Jacko has been immense for us. Dragged us up from our lowest point in years and his leadership, goals and dedication to the club is to be commended. However, I agree that he has run his course at this level. He deserves to be remembered for being an excellent captain. However, now it's time to make way and let someone else step in (except for the fact that there isn't anyone else!). Solly did a good job yesterday by the way
Despite his declining years, he's still 10 times the player Buyens is when wearing the shirt. Give me players who are willing to fight for the team any day.
Unfortunately, even those players such as JJ, Solly & Cousins are being dragged down by all the negativity surrounding the club, which leaves us totally screwed.................
I would've taken Buyens off ahead of him - at least Jacko can tackle.
Id probably keep Jackson ahead of Buyens just for his vocal presence, especially if he was playing alongside Cousins.
He cant play alongside Buyens though, they both get caught far too square and Jacko just doesn't have the legs to get back.
Howson and Tettey last night were buzzing about, always looking for the pass in both halves of the field. We didnt have that until Cousins moved inside and even then he was on his own.
Good bloke and all that, blah blah blah.... can't deny the fact that as soon as he came off last night the team looked a lot better.
Cousins needs to be in the centre of the park starting from Saturday!
From the reports I read, as soon as he came ON on Saturday, the team also looked a lot better, so obviously the correlation is not as definitive as you seem to think. It may just be, as has been suggested with Solly, that his legs aren't up to two games a week any more. Particularly if he's having to do the job of two men when he IS on the pitch
Hard to defend JJ as sadly a shadow of the player he was 2 - 3 seasons ago. Annonymous for the majority of matches now and only catches the eye with his increasingly late tackles or when he's finally taken off. Yes he's not match fit and yes he's recovering from injury but that's just him now I fear.
JJ doesn't have the legs to last 90mins because he is having to do all of Buyens' tackling. Last night he spent most of his time racing around trying to sweep up behind the 'nearly man'. Get a good defensive midfielder and JJ's game will be much improved ..... and visible to those who can't see past Buyens.
He's past it. Accept it rather than blaming others. I thought he put in a shift last night but only for the first 30 mins then looked shattered and the late tackles came in to play. BTW Buyens gets a lot of stick but thought he did ok last night. Putting himself about eventually getting booked but obviously not enough to satisfy the anti Belgium brigade
Hard to defend JJ as sadly a shadow of the player he was 2 - 3 seasons ago. Annonymous for the majority of matches now and only catches the eye with his increasingly late tackles or when he's finally taken off. Yes he's not match fit and yes he's recovering from injury but that's just him now I fear.
What's changed in his game? He's not lost pace as he never had any. Main difference is the obvious one in that he isn't scoring goals.
I'm not sure if that's really him "losing his legs" or more about the team around him and the role he's been asked or had to play.
Jackson was past it before Buyens even arrived at the club. Nothing to do with Buyens who appears an easy Belgian network scapegoat.
Really ?
If you read the post match thread from last night's game, around 75% of Lifers agree that Buyens was an ineffective waste of space - and not for the first time.
It's inevitable that a player's ability will peak and then decline. I agree that JJ has got to the point where he really isn't good for 90 minutes, and he has had a lot of injury this season too which won't help his fitness. But he does make a difference when he has the right players to work with, and he can be a sub who lifts the rest of the team. He gives a toss and plays with his heart on his sleeve as well as the Captain's armband.
There's little room for sentimentality in a game which demands fitness and results - so he will have to earn his place on the team sheet as much as the next man, but we're almost fresh out of talismanic players and he is the biggest one we currently have!
Jackson was past it before Buyens even arrived at the club. Nothing to do with Buyens who appears an easy Belgian network scapegoat.
Really ?
If you read the post match thread from last night's game, around 75% of Lifers agree that Buyens was an ineffective waste of space - and not for the first time.
I'm not disagreeing Buyens had a poor game last night, he did and he's looked poor for a while but the point I was making was that Jackson has been past it before Buyens even arrived so Jackson's own form can't be pinned on Buyens.
Is Buyens really being "torn to shreds"? It's more commenting on him not being what we expected, a box to box midfielder, would make us forget about Poyet, of the quality we wouldn't usually be able to get etc.
We don't have many options, so I'd be happy to see either alongside Cousins to get some much needed pace and energy in the middle. Together they're too slow. For now I'd go with Jackson because we need to battle and as I said in the Buyens thread I think he looks good when things are going well but Jackson's the better player when it comes to tackling, leadership etc.
Is Buyens really being "torn to shreds"? It's more commenting on him not being what we expected, a box to box midfielder, would make us forget about Poyet, of the quality we wouldn't usually be able to get etc.
We don't have many options, so I'd be happy to see either alongside Cousins to get some much needed pace and energy in the middle. Together they're too slow. For now I'd go with Jackson because we need to battle and as I said in the Buyens thread I think he looks good when things are going well but Jackson's the better player when it comes to tackling, leadership etc.
Was he touted as a box-to-box midfielder? I've always seen him as a deep lying play maker type of footballer. With a bit of energy around him creating space, it may bring the best of out him. Long balls pumped forward and just there to win the second ball does not.
Comments
can't deny the fact that as soon as he came off last night the team looked a lot better.
Cousins needs to be in the centre of the park starting from Saturday!
That said I do agree that the introduction of Harriott for Jackson directly led to our good patch.
Coaching badges and move upstairs.
Unfortunately, even those players such as JJ, Solly & Cousins are being dragged down by all the negativity surrounding the club, which leaves us totally screwed.................
At least JJ knows what CAFC is about. He would be ideal in a player/coach role.
He cant play alongside Buyens though, they both get caught far too square and Jacko just doesn't have the legs to get back.
Howson and Tettey last night were buzzing about, always looking for the pass in both halves of the field. We didnt have that until Cousins moved inside and even then he was on his own.
But he is still better than Buyens and Bulot combined because not only does he have more ability he actually looks like he wants to be here.
If Veljkovic was fit or if we'd signed the creative midfielder we've needed all season then JJ might just be a sub but until then.
..................just like our season
BTW Buyens gets a lot of stick but thought he did ok last night. Putting himself about eventually getting booked but obviously not enough to satisfy the anti Belgium brigade
I'm not sure if that's really him "losing his legs" or more about the team around him and the role he's been asked or had to play.
If you read the post match thread from last night's game, around 75% of Lifers agree that Buyens was an ineffective waste of space - and not for the first time.
There's little room for sentimentality in a game which demands fitness and results - so he will have to earn his place on the team sheet as much as the next man, but we're almost fresh out of talismanic players and he is the biggest one we currently have!
Jackson is poor all season - late tackles, no goals, getting caught on the ball, soooooo sloooooow - but people STILL jump on the man love bandwagon.
He has been a superb player and captain in the past but then again so was Mark Kinsella. But you wouldnt want him in our team now.
We don't have many options, so I'd be happy to see either alongside Cousins to get some much needed pace and energy in the middle. Together they're too slow. For now I'd go with Jackson because we need to battle and as I said in the Buyens thread I think he looks good when things are going well but Jackson's the better player when it comes to tackling, leadership etc.