Man of the Match at Brentford

[MikeO]

Current Player of the Season standings....
Alex Iwobi...76
James Tarkowski...9
Nathan Patterson...8
Amadou Onana...3
Demarai Gray...3
Vitaliy Mykolenko...2
Mason Holgate...1

Previous MOTM winners...
Fleetwood Town (A-EFL Cup)...Alex Iwobi
Nottingham Forest (H)...Alex Iwobi
Aston Villa (A)...Alex Iwobi
Chelsea (H)...Alex Iwobi

[SpartyBlue]

Easily Gordon. Perhaps the prospect of a big money move was motivating but in any case he was good today. Particularly liked the energy he showed defensively.

[Bailey]

This is going to be a struggle today!

[dunlopp9987]

Went with Gordon but truly would've given it to the woodwork if I could

[Shukes]

Gordon. Showing why we’re happy to turn down 60m. May have not had everything come off for him today, but he lead by example.

My biggest criticism is his work rate, but I thought he stepped that up today.

[SpartyBlue]

2 minutes ago, Shukes said:

Gordon. Showing why we’re happy to turn down 60m. May have not had everything come off for him today, but he lead by example.

My biggest criticism is his work rate, but I thought he stepped that up today.

If he did as well every match as he did today I would start to believe he could be worth that. Hopefully we see that desire if he stays. 

[c1982]

12 minutes ago, Shukes said:

My biggest criticism is his work rate, but I thought he stepped that up today.

Really?!?! I really don’t understand this comment.

I’d say his work rate is his best quality and something he needs to learn how to ‘manage’ as he burns himself out due to being on full throttle from the off.

End product is my biggest criticism.

[SpartyBlue]

3 minutes ago, c1982 said:

Really?!?! I really don’t understand this comment.

I’d say his work rate is his best quality and something he needs to learn how to ‘manage’ as he burns himself out due to being on full throttle from the off.

End product is my biggest criticism.

Certainly the first couple games he’s been poor up top. Has looked disinterested but maybe that’s just playing out of position. Was much more of a pest defensively today, still not great in the air or with his hold up play but did seemed to have more desire there as well. He’s gonna need to be able to physically show this same performance every game. Big test Tuesday, away again, with a short turnaround.

[c1982]

1 hour ago, SpartyBlue said:

Certainly the first couple games he’s been poor up top. Has looked disinterested but maybe that’s just playing out of position. Was much more of a pest defensively today, still not great in the air or with his hold up play but did seemed to have more desire there as well. He’s gonna need to be able to physically show this same performance every game. Big test Tuesday, away again, with a short turnaround.

I’m not talking about what position he’s been played - having watched him last season and the difficult begging to this; where all of a sudden he’s not just some local lad who’s made it and now a £60m wonderkid, the one thing that can not be questioned is the lad’s work rate.

[SpartyBlue]

3 minutes ago, c1982 said:

I’m not talking about what position he’s been played - having watched him last season and the difficult begging to this; where all of a sudden he’s not just some local lad who’s made it and now a £60m wonderkid, the one thing that can not be questioned is the lad’s work rate.

The first couple games playing up top his work rate was not particularly good. He didn’t press well, hold it up well or contest aerials duels well. 
 

Towards the end of last year he was clearly wearing down. I don’t question his desire but I do question whether he can physically sustain the effort we saw today. 

[c1982]

1 minute ago, SpartyBlue said:

The first couple games playing up top his work rate was not particularly good. He didn’t press well, hold it up well or contest aerials duels well. 

That’s what happens when you don’t have the depth in the squad to play players in their correct positions. Gordon is not, and will never be, a suitable striker in this system.

[SpartyBlue]

3 minutes ago, c1982 said:

That’s what happens when you don’t have the depth in the squad to play players in their correct positions. Gordon is not, and will never be, a suitable striker in this system.

That’s why I mentioned his playing out of position…

I don’t think it’s really the system, he’s just not got the physicality or the skill set to play that position at this point. Richarlison could because he was a good hold up player, good in the air, and could hold his own physically. None of that is Gordon’s game yet.

[c1982]

21 minutes ago, SpartyBlue said:

That’s why I mentioned his playing out of position…

I don’t think it’s really the system, he’s just not got the physicality or the skill set to play that position at this point. Richarlison could because he was a good hold up player, good in the air, and could hold his own physically. None of that is Gordon’s game yet.

Yep and none of that has anything to do with work-rate which is the only point I picked up on in the first place.

[SpartyBlue]

12 minutes ago, c1982 said:

Yep and none of that has anything to do with work-rate which is the only point I picked up on in the first place.

Yes it does. His work-rate was poor playing up top. His work-rate in games down the stretch last year suffered because he was physically worn down. I do think in general it’s a good quality of his, as we saw today, but that doesn’t change the reality that he’s been inconsistent there.

[StevO]

None of them. I’m thankful we left there with one point. We didn’t deserve it. Shocking in both halves. 

[Wiggytop]

MikeO, I take it your still enjoying the San Miguel, there’s a spelling mistake in the starting post, tut tut, standards are dropping

[Shukes]

14 hours ago, c1982 said:

Really?!?! I really don’t understand this comment.

I’d say his work rate is his best quality and something he needs to learn how to ‘manage’ as he burns himself out due to being on full throttle from the off.

End product is my biggest criticism.

Yes mate.

I see him do a few sprints and make a tackle, which is good. But I also watch him stand by so many times when players just jog past him… and by standing I mean not even a slow jog. I don't let the big efforts fool me into thinking he is a hard worker…. That’s for commentators.
 

He is young and inconsistency is natural. But at this level even a token effort throughout is an absolute minimum. 
 

Comments from the Forest game for example in LG’s. Doesn’t look arsed, looks like he’s already gone. That was from surrounding fans.

His biggest asset is his tenacity. In the offensive third he works a great deal harder as he knows if he wins the ball he is creating an opportunity for himself. 

[Palfy]

16 hours ago, Shukes said:

Gordon. Showing why we’re happy to turn down 60m. May have not had everything come off for him today, but he lead by example.

My biggest criticism is his work rate, but I thought he stepped that up today.

Is that because today was his last chance to impress Chelsea to come back in again, and if his move doesn’t come off does he work rate revert back to what you saw in him before yesterday’s game, if he doesn’t get his move he is going to let it effect his effort, only the next few games will tell. 

[Shukes]

Your guess is as good as mine mate. I’m hoping that was a benchmark for him.

Several managers have mentioned it when speaking about him now I’m hoping Frank will be the one to make it sink in.

[SpartyBlue]

1 hour ago, Shukes said:

Your guess is as good as mine mate. I’m hoping that was a benchmark for him.

Several managers have mentioned it when speaking about him now I’m hoping Frank will be the one to make it sink in.

I’m hoping the inconsistency is just him being a young player who was physically slight and so couldn’t always provide that energy for 90 minutes. I’m hoping that is changing as he matures.