of failure somehow removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Happy with him last night, he seemed to thrive in that role behind Benteke. His end product does need improving, but compared to the other players, he put in a good shift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarpie Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 He was probably our best player on the pitch and don't forget that he haven't really played this fall because of couple of injuries. Would start against Southampton as AMC. Gabby should've buried his chance what N'Zog passed to him, instead Gabby shot straight toward the keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 He is - for whatever reason - a very intensely nervous character who plays with brittle confidence and lacks self belief big time. What we saw for twenty minutes last night was the real CNZ which is a player who is not only confident in running at players but one who is confident enough to get an effort on goal at the end of it. In the second half we saw the CNZ we've seen 99% of his time here which is a player who can and will run at players but who lacks the confidence to pull the trigger or to make a decision about who to cross to or how ..... that CNZ will simply run with his head down until he gets crowded out with nothing to show for his efforts. Lambert needs to somehow get into his head and say I don't want you to pass, I want you to run, beat one or two but then get your head up and shoot. If you shoot and miss, get up and do it again next time and the time after and keep doing it because goals will come. He needs self belief and he needs the encouragement to play his game with the fear of failure somehow removed. I think it makes a difference that in the first half he was playing through the middle, similar to where he played for Wigan and clearly where he is most comfortable. In the second half we went to 4-4-2 and it was a performance more reminiscent of most of his time with Villa. I disagree though that all you want him to do is shoot. I desperately want him to pass, if we play him through the middle we should be saying to him beat and man and find a pass from the gap you have created. He did that really well to start with and also got off a few shots. If he can build on that he might have a future here after all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 9, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 9, 2013 Sorry I don't see what people are seeing in his performance last night. Sure, he did a lot of running. But for me his running was predictable in that it was always (bar once) into dead ends resulting in him losing possession. I can only remember that one occasion where one of his dribbles amounted to anything. He got to the byline and laid it back for Gabby to take a shot that brought a very good save from Duke. Zog was style over substance and we can't afford to have that on the pitch. If he was actually achieving something then fine, but he's not. I'd much prefer to have Ireland threading through balls for Weimann and Benteke in that position 'in the hole' rather than having someone who thinks he can take on the whole team on his own time and time again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Would it be too cynical to suggest his sudden burst of energy is linked to the current transfer window - a phenomenon observed at previous transfer windows as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 9, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 9, 2013 No not when talking about him it wouldn't be. Plus I'm not surprised he's full of running. He should have plenty of gas left in the tank since the season started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 He'd be decent if he could finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Sorry I don't see what people are seeing in his performance last night. Sure, he did a lot of running. But for me his running was predictable in that it was always (bar once) into dead ends resulting in him losing possession. I can only remember that one occasion where one of his dribbles amounted to anything. He got to the byline and laid it back for Gabby to take a shot that brought a very good save from Duke. Zog was style over substance and we can't afford to have that on the pitch. If he was actually achieving something then fine, but he's not. I'd much prefer to have Ireland threading through balls for Weimann and Benteke in that position 'in the hole' rather than having someone who thinks he can take on the whole team on his own time and time again. Accept your point but wasn't his through ball to Bent on Saturday just the type of thing you are talking about. I had hoped that this would be Ireland's forte but for one reason or another it hasn't happened. At least N'Zogbia causes them problems through running at them, (creates space for others and causes the defense more problems) if we could somehow get him to pass or shoot at the right time (something I and others felt he did in the first half) I can see him being maybe more effective than Ireland has of late in that role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nath182 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I see what you mean about end product, but surely that will come with game time. He's never regularly started for Villa, hopefully him showing some sort of promise in the past 2 games (even an assist against Ipswich) will get him in the squad for Saturday and he can maybe work on getting more out of his runs. But I would have to agree with most that his performance was probably better than anyone elses, who else created opportunities? At least he kept the ball well, I'd rather see him running through players than the shit hooftastic and giving possession away type of football that everyone else was attempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 9, 2013 Moderator Share Posted January 9, 2013 His end product won't come with game time. Even at Wigan he led the league in dribbles attempted and failed dribbles. It's what he does. It's what he has always done and it's what we bought. I'd love him to have more end product but then that wouldn't really be Charles N'Zogbia. Personally I think you use him on the wing if you're going to use him. Behind the striker is too important a position to waste on someone as lightweight as him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villain-from-Texas Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Behind the striker is too important a position to waste on someone as lightweight as him. I would agree, if we had a better option. But we don't. Whom do you want to play there? Holman? Ireland? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Sorry I don't see what people are seeing in his performance last night. Sure, he did a lot of running. But for me his running was predictable in that it was always (bar once) into dead ends resulting in him losing possession. I can only remember that one occasion where one of his dribbles amounted to anything. He got to the byline and laid it back for Gabby to take a shot that brought a very good save from Duke. Zog was style over substance and we can't afford to have that on the pitch. If he was actually achieving something then fine, but he's not. I'd much prefer to have Ireland threading through balls for Weimann and Benteke in that position 'in the hole' rather than having someone who thinks he can take on the whole team on his own time and time again. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nath182 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 To be honest I'd take his Wigan form and goals/assists right now, it was good enough to keep them up pretty much single handedly so it'd be good enough for me. I rate him alot more than Ireland though who is probably the only other player we can use in that position. They may both be shit overall but you work with what you've got available. Everytime Ireland plays I think he looks lazy, wasteful and just generally a waste of a shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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