bluehobbit Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I’ve been having a quick read of the board this moaning especially the Steve Kabba thread and it seems most people think we would have done better with Lewis in the team more often this season. Lewis is a good young player. Good control, good with the ball at his feet and plays some good passes. But he gets bullied by the big centre half’s he’s come across recently, he’s not massively quick, and he likes to make sure when shooting i think he could have had a few more goals if he would hit the ball 1st time in the box. I actually think his lack of real pace has been found out a little when he first came into the team he was moving out wide and being given time to bring the ball under control by defenders and get his head up to pass – at the moment hes feeding on scraps (so i could be talking crap) and defenders are getting a lot tighter to him and bullying him of the ball. My point is although we haven’t seen that much of him at times is he is still a very young player he was taken out of the team because he wasn’t getting goals and wasn’t getting involved as much. I just think that people seem to have forgotten this a little and think that Hughes would have 30 goals and lewis would have 15 and we would have rolled teams over. Bullet proof armour on and im ducking for cover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prendy_1984 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Not sure how you question his current form when he's hardly been playing. I've never seen him be bullied, his main asset is his hold up play and considering the size of him he is very strong and holds defenders off him very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsPete Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) I’ve been having a quick read of the board this moaning especially the Steve Kabba thread and it seems most people think we would have done better with Lewis in the team more often this season. Lewis is a good young player. Good control, good with the ball at his feet and plays some good passes. But he gets bullied by the big centre half’s he’s come across recently, he’s not massively quick, and he likes to make sure when shooting i think he could have had a few more goals if he would hit the ball 1st time in the box. I actually think his lack of real pace has been found out a little when he first came into the team he was moving out wide and being given time to bring the ball under control by defenders and get his head up to pass – at the moment hes feeding on scraps (so i could be talking crap) and defenders are getting a lot tighter to him and bullying him of the ball. My point is although we haven’t seen that much of him at times is he is still a very young player he was taken out of the team because he wasn’t getting goals and wasn’t getting involved as much. I just think that people seem to have forgotten this a little and think that Hughes would have 30 goals and lewis would have 15 and we would have rolled teams over. Bullet proof armour on and im ducking for cover I don't think you are far off. He has had one brilliant game (against Scuthorpe) and done well in others , but he is far from the answer that some would make out. He is prone to lack composure at vital moments - I recall at Leeds when he didn't finish a one on one, similarly at Leicester , and also Scunthorpe away. Far too often there's a cry to put the young lads in all the time - it was Wolfy a couple of years back - but they are not consistent enough, or canny enough, to deliver every week. He'll always struggle a bit because of his size and will get out muscled. The great small strikers such as Cottee, or Greaves, or Owen had a great strike rate in the last twelve yards. Lewis needs to improve on that. I think he may ..but he's not the saviour yet. Edited February 27, 2009 by LaticsPete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) Alessandra is a player who continues to improve when he gets a run in the side. I don't think he should have lost his place to Ormerod or Byfield. The partnership he had built with Hughes was paying dividends and the midfield began to get overwhelmed as soon as Alessandra was dropped (LA holds the ball up well, takes the pressure off a midfield and then brings them in to the game more - no coincidince that Whitaker has struggled since LA's omission). A feature of the season since. He should score more. He isn't the finished article. Would be nearer to it if selected more. But he has given more to the all round play of the team than Windass or the two named above. Is he the saviour? No. But he certainly wasn't a liability when Shez decided he needed something different. Edited February 27, 2009 by opinions4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveoafc77 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 from the way some people talk you'd think we have a guy who has 20+ goals for the last few seasons being overlooked, he's unproven and Shez clearly feels there are better options out there at this moment in time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaskedOwl Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I don't think you are far off. He has had one brilliant game (against Scuthorpe) and done well in others , but he is far from the answer that some would make out. He is prone to lack composure at vital moments - I recall at Leeds when he didn't finish a one on one, similarly at Leicester , and also Scunthorpe away. Far too often there's a cry to put the young lads in all the time - it was Wolfy a couple of years back - but they are not consistent enough, or canny enough, to deliver every week. He'll always struggle a bit because of his size and will get out muscled. The great small strikers such as Cottee, or Greaves, or Owen had a great strike rate in the last twelve yards. Lewis needs to improve on that. I think he may ..but he's not the saviour yet. I totally agree. I really though Chris Hall would be the next big thing but he couldn't make the step up when he got the chance. I don't think the time is right for Lewi yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) from the way some people talk you'd think we have a guy who has 20+ goals for the last few seasons being overlooked, he's unproven and Shez clearly feels there are better options out there at this moment in time I won't criticise for Shez seeking out better options. I will criticise him for failing to find them with signing experienced loan players who gave us nothing better than LA does, impairing the development of the brightest striker to come through the youth system since .... dunno, you tell me? Edited February 27, 2009 by opinions4u Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I won't criticise for Shez seeking out better options. I will criticise him for failing to find them with signing experienced loan players who gave us nothing better than LA does, impairing the development of the brightest striker to come through the youth system since .... dunno, you tell me? Totally agree. Oh but he doesn't score enough goals.... And remind me, which of these super loan signings we've made have been banging them in? Which have linked up with Hughes and made you go "I wish we could keep him?". For me, none. The lad should have been given a run after his hat trick against Scunthorpe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razza699 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I don't think he should have lost his place to Ormerod or Byfield. I still shudder to think they pulled Oldham shirts on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel8157 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Alessandra is a player who continues to improve when he gets a run in the side. I don't think he should have lost his place to Ormerod or Byfield. The partnership he had built with Hughes was paying dividends and the midfield began to get overwhelmed as soon as Alessandra was dropped (LA holds the ball up well, takes the pressure off a midfield and then brings them in to the game more - no coincidince that Whitaker has struggled since LA's omission). A feature of the season since. He should score more. He isn't the finished article. Would be nearer to it if selected more. But he has given more to the all round play of the team than Windass or the two named above. Is he the saviour? No. But he certainly wasn't a liability when Shez decided he needed something different. Completely agree. I have no problem with bringing in loan players if they are better than what you have already got and for me the loan players we have had in are no better than Lewis. How is the lad going to get any better if he doesn't play? Send the expensive tub of lard back to Hull and give the lad a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Lewi is, like Smalley, a young lad that attributes a large part of his game to confidence. Yes, he's bound to be muscled off the ball occasionally, or misfire when he's in the box sometimes, it's part of being a young footballer. It's how he overcomes such things, and keeps his confidence high which is the key to whether he has a long, successful future in the game. For me, technically he's our brightest young player. One thing which comes naturally to him is close control of the ball, which is what you'd look for first in any young player to see if they can cut it at a higher level. Lewi doesn't need two, three or more touches to bring a ball under his control, it's at his feet immediately and knowing where to be in the box, and standing firm on the ball is something that will come over time and experience. To be honest, I thought Shez would blood him more this season, to keep giving him that experience. He's certainly bags of potential in any case, and to say he's overrated, well you simply don't know the game off football to hold that opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsPete Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Lewi is, like Smalley, a young lad that attributes a large part of his game to confidence. Yes, he's bound to be muscled off the ball occasionally, or misfire when he's in the box sometimes, it's part of being a young footballer. It's how he overcomes such things, and keeps his confidence high which is the key to whether he has a long, successful future in the game. For me, technically he's our brightest young player. One thing which comes naturally to him is close control of the ball, which is what you'd look for first in any young player to see if they can cut it at a higher level. Lewi doesn't need two, three or more touches to bring a ball under his control, it's at his feet immediately and knowing where to be in the box, and standing firm on the ball is something that will come over time and experience. To be honest, I thought Shez would blood him more this season, to keep giving him that experience. He's certainly bags of potential in any case, and to say he's overrated, well you simply don't know the game off football to hold that opinion. It depends on how much. Nobody is disagreeing that he has talent and lots of potential. If I read the first post correctly it suggested that some posters think he can deliver right now more than he can. So , by some, he may be rated more highly than is currently accurate. More experience will, we all agree ( I think) see him develop into a player that does realise that immense potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfOAFC Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I've never seen him be bullied, his main asset is his hold up play and considering the size of him he is very strong and holds defenders off him very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 It depends on how much. Nobody is disagreeing that he has talent and lots of potential. If I read the first post correctly it suggested that some posters think he can deliver right now more than he can. So , by some, he may be rated more highly than is currently accurate. More experience will, we all agree ( I think) see him develop into a player that does realise that immense potential. The initial poster's main point was that Lewi gets bullied off the ball too often and a lack of cutting edge in the box. These are attributes he's amost expecting him to have now, when in reality they are attributes which come over playing more games and gaining more experience. A prime example is Taylor, who this season has done things a bit differently and the experience is starting to show with him being a far greater threat now than he has been in recent seasons. Yeah, he's slipped into some old habits of late but his progress has been remarkable this season, particularly on his goal input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wozz_oafc Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Considering the abuse that some of our players get does anyone think Shez sometimes keeps the young players out of the team, for their own benefit. If Shez could see Lewi's form was dropping, which to be fair it was, then maybe he wants to keep him away from being the next Eardley. If Lewi had been in the team over the last few months and his performances had continued to not produce he would be getting crucified and Shez would have been getting slated for not bringing in players like Byfield and Ormerod. Shez has also said in the past that Lewi has not pulled his weight in training hence he wasnt getting games, who knows, maybe this is another reason why he isnt catching the team at the moment. As fans it is very easy to judge just on what we see at the games but there is much more going on during the week, which Shez will use to pick the matchday team. Having said that though I cant for the life of me see why he bought Budtz and Whits back into the side on tuesday night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 If Shez could see Lewi's form was dropping, which to be fair it was Was he though? He bagged a hat trick. Played against Yeovil the following week which was a poor show from them all, then the two piss poor cup ties with Cheltenham, one of which he started up front alone, another with Wolfy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lookers_Carl Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Would very much agree with what has been said as in would rather see Lewi played than some loan journeymen such as Omerod and Byfield who are no better than him. Will reserve judgement on Kabba till I have seen him play a few times My main gripe with lewi, again has been said countless times on here, he doesnt score enough for a striker. and at the end of the day strikers are judged on goals. I would like to see Lewi given the chance to play just behind a frontman, see if he has the vision to rack up some assists for a main frontman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticsLen Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Considering the abuse that some of our players get does anyone think Shez sometimes keeps the young players out of the team, for their own benefit. If Shez could see Lewi's form was dropping, which to be fair it was, then maybe he wants to keep him away from being the next Eardley. If Lewi had been in the team over the last few months and his performances had continued to not produce he would be getting crucified and Shez would have been getting slated for not bringing in players like Byfield and Ormerod. Shez has also said in the past that Lewi has not pulled his weight in training hence he wasnt getting games, who knows, maybe this is another reason why he isnt catching the team at the moment. As fans it is very easy to judge just on what we see at the games but there is much more going on during the week, which Shez will use to pick the matchday team. Having said that though I cant for the life of me see why he bought Budtz and Whits back into the side on tuesday night Exactly why Shez doesn't play our youngsters its happened time and again at this club and will happen again with some of this current crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opinions4u Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Exactly why Shez doesn't play our youngsters its happened time and again at this club and will happen again with some of this current crop. That's not the reason. The reason is that Shez believes experience is better to have if you can get it. The truth is a blend of youth and experience is best. If properly managed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 My main gripe with lewi, again has been said countless times on here, he doesnt score enough for a striker. and at the end of the day strikers are judged on goals. Which they are. But what you won't see, is too many strikers topping the goalscoring charts who are under the age of 21. Being clinical in the box comes with more experience. Take a look at the top 10 or 12 strikers in the division - hardly any of them under the age of 21. I'm sure that will come the longer he's playing and learning his craft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluehobbit Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 The initial poster's main point was that Lewi gets bullied off the ball too often and a lack of cutting edge in the box. These are attributes he's amost expecting him to have now, when in reality they are attributes which come over playing more games and gaining more experience. I personally am not expecting Lewis to have these abilities now he is a quality young player and agree they will come over time more than likely. Sheridan should have played him a little more (a few longer run outs as sub if nothing else) My main point and maybe i didnt make it very well is that to read some of the posts here Lewis is the saviour of our season and i just dont think thats the case at the minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorrro Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I don't think anyone thinks he's the saviour of our season, just that we play better when he's in the side. What's more, he's ours. Not anyone else's. Ours. Our player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I personally am not expecting Lewis to have these abilities now he is a quality young player and agree they will come over time more than likely. Sheridan should have played him a little more (a few longer run outs as sub if nothing else) My main point and maybe i didnt make it very well is that to read some of the posts here Lewis is the saviour of our season and i just dont think thats the case at the minute. I agree with you on whether he should be playing more, but you're picking facets of his game out which are underdeveloped right now as reasoning to whether you think he's overrated. To be honest, I don't think he gets as much 'Lewi the saviour' adulation as you say he is on here. But I completely agree with you on him getting more appearances than he is. Personally I think in 2 seasons we'll see a vastly different player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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