That's Laurent and not Lee.

Is he a flash in the pan? I see the icnewcastle review of the game mentions he just wasn't playing well and kind of disappeared during the Fulham game. He was the poorest on the pitch v Villa and prior to that didn't really shine.

Have we already seen the best of him I wonder? I bloody hope not cos there's a long way to go yet. Or do you think other teams have just sussed him out?

BTW - annoying to see Fulham claim their best performance of the season so far against us. Why do teams always decide to hit top form when NUFC come to town.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2001

Answers

Not sure he's entirely to blame. The Chronic has it that they just weren't giving him the ball again, until late on.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2001

Plus other teams now know what to expect from him. Can't remember where I read it, but Lee Clark was saying Tigana gave each of the starters and subs individually edited video tapes of the players they'd be up against so they could study up on Friday night/Saturday morning.

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2001

Lynda, that is not a coincidence.

We play the same against everyone, when we come up against teams that play in a certain style they will always beat us. Charlton have to be favourites wherever the game is.

We do not close teams down when they have the ball. This gives their players an extra few seconds on the ball, they can plan their next move and try stuff they would not normally have time for in a game.

When this comes off a couple of times the confidence rises and the tempo and pressure increases. Until we have someone with some some tactical ability or some players with a notion that moving towards an opposition player who has the ball makes them do something it will never change.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Lynda, he comes to us with too good a pedigree for him to be a flash in the pan, IMHO. We aren't getting the ball to him enough (Bernard instead of Robbie Eliott might help) generally and he isn't a player who will take the game by the scruff of the neck. Sadly, no one is. All good players get sussed out and it's up them to exploit the openings it creates for others: he'll get used to this. As Arsene Wenger says, it takes a French player 6 months to get used to the Premiership (and his experience with Pires, Wiltord and Henry would bear this out) so, on that basis, we are doing tremendously well with him already.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I think that Dougall is right and that we have nothing to worry about in regard to M Robert. Time will prove what a good player he is. Also, whilst I agree that he didn't make much of a direct contribution in the Villa game, he was tightly marked throughout thegame and this created the space for Bellamy and Shearer to exploit. Just because a player doesn't get the ball doesn't mean that they don't directly influence the game.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

He's having the ball fed to him by Speed and Elliott: surprised it's reached him as often as it has.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Bernard not available for selection for another couple of games yet. Charlton away I think

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I really believe Robert is one player we, and BR, musn't pressurise. He started well, and has tailed off. This was inevitable as he gets used to the pace and physical nature of the PL.

We need to be patient and keep supporting him until he gets his PL "legs" - perhaps not until after Xmas. When he comes to terms with the attention he is now getting from the opposition, he will be dynamite.

I actually think he is wasted stuck on the LW, and needs to have the freedom within our system (?) to go get the ball and "do some damage".

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

How come Bassedas didn't warrant this "patient time"?

Surely it's a similar thing? Him and Robert must have played about the same number of games

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Paul - 'cos Bassedas has never shown anything in any game he has played for us. If he had demonstrated 5% of the talent that Laurent Robert has already shown us, I'd be arguing the same for Bassedas - as indeed I did for a long time, hoping against hope that he would come good.

Given the current state of our m/f, and the fact he can't even make the bench - don't you think BR must have come to exactly the same conclusion?

Another Wadsworth dud - we should get rid - probably to Oldham for about £100k.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

I agree that Bassedas hasn't shown what Robert has, but Robert has been given a constant run, Bassedas hasn't had more than 2 or 3 at a time.

I don't think he is what we are looking for, but if we are losing regardless of which midfielders play, surely it's worth a shot?

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

£100k is a bit low, he is still highly rated in South America apparently.

He'd do a fine job in Italy as well I reckon, just can't keep up with the pace of the PL at the moment. (You could argue that very few of our midfield can really)

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

Paul, I think you've just hit he Bassedas nail on the head.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2001

...... precisely Screach - he might do OK in Spain actually.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Sometimes I despair at the English style, especially when watching teams like West Ham, Charlton and dare I say it Sunderland. When they find out they can't win by playing football, it's a long ball game, hoof it up the game.

When it comes to this, the Italian and Spanish style of play is infinitely more watchable. Of course, when you get two teams playing proper football - mostly when they are two fairly equal teams having a real go - then English football can be great.

The Spanish teams never resort to long balls when the going gets tough, and it makes it better to watch. To an extent it is down to the managers over the years, buying small quick strikers and big strong centre backs, long balls have become the easiest way to win, but it can be sh!te to watch.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001