Aaron Lennon

[Pirate55]

i might be wrong, but the general impression i get is that he chooses the wrong option a lot of the time, like floating to the back post when he should have played it low across the face of the goal, or cutting it back when a floater to the back post would have better found a teammate etc.....

I agree. It seems like some are trying to blame everything but the player himself - managers, strikers, formations, tactics. The unpalatable truth is that unfortunately he just isn't delivering.

 

[Pirate55]

Did you read my point?

- He should score more goals, I completely agree
- Re his assists, my point was -> you can put in decent crosses game after game, if no one attacks the box, how is it going to lead to a goal?

For some reason, Spurs has not had a midfielder (or even front line) that consistently attacks the box in recent memory, maybe only VDV, and from this squad, Eriksen & Paulinho seems to be the only ones with potential. Ade/Soldado are often too deep or wide and most of our other midfielders just don't support the attack (in a few of Sherwood's first games it was better, but has fallen off again).

Look at some of Bale's crosses last season, beats the player, gets wide, puts the ball between CBs & keeper = no one there.

And why wasn't Lennon there?

 

[clevelandspur]

There is a lot of talk on this thread about Lennon fitting into this system/ or with that player behind/in front of him. I think that says it all about him really. Look how many managers/players/formations have come and gone with Lennon here!

I think the bottom line is he has never really delivered for us consistently like many of us had hoped. He still can be a very useful and dangerous option on his day but more often than not he offers a good shift and little end product. We shouldn't be catering our lineup or style of play to Lennon (he just isn't good enough to do so) he should adjust instead and often times he hasn't.

 

[Pirate55]

Watch my previous post

- AVB did not suit Lennon (or any attacking player) as the midfield spent far too long with the ball (Lennon needs early release) and opposition had time to set up to prevent him getting at isolated players or behind their line.
- Sherwood team doesn't seem to have the discipline to spread the pitch, keep width and release Lennon, first couple of games were ok, Saturday's was schoolboy like.

Amazing that people still think Townsend is anywhere close to Lennon at this point .. and I wouldn't call his style rapier like, more like 10 useless pot shots from distance a game, even when 3 players in front of you are in better position.

In our first few games this season, as I recall Townsend was our MOM in quite a few of them, virtually carried our only credible threat, managed to play his way into an England call up and excelled there as well. Not exactly too shabby. Much better than Lennon this season IMO. Lennon has had his chances this season and virtually every time has failed to deliver.

BTW, who were the three players in front of Townsend in better positions and where did they suddenly disappear to when Lennon plays?

 

[Bullet]

i dont understand why you guys wont accept that someone llike lennon needs to be fed in the right place at the right time

see that clip....he was isolated against his marker....can anyone tell me one defender that can keep with lennon one v one (aside from richards and enrique)

You are missing the point african. Lennon was not out wide for 95% of the game, he was infield. He should be right out wide so that he can isolate the left back and stretch the defence.

When he comes inside he congests their defence so there are no spaces. I agree that defenders can't keep up with Lennon, which is why I find it so frustrating when he comes inside and tries to be David Silva.

Almost our entire attack is built upon working the ball out wide to Lennon... so when he then cuts back inside rather than taking on his man it makes me SO angry.

He works the ball back inside so we can start again and the whole point is to get it out to him anyway! There is nobody on the left and we almost never play a clever through ball directly to the static strikers once a defence is set.

 

[Sandman]

I don't agree with your post. On numerous occasions I have seen Lennon put a great ball into the box and no one is there. Who's fault is that? Lennon putting in a great ball? or the movement of our strikers (which has been awful for years). I remember Bale having something like 0 assists one year (yet we all know how good he is at crossing a ball).

I dont really care for stats on assists. I dont hold lennon up to that. A player could create 10 chances and knowone takes them which i think is your point regarding Bale. But I dont see enough dangerous crosses from lennon for him to be considered to have a chance of getting assists. Soldado earlier in the season was not getting the chances so we blamed the supply. But now he is getting chances and missing. so my expectation levels for him have changed. I now expect him to be doing a lot more as he is getting the chances.

But I dont feel like Lennon is creating chances on a regular basis even if he gets an assist or not. A dangerous cross can cause havoc and lead to a goal even if not directly.

 

[Rossi22]

What were Modric's?

Or is his end product ****?

Not a suitable comparison but yes, Modric's end product was and generally is quite poor, don't you think? It's what stops him from probably being the undoubted best CM in the world, his qualities lie in the middle third of the pitch, not the final third.

 

[spurs' magna carter]

Not a suitable comparison but yes, Modric's end product was and generally is quite poor, don't you think? It's what stops him from probably being the undoubted best CM in the world, his qualities lie in the middle third of the pitch, not the final third.

Agreed. He hardly scored but admittedly when he did they were very special ala Liverpool (H) and Bolton (A) in his last season. Modric's main attribute was controlling the tempo of the game through a beautiful mix of close control, immaculate dribbling and incredible long/short passes, Messi would dazzle in the final third, Modders in the middle third. Despite the ever frustrating lack of end product he still is a shoe in for our greatest XI in the Prem. I sometimes wouldn't watch Spurs as I was too busy watching his brilliance, still in my top 5 all time favourite players.

 

[lurker of old]

Modric is one of the few players who is capable of distributing the ball left OR right, each and every single time he receives it. So many players are only looking to pass in one direction, when there is a man in space if only they looked the other way!
As for Lennon, a few on here were very dismissive of Sturridge a couple of years ago, but which one would you choose now? When players back off Lennon and give him the freedom of the park, he can still have magic moments, but overall, so so disappointing. Time to replace...

 

[Jurgen the German]

I just think whilst a vital player on his day, he's had enough chances and he's still too inconsistent and injury prone. Remember when we all used to argue he's better than Walcott? Yeah me neither, those days are long gone.

 

[Raziel]

Modric is one of the few players who is capable of distributing the ball left OR right, each and every single time he receives it. So many players are only looking to pass in one direction, when there is a man in space if only they looked the other way!
As for Lennon, a few on here were very dismissive of Sturridge a couple of years ago, but which one would you choose now? When players back off Lennon and give him the freedom of the park, he can still have magic moments, but overall, so so disappointing. Time to replace...

Sturridge is not a RW and would have a **** fit if asked to play there permanently.

Just out of curiosity, who is the RW upgrades we would buy to replace Lennon and at what price?

This place kills me, everyone wants to replace Lennon, Soldado, Lamela, Paulinho, Dawson, but not our LB? (who is easily the weakest link in team)

 

[braineclipse]

He has the same limitation as many attacking players and wingers, he needs to be set up in the right situations to play well. He's not a Silva, Mata or Rooney who will create the space and then exploit it. Nor is he a crossing winger that will just deliver quality crosses even if set up in rather average positions.

Was mentioned by someone in the Bentaleb thread that we should juts play our more solid central midfielder and focus our passing down the flanks, I really couldn't disagree more. Lennon needs players in the centre of the pitch that can move the ball quickly enough so that Lennon can receive the ball when there's space there to be exploited. The relatively slow, ponderous, inaccurate passing from Dembele, Sandro, Paulinho, Walker and Dawson is the death of a player like Lennon I think.

What's great about Lennon is that even if he's not really making it happen in attack he will work hard, put in a shift and be a threat the opponents have to be aware of and so he can create space for others to exploit. But for Lennon to shine we need players in the centre of the pitch capable of making those telling passes, or he's reduced to being a counter attacking threat that usually ends up starting a bit too deep because he's so diligent when we're defending.

He certainly has his limitations, but when used (or is that utilized ) in the right way he's very good. Certainly a good player to have in the squad although I think with his recent form Lamela or Townsend should be given a go when fit and it will be up to Lennon to work his way back into the starting 11 from the bench. He always seems to do better when he has proper competition anyway.

 

[Jurgen the German]

He has the same limitation as many attacking players and wingers, he needs to be set up in the right situations to play well. He's not a Silva, Mata or Rooney who will create the space and then exploit it. Nor is he a crossing winger that will just deliver quality crosses even if set up in rather average positions.

Was mentioned by someone in the Bentaleb thread that we should juts play our more solid central midfielder and focus our passing down the flanks, I really couldn't disagree more. Lennon needs players in the centre of the pitch that can move the ball quickly enough so that Lennon can receive the ball when there's space there to be exploited. The relatively slow, ponderous, inaccurate passing from Dembele, Sandro, Paulinho, Walker and Dawson is the death of a player like Lennon I think.

What's great about Lennon is that even if he's not really making it happen in attack he will work hard, put in a shift and be a threat the opponents have to be aware of and so he can create space for others to exploit. But for Lennon to shine we need players in the centre of the pitch capable of making those telling passes, or he's reduced to being a counter attacking threat that usually ends up starting a bit too deep because he's so diligent when we're defending.

He certainly has his limitations, but when used (or is that utilized ) in the right way he's very good. Certainly a good player to have in the squad although I think with his recent form Lamela or Townsend should be given a go when fit and it will be up to Lennon to work his way back into the starting 11 from the bench. He always seems to do better when he has proper competition anyway.

Agree with this. Still don't get how he just walks back into the team whenever he returns from injury. Really hope Lamela eventually gets a prolonged run in the team when he gets back to full fitness.

 

[braineclipse]

Agree with this. Still don't get how he just walks back into the team whenever he returns from injury. Really hope Lamela eventually gets a prolonged run in the team when he gets back to full fitness.

Often it's been a case of little or no competition I think. Now Lamela and Townsend are injured, under Redknapp we ended up using Modric and Krancjar on the right when Lennon was out - of course he was going to walk back into the team.

 

[Cochise]

The systems we play seem to thrive with one out and out winger. In the years of the wonky it was Lennon. Now we play are playing it again, Lennon is our only option as Townsend is injured and Chadli prefers to plays more infield.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The systems we play seem to thrive with one out and out winger. In the years of the wonky it was Lennon. Now we play are playing it again, Lennon is our only option as Townsend is injured and Chadli prefers to plays more infield.

And Chadli is awful...

We're crying out for something on the left IMO and that will help Lennon as he was covering both sides on Saturday. I'm not anti the wonky but it's no coincidence that City exploited the extra room given to Silva by us playing it (I know he was on their left in theory)

For me play eriksen behind Ade or Soldado and play Townsend left when fit or even Dembele. That way we stretch the midfield with real width and Lennon gets some room to be effective too

It would help rose massively too

 

[Rorschach]

I thought Navas was fantastic tonight, even though he was on the losing team. He is everything Lennon could and should be if he really reached for it.

Lennon on song is a joy but he sometimes lacks the courage in matches to really make a meaningful difference. It's not the wayward crosses, which happen to every winger I believe, but a lack of faith in his own ability which seems to have crept into his game over the years. This for me is why he'll never be in the top bracket. He needs to play without fear and not take the easy out when it presents itself. He does it sometimes and other times he hides.

 

[africanspurs]

this is navas on a team of playmakers and other top class technical players

my next comment would be how would lennon do in that team were he to constantly have the supply and space to run at people all day long

lennon doesnt hide IMO , its not as if he ducks in behind the opposition players , which is something soldado did ironically, its just that he gets given the ball in positions where someone of his skill sets doesnt influence the game much.

 

[africanspurs]

You are missing the point african. Lennon was not out wide for 95% of the game, he was infield. He should be right out wide so that he can isolate the left back and stretch the defence.

When he comes inside he congests their defence so there are no spaces. I agree that defenders can't keep up with Lennon, which is why I find it so frustrating when he comes inside and tries to be David Silva.

Almost our entire attack is built upon working the ball out wide to Lennon... so when he then cuts back inside rather than taking on his man it makes me SO angry.

He works the ball back inside so we can start again and the whole point is to get it out to him anyway! There is nobody on the left and we almost never play a clever through ball directly to the static strikers once a defence is set.

my question here then is, is lennon doing this under orders? Is walker forcing him infield with his runs? Is he doing it because he is trying to influence the game more cause he isnt getting the ball out wide?

these are all questions we wont know the definitive answer to...all i do know is that give lennon the ball 1 v 1 against any full back and they cannot stop him......give lennon the ball in transition and the opposition will be on the back foot.

i'm going to start a count on the number of good games and bad games lennon has...and the reasons for them....i'm intrigued how people will see the game when they focus on other aspects of the team that could possibly influence the way lennon plays

 

[Pirate55]

my question here then is, is lennon doing this under orders? Is walker forcing him infield with his runs? Is he doing it because he is trying to influence the game more cause he isnt getting the ball out wide?

these are all questions we wont know the definitive answer to...all i do know is that give lennon the ball 1 v 1 against any full back and they cannot stop him......give lennon the ball in transition and the opposition will be on the back foot.

i'm going to start a count on the number of good games and bad games lennon has...and the reasons for them....i'm intrigued how people will see the game when they focus on other aspects of the team that could possibly influence the way lennon plays

Let's focus on Lennon and not make excuses for him. It's not managers, strikers, tactics or formations. Unfortunately it's HIM. If you watch him carefully, he doesn't take up good positions, he too often just stands near an opponent when we have the ball not making himself available for a pass, he doesnt run into space off the ball, he almost never plays a one-two to get himself released, the doesn't take men on on the outside any more, he rarely gets to the byline in games, he almost always now chooses the wrong option, his final ball is invariably poor when he does get in a great position, his crossing is limited in its effectiveness, his shooting is weak and he almost always scuffs the shot, he hardly ever gets in a good position in the box to finish any product coming down the left ( particularly in the Bale days). In his case, the stats do unfortunately tell the tale. His goals and assists record is really poor in recent seasons.

I used to love Lennon too, now I am just almost always disappointed in him.