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Aaron Lennon

Stenno

Banned
I think he'll find it hard to return to a starting place again.. Unless he responds to the challenge of competition and rediscovers his electric potential.

But with the likes of Lamela, Holtby, Chadli and Townsend coming on leaps and bounds, where does it leave lil Azza?
 
Lennon is an odd man out. His best position is RW so he will need to compete with Lamela and Townsend for that spot. Lennon is not effective on the left and I would rank him the lower than Chadli and Siggy on that side. I think that we will be used more as a sub than a starter in this season.
 
If he rediscovers his form from two years ago I reckon he'll be giving avb a bit of a headache. When he gets his chance he needs to perform.
I can see him leaving this season tbh
 
He is the only "true" winger we have. And that is something that'll be usefull having from the bench. He can come on and change the dynamic of the game!
 
Any chance AVB has a plan to try him on the left cutting in... or do you think he has seen old clips of him playing there?
 
Problem is Lennon's passing and shooting isn't good enough (and has always been a weak point of his) for playing left and cutting in. He just isn't consistent enough. He doesn't generate a lot of power with the shots he does get away, they're almost always placed.

Townsend cuts in and generates powerful shots. Ok, so he's doing it a bit too much, but too much is ok as we can hone it down until he's doing the right thing. Lennon just doesn't do it at all and he's, what, 25, 26? Its not like he's a kid starting out and learning. He's the finished article and he really needs to knuckle down and adapt his game to avoid being frozen out.

He needs to work on his shooting and passing. Turn himself into a little pocket play-maker much like Giggs did at the end of his career. Not saying its the end of his career, but for a pace-man, your late 20s are when you have to adapt or die and in this current team, the ability to float inside and affect the play by passing or shooting is key for the wider positions as the 'natural' width in AVB's team comes from the full-backs.
 
This. Imagine Lennon as an impact sub......

I think he's the sort of player who needs game time to really find hi feet though. Any time he's been out with an injury it's taken him 5 or 6 games to get back into form. There's many a time on here people were calling for him to be dropped after returning from an injury only for him to regain his form.

That's not to say he's good enough for a starting place, but I'd like to think AVB hasn't written him off just yet.
 
One of him or Townsend will definitely be on their way over the next two windows. But I think it's too early to call which. Townsend is in form and more versatile, but Lennon has performed at the highest level for a much longer period so we know isn't a flash in the pan.

Good point Millsy. As a medium-to-long term back-up for Lamela, Lennon is definitely a slow starter after a break/not good without a run of games under his belt.
 
I think Lennon would need to step up his game big time to be a regular in the team. He just doesnt impact the game in how he should. Even Capello mentioned the confidence part and you can see the difference in how Townsend is so fearless in his play, if Lennon could just adopt that he'd be twice the player. Perhaps the lack of competition on the right has led him to drop his level.
 
For me Lennon is twice the player that Townsend will ever be, I just dont see Townsend being more than a mid table player.

As for the toehrs I would rather have Lennon in th eteam than Chadli as it stands - although I have not seen enough of him to know if he can step up.

For some games I know I would rather have him in the first 11 over Siggurdsson.

He has a role in the team and I think he is a good example to our youngsters that if you have the talent you will make the team. IMO he would make other top 4 teams squads (would you rather have him in your first 11 or Young or Valencia?)
 
bit of a forgotten man this season, he'd still be first choice down the right for me when fit, he always has an impact on the game, even if its just stretching space for others
 
I rate Lennon alot higher that Townsend, but his a right side player. On left he gets lost.

Dont know why ppl rate town so high, 50% of the times he has taken a shot he should have passed in the box.

the other 50% the shot have been too easy...
 
could we play with:

---------------------------Lloris---------------------
Defencive RB-----Dawson-----Verts----------Rose
---------------------Capoue/Sandro-------------
Lennon-------Lamela-----------Eriksen------Chadli
-----------------------Soldado
 
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at home maybe, not sure eriksen and lemela would offer enough help for sandro/capoue bearing in mind how many teams play with a middle 3
 
I rate Lennon alot higher that Townsend, but his a right side player. On left he gets lost.

Dont know why ppl rate town so high, 50% of the times he has taken a shot he should have passed in the box.

the other 50% the shot have been too easy...

I think Lennon has become a player who you'd say "on his day he'd.......". Townsend is probably a lesser player but highlights all of Lennons main downsides.

Towsend shoots too much but with a bit of coaching and experience he'll calm down. Whats clear is he does fantastically well getting himself in to dangerous areas and causes big problems for defences. Lennon at times last year was almost afraid to take on the full back and just turned and passed back to Walker. He needs to get his mojo back when he is fit again.
 
I think he's the sort of player who needs game time to really find hi feet though. Any time he's been out with an injury it's taken him 5 or 6 games to get back into form. There's many a time on here people were calling for him to be dropped after returning from an injury only for him to regain his form.

That's not to say he's good enough for a starting place, but I'd like to think AVB hasn't written him off just yet.

Certainly a valid issue to bring up.

I'm hoping that as a result of him being a part of a better squad this problem won't be as pronounced as before.

Earlier when he's been our only good option for the right flank and we've depended on him somewhat heavily he's almost always been asked to play from the start whenever fit. I think perhaps being a part of a squad where he can come on as defenders are tiring and space is opening up will be better for him and might allow him to make an impact quicker when returning from injury.
 
Lennon is easily a better player than Townsend is (for the moment).

I also think people forget how much he adds to the side by just staying our wide, stretching the field a bit and adding pace. He can also play both sides.

And I think with Soldado/Paulinho in the side, you will realize the myth of Lennon's poor crossing, it's more our player don't get in the right areas at the right times. Watch any other winger/midfielder cross the ball at pace from out wide, a big percentage goes into row Z, Lennon almost never does that.
 
could we play with:

---------------------------Lloris---------------------
Defencive RB-----Dawson-----Verts----------Rose
---------------------Capoue/Sandro-------------
Lennon-------Lamela-----------Eriksen------Chadli
-----------------------Soldado

Our greatest strength right now is over powering teams, so even when we lose possesion we get it back quickly. I think with this formation we'd look great attacking wise but wouldnt be able to control the game the way AVB likes.
 
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