Marc Albrighton

[Podgeyrogers]

On 12 August 2017 at 09:17, CityFan 06 said:

He's key. Very underrated, does a lot of very good stuff. 

Underrated by whom? Not his manager or the people that pay his wages or the supporters either it seems. 

MA doesn't need rating by anyone else.

[Sampson]

Hard to believe he's played more times for Leicester than Villa now and feels like "our" player rather than theirs and will probably be remembered by neutrals as primarily a Leicester player now in years to come.

 

It seemed like he was at Villa for an age.

 

How the actual feck did we get him on a free transfer when no other PL clubs seemed at all interested in him?

[Nod.E]

After a quality assist on his weaker foot, I don't think the pundits covering the game mentioned the quality of the ball even once.

They chose instead to focus on the defending. Marc put the ball in the only place that could have led to a goal but the big-club focus means they instead try to pick fault in the defence. I know they prepare games and preparing to criticise that Arsenal defence makes a lot of sense, but come on open your eyes and appreciate the quality of the ball. 

[HighPeakFox]

22 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

After a quality assist on his weaker foot, I don't think the pundits covering the game mentioned the quality of the ball even once.

They chose instead to focus on the defending. Marc put the ball in the only place that could have led to a goal but the big-club focus means they instead try to pick fault in the defence. I know they prepare games and preparing to criticise that Arsenal defence makes a lot of sense, but come on open your eyes and appreciate the quality of the ball. 

To his credit, Shearer did.

[chadlcfc]

25 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

To his credit, Shearer did.

Yeah Shearer said you wont see a better ball all season. I think Albrighton is horribly underrated.

[Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, chadlcfc said:

Yeah Shearer said you wont see a better ball all season. I think Albrighton is horribly underrated.

I've heard it said a couple of times, that we probably won't see a better delivery all season.

 

Albrighton is a good old fashioned winger, doesn't need fancy tricks and flicks to beat a man, just needs half a yard to swing in a quality delivery.  His work rate is phenomenal, which I think is why he is under rated.  He's just viewed as a work horse and the defensive side of his game means his attacking instincts get overlooked

 

[Nod.E]

1 hour ago, HighPeakFox said:

To his credit, Shearer did.

 

1 hour ago, chadlcfc said:

Yeah Shearer said you wont see a better ball all season. I think Albrighton is horribly underrated.

 

56 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I've heard it said a couple of times, that we probably won't see a better delivery all season.

 

Albrighton is a good old fashioned winger, doesn't need fancy tricks and flicks to beat a man, just needs half a yard to swing in a quality delivery.  His work rate is phenomenal, which I think is why he is under rated.  He's just viewed as a work horse and the defensive side of his game means his attacking instincts get overlooked

 

Ah, I didn't watch MOTD.

My comment was based on the match day coverage.

[Merging Cultures]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

I've heard it said a couple of times, that we probably won't see a better delivery all season.

 

Albrighton is a good old fashioned winger, doesn't need fancy tricks and flicks to beat a man, just needs half a yard to swing in a quality delivery.  His work rate is phenomenal, which I think is why he is under rated.  He's just viewed as a work horse and the defensive side of his game means his attacking instincts get overlooked

 

More often than not the tricks and flicks don't work. And teams know what they are going to do. See Mahrez last season.

 

I played at RB as a kid (never to any decent level), I was always told to watch the ball not the man. Do that and all the step-overs and stuff mean nothing.

[Sampson]

I think Albrighton's is more skilful and a better dribbler than people give him credit for though.

 

Because he has such a strange, gangly running style (despite being short) it can often look like he's not in control of the ball when he beats his man.

[Melbourne Fuchs]

8 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I think Albrighton's is more skilful and a better dribbler than people give him credit for though.

 

Because he has such a strange, gangly running style (despite being short) it can often look like he's not in control of the ball when he beats his man.

Yep I agree, the first few minutes of this video (after the thirty second mark, Marc?) is a pretty good example.

 

 

[dmayne7]

1 hour ago, Merging Cultures said:

More often than not the tricks and flicks don't work. And teams know what they are going to do. See Mahrez last season.

 

I played at RB as a kid (never to any decent level), I was always told to watch the ball not the man. Do that and all the step-overs and stuff mean nothing.

True. But then again, come up against a proper skillful winger who actually has decent tricks and you'll have your pants pulled down. The best dribblers do the step over at such pace as well as positioning the ball in a way that means they can dart either way, all whilst allowing their body to fool the oppo. It's why Riyad on form is so hard to stop, you know which way he's going but he always leaves the element of doubt in your mind.

 

When Mahrez does leave it gives us the chance to get an even better Marc Albrighton though. Much more effective on the right and bearing in mind just how good he's been on the left, I think that gives us a good indication just how brilliant he'd be on he right 

[foxy boxing]

Doubt he will ever get an England call up even if he has a spectacular season, great player for us but maybe needs to add other strings to his bow and get more goals and aim to be precise with his crosses into the box.

[fuchsntf]

15 hours ago, Innovindil said:

Better than Mahrez 

Though a slight tongue in cheek, (and I am a Mahrez fan), Take the title season, Great Escape Season  ,

last season and this Arsenal one game,and CL-run

The Value to club and team....I wouldnt lay my Hand in the fire. Has much as  Mahrez performances sparkled,.......

We couldnt of done the impossible, and reached the best performances Without  Albrighton, plus his major

actions, were just as eye catching....

You can never..compare or replace players, like we try with both Kante and Mahrez.

At this moment (and I want him to stay) I would not so downhearted i f we lost Mahrez, but

Players like Albrighton give coaches more flexability, within team set up, and maybe in the chase

For points, more valuable, on full season translation...

Albrighton can play within himself, and still have a top game,However  Expectations on Mahrez, as we can read in this forum,

an avg/only 2-3 tekki moments/ Successful forward movement, not Translated from teammates, and he is considered useless.

So in that case Albrighton is "our"  better player....

Both still have earnt legend status...1 for longer consistency With the odd WC performance,

1 for unique AweSome standout season.with other sessons of mixed fortune.

 

[Fox92]

16 hours ago, Aus Fox said:

Best English player since the Premier League started not to get a call up?

No. Steve Bruce.

[RumbleFox]

I'd let him do things to me that would haunt me forever. X

[MrSpaM]

Has he actually ever had a bad season for us?

[ronnup]

Superb player

[ZeGuy]

3 hours ago, Merging Cultures said:

More often than not the tricks and flicks don't work. And teams know what they are going to do. See Mahrez last season.

 

I played at RB as a kid (never to any decent level), I was always told to watch the ball not the man. Do that and all the step-overs and stuff mean nothing.

Then there's a lot of pros who didn't learn it, because step-overs and stuff are still working. It will work for a long, long while when correctly used, the most important thing being the timing and dribbling speed, i.e. when the defender isn't standing or is/brought off balance. 

 

Played as winger in my youth, also on amateur level. Not especially pacey but had a bit of skill and my coaches played me often as inverted winger, Could sometimes beat my man and then cut inside and/or cross, sometimes not. What was non-negotiable though, was back tracking as soon as the ball was lost.

 

That's just how it is. Footballers who attempt dribbles are more prone to lose the ball than the ones who play "safe". It all depends on what is expected from the player and what are his strong points. Hard work alone don't win you games. You'll still need creativity and unpredictability wherever it Comes, even it's generally more risky.

 

Albrighton being more a crosser than a dribbler, his normal position should be the right wing. He does an admirable job on the left, even beating his man more often than one would expect from him. But his profile is completely different from Mahrez and his tasks accordingly.

 

[Merging Cultures]

Then there's a lot of pros who didn't learn it, because step-overs and stuff are still working. It will work for a long, long while when correctly used, the most important thing being the timing and dribbling speed, i.e. when the defender isn't standing or is/brought off balance. 
 
Played as winger in my youth, also on amateur level. Not especially pacey but had a bit of skill and my coaches played me often as inverted winger, Could sometimes beat my man and then cut inside and/or cross, sometimes not. What was non-negotiable though, was back tracking as soon as the ball was lost.
 
That's just how it is. Footballers who attempt dribbles are more prone to lose the ball than the ones who play "safe". It all depends on what is expected from the player and what are his strong points. Hard work alone don't win you games. You'll still need creativity and unpredictability wherever it Comes, even it's generally more risky.
 
Albrighton being more a crosser than a dribbler, his normal position should be the right wing. He does an admirable job on the left, even beating his man more often than one would expect from him. But his profile is completely different from Mahrez and his tasks accordingly.
 

Depends what you class as a dribble. Ball not moving and stepping over it 5 times is useless.

As you say, MA can run with the ball at his feet, get past defenders and get crosses in.

We know you will defend Mahrez to the hilt. That's your prerogative.

In the winning season Mahrez moved the ball quickly. Last season he got greedy and took too long on the ball, allowing 2/3 people to cover him. But to do step overs you have to hold the ball, and you're not moving particularly fast when doing it. He needs new tricks, too predictable.

[PhillippaT]

" In the winning season Mahrez moved the ball quickly "

 

Let's be honest, moving the ball quickly is what we need to do as a team, and Mahrez has a tendency to lose it more than most when he doesn't, though having people open to pass it to helps...  Hopefully everyone knows this and it will be different this season compared to last...  Hopefully...

[STUHILL]

He is fantastic. I've been guilty of never believing he was good enough but his work rate and quality has completely won me over and I would start him over Mahrez at the moment if I could only pick one. 

 

Not sure he will ever be considered for England, as he is very much suited to our 4-4-2 and being an old school winger. 

 

If Drinky deserves a call-up though, then Albrighton does too 

[Webbo]

1 hour ago, RumbleFox said:

I'd let him do things to me that would haunt me forever. X

Get you to buy a round?

[Guest BlueBrett]

Couldn't agree more with the sentiments in this thread. Every time I see him play I can't help but laugh at Villa!

 

 

 

Decision must've made by the same guy that hired Tim Sherwood

 

[ZeGuy]

59 minutes ago, Merging Cultures said:

Depends what you class as a dribble. Ball not moving and stepping over it 5 times is useless.

As you say, MA can run with the ball at his feet, get past defenders and get crosses in.

We know you will defend Mahrez to the hilt. That's your prerogative.

In the winning season Mahrez moved the ball quickly. Last season he got greedy and took too long on the ball, allowing 2/3 people to cover him. But to do step overs you have to hold the ball, and you're not moving particularly fast when doing it. He needs new tricks, too predictable.

He moved it quickly because he was in the opponent's half, there was space that doesn't exist anymore and a midfield to feed and cover him. Not to playdown the awful last season he had, the many times he overdid it and the poor last decisions he often made in game. At all.

 

What I'm trying to say is that you need a bit of both. Albrighton is absolutely essential to the way we play and the best field player since Shakey took over. But we're awfully static when we have the ball and the opponent is regrouped and rely either on Albrighton to put a cross in or Mahrez to beat his two men. There is as good as no movement, no triangle play and without players being comfortable with the ball, hoofball is the consequence. This began already in the 2015/2016 season when teams began to sit deep. How many games have been won 1-0? How many games went Vardy and/or Mahrez without scoring? It still worked because we had the momentum, Kanté and Vardy/Mahrez on fire.

 

I firmly believe that the trio Vardy/Mahrez/Nacho coupled with Albrighton and a hopefully on form Drinkwater could deal a lot of damage and bring the movement we're totally lacking forward. Especially against deep sitting middle/bottom teams that are our main targets anyway. I'd love to see it. 

[MGLCFC]

Lucky we've still got him. It wasn't until Pearson changed formation that he got his chance and took it brilliantly. I remember at one point he openly criticised Pearson and I thought he may never get the chance with us.