I've been really pleasantly surprised.
It just goes to show how unrelated intelligence and footballing intelligence are. Jenas is like the inverse Gazza.
It's actually funny how much he embarrasses his fellow pundits with his understanding and eloquence.
But JJ wasn't a football intelligence issue (ala Dembele or Townsend who definitely have on field decision making challenges)
Jenas to me was motivation, I think he was comfortable with the level his natural talent took him too, I don't think its any coincidence his best games were against the Scum (once he upped his motivation, he was a very capable footballer)
Jenas with Beckham's work ethic would have been one of the best footballers England every produced .. but that never happened ..
I think it was intelligence that held him back, on the ball intelligence at least - head down and run with the ball player who lacked any awarness of his team mates off the ball movement - so many times you saw players making good runs or in goid positions but he seldom made the right pass
I've been surprised too. What is unusual is that he isn't trying to add colour or be a character, he's just giving relatively clear and straightforward analysis. It's not about him, which doesn't bode well for his media career.
Look at his best games, right runs, right shots, takes the game by the scruff ...
Motivation can be on/off, intelligence can't, we might have to disagree on this one ..
What do you mean by that?
He's about the best pundit this country has produced in 20 years.
So after many many years we finally know what JJ does.
Let's close the thread
I think it was intelligence that held him back, on the ball intelligence at least - head down and run with the ball player who lacked any awarness of his team mates off the ball movement - so many times you saw players making good runs or in goid positions but he seldom made the right pass
I really like him as a pundit.
I remain convinced that one of the reasons he did not push on as a player was our fans getting on his back. 90% of the time he looked for the easy ball and I think that this was because of the groans when he tried something that did not come off.
I didn't say I had any evidence, it is just an opinion. The crowd did get on his back. You did hear people screaming for us to get the ball forward quickly or groaning when something didn't come off.WALOB
There is no evidence of the two things ever being connected.
Look at the wonderful football we are currently producing despite grumblings from the crowd
Oh wait. ......
He is a very insightful pundit
I think Barry was agreeing with you judging by the 2nd half of his post.I didn't say I had any evidence, it is just an opinion. The crowd did get on his back. You did hear people screaming for us to get the ball forward quickly or groaning when something didn't come off.
My badI think Barry was agreeing with you judging by the 2nd half of his post.
I didn't say I had any evidence, it is just an opinion. The crowd did get on his back. You did hear people screaming for us to get the ball forward quickly or groaning when something didn't come off.