Daniel Amartey

[shen]

He looks a bit overawed at times so far. For such a big and relatively quick lad, he goes missing quite a lot during games. I do not think he has been brilliant against Swansea or Brugge, he did OK in those games, but inevitably fans will compare him to Kanté.
I think he badly needs help in the middle and it probably requires us to play with three central midfielders. This will compromise the two-striker system or our wingers, but the situation needs addressing before Amartey's and other's confidence is shot to bits.

[polarbear]

16 minutes ago, crazyleicester said:

Everyone goes on about Pogba`s physicality as a central midfielder but IMO Amartey can match and surpass him on that part of his game. Amartey is rapid, decent in the air but to me everytime I see him play seems to lack belief in his own ability and in scared to go for it.

 

He just seems to jockey into position to make the opposition pass around him but he doesnt seem to want to risk tackling for the ball in case they go past him. Every time he passes the ball it looks like he is composed but I cant remember him attempting a ball more than 15 yards as again you get the feeling he doesnt want to risk messing up. Hopefully he gains confidence in the role and in the team but I want him to take a few more chances and lunge into a few more challenges. I dont mind him picking up a few bookings in making his mark and showing some real commitment in that position and he needs to be brave. Its the same as shooting. At times he has been around the box and always looks for a 10-15 yard pass. Take some chances Dan!!!!

 

IMO, he has the raw attributes for the role but needs game time. He had played under 80 league games before we bought him to England and had played in a few positions. He has managed 10 games for Ghana now but when we put it into perspective is more than he has played for us. Lets see how he goes come January. If he doesnt seem to be quite what we need (as is at the moment) then a club with our stature should look for a ready made replacement. I personally would like him loaned out to see how he develops though. He is currently learning the hard way and I feel for players like this who is kept in the reserves as a utility player and never masters his position. Anyway, Im jumping the gun but hope we dont have the need to loan him out because he performs so well for us!

Sure he played a 15 yard pass to assist grey 

[Manwell Pablo]

How you can be out your depth in a league you've just won I don't know, it's an oxymoron. 

[It'sblueupnorth]

35 minutes ago, crazyleicester said:

Everyone goes on about Pogba`s physicality as a central midfielder but IMO Amartey can match and surpass him on that part of his game. Amartey is rapid, decent in the air but to me everytime I see him play seems to lack belief in his own ability and in scared to go for it.

 

He just seems to jockey into position to make the opposition pass around him but he doesnt seem to want to risk tackling for the ball in case they go past him. Every time he passes the ball it looks like he is composed but I cant remember him attempting a ball more than 15 yards as again you get the feeling he doesnt want to risk messing up. Hopefully he gains confidence in the role and in the team but I want him to take a few more chances and lunge into a few more challenges. I dont mind him picking up a few bookings in making his mark and showing some real commitment in that position and he needs to be brave. Its the same as shooting. At times he has been around the box and always looks for a 10-15 yard pass. Take some chances Dan!!!!

 

IMO, he has the raw attributes for the role but needs game time. He had played under 80 league games before we bought him to England and had played in a few positions. He has managed 10 games for Ghana now but when we put it into perspective is more than he has played for us. Lets see how he goes come January. If he doesnt seem to be quite what we need (as is at the moment) then a club with our stature should look for a ready made replacement. I personally would like him loaned out to see how he develops though. He is currently learning the hard way and I feel for players like this who is kept in the reserves as a utility player and never masters his position. Anyway, Im jumping the gun but hope we dont have the need to loan him out because he performs so well for us!

I agree. He looks timid and shy, I think he is scared to mess up. If he was told that he should go out and assert himself I think we'd see him play a lot better. You see some of the highlights from his time in Denmark and Sweden and he looks very good, although I do realise that they are highlights and from a poorer standard of football than the premier league. IMO we haven't seen the best of Amartey yet by a long stretch, once he gets some experience, a bit of confidence I think he will be a big player for us

[psychonaut]

Looked completely in awe that he was playing against Manu. He wasn't even attempting to get tight or make a tackle for what looked like fear of doing something he shouldn't. On more than one occasion Drinky made the tackle for him. Stood around in space whilst the opposition strolled by.

[hatasi]

i think he will end up playing with york city fc even not a starter.

[foxy boxing]

he gets slated more because he is the defensive midfiedler tasked with protecting the back four unfortunately he is not kante and looks like he never will be . he has more of a physical presence than kante but is not as dynamic

[Arriba Los Zorros]

On 25/09/2016 at 13:07, the fox said:

We can't have players that are only good against weak/mediocre teams. For me they are the worst . They are like the middle school bullies. huff and puff and flex on the little kids but against the "big dogs" they get eaten alive. because all they are good for is bullying little kids

Yes but since we are getting pasted by the big teams we need to pick up points against the poorer ones otherwise the Big R looms. We're in 12th and have won 2 from 6, seriously, not a disaster so far

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, Thracian said:

I don't know about getting rid of Amartey - seems to me he needs more help than chastisement - but I might get rid of Mendy. He's sounding like a sicknote already and i've not been that impressed when he had two fit legs to run on. 

 

Could be wrong, of course, and I'll happily admit it if needs be.  But some people just aren't suited to the rigours of Premiership football and he might be one.

 

Either way he's no good to us at the moment so we need to make contingency plans PDQ.      

I'm not passing judgement on DA - just commenting that he will remain first choice for longer of mendy is still out.  Not sure you can pass much judgment on mendy just yet. His only truly competitive appearance being a half against arsenal. 

 

 

[Thracian]

13 hours ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

 CR will know he got it wrong, I'm sure, and will probably be hoping Mendy gets back soon. Because I think that Mendy would have done better in these difficult games, because he has played in big games before. 

 

In hindsight a safety first approach at Anfield and OT was the way to go, and a bit more Shinji would have helped Amartey as much as anyone. Amartey is still a great prospect, but we would have been hoping to be ease him in to the first team, over time.

 

 

21 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

Amartey is the main weak link in this formation against sides like Man Utd & Liverpool but it isn't remotely surprising because he's being given the responsibility of our best player last season, and he just isn't that.

 

I can forgive Ranieri doing it at Liverpool, and after how well Vardy & Slimani played last weekend I can forgive him trying it again, but given it's backfired massively twice in games away at big sides I will be very concerned if he plays it at Chelsea. Hopefully by then we'll have Mendy back.

 

We've been very hit and miss this season. I don't buy that we're in any relegation danger, but we're definitely not performing at the level we should be away from home. Our away performances so far have been a disgrace. I would go as far as saying all three were worse than anything served up in the whole of 2014/15, and that season we spent nearly six months bottom of the table.

 

But I think he'll have a trick up his sleeve. He did last year and I think he will again. I will concede we look under-prepared though.

 

Amartey needs help and so would King if he was in there as part of a two-man midfield, partly because both struggle to track runners as neither are the nimblest of athletes.

 

King tends to limit the problem more by reading the game better for now (having had stacks more experience) but Ranieri's task is not to deny the problems but to find effective answers with the people he's got available to help.

 

I've got opinions but I don't pretend I'm sure of the best answer because I can't imagine I'd ever leave myself with such an unbalanced squad.  .

 

Everything possible is a compromise .     

 

And the sad thing is you could always see this situation arising, yet nothing was done.

 

Somehow we need to get the most from an exciting attack but a vulnerable defence and somehow get the whole unit moving to and fro as one.

 

In the end I came up what i see as a fluid but positive line-up along these lines. It's not ideal but it is fast, flexible and threatening if worked with enough understanding and interchange.

 

It also gives us far more potential scorers than we've had while finding a place for the ever-supportive energy of

Shinji. 

     

 

Kasper,

 

Hernandez, Fuchs;

 

Drinkwater, Morgan, Schlupp/Albrighton

                 

           Shinji, King

 

   Mahrez, Vardy, Slimani

 

  

Edited 26 September 2016 by Thracian

[psychonaut]

24 minutes ago, Thracian said:

 

 

Amartey needs help and so would King if he was in there as part of a two-man midfield, partly because both struggle to track runners as neither are the nimblest of athletes.

 

King tends to limit the problem more by reading the game better for now (having had stacks more experience) but Ranieri's task is not to deny the problems but to find effective answers with the people he's got available to help.

 

I've got opinions but I don't pretend I'm sure of the best answer because I can't imagine I'd ever leave myself with such an unbalanced squad.  .

 

Everything possible is a compromise .     

 

And the sad thing is you could always see this situation arising, yet nothing was done.

 

Somehow we need to get the most from an exciting attack but a vulnerable defence and somehow get the whole unit moving to and fro as one.

 

In the end I came up what i see as a fluid but positive line-up along these lines. It's not ideal but it is fast, flexible and threatening if worked with enough understanding and interchange.

 

It also gives us far more potential scorers than we've had while finding a place for the ever-supportive energy of

Shinji. 

     

 

Kasper,

 

Hernandez, Fuchs;

 

Drinkwater, Morgan, Schlupp/Albrighton

                 

           Shinji, King

 

   Mahrez, Vardy, Slimani

 

  

 

We're not playing table football

 

 

[Thracian]

4 minutes ago, psychonaut said:

 

We're not playing table football

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, psychonaut said:

 

We're not playing table football

 

 

 

 

My mind's entirely open on the subject so if you've got a sounder suggestion, fire away.

 

It's basically an old fashioned 2-3-5 but hopefully, fluid enough to ebb and flo according to demand with pace on both flanks, a five or six-man defence when we need it, goals potential and the utilising of a good number of players who can win and pass the ball.

 

As for Schlupp or Albrighton it's strength and speed versus greater consistency and crossing ability. If we're going to concede goals we might as well field a team that can score some.    

[Col city fan]

Bad news about Mendy....

This issue about 'time' for Amartey.... Ie game time.

We don't have it........

Its a results driven, cut-throat business which is why very few clubs bring through their kids anymore in the Premiership unless they a. Absolutely have to or b. They are clearly better than many of the older blokes.

I'm not getting into the moral debate over right or wrongs about this, it's fact.

 

So if people are posting, he's a kid who needs game-time...how much? How long?

In the 'defensive shambles', thread, Babylon hit the nail squarely on the head with how we are setting-up and then playing and, just as importantly, how the opposition is setting up and playing against us.

But of course, football is not only about systems and tactics, it's primarily about players (many a good manager has said that). I still can't believe how short we have left ourselves in the central midfield area knowing that Amartey IS young, that King DOES play well one week then drifts in and out the game the next week and that Mendy now appears subject to injury.

I swear..if the ever present Drinkwater picks up an injury due to frankly, being knackered, then we may well plummet down the league like a stone.

Its NOW that matters..not last season, not after Christmas, but now. And now, the little I've seen of Amartey, especially in a 442, he is out of his depth.

I don't blame him, I blame the club.

[Guest BlueBrett]

I really like Amartey. Seems to have a great attitude and i imagine he'll be happy to fill in whenever needed once Mendy returns and he's no longer needed in the middle with DD. He's got loads of qualities - great athlete, powerful, tenacious, breaks up the play fairly well - but I do wonder about his actual footballing ability. Maybe it's inexperience or nerves but he does seem a good few levels beneath the rest of the 11 in terms of quality on the ball (and I include Danny Simpson in that )

[NotTheMarketLeader]

1 hour ago, psychonaut said:

Looked completely in awe that he was playing against Manu. He wasn't even attempting to get tight or make a tackle for what looked like fear of doing something he shouldn't. On more than one occasion Drinky made the tackle for him. Stood around in space whilst the opposition strolled by.

Agreed.

 

That to me is exactly how he has been every game, bar Swansea. (I was away so did not see him Vs Burnley).

 

Its a joke that as Champions we are in the situation where we have to play a guy who looks totally out of his depth. 

 

He should be in the under 23's squad and when he's mastered that, he should then be brought into the senior side.

 

Andy King is not up to the task but at least he can pass the ball. Until Mendy is fit maybe King + Amartey = 'half a Kante' to play alongside Drinky.

 

As things are that needs to be put in place asap because effectively Drinks is on his lonesome poor lad. 

Edited 26 September 2016 by NotTheMarketLeader

[Bamba's Babes]

Will come good.

He will have good and bad games.

Clubs fault for not addressing CM issue, not Daniel's.

[psychonaut]

12 minutes ago, Thracian said:

 

 

 

My mind's entirely open on the subject so if you've got a sounder suggestion, fire away.

 

It's basically an old fashioned 2-3-5 but hopefully, fluid enough to ebb and flo according to demand with pace on both flanks, a five or six-man defence when we need it, goals potential and the utilising of a good number of players who can win and pass the ball.

 

As for Schlupp or Albrighton it's strength and speed versus greater consistency and crossing ability. If we're going to concede goals we might as well field a team that can score some.    

Just messing around apparently its called the Metodo was devised by Vittorio Pozzo back in the 30's (according Wiki) I'd swap Drinks with King and have Albrighton on the right.

[STUHILL]

I would like to see him run forward with the ball and take some chances. He has the pace and strength to do it. Kante used to break the play up and drive forward with pace and purpose. Amartey seems to look to get rid of the ball as soon as he has it and usually with a short sideways or backwards pass, which slows the play and usually results in an ineffective ball over the top. I still think he has a lot of potential and just needs the confidence to go with it and that will hopefully come. At the moment though, I am hoping Mendy turns out to be a real gem of a player as we really need it. 

[the fox]

4 hours ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

Yes but since we are getting pasted by the big teams we need to pick up points against the poorer ones otherwise the Big R looms. We're in 12th and have won 2 from 6, seriously, not a disaster so far

Like I said. Against weak teams he plays good. But what is the point of having a player that proved more then once. That he is the weakest link against big teams. Don't get my hopes up against the weak teams just to disappoint me in the time of need. An Unreliable player. that's what he is

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

7 hours ago, hatasi said:

i think he will end up playing with york city fc even not a starter.

 

You're definitely the type of person that says they're "sweet enough" when asked if they take sugar in their tea, aren't you?

 

 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

He's a 21 year old kid who's played in Scandinavia and been asked to replace someone who was adored and genuinely world class for us at what he did. Give the guy longer than a few starts and have a bit of ****ing patience, good grief.

[4everfox]

We cant keep going away from home playing Amartey and Drinkwater in a midfield two against the big sides, we just can't. We need to become accustomed with a couple of different systems away from home in my opinion.

 

(Bigger Clubs)

Schmeichel

Simpson Morgan Huth Fuchs

Amartey Drinkwater Mendy

Mahrez Slimani/Vardy Gray

 

(Smaller Clubs)

Schmeichel

Simpson Morgan Huth Fuchs

Mahrez Mendy Drinkwater Albrighton

Okazaki

Slimani/Vardy

 

Amartey isn't a bad player, he just isn't being played to his strengths. I personally think he'd thrive in a midfield three and once Mendy is back I'd really like to see that happen. Where Musa fits in here I don't know but the biggest question of using these two systems is who we play out of Slimani and Vardy. Okazaki is a much needed player in my opinion, his work rate and constant pressing approach works wonders when defending because he drops deep to help the midfield and effectively turns us into a 4-5-1 temporarily, none of our other strikers can do that as well as Shinji. I'd personally edge towards going for Vardy because of his often deadly counter attacking threat, leaving us to bring Slimani on after an hour or so to mix things up and give Vardy a rest.

[4everfox]

8 hours ago, Thracian said:

 

 

Amartey needs help and so would King if he was in there as part of a two-man midfield, partly because both struggle to track runners as neither are the nimblest of athletes.

 

King tends to limit the problem more by reading the game better for now (having had stacks more experience) but Ranieri's task is not to deny the problems but to find effective answers with the people he's got available to help.

 

I've got opinions but I don't pretend I'm sure of the best answer because I can't imagine I'd ever leave myself with such an unbalanced squad.  .

 

Everything possible is a compromise .     

 

And the sad thing is you could always see this situation arising, yet nothing was done.

 

Somehow we need to get the most from an exciting attack but a vulnerable defence and somehow get the whole unit moving to and fro as one.

 

In the end I came up what i see as a fluid but positive line-up along these lines. It's not ideal but it is fast, flexible and threatening if worked with enough understanding and interchange.

 

It also gives us far more potential scorers than we've had while finding a place for the ever-supportive energy of

Shinji. 

     

 

Kasper,

 

Hernandez, Fuchs;

 

Drinkwater, Morgan, Schlupp/Albrighton

                 

           Shinji, King

 

   Mahrez, Vardy, Slimani

 

  

 

What is that formation Garth Crooks?

[fuchsntf]

On this and other posts, it looks like many of us agree , that we should be looking at playing 3

out n out midfielders. At present until injuries are sorted our 1st choice I suppose  would be :-

 

king , Amartey, DDrinkwater....when injuries allow then...

DDrinkwater Amartey Mendy.

Other permatations may see    DDrinkwater, Amartey, Shinji /  DDrinkwater, Amartey James.

Who/what  ever we go for, we all seem to want to  see 3 in midfield or

with 4-4-2  three midfielders at least stabilizing midfield.

That said, I will support what Claudio at present decides what permatation he puts out.

 

I have said in other posts, I really like Albrighton, but he could well be the sacrifice, or he

changes from forward WB and is given a new roll in midfield, though I believe Shinji can drop

back to fill a midfield roll hes done it before.

So m e of you might see other players picking up that mantel...or trying other permatations.

[Thracian]

Truth is however you look at our options we have three major weaknesses:

 

a) Holes in our back line when it's stretched.

 

b) No genuine holding or spoiling midfielder cementing our back four.

 

c) No genuine goals threat from central midfield or the left flank.        

 

Furthermore, due to our lack of collective movement now, the player on the ball is too often exposed for lack of passing options and our favoured method of attack is being fairly easily countered due to our lack of pace from the left and from the absence of space creating movement from over-occupied central midfielders .  

 

This lack of runners - and of extra help for our two central midfielders - is made worse by the absence of Shinji and the lack of natural wing back support...two passing options that should but don't exist.

 

Altogether our once balanced, organised and fast-threatening team looks like a mish-mash that's seems to have lost the bonding that once held it together so tightly. 

 

Suddenly the fear-factor's been reduced.

 

Much has already been said about Kante, but, perhaps surprisingly, Shinji's also seems to have been badly missed.  

 

If only we could play three at the back again, two genuine wide men with pace, three authoritative central midfielders and two genuine strikers.

 

It shouldn't be difficult but I don't see how we can do it with our current squad. As I've said, everything's a compromise. Even a boring 4-5-1, while perhaps solving some problems,  would be a ridiculous waste the attacking talent.  

 

Put simply I don't understand our recruiting lately and why there's so little evidence of anyone figuring how the pieces fit together.     

 

We're overloaded with nine decent attackers: Mahrez, Vardy, Slimani, Musa, Gray, Ulloa, Schlupp, Albrighton and Shinji but woefully short of central midfielders and defenders. It just doesn't make sense.

 

And I doubt it'll make for internal harmony either. Because there'll be too many thumb-twiddling forwards short of a game, and too much pressure on the creaking midfield and defence.   

 

Some test for the manager, that.