Van Aken

[Fibonacci91]

Shocking defensively yesterday to be honest

[hodgybysea]

Idiot.

[Mr. Tom]

Wrong. Still a bit green but he's stepped in admirably - it's one hell of a job we've asked him to turn up and do in his first month at the club, and he's barely past uni age. Will only improve.

 

Great signing, needs some under-23 action when Loovens is back, and he'll be fully primed for when Loovens is inevitably out again before long.

[Kanye West]

Another Owlstalker with a weird player obsession.

 

He played well, roger off and support the pigs.

[Fibonacci91]

Just now, Mr. Tom said:

Wrong. Still a bit green but he's stepped in admirably - it's one hell of a job we've asked him to turn up and do in his first month at the club, and he's barely past uni age. Will only improve.

 

Great signing, needs some under-23 action when Loovens is back, and he'll be fully primed for when Loovens is inevitably out again before long.

Nah...he nearly gifted them two goals and makes at least one defensive mistake in every game he has played for us...I'll rewatch when home from work and post minutes and seconds of mistakes.

[Mr. Tom]

Just now, Fibonacci91 said:

Nah...he nearly gifted them two goals and makes at least one defensive mistake in every game he has played for us...I'll rewatch when home from work and post minutes and seconds of mistakes.

 

There's no need, I was there. As I said, he's a bit green - he's young and this league is a huge step up for him - but on balance he's done incredibly well and will prove a very astute signing IMO.

[cowl]

'Shocking' is really pushing it!

 

He made one very serious mistake when they hit the post, and at times he did look edgy.

 

Seemed generally far less confident than when he made his debut, and was also trying fewer 60 yard passes which is a great shame.

 

I think at some point if his current performance trajectory continues, Loovens will inevitably come back in.

 

Mind you, until yesterday Lees had been equally poor for a couple of games.

[Mr. Tom]

Just now, cowl said:

'Shocking' is really pushing it!

 

He made one very serious mistake when they hit the post, and at times he did look edgy.

 

Seemed generally far less confident than when he made his debut, and was also trying fewer 60 yard passes which is a great shame.

 

I think at some point if his current performance trajectory continues, Loovens will inevitably come back in.

 

Mind you, until yesterday Lees had been equally poor for a couple of games.

 

Yeah I was gonna say, our two CBs and GK have had a brief run of slightly dodgy performances that happened to coincide with our most scrutinised midseason game of the past few years - of the three, I'd say Van Aken has arguably been the least culpable on balance.

 

A tall, 23-year-old British CB with his confidence and ball-playing ability would cost double what we paid for Van Aken, no doubt whatsoever. Looks great value to me, can't wait to watch him develop.

[StudentOwl]

Yet again, every time I see a thread like this I've got to ask "where is the one for Lees"? Now Tom was far better than van Aken yesterday, but Lees has made a number of positional mistakes already this season and not one thread on Owlstalk.

 

van Aken however seems to be getting two threads after every game. The bias on here is bizarre sometimes it really is. Objectively Lees is the better player/defender, and objectively he played better than van Aken yesterday; but equally objectively for the say 10 threads van Aken has accumulated on Owlstalk over the last month for his performances, Lees has 'deserved' 4, yet none exist

 

Some are just determined to be blinkered

[Fibonacci91]

3 minutes ago, cowl said:

'Shocking' is really pushing it!

 

He made one very serious mistake when they hit the post, and at times he did look edgy.

 

Seemed generally far less confident than when he made his debut, and was also trying fewer 60 yard passes which is a great shame.

 

I think at some point if his current performance trajectory continues, Loovens will inevitably come back in.

 

Mind you, until yesterday Lees had been equally poor for a couple of games.

Lees has had a couple of poor games more recently, butj before that was the only one in that back line putting in devent performances, amongst a make shift back line i thought he did as well as he would have done. Admitedly 2 games sheff u and brum he was poor. 

 

I think the exact problem is the fact you think its a shame he was trying less 60 yard passes. I get its fashionable for defenders to be able to play...i get it that it does has an actual and real effect in the sense that it gets us up the pitch quicker with quicker and better build up play...

 

But if the guy is going to make defensive errors in every game he plays for us...i could not give even one singular *** about how good he looks, with his blonde locks flowing in the wind as he pulls off a beautiful technique and looks really cool, as he sort of stops, as his foot goes through the ball, and he looks over into the distance, at his beautifully weighted long range pass hits the opposite wing...I really dont care

[Fibonacci91]

1 minute ago, StudentOwl said:

Yet again, every time I see a thread like this I've got to ask "where is the one for Lees"? Now Tom was far better than van Aken yesterday, but Lees has made a number of positional mistakes already this season and not one thread on Owlstalk.

 

van Aken however seems to be getting two threads after every game. The bias on here is bizarre sometimes it really is. Objectively Lees is the better player/defender, and objectively he played better than van Aken yesterday; but equally objectively for the say 10 threads van Aken has accumulated on Owlstalk over the last month for his performances, Lees has 'deserved' 4, yet none exist

 

Some are just determined to be blinkered

Think Tom was sound up till a couple of games ago and has played as the only real defender in a make shift back 4 all season

[Fibonacci91]

9 minutes ago, cowl said:

'Shocking' is really pushing it!

 

He made one very serious mistake when they hit the post, and at times he did look edgy.

 

Seemed generally far less confident than when he made his debut, and was also trying fewer 60 yard passes which is a great shame.

 

I think at some point if his current performance trajectory continues, Loovens will inevitably come back in.

 

Mind you, until yesterday Lees had been equally poor for a couple of games.

Such a simplistic way of thinking about the game to just look a defender hitting long range passes and think hes world class.

Its like picking a goalscorer as man of the match, or those who constantly have a go at the team for passing backwards instead of forwards...such a simple way of thinking about the game.

[fred mciver]

Shocking is directly responsible for a couple of goals.

 

Blimey, he's still adjusting to hectic pace here, as Sibon forecast, but has technical qualities to go all way.

 

Even Stones at £45 million looked like a donkey against Moratta.

 

This guy will go all the way. 

[cowl]

Just now, Fibonacci91 said:

Such a simplistic way of thinking about the game to just look a defender hitting long range passes and think hes world class.

Its like picking a goalscorer as man of the match, or those who constantly have a go at the team for passing backwards instead of forwards...such a simple way of thinking about the game.

 

Such a simplistic way of reasoning to take a word of praise about a defender's passing ability and take that to equate with likening the player with the best in the world.

[StudentOwl]

4 minutes ago, Fibonacci91 said:

Think Tom was sound up till a couple of games ago and has played as the only real defender in a make shift back 4 all season

"Makeshift back 4"

You mean our first choice RB to his right for the whole season and our most experienced CB to his left for the first half of the season as it currently exists? That doesn't seem very makeshift to me

 

Oh, and you expect his partnership with van Aken to be comparable to one he's forged with Loovens playing what, at least 60 competitive games together... And that's before looking at the fact the dude has only been on the country for 5 weeks

 

As I say... Blinkered

[Fibonacci91]

4 minutes ago, fred mciver said:

Shocking is directly responsible for a couple of goals.

 

Blimey, he's still adjusting to hectic pace here, as Sibon forecast, but has technical qualities to go all way.

 

Even Stones at £45 million looked like a donkey against Moratta.

 

This guy will go all the way. 

He definitely will not go all the way...he may become a decent player for us...but he definitely will not go all the way...if by some chance I am wrong and he does go all the way...In his performances so far for wednesady...he has sure as hell not shown that he will go all the way.

[Ibbo48]

Lees is our most consistent defender. His form only suffers when he's forced into a new centre back pairing. When he's with Loovens he's solid

[Fibonacci91]

1 minute ago, StudentOwl said:

"Makeshift back 4"

You mean our first choice RB to his right for the whole season and our most experienced CB to his left for the first half of the season as it currently exists? That doesn't seem very makeshift to me

 

Oh, and you expect his partnership with van Aken to be comparable to one he's forged with Loovens playing what, at least 60 competitive games together... And that's before looking at the fact the dude has only been on the country for 5 weeks

 

As I say... Blinkered

Sorry I should have said shockingly poor back 4...makeshift was a bit misleading as you are right...they are all defenders at least...just really poor ones.

 

[Fibonacci91]

Guy is shocking...said it about Reach, said it about Jones, said it about Abdi...in about 4 weeks there will be threads on here slating Van Aken...I can almost guarantee e it. If by Jan Owlstalk hasnt turned on Van Aken I'll give a hundred pounds to charity. 

[cowl]

van Aken was excellent defensively and offensively against Cardiff (top of the league) too might I add.

 

His carrying of the ball forward before releasing Reach to cross into Hooper and his 60 yard inch perfect pass to Fletcher who really should have done better with his chance, were highlights of the game.