Bring back Knockaert...

[Guest ttfn]

Not a fan of his, but even I think... Give him a go

And that's the highest praise I can give the lad, we're that bad that even /he/ couldn't be worse

Jesus Christ.

You know it's bad when you're talking about picking Knockaert.

[Strokes]

It was Andy king the week before, build them up to slate them when it all goes wrong. Don't get me wrong I rate knockeart but let's get a bit of perspective, it's the system and the game plan that is wrong rather than individual players.

[cjslcfc]

It was Andy king the week before, build them up to slate them when it all goes wrong. Don't get me wrong I rate knockeart but let's get a bit of perspective, it's the system and the game plan that is wrong rather than individual players.

 

I'd still say some players are as much to blame as the system. You play any system and you should be able to control the ball, pass between players etc...

[Guest Col city fan]

I'd still say some players are as much to blame as the system. You play any system and you should be able to control the ball, pass between players etc...

I agree with this fully.

The key is the blend of player to system, system to player. The two are not mutually exclusive. If it is to be believed, Pearson had the intention of filling up that midfield this season and playing in a certain way. If so, this is his philosophy..his style of play.

He should then have gone out and signed the players to fit into this style.

I think what he's done is quickly realised that his philosophy and his players don't match very well. And he's panicking somewhat. The other thing you can do is to look at your players and see which style best fits what you have. For me, this is what Nige should have done. Not tried to stick square pegs into round holes and stifled the pace that was in the side, but work out a best formation with the existing lot. The 'best fit'. If we would have stuck with pace, quick countering and the wide men, he'd not have gotten rid of Lloyd Dyer. Interestingly, not having faith in Lloyd was one of the biggest errors Sven made. And the insistence on the diamond!

[Rob1742]

It was Andy king the week before, build them up to slate them when it all goes wrong. Don't get me wrong I rate knockeart but let's get a bit of perspective, it's the system and the game plan that is wrong rather than individual players.

I agree, not having a go at the current players. The system needs to change, which will bring in different players. Anthony and Mahrez will be a better solution to a more attacking system.

[kingfox]

At this level I think Knockaert is best suited to an attacking midfielder role, he tends to lose the ball too often when out wide, and drifts inside then leaves De Laet exposed because he tracks back like a headless chicken.

 

Don't rate him but he deserves another shot, if it doesn't plan out then I honestly believe he has no future left at our football club.

 

Said it for months now, but he is our most overrated player.

[WhatTheSchlupp?]

Most creative and skillful player in our team - I can't understand how he has gone from a regular and a fan favourite to not even being selected on the bench, and the worst thing is he's hardly had a chance this season

 

6 awful games in a row and no Knockaert - coincidence? 

[benpicko]

Thread is an ultimate example of someone's stock going up through not being in the team

His only saving grace is that others have now just about dropped down to the level he showed for us at a time when everyone else in the team was playing much better than they have most recently, when it would have been much easier for him to do much better than his woeful showings

Is it not the other way around? He's hardly played this year so people become convinced that he's a shit player? You have people saying that Schlupp's a better option as a winger and that Knockaert's our worst player for losing the ball, when neither of those are true at all. He's gone from one of our best players two years in a row and the only player we have who ever looks to threaten from a free kick to a wasteful and painfully slow player whose positive stats are all embellished, all because he's been dropped by Pearson and didn't perform against Shrewsbury.

[Dan]

Great post. I have come to the same conclusion that Pearson is trying to transform our play into some notional Prem style as a long term plan. Maybe it is, rather, an Inter style; it has coincided with the arrival of Cambiasso, who Pearson admits has already influenced him greatly.

Whatever ... I get a jittery feeling of echos of Peter Taylor's style in the negative, lifeless approach; and that, week by week, eroded the players' confidence and rendered them incapable of winning performances.

I hope this view is over-pessimistic. Maybe Pearson will hold his nerve and all will work out OK. But it's tempting to call for a switch back to the style that got us promoted, with flair wingers. Whether Knocky could be part of the solution. I don't know; he hasn't performed well so far, but we are certainly not short of players to try in those roles.

 

I think Cambiasso's tactical influence could benefit us in the long-term but I think it's knackered us short-term. We play like anything but the kind of team he played in at Inter. I think he forgets at times he isn't playing for them anymore.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Most creative and skillful player in our team - I can't understand how he has gone from a regular and a fan favourite to not even being selected on the bench, and the worst thing is he's hardly had a chance this season

 

6 awful games in a row and no Knockaert - coincidence? 

 

Well he didn't play against Arsenal and Manchester United, but did play against Shrewsbury, Burnley and Newcastle, so... no.

 

That said, we need a spark from somewhere right now, so we could do worse.

[Sampson]

He may be erratic but there's no doubt he has the potential to unlock defences and be creative, which is something we're desperately lacking right now.

[AyewJoking]

We lose the ball every time we attempt to make a pass at the moment anyway, he's not going to make it any worse.

 

He loses it without trying to make a pass?

[benpicko]

As it stands, he is by far the WORST player for loosing the ball. Can we really afford him to be in the team? I think not

 

 

Based on what? Does anybody actually have any stat to back this up or has it just been repeated so much that it's became gospel? Plenty of people have been wasteful in position over the last few weeks. Knockaert isn't one of them. He's played 3 matches in this division and really hasn't been as bad as any of you are making out.

 

And also, if we must apply this tag to somebody who repeatedly losing position before we've had the chance to start an attack, I'm surprised more people aren't having a go at Ulloa for doing it, always way too far back as well. A few times we've tried to counter, everybody's trying to get the ball up to him and he's just been stood at the halfway line waiting to receive the ball, and then when he does he holds it for a second before attempting to turn and pass, and by this point we've already lost it because somebody's caught up to him. Knockaert doesn't even do this. Knockaert loses the ball by taking on too much when he could pass, same as Mahrez (I'd even say to a lesser degree--the amount of times Mahrez does exactly the same thing on the edge of the box and either gets tripped by a defender or shoots directly into the keeper's arms is incredible), but Knockaert's much more of a goal threat than Mahrez too (because he can actually shoot). The one complaint with Knockaert that is warranted though, is that whenever he does lose the ball around the half way line, he becomes frustrated and hurtles into a tackle to try and make amends. Nothing that can't be solved. He's a good passer, he's our only decent free kick taker, he's got the most flair of anybody in the squad, he's always a goal threat, and he actually fits into our system. If he had the pace of Mahrez and a bit more composure he'd easily be our best player. Incredible how everybody's decided he's shit despite only playing like 60 minutes all season. And he's only 22.

[Lambert09]

Yes he looses the ball a lot, but how much does he create? He can create something from nothing, which is in short supply in this team. I dont believe the `he's too slow hype' he hasnt been given anywhere near enough time to adapt to this league. But I cant wait for him to score a belter against sunderland and all the knocky bum boys to come crying back to him..... on his day he is our best player, id even say he's better then mahrez when they are both at their best 

[chris_lcfc_85]

Yes he looses the ball a lot, but how much does he create? He can create something from nothing, which is in short supply in this team. I dont believe the `he's too slow hype' he hasnt been given anywhere near enough time to adapt to this league. But I cant wait for him to score a belter against sunderland and all the knocky bum boys to come crying back to him..... on his day he is our best player, id even say he's better then mahrez when they are both at their best 

 

This is spot on for me

[Bamba's Babes]

Based on what? Does anybody actually have any stat to back this up or has it just been repeated so much that it's became gospel? Plenty of people have been wasteful in position over the last few weeks. Knockaert isn't one of them. He's played 3 matches in this division and really hasn't been as bad as any of you are making out.

And also, if we must apply this tag to somebody who repeatedly losing position before we've had the chance to start an attack, I'm surprised more people aren't having a go at Ulloa for doing it, always way too far back as well. A few times we've tried to counter, everybody's trying to get the ball up to him and he's just been stood at the halfway line waiting to receive the ball, and then when he does he holds it for a second before attempting to turn and pass, and by this point we've already lost it because somebody's caught up to him. Knockaert doesn't even do this. Knockaert loses the ball by taking on too much when he could pass, same as Mahrez (I'd even say to a lesser degree--the amount of times Mahrez does exactly the same thing on the edge of the box and either gets tripped by a defender or shoots directly into the keeper's arms is incredible), but Knockaert's much more of a goal threat than Mahrez too (because he can actually shoot). The one complaint with Knockaert that is warranted though, is that whenever he does lose the ball around the half way line, he becomes frustrated and hurtles into a tackle to try and make amends. Nothing that can't be solved. He's a good passer, he's our only decent free kick taker, he's got the most flair of anybody in the squad, he's always a goal threat, and he actually fits into our system. If he had the pace of Mahrez and a bit more composure he'd easily be our best player. Incredible how everybody's decided he's shit despite only playing like 60 minutes all season. And he's only 22.

Here, here.

[suffolk fox]

Simple facts are he does at least deserve a chance? Same goes for Simpson and Albrighton amd Powell. Would like to see all four given a chance from kickoff not some cameo appearance after seventy minutes when we are already losing?

Problem is nothing at all will change?

We will set up to not get beaten heavily cos that is the way?

God knows what has happened since the Man Ure game but we are now too frightened to cross the halfway line.

As Matt Elliot said on the phone in if you are going to get relegated at least go down fighting.

All four of those players cant do any worse than the current crop of starters.

Getting fed up too of both players and management saying we must work harder to turn it around? Jesus, change the bloody record.

[Spicer]

He does tend to blow hot and cold a lot, however our current 11 only seem to be blowing cold.

[Silverdaz]

Most creative and skillful player in our team - I can't understand how he has gone from a regular and a fan favourite to not even being selected on the bench, and the worst thing is he's hardly had a chance this season

 

6 awful games in a row and no Knockaert - coincidence? 

Because hes not very good like one of the earlier posters have said he is one of the most overrated players at our club but hey the crowd like singing his song so he is a crowd favourite

[Aarongu]

So many people claim he isn't good enough for this level. Based on what? He has started one league game for us this season. 

 

It's absolutely vital that you have creativity and pace in the PL. We've lost Dyer's pace and at the minute, the other creative player, Mahrez is being left on the bench. 

 

You can't win games with just hard work, we need something a bit more refined to find gaps or stretch defences.

 

Knockaert isn't the fastest but he definitely is creative. Time for him to get his chance in our much needed reversion back to 442. 

[chris_lcfc_85]

Because hes not very good like one of the earlier posters have said he is one of the most overrated players at our club but hey the crowd like singing his song so he is a crowd favourite

 

Harsh to say he's not very good. He's a talented player that too often has attitude issues...... but he's 22 years of age and this is the first time he's been a Prem player so maybe give the guy a chance before writing him off.

 

You may well be proved right in a few years but as ever, alot of foxes fans slate our own before giving them enough time to delelop as players

 

He's already proved he can already be a match winner on his day so defo deserves a run

[Silverdaz]

Harsh to say he's not very good. He's a talented player that too often has attitude issues...... but he's 22 years of age and this is the first time he's been a Prem player so maybe give the guy a chance before writing him off.

 

You may well be proved right in a few years but as ever, alot of foxes fans slate our own before giving them enough time to delelop as players

 

He's already proved he can already be a match winner on his day so defo deserves a run

I can only think of Huddersfield Away and Sheff Wed at home when he has been a matchwinner, Nugent has been more of a matchwinner than Knockaert

[ImBlue]

He loses it without trying to make a pass?

Same outcome bro..

Except he may create something rather than just passing backwards and sidewards and waywards!

[chris_lcfc_85]

I can only think of Huddersfield Away and Sheff Wed at home when he has been a matchwinner, Nugent has been more of a matchwinner than Knockaert

 

Nugent should be a match winner more as he's a striker...... He gets more chances.

 

All im saying is, dont write the kid off. He's clearly a talent and who cares if he's not the quickest, you dont need to be rapid to be good

[Babylon]

Perhaps he's gone off to sprint training camp so that he doesn't run like he's wading through treacle.