Leandro Bacuna

[weedman]

21 hours ago, turvontour said:

He scored 5 in about his first 5 months in the Premier League. All from outside the area. And has then managed just one or two across the next three years. Thats what i dont get. How do you possibly lose that ability, when you are basically just trying to fine tune it everyday on the training pitch. How have the club not done anything about it?

I know you cant compare football to everyday life. But it would be like me turning up to an office job claiming to be a whizz on excel. Being excellent with it for the first year, and then gradually forgetting how to use it as time went on, until i dont even bother using it. And the company being accepting of that and just letting me do so filing or something on the same salary. Not likely is it.

Its because he's not good at scoring from distance or free kicks. He's a poor long range shooter who scored a few good ones once upon a time rather than a good long range shooter who mysteriously forgot how to shoot. Him scoring is the anomaly, not the norm. The norm is him being crap 

Its like the Roberto Carlos debate. Everyone thought he was a world class free kick taker because he scored that absolute worldy but the reality was he was terrible at free kicks and hit the jackpot once. 

[turvontour]

15 hours ago, weedman said:

Its because he's not good at scoring from distance or free kicks. He's a poor long range shooter who scored a few good ones once upon a time rather than a good long range shooter who mysteriously forgot how to shoot. Him scoring is the anomaly, not the norm. The norm is him being crap 

Its like the Roberto Carlos debate. Everyone thought he was a world class free kick taker because he scored that absolute worldy but the reality was he was terrible at free kicks and hit the jackpot once. 

Not sure if you’re serious but I can’t agree with any of that. Roberto Carlos scored one decent free kick? Ye, alright……

 

Bacuna scored 15 goals in the top Dutch League as a kid before he joined us and then 5 in his debut Premier League season. So he had scored 20 goals in top European divisions by what 21-22 years of age?

 

He’s now turning 26 in August according to Wiki and he’s scored a grand total of 2 league goals since those initial 20. Based on those figures, I’d say it’s fairly safe to say that he had the goal scoring ability and now he’s lost it.

 

I appreciate he isn’t deployed as a goal scorer, as he often plays at right full back, but man, at a time when we need goals (I think only Blues scored fewer than us out of the teams left in the division) it’s so frustrating that players who you know can and have scored simply aren’t at the minute.

 

Norwich are going to be one of our main rivals next season, and just looking at their stats, they had 6 midfielders who scored 4 or more goals this season, we had one – Grealish. Now you see why I’m frustrated with a player who can do it in the Prem but now can’t do it in the Championship.

 

I’m just trying to establish in my mind the reason for it, is it confidence, change of focus in training, lack of desire to succeed etc, I wasn’t overly surprised to hear Grealish say in his recent dressing room interview that Bacuna was the last to turn up for training every day.

[Mjvilla]

23 hours ago, GENTLEMAN said:

Careful what you wish for. IMO he will easily strengthen most championship squads and with a point to prove. 

See, he does have a point to prove but I don't think he is willing to do it. His attitude stinks to me.

I do think he could be a good player, and his flexibility should be a bonus. But he's a cock and for that reason, shouldn't be near our squad anymore and I think he would disrupt other squads and wouldn't want to try and improve himself because his attitude is there for all to see.

[vreitti]

Nothing would please me more than to see this thread moved to 'other football'.

[Zatman]

Go through Bacuna attributes and really isnt great

Speed and Stamina - yes and he has a good engine

Technique - hit and miss. capable of good passes like for Cleverley a few years back and also capable of some shockers like his through ball to Shane Long last season

Set-Pieces - he has declined from 3 years ago

Work Rate - Good when he wants to which doesnt seem often enough

Attitude - Questionable, I dont think he is a prick in the Lescott mould but I think he seems more occupied with off-field stuff than football

Positioning - non-existent 

[weedman]

23 hours ago, turvontour said:

Not sure if you’re serious but I can’t agree with any of that. Roberto Carlos scored one decent free kick? Ye, alright……

 

Bacuna scored 15 goals in the top Dutch League as a kid before he joined us and then 5 in his debut Premier League season. So he had scored 20 goals in top European divisions by what 21-22 years of age?

 

He’s now turning 26 in August according to Wiki and he’s scored a grand total of 2 league goals since those initial 20. Based on those figures, I’d say it’s fairly safe to say that he had the goal scoring ability and now he’s lost it.

 

I appreciate he isn’t deployed as a goal scorer, as he often plays at right full back, but man, at a time when we need goals (I think only Blues scored fewer than us out of the teams left in the division) it’s so frustrating that players who you know can and have scored simply aren’t at the minute.

 

Norwich are going to be one of our main rivals next season, and just looking at their stats, they had 6 midfielders who scored 4 or more goals this season, we had one – Grealish. Now you see why I’m frustrated with a player who can do it in the Prem but now can’t do it in the Championship.

 

I’m just trying to establish in my mind the reason for it, is it confidence, change of focus in training, lack of desire to succeed etc, I wasn’t overly surprised to hear Grealish say in his recent dressing room interview that Bacuna was the last to turn up for training every day.

He has scored 24 goals in 213 games, 17 of them in 125 for Groningen, hardly Barcelona are they? Since he's scored 7 in 88 for us, in the Premiership and Championship, he's not a goal scoring player, he's not regressing, poor goal scoring returns are the norm and the "good" season where he netted 5 times in a good league was the anomaly. He had some potential for sure, it's why we signed him most likely, but he has never come close to reaching it and where be was a poor player with potential before, he's now just a poor player. I really like his engine, runs his socks off but his attitude is terrible and he has worse ability than Alan Hutton. 

Also Roberto Carlos was not good at free kicks, I watched a lot of his games as a kid and he took every free kick and shot every time it was in the opposition half, scored maybe 1 in 30 as his left foot was a cannon and some keepers at the time were woeful, most of his attempts went miles off target or straight into the wall, but that's off topic so I'll stop now lol 

[Stevo985]

11 hours ago, Zatman said:

 

Technique - hit and miss. capable of good passes like for Cleverley a few years back and also capable of some shockers like his through ball to Shane Long last season

 

He tried another of those on Sunday.

Didn't get punished for it, but he hit an unfathomable backpass from around the half way line. it was very strange.

[PaulC]

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 22:37, Zatman said:

Go through Bacuna attributes and really isnt great

Speed and Stamina - yes and he has a good engine

Technique - hit and miss. capable of good passes like for Cleverley a few years back and also capable of some shockers like his through ball to Shane Long last season

Set-Pieces - he has declined from 3 years ago

Work Rate - Good when he wants to which doesnt seem often enough

Attitude - Questionable, I dont think he is a prick in the Lescott mould but I think he seems more occupied with off-field stuff than football

Positioning - non-existent 

Yes speed and stamina are his  only attributes which makes him only suitable to play as a right wing back. Not good enough to play I'm midfield and is caught out of position too often to play rb  

[Dr_Pangloss]

On 5/10/2017 at 17:44, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Next we'll be ne tallying Kodjias attempt ratio to justify him being shite.

If you can't judge a good free kick taker on how many free kicks they score then how else can you judge them? He barely gets them on target let alone score. I must have missed this van Hooijdonk level freekick taker that's been on our books for the last few seasons. 

Edited May 14, 2017 by Dr_Pangloss

[HanoiVillan]

In an effort to get posts into the right thread, let's resurrect this one.

Which is your favourite 'oh, Bacuna' moment?

a] that hospital pass to Shane Long?

b] him headbutting a linesman?

c] him petulantly throwing his toys out of the pram because Hourihane is better at free kicks than he is?

d] something else?

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

11 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

In an effort to get posts into the right thread, let's resurrect this one.

Which is your favourite 'oh, Bacuna' moment?

a] that hospital pass to Shane Long?

b] him headbutting a linesman?

c] him petulantly throwing his toys out of the pram because Hourihane is better at free kicks than he is?

d] something else?

D)

[7392craig]

D) Think it was the season we came down, he turned around to pass the ball to the keeper and fell over. The striker ran on with the ball and scored one on one with the keeper. Remember my old man going bonkers about him for about half an hour after.

[GENTLEMAN]

D) 

 

Edited June 24, 2017 by GENTLEMAN

[HanoiVillan]

9 minutes ago, 7392craig said:

D) Think it was the season we came down, he turned around to pass the ball to the keeper and fell over. The striker ran on with the ball and scored one on one with the keeper. Remember my old man going bonkers about him for about half an hour after.

That was option A!

EDIT: Or maybe it wasn't, is that another ****-up? Who was that against?

Edited June 24, 2017 by HanoiVillan

[7392craig]

30 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

That was option A!

EDIT: Or maybe it wasn't, is that another ****-up? Who was that against?

No I definitely remember that one, this was different one. I can't think who it was against, but he didn't even pass it back, he fell over before he made contact.

[HanoiVillan]

Classic.

[tismyk]

1 hour ago, HanoiVillan said:

In an effort to get posts into the right thread, let's resurrect this one.

Which is your favourite 'oh, Bacuna' moment?

a] that hospital pass to Shane Long?

b] him headbutting a linesman?

c] him petulantly throwing his toys out of the pram because Hourihane is better at free kicks than he is?

d] something else?

    d] Him leaving.

[rodders0223]

1 hour ago, GENTLEMAN said:

D) 

 

I remember this one. It was when he actually made an effort and looked half arsed.

[Mjvilla]

39 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

I remember this one. It was when he actually made an effort and looked half arsed.

But, look at the state of the defending. Backing off and allowing bacuna into the 18 yard box and a free shot. Decent finish, but one I'd expect from a professional footballer.

nearly had a @Demitri_C moment there with my phone changing bacuna into bacons!!

[VillaChris]

Man. City free kick surely?

On the inept level last season at home to Bournemouth just after his CL comments.

He took a throw in by the Holte and just threw it out for a goal kick. Holte started with CL you're having a laugh and he just chuckled to himself and ran back to the halfway line.