Noni Madueke

[Pliskin]

Grealish isn’t even a regular stater for Man City he’s a good player, but he’s not worth the hype he gets……… Barnes on his day is far more dangerous. In fact, when Bares is at his best we are at our best. Last season we played some horribly turgid football at times, and how anyone can’t see how this diminishes his game are blind. 
 

Barnes will be a monster this season, mark my words…..

[Foxxed]

I forget exactly which European match, perhaps the first leg against Roma, when we were begging for Brendan to bring on Barnes, and he did in the last 30 or so minutes, and on came Barnes and wasn’t in the best of form for most of the 30, but he did, on coming on, use his pace and skill to force an opening for Lookman’s equaliser. Even when he’s off form he’s still essential to the team and I think his stats show that—and if we can keep him in form he’s truly a forced to be reckoned with.

[StinckleyFox]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

Neither of those two have anywhere near the productivity Barnes does, even when Barnes is off form. 

 

Ric is right, most people think Harv was in shit form last year and he still put up good numbers. And I'm not talking subjective stats, I'm talking cold, hard output. 

 

Grealish is the biggest fraud in modern football. "Most free kicks won" isn't a stat to aspire to, its the mark of a diver. Grealish is a brand that somehow got popular, regardless of any ability. His publicist somehow managed to turn him in to the new Gazza in the British tabloids and England fans predictably lapped it up regardless of the fact it has no reflection on the actual pitch. 

 

Neto and Martinelli may turn out to be brilliant footballers but they've got absolutely loads still to prove and neither of them are at Barnes' level yet. I get as frustrated as everyone else watching an off form Barnes run straight in to defenders and lose the ball but there's just absolutely no arguing with the consistency of his end product. 

 

There are very, very few players that have the goal contribution numbers he does since his Premier League debut and that's accounting for the fact he was considered to be in frustrating finishing form in his first six months and for large periods last year. 

I am not for one second doubting barnes ability, I do believe that he will continue to progress and become and incredible player for us. 

 

However, you cant say that Grealish is a fraud. If you are talking purely on output the I can't argue with you, as barnes last season was miles clear of Grealish and Neto. I still believe that his end product could be better though. He misses quite a few 1 on 1s, including against chelsea (I think 2 years ago) when we were level at 2-2 went through about the 80th minute and sliced it, that goal could have pushed us in to a position to get in the top 4. If he wants to become a top top player then he needs to get that killer instinct and put away those kind of chances.

 

I think on technical ability Neto and Grealish are clear of barnes, but as I have said, I cant argue that barnes is a dangerous player.

[nettle]

2 hours ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

I find the lack of faith in Barnes disturbing

Darth Vader anyone?

[Finnegan]

6 minutes ago, StinckleyFox said:

I am not for one second doubting barnes ability, I do believe that he will continue to progress and become and incredible player for us. 

 

However, you cant say that Grealish is a fraud. If you are talking purely on output the I can't argue with you, as barnes last season was miles clear of Grealish and Neto. I still believe that his end product could be better though. He misses quite a few 1 on 1s, including against chelsea (I think 2 years ago) when we were level at 2-2 went through about the 80th minute and sliced it, that goal could have pushed us in to a position to get in the top 4. If he wants to become a top top player then he needs to get that killer instinct and put away those kind of chances.

 

I think on technical ability Neto and Grealish are clear of barnes, but as I have said, I cant argue that barnes is a dangerous player.

 

But "technical ability" isn't the only marker of a top footballer. 

 

Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Lee Trundle and Peter Crouch are all more skillful than Jamie Vardy. Who would you rather have up front?

 

Barnes is a lot more direct than Grealish, Grealish slows down every passage of possession he ever gets involved in, its absolutely hideous to watch. The only attribute of Grealish's I'd swap with Barnes' is confidence. If Barnes had Grealish's self belief he'd be unstoppable. 

 

[ARM1968]

Sorry to stray off topic, but I think Noni M would be a good addition to the squad. 

[StinckleyFox]

30 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

But "technical ability" isn't the only marker of a top footballer. 

 

Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Lee Trundle and Peter Crouch are all more skillful than Jamie Vardy. Who would you rather have up front?

 

Barnes is a lot more direct than Grealish, Grealish slows down every passage of possession he ever gets involved in, its absolutely hideous to watch. The only attribute of Grealish's I'd swap with Barnes' is confidence. If Barnes had Grealish's self belief he'd be unstoppable. 

 

Vardy is a different animal all together though. Vardy at his best is up there with the most clinical strikers. If barnes was anywhere near as clinical as vardy I wouldnt have a leg to stand on 

 

I love the directness of Barnes, I don't agree with the point on Grealish though. I think this year his confidence has taken a hit but hes been asked to play in a different way for pep. When he came on against real madrid I thought he was the best player on the pitch and could've had a goal or two and an assist, was very unfortunate, or call it good defending. 

 

Also, against Germany for England, I think when he came on he was the most progressive player on the pitch.

[Nicolo Barella]

Grealish is about to have an amazing season for Man City... Feel like some of the criticism on here is not going to age well

[splinterdream]

Am i right in saying he only played against us in the first leg? If it's the player I'm thinking of he looked the only player to cause us a threat. I'd be very happy with this

[Deeg67]

3 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Grealish is about to have an amazing season for Man City... Feel like some of the criticism on here is not going to age well

A fraud, LOL.  Because Pep’s Man City are such poor judges of talent.

 

”Not even a full-time starter for Man City” is one of the oddest rejoinders I’ve seen, given that their second 11 is probably good enough to qualify for Europe.

[roblcfc84]

6 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Grealish is about to have an amazing season for Man City... Feel like some of the criticism on here is not going to age well

Strictly from a football perspective, issue with Grealish is less his ability ans more where he was played last season. 

[LVFox]

 

This image says a fair bit about one of our attacking issues, we really don't have a winger who carries the ball well. Madueke would be perfect to improve this.

[sm1]

I remember Mahez's first season at Man City. He played abit part but once he got to grips with Pep's game plan and his role, he's thrived. The problem is will Jack be humble enough to change his game to fit the team. Mahrez now is a different player then when he was with us. He rarely takes his man on and will rather recycle possession, that individual brilliance is not on display like it was with us. I'm afraid Jack will have to sacrifice some of himself for the team. I'm not sure whether he's comfortable with that.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Completely different players, Grealish holds the ball up which is what Man City need because their opponents are camped in their own half for 80% of the game. Barnes is direct and fast, exactly what we need on counter attacks.

 

 

[Fox seen in Norwich]

35 minutes ago, LVocey said:

 

This image says a fair bit about one of our attacking issues, we really don't have a winger who carries the ball well. Madueke would be perfect to improve this.

🤯 clear as mud

[LFox99]

Well one of the PSV wingers, Doan, is seemingly off to SC Freiburg.

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Grealish is about to have an amazing season for Man City... Feel like some of the criticism on here is not going to age well

...Man. City like the old Liverpool seems to indoctrinate their players!!!

 Mahrez had little game time in the first season and brought him into the first eleven in the second season.

 Grealish will be ready and at his best when the season starts. 

[MPH]

Random fact.. Jack Grealish’s first ever Villa goal was against us.

[DezFox]

1 minute ago, MPH said:

Random fact.. Jack Grealish’s first ever Villa goal was against us.

Even then we must have been the ever obliging Leicester city 😂

[MPH]

6 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

What a beauty it was as well. What ashame it meant f all. Shout out to my boy Nathan Dyer. 

 

think Dyer is only just shaking off the dizziness from that hit 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

6 minutes ago, DezFox said:

Even then we must have been the ever obliging Leicester city 😂

Yeah we felt obliged to win the league 

[Phenom]

The takes on Graelish and Sterling on this site are hilarious. They’re both class

[Finnegan]

22 minutes ago, Phenom said:

The takes on Graelish and Sterling on this site are hilarious. They’re both class

 

Sterling is a fantastic footballer massively under rated by the average England fan. Grealish is an average footballer massively over rated by the average England fan. 

 

I'd go so far as to say Grealish is one of the most bizarrely over rated players (not shit, I might joke sometimes and actually call him rubbish to be a bit reactionary, he clearly isn't that bad) currently in English football. The cult of personality surrounding him, given he essentially has no personality, is hilariously odd. 

 

He slows the game down and wastes possession so much for the sakes of showboating. You've got a genuine generational talent in Phil Foden on display and most of Wembley is cooing over Jack Grealish just because he'll do a few step overs and fall over. It's absolutely insane. 

 

A form Grealish isn't better than a form Maddison and I will absolutely die on this hill. 

[Bordersfox]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Sterling is a fantastic footballer massively under rated by the average England fan. Grealish is an average footballer massively over rated by the average England fan. 

 

I'd go so far as to say Grealish is one of the most bizarrely over rated players (not shit, I might joke sometimes and actually call him rubbish to be a bit reactionary, he clearly isn't that bad) currently in English football. The cult of personality surrounding him, given he essentially has no personality, is hilariously odd. 

 

He slows the game down and wastes possession so much for the sakes of showboating. You've got a genuine generational talent in Phil Foden on display and most of Wembley is cooing over Jack Grealish just because he'll do a few step overs and fall over. It's absolutely insane. 

 

A form Grealish isn't better than a form Maddison and I will absolutely die on this hill. 

You will not die alone.  On both counts. 

 

It's easy to forget a player's performances but I find it so strange that people forget all of the important goals Sterling has scored for England. 

 

[Finnegan]

5 minutes ago, Bordersfox said:

You will not die alone.  On both counts. 

 

It's easy to forget a player's performances but I find it so strange that people forget all of the important goals Sterling has scored for England. 

 

 

Sterling reminds me of a few of ours, Iheanacho and Barnes being stand outs, he's very much a confidence player that I think needs the right handling from his manager. 

 

Pep has been both a real blessing and a curse to him. There's no doubt that Pep's mentorship has really improved Sterling's game no end but he's also struggled with Pep's often fairly harsh rotation and the readiness with which Pep will drop his players. 

 

I can see Rodgers describing Sterling as one of his "momentum" players, footballers that need constant game time to stay consistent. 

 

All of this said, let's be honest, Sterling also hasn't been helped internationally by a sequence of very defensive, very structured managers who over rely on him to make something from nothing to compensate for a defensive and rigid system with little inherent creativity.