The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Summers]

Because there is no advantage to be gained by trying to stay on your feet.

I get that in some circumstances, believe me. I'm the first person to think that players have a right to go to ground sometimes. Suarez, however, goes for anything and everything almost. It gets a little silly. Contact doesn't necessarily mean foul.

That's the important part of all arguments about players going down too easily.

[DavidMarrio]

Suarez goes down rather easy, but then again loads of other players do.

Suarez is this seasons Drogba/Ronaldo/Nani in that the focus of going down to easy is on him.

[therockbox]

Because there is no advantage to be gained by trying to stay on your feet.

I get that in some circumstances, believe me. I'm the first person to think that players have a right to go to ground sometimes. Suarez, however, goes for anything and everything almost. It gets a little silly. Contact doesn't necessarily mean foul.

It depends. In the box he normally tries to stay on his feet (at least he has for us, don't know what he was like at Ajax or Groningen in that respect), because if he can stay up then chances are he's getting a shot/good pass away, so it's in his interest to not go down. When he's outside the box, though, and playing with his back to goal and he gets clipped/caught by the defender as he tries to turn him, he almost always goes down, because the free kick is more of an advantage than what would come by staying on his feet.

[therockbox]

Because there is no advantage to be gained by trying to stay on your feet.

I get that in some circumstances, believe me. I'm the first person to think that players have a right to go to ground sometimes. Suarez, however, goes for anything and everything almost. It gets a little silly. Contact doesn't necessarily mean foul.

That's the important part of all arguments about players going down too easily.

I agree. But it can mean losing your momentum or control of the ball, in which case I completely understand players looking for an often more advantageous free kick.

[Dingle]

Because there is no advantage to be gained by trying to stay on your feet.

I get that in some circumstances, believe me. I'm the first person to think that players have a right to go to ground sometimes. Suarez, however, goes for anything and everything almost. It gets a little silly. Contact doesn't necessarily mean foul.

That's the important part of all arguments about players going down too easily.

I agree. But it can mean losing your momentum or control of the ball, in which case I completely understand players looking for an often more advantageous free kick.

Heh, you're allowed to use strength in order to have the striker lose the ball. So going down just makes it look like more than what it was. I understand it from Suarez's POV, but from any neutral point it's making something from nothing. And whether it's Drogba/Torres/Nani/Ronaldo or Sergio Fucking Busquets, I don't think it's on in a football match. Especially not in the Prem (simply because it's more prevalent in other leagues, not because they are dirty cheating bastards. Although that doesn't help ).

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

If players tried to stay on their feet more then referees would be more likely to believe that there was contact when they DO go over. It's like the boy who cried wolf.

[Summers]

How's this for stats?

Emile Heskey

Pass Completion % of 47.4% vs Swansea.

Heskey made 9 completed passes in 69 minutes.

44.5% of Heskeys 9 completed passes went backwards

33% of his passes (3) were made in the final third of the pitch - of the remaining 6 passes only 1 of them (11.1%) was a forwards pass.

He lost possession 13 times

He touched the ball just 23 times

39% of his touches were made with his head.

Excluding headers Heskey touched the ball 14 times in 69 minutes.

And completed 1 successful dribble in his time on the pitch

Barry Bannan - 12 minutes

Won possession of the ball 14 times.

He made 8 completed passes (in 12 minutes) in the final third

He made 4 more touches with his feet than Heskey did in 69 minutes (18 times)

53.3% Of his passes were made in the final 3rd.

Of his passes outside of the final third 26.7 of them were forwards.

COMBINED his backwards (13.3%) and Sideways (6.7%) accounted for just 1/5 of his passes outside of the final 3rd.

Meaning that 80% of Bannans passes were either completed in Swansea's third or towards it.

Jermaine Jenas

Completed 8 passes in his 20 minutes

50% of which were completed in the final 3rd (3) or were Forwards passes (1)

50% were backwards passes

but he had a 100% pass completion %

He also made one successful driblle during his 20 minutes on the pitch.

[therockbox]

To be fair that sounds like a good day for Heskey.

[IAceI]

Sounds like he'd fit in with us.

Heskey in!

[Colly]

Player manager?

[Plubby]

I thought Bannan and Jenas were midfielders? What's this drivel about comparing their passing prowess to Heskey? Has Heskey started playing midfield as well?

[Summers]

Yes.

[Plubby]

Well at least he isn't squandering chances for you as a striker then

[IAceI]

Player manager?

I can't think of a single reason why not.

[therockbox]

Has Heskey started playing midfield as well?

[Gazz]

Fairly sure McLeish is actually a Birmingham City sleeper agent, since Brum have never been able to compete with Villa, they've decided to attempt to drag Villa down to their level.

I honestly can't think of a single trait Heskey has that would make you think 'midfielder'.

Actually, when you remove 'big' and 'immovable', I can't think of a trait Heskey has that makes you think 'footballer'.

[Noah]

Heskey to A-League?

[brenchill]

Fairly sure McLeish is actually a Birmingham City sleeper agent, since Brum have never been able to compete with Villa, they've decided to attempt to drag Villa down to their level.

I honestly can't think of a single trait Heskey has that would make you think 'midfielder'.

Actually, when you remove 'big' and 'immovable', I can't think of a trait Heskey has that makes you think 'footballer'.

Well, that's the mystery.

I don't think he's any worse now than he was when he broke into the team at Leicester as a youngster. For me, he's always been utter crap. But there have been plenty of England bosses that have disagreed with me as well as managers who have convinced chairmen to part with cash for his services.

[Summers]

Yes. But every manager who liked him and played him, played him as a striker. Someone to win headers, put himself about and help out his strike partner. McLeish has put him in midfield. This is miles different to him getting starts upfront.

[DavidMarrio]

He played at right wing for us at one bit.

Heskey back in the day was a perfect compliment to a pacy striker but now a days I wouldn't really be starting him. I do think Villa should exploit the fact that they have a young squad and exploit the wings with N'Zogbia and Albrighton. He was an alright player for us in the early seasons, getting his most league goals in a season in his 2nd season with us.

McLeish seems out of his depth with Villa though, I thought Rafa would have been a good appointment in the summer and I'm still sticking with that opinion.

However I still think that Steve Bruce will go before Alex McLeish