André Gomes

[London Blue]

Towards the end of last season he started to play better in terms of forward pass's etc.

I am optimistic he will be more influential going forward. 

[plaidharper]

Looks to be off to Benfica on loan

[London Blue]

Then our midfield looks very threadbare. Someone comming in perhaps?

[SpartyBlue]

3 minutes ago, London Blue said:

Then our midfield looks very threadbare. Someone comming in perhaps?

Iwobi now a central midfielder, I think. Townsend in. James probably not leaving.Could potentially play JPG and Allan together w/ Doucoure in the more forward role.  I think the plan was always to let Gomes go but then the Siggy stuff happened. Makes me think we know for sure James isn’t leaving this window.

[Romey 1878]

I'm happy for anyone to leave but we're showing no signs of bringing anyone in when our squad is pretty weak as it is, which is a worry.

[Newty82]

I'm all for shifting on players if need be. But when in your last game you couldn't name enough subs even though it included 2 GKs, leaves me a bit nervy. There's others, for me, ahead of Gomes to shift on.

[London Blue]

1 hour ago, patto said:

I’m glad Gomes is still here we may need him he looks fitter than before and he’s still very skilful he’s a cut above most when he’s fit. 

I really rate him, I think her has his mojo back, and that Benitez will get the best out of him.

[Zoo 2.0]

15 minutes ago, London Blue said:

I really rate him, I think her has his mojo back, and that Benitez will get the best out of him.

He was outstanding at Valencia, never really got going at Barcelona as in order to do so he would need to have been better than Iniesta or Xavi to take their places in the XI. 

I love André, fantastic player on his day and really hope that Benitez can be the man to get a real tune out of him, he would have absolutely torn up the Portuguese League too.

[Btay]

41 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

He was outstanding at Valencia, never really got going at Barcelona as in order to do so he would need to have been better than Iniesta or Xavi to take their places in the XI. 

I love André, fantastic player on his day and really hope that Benitez can be the man to get a real tune out of him, he would have absolutely torn up the Portuguese League too.

Bang on, he feels the love here as well. Seems a good bloke as well, he has a bit of a nasty streak as well so I don’t think he is someone to go through the motions. On his day, he is capable of winning the midfield by himself. Hopefully Benitez can get those days out of him consistently.

[Wiggytop]

9 hours ago, Btay said:

On his day, he is capable of winning the midfield by himself. Hopefully Benitez can get those days out of him consistently.

That would be lovely to see, on his day he is a delight to watch.

[Aidan]

On his day he's a player. The only problem is his day doesn't come around too often. It seems he's always an excuse away from being consistent and I'm afraid we will just never see consistency in his game. Like @patto mentioned he may look fitter which is a good thing as I'm not sure we've had a manager in recent years that takes fitness too seriously. My biggest issue with him is when he is out of possession he offers very little to the team. I've never seen a player get dribbled passed so much.

[SpartyBlue]

7 hours ago, Wiggytop said:

That would be lovely to see, on his day he is a delight to watch.

Seems to be that it is the second season after a major injury that a player gets his form back ( if they get it back at all). Let’s hope.

[pete0]

7 hours ago, SpartyBlue said:

Seems to be that it is the second season after a major injury that a player gets his form back ( if they get it back at all). Let’s hope.

Don't get why the injury even gets brought up. He was at his worse before it.

 

[Shukes]

But he’s such a good looking guy! Surely that gets him a place on the team?

[Palfy]

3 hours ago, Shukes said:

But he’s such a good looking guy! Surely that gets him a place on the team?

If that was the criteria for getting into a team most of us wouldn’t of ever played football. 

[Shukes]

25 minutes ago, Palfy said:

If that was the criteria for getting into a team most of us wouldn’t of ever played football. 

I may have got onto the subs bench at the old duck!

[Palfy]

1 minute ago, Shukes said:

I may have got onto the subs bench at the old duck!

I would have been cleaning your boots.  

[SpartyBlue]

15 hours ago, pete0 said:

Don't get why the injury even gets brought up. He was at his worse before it.

 

His form had dipped for sure but that doesn’t change my point. It’s rare for a player to come back to top form in the year following an injury like that. Maybe he will never get back to his best but I think his chances are better in that second year.

[SpartyBlue]

44 minutes ago, patto said:

His chances are better under a decent coach also. 

For sure. Whether we will be better under Rafa than Carlo I don’t know but the former does seem to be playing guys in their preferred positions more. Difference between a manager who fits players to a system regardless and one who tweaks his system around where his players will be most useful. 

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

I thought he put in another good cameo appearance last night, played a big part in helping us take control of the midfield and looked very composed in the ball

[London Blue]

He was quality when he came on. Gave us control in midfield and let Doucoure get further forward.

[Matt]

Not just me then. Although think be should've done a little better from the 6 yard line but otherwise yeah. Particularly loved his cross to the security box too

[RuffRob]

shame that shot on the 6yard line didn't creep in. I am desperate for 'other' players to be chipping in with a goal here and there.  This has been one of the things that has been letting us down this past few years.  A goal just gives a player that little more confidence to have a bit more of dig at goal. You never shoot - you will never score. I definitely think he is shooting a little more - so really want one to come off for him. 

 

 

[Wiggytop]

Yes we need to spread the goals about, and we’re doing OK, DCL, Richy, Gray, Townsend, Keane, Iwobi, Doucoure 

[Btay]

Shame he didn’t score but he moved the ball nicely and got us going. Completed just over 91% of his passes. Hopefully he is getting back to his best. 

[Elston Gunnn]

On 04/09/2021 at 07:49, Aidan said:

My biggest issue with him is when he is out of possession he offers very little to the team. I've never seen a player get dribbled passed so much.

54 minutes ago, Btay said:

Shame he didn’t score but he moved the ball nicely and got us going. Completed just over 91% of his passes. Hopefully he is getting back to his best. 

I’m a Gomes fan, especially because he’s so good with the ball at his feet, very tough to be dispossessed, makes some wonderful passes.  But Aidan raises a legitimate point.

So I’m wondering whether Gomes is best suited as a “get us going” second half substitute, when tired legs begin to slow down some opposing players, thus rendering Gomes’s lack of pace somewhat less detrimental.

Not saying he should never start, but when DCL returns, and if James and Benitez ever get on the same page, and Gbamin gets healthy, there’s not a lot of room in midfield for Gomes to get lots of starter minutes.  Yet he’s a truly talented offensive player in spurts.  He can be a real “get us going” 2d half sub, for any of several midfield/wing starters.

[Bailey]

He did well against Burnley, but I still thought the old Gomes was lurking in the shadows.

I don't mind his little cameo appearances as a third midfielder but I wouldn't be as comfortable with him playing in the same way Allan and Doucoure are at the moment.

[London Blue]

7 hours ago, Bailey said:

He did well against Burnley, but I still thought the old Gomes was lurking in the shadows.

I don't mind his little cameo appearances as a third midfielder but I wouldn't be as comfortable with him playing in the same way Allan and Doucoure are at the moment.

His game is not a defesive midfielder who can anticipate danger and snuff it out like Alan, nor does he have the physicality or attacking power of Doucoure. What he does very well is use his passing and positional sense to help control midfield move the ball into attacking positions further up the pitch. Which now he has his confidence back and is in a balanced midfield he does very well, just like he did before his injury.

I would be very happy to see a midfield 3 of Gomes, Doucoure and Alan.

[Aidan]

17 hours ago, Bailey said:

He did well against Burnley, but I still thought the old Gomes was lurking in the shadows.

I don't mind his little cameo appearances as a third midfielder but I wouldn't be as comfortable with him playing in the same way Allan and Doucoure are at the moment.

This is the issue with Gomes. He may have a good game or a good appearance off the bench, and this leads to a lot of fans hoping for Gomes to hit a run of form because we all know how talented he actually is. The only issue is he never seems to actually be able to do it for 3 or 4 games in a row. 

9 hours ago, London Blue said:

His game is not a defesive midfielder who can anticipate danger and snuff it out like Alan, nor does he have the physicality or attacking power of Doucoure. What he does very well is use his passing and positional sense to help control midfield move the ball into attacking positions further up the pitch. Which now he has his confidence back and is in a balanced midfield he does very well, just like he did before his injury.

I would be very happy to see a midfield 3 of Gomes, Doucoure and Alan.

His game isn't focused on the defensive side of things like you said, but he still needs to be able to defend. That's not to say he doesn't try, because he does, he just isn't very good at it and the amount of times I've seen players carry the ball past him leading to dangerous attacks is worrying. As Bailey suggested, probably one better suited to coming off the bench to try a change the style of play when we are lacking control in midfield.

Doucoure and Allan look great in that double pivot, and with DCL in the team and runners around him we often don't need a player like Gomes on the pitch. I think the problem with Burnley was much to do with Richarlison being bullied by Tarkowski and Mee. We seemed to have no outlet for large portions of the game. 

[London Blue]

Modern football is a squad game, we need options like Gomes when we play 3  in midfield.