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Aleksander Tonev


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This thread reminds me of the Bacuna thread immediately after the Liverpool game.

 

Just a couple of weeks on and people are singing Leandro's praises, I hope this thread takes the same course.

The way I see it is being a new signing doesn't exempt a player from criticism when they play a gash game.

 

I was criticising Bacuna in the Liverpool match thread because he was having a mare, not because I was writing him off or had deemed he had no ability. He had shown some glimpses of promise pre-season but it was just one of those days against Liverpool. Nothing was working, control, decisions, weight of pass it was just not happening for him. He didn't hide and I admire that and was well impressed with his game against Norwich. He had Redmond all ways up, mentally and physically. He'll be an asset but that doesn't re-write history, he had a poor game against Liverpool.

 

Similarly, I think Tonev has ability and I'm not writing him off - I can see him being an asset, too. However, that doesn't alter the fact that his electing to shoot from any range and angle any time he got a look at goal deserves criticism. I think he got one shot on target all game - from way out that didn't trouble Ruddy at all, it was virtually a backpass. The rest he shanked all over the place, which got us nowhere. If he's going to try to get himself into goal of the month ten times a game, every game, he's going to find himself short of playing time because he'll be relegated to coming off the bench at the end of matches when we need to claw a goal back and PL doesn't mind going for a lucky dip.

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This thread reminds me of the Bacuna thread immediately after the Liverpool game.

 

Just a couple of weeks on and people are singing Leandro's praises, I hope this thread takes the same course.

The way I see it is being a new signing doesn't exempt a player from criticism when they play a gash game.

 

I was criticising Bacuna in the Liverpool match thread because he was having a mare, not because I was writing him off or had deemed he had no ability. He had shown some glimpses of promise pre-season but it was just one of those days against Liverpool. Nothing was working, control, decisions, weight of pass it was just not happening for him. He didn't hide and I admire that and was well impressed with his game against Norwich. He had Redmond all ways up, mentally and physically. He'll be an asset but that doesn't re-write history, he had a poor game against Liverpool.

 

Similarly, I think Tonev has ability and I'm not writing him off - I can see him being an asset, too. However, that doesn't alter the fact that his electing to shoot from any range and angle any time he got a look at goal deserves criticism. I think he got one shot on target all game - from way out that didn't trouble Ruddy at all, it was virtually a backpass. The rest he shanked all over the place, which got us nowhere. If he's going to try to get himself into goal of the month ten times a game, every game, he's going to find himself short of playing time because he'll be relegated to coming off the bench at the end of matches when we need to claw a goal back and PL doesn't mind going for a lucky dip.

 

 

I wasn't criticising anyone for their reaction to Tonev's performance, but was simply stating that I hope he benefits from some more favourable opinions in a week or two's time.

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This thread reminds me of the Bacuna thread immediately after the Liverpool game.

 

Just a couple of weeks on and people are singing Leandro's praises, I hope this thread takes the same course.

The way I see it is being a new signing doesn't exempt a player from criticism when they play a gash game.

 

I was criticising Bacuna in the Liverpool match thread because he was having a mare, not because I was writing him off or had deemed he had no ability. He had shown some glimpses of promise pre-season but it was just one of those days against Liverpool. Nothing was working, control, decisions, weight of pass it was just not happening for him. He didn't hide and I admire that and was well impressed with his game against Norwich. He had Redmond all ways up, mentally and physically. He'll be an asset but that doesn't re-write history, he had a poor game against Liverpool.

 

Similarly, I think Tonev has ability and I'm not writing him off - I can see him being an asset, too. However, that doesn't alter the fact that his electing to shoot from any range and angle any time he got a look at goal deserves criticism. I think he got one shot on target all game - from way out that didn't trouble Ruddy at all, it was virtually a backpass. The rest he shanked all over the place, which got us nowhere. If he's going to try to get himself into goal of the month ten times a game, every game, he's going to find himself short of playing time because he'll be relegated to coming off the bench at the end of matches when we need to claw a goal back and PL doesn't mind going for a lucky dip.

 

 

I wasn't criticising anyone for their reaction to Tonev's performance, but was simply stating that I hope he benefits from some more favourable opinions in a week or two's time.

 

Ah, no, sorry mate, wasn't trying to imply you were. It just seemed what you were saying about the pair of them fitted in with the point I was going to make.

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It is of course far too early to write him off, but judged on its own merits that was a shocker of a performance.  I know new players need time to settle in to the Premier League, but were the goals THAT much bigger in Poland?!  It was like he was having his own private Geoff Thomas homage.

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He pisses me off royally.

 

Shoots every time he gets a glimpse of the goal, selfish and wasteful.

 

Has a lot to do already to turn his time around with us.......

 

The big thing for me was that he kept shooting on sight in the second half......

 

... that must mean he was following instructions. If not, he would have had strips torn off him at halftime and changed his game.

 

As such, I can't blame him for trying it on every time - I can only hope he adjusts his radar next time.

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At least he has the confidence to shoot.  At the end of the day one thing is a certain as death or taxes.  If you don't shoot you don't score.  As he settles and gets more experience he'll no doubt pick his moments better about when to shoot and when not to. 

 

There's just as much chance that shooting on sight belies a lack of confidence.  If he'd rather just have a blast from anywhere than take a player on or look for a more meaningful option.

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I didn't see the Norwich game so I'm hoping his shoot-first policy is just him trying too hard to impress and that he'll calm down and play a more tactical game going forward.

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I didn't see the Norwich game so I'm hoping his shoot-first policy is just him trying too hard to impress and that he'll calm down and play a more tactical game going forward.

 

I think that was exactly the reason.

 

 

I think he was on instructions to shoot on sight - especially once we lost Benteke

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I didn't see the Norwich game so I'm hoping his shoot-first policy is just him trying too hard to impress and that he'll calm down and play a more tactical game going forward.

 

I think that was exactly the reason.

 

 

I think he was on instructions to shoot on sight - especially once we lost Benteke

 

His fellow forwards seemed rather distressed about his wild "shooting"  efforts so maybe these were secret instructions given only to him?

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