EZE

[JHB]

This is not to generate yet another debate about whether Eze is a very gifted footballer .
Let’s just take that as a given.
Let’s also acknowledge that he scored the winner last week and had the assist for the equaliser yesterday.

Now to broaden the debate.

Is Eze the ideal candidate for a left sided front role in Glasner’s system?
Unquestionably he”s the best option from our current available players, but is the role getting the best out of his skill set?


We spend most of our time out of possession and, for me, Eze would flourish in a team that dominated possession and enabled him to get hold of the ball facing the opponent’s goal where he could demonstrate his skills.
In Glasner’s system Eze spends most of his time with his back to goal , either passing backwards, being tackled/fouled by the opposition or conceding possession.
He is only afforded one or two moments when he can demonstrate his class - and I acknowledge that this can make a difference in games.
However, if we were having an honest debate we’d have to say Eze hasn’t really had a particularly good game this season and is out of sorts.
Excuses have been made for him ..’he’s injured’…’he’s being played out of position’….’he’s missing Olise..’
All may have validity, but Glasner is not going to change the system and Olise isn’t coming back.

For the left sided front role under Glasner, I would like to see a real pacy option who doesn’t slow the game down, who drives forward and causes mayhem to the right side of the opposition defence.
I would like to see a similar threat on our left that we are currently demonstrating on our right.

Eze has not been as effective as at the end of last season no doubt but has been better in recent games. He’s still the most likely source of creative play. I think we have very high standards for him as we all know what he can do. So he scores one and makes one in the last two games and we, understandably, want even more. If that was more or less any other player in the squad we’d be pleased with that contribution.

I don’t know that left side of the front three suits him as well as number 10 would. However, we don’t play a system with a number 10 and OG is a system manager. He needs players to adapt to his system rather than vice versa. Is there a better option on the left? Not in our squad and probably not in the transfer market right now for a fee we could afford.

 

[cryrst]

If TM isn’t pushing on as a wing then put a left winger in front of him. Schlupp did this role when TM came into the team. He’s got to be a better option than eze until we can buy one. Old and slower than before but still his side of the pitch.

 

[doombear]

If TM isn’t pushing on as a wing then put a left winger in front of him. Schlupp did this role when TM came into the team. He’s got to be a better option than eze until we can buy one. Old and slower than before but still his side of the pitch.

As I see it (and I may well be wrong) we aren't playing with wingers but with two number 10s in support of the main striker, so 3-4-2-1 rather than 3-4-3.

Glasner wants the number 10s and the striker to play close to one another (he said that again yesterday) so a winger is not really the right option IMO.

Sarr and Munoz are beginning to work well together as are Sarr and Mateta. We need the same interactions on the left. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that whilst Sarr supports Munoz with the defensive duties, Eze isn't much help to Mitchell when it comes to that part of the game.

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

This is not to generate yet another debate about whether Eze is a very gifted footballer .
Let’s just take that as a given.
Let’s also acknowledge that he scored the winner last week and had the assist for the equaliser yesterday.

Now to broaden the debate.

Is Eze the ideal candidate for a left sided front role in Glasner’s system?
Unquestionably he”s the best option from our current available players, but is the role getting the best out of his skill set?


We spend most of our time out of possession and, for me, Eze would flourish in a team that dominated possession and enabled him to get hold of the ball facing the opponent’s goal where he could demonstrate his skills.
In Glasner’s system Eze spends most of his time with his back to goal , either passing backwards, being tackled/fouled by the opposition or conceding possession.
He is only afforded one or two moments when he can demonstrate his class - and I acknowledge that this can make a difference in games.
However, if we were having an honest debate we’d have to say Eze hasn’t really had a particularly good game this season and is out of sorts.
Excuses have been made for him ..’he’s injured’…’he’s being played out of position’….’he’s missing Olise..’
All may have validity, but Glasner is not going to change the system and Olise isn’t coming back.

For the left sided front role under Glasner, I would like to see a real pacy option who doesn’t slow the game down, who drives forward and causes mayhem to the right side of the opposition defence.
I would like to see a similar threat on our left that we are currently demonstrating on our right.

You are completely correct, 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 is the only way you get the best out of him, No 10, free from defensive duties, which obviously isn't going to happen, you have to decide whether he is good enough to be given that freedom or not, for Glasner it would be ideal for having Sarr on the left, Olise style player on the right, a Muñoz clone on the left, and Eze not playing, but selling Eze is a big call, because you cant get him back, Formation v Available players, the old chestnut.

 

[Willo]

As I see it (and I may well be wrong) we aren't playing with wingers but with two number 10s in support of the main striker, so 3-4-2-1 rather than 3-4-3.

Glasner wants the number 10s and the striker to play close to one another (he said that again yesterday) so a winger is not really the right option IMO.

Sarr and Munoz are beginning to work well together as are Sarr and Mateta. We need the same interactions on the left. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that whilst Sarr supports Munoz with the defensive duties, Eze isn't much help to Mitchell when it comes to that part of the game.

Indeed and Clinton Morrison referred to the 2 No 10s when interviewing Eddie Nketiah.
Systems in general can be fluid with reference to IN and OUT of possession.

 

[Painter]

This is not to generate yet another debate about whether Eze is a very gifted footballer .
Let’s just take that as a given.
Let’s also acknowledge that he scored the winner last week and had the assist for the equaliser yesterday.

Now to broaden the debate.

Is Eze the ideal candidate for a left sided front role in Glasner’s system?
Unquestionably he”s the best option from our current available players, but is the role getting the best out of his skill set?


We spend most of our time out of possession and, for me, Eze would flourish in a team that dominated possession and enabled him to get hold of the ball facing the opponent’s goal where he could demonstrate his skills.
In Glasner’s system Eze spends most of his time with his back to goal , either passing backwards, being tackled/fouled by the opposition or conceding possession.
He is only afforded one or two moments when he can demonstrate his class - and I acknowledge that this can make a difference in games.
However, if we were having an honest debate we’d have to say Eze hasn’t really had a particularly good game this season and is out of sorts.
Excuses have been made for him ..’he’s injured’…’he’s being played out of position’….’he’s missing Olise..’
All may have validity, but Glasner is not going to change the system and Olise isn’t coming back.

For the left sided front role under Glasner, I would like to see a real pacy option who doesn’t slow the game down, who drives forward and causes mayhem to the right side of the opposition defence.
I would like to see a similar threat on our left that we are currently demonstrating on our right.

You basically answered your own question, he makes the difference in games. Not involved 100% of the time, but neither was Zaha.

 

[Tlsestu]

As I see it (and I may well be wrong) we aren't playing with wingers but with two number 10s in support of the main striker, so 3-4-2-1 rather than 3-4-3.

Glasner wants the number 10s and the striker to play close to one another (he said that again yesterday) so a winger is not really the right option IMO.

Sarr and Munoz are beginning to work well together as are Sarr and Mateta. We need the same interactions on the left. Part of the problem, as I see it, is that whilst Sarr supports Munoz with the defensive duties, Eze isn't much help to Mitchell when it comes to that part of the game.

Could Sarr and Eze swap over from time to time?

 

[PatrickA]

You basically answered your own question, he makes the difference in games. Not involved 100% of the time, but neither was Zaha.

I haven’t ‘ anwered my own question.’

It’s possible to acknowledge a player’s contribution, while at the same time questioning whether his role in the team gets the best out of him - not through lack of ability or effort, but because Eze spends most of his time facing and running back towards our own goal rather than towards the opponent’s goal.

Perhaps you think the occasional goal or assist is enough, and of course you’re entitled to you opinion.
But nobody could seriously argue the Eze looks like a £60 million player this season.
And we all know he’s capable of that.

 

[Lanzo-Ad]

Indeed and Clinton Morrison referred to the 2 No 10s when interviewing Eddie Nketiah.
Systems in general can be fluid with reference to IN and OUT of possession.

But that involves Eze defending on the left without possession, something he is crap at, you have to leave him without any defensive duties if you want the best version of Eze, you cant have it both ways, play him free role, or sell him, no in-between

 

[park the bus]

I haven’t ‘ anwered my own question.’

It’s possible to acknowledge a player’s contribution, while at the same time questioning whether his role in the team gets the best out of him - not through lack of ability or effort, but because Eze spends most of his time facing and running back towards our own goal rather than towards the opponent’s goal.

Perhaps you think the occasional goal or assist is enough, and of course you’re entitled to you opinion.
But nobody could seriously argue the Eze looks like a £60 million player this season.
And we all know he’s capable of that.

We all know that the game isn't constantly played on the front front, there are times when tracking back, covering, making tackles and all the the rest come into play. And this is, for me at least, where Eze lacks. When the side needs to dig in, where's Eze? Nowhere to be seen. Now, I appreciate that this is his game, as evidenced by his lack of enthusiasm for the less thrilling stuff, so one has to ask: what positives does he bring? I used to think that he could be the hub through which the ball could be played, but then Wharton appeared on the scene and he is so much better at dictating play and finding the pass.
I suspect Eze isn't fully up to speed and previous injuries may affect him either physically or psychologically, we can only hope that he gets to producing that of which he is technically capable.

 

[JHB]

I haven’t ‘ anwered my own question.’

It’s possible to acknowledge a player’s contribution, while at the same time questioning whether his role in the team gets the best out of him - not through lack of ability or effort, but because Eze spends most of his time facing and running back towards our own goal rather than towards the opponent’s goal.

Perhaps you think the occasional goal or assist is enough, and of course you’re entitled to you opinion.
But nobody could seriously argue the Eze looks like a £60 million player this season.
And we all know he’s capable of that.

As ever it’s a balance. In any team you need hard workers, good defenders but also you need players who score and create goals. Given the aim of the game is quite literally to score more goals than the other team then yes I will take goals and assists as they are the most valuable thing in the game.

Where I 100% agree with you is Eze has the talent to be a top player and so far this season he hasn’t hit those heights. Having said that I don’t think any individual player or the team as a whole has got anywhere close to the form of the final quarter of last season

 

[Palacesince64]

As a gifted attacker Eze would be better suited to a team with more possession and greater attacking threat. However he is a bit of a luxury player given his defensive limitations and the top teams require their players to do their bit defensively so I’m not sure he’ll get a move to Citeh or Liverpool for example. He could replace Maddison in the number 10 role at Spuds I suppose. Sancho is a similar player, gifted with the ball but poor defensively. I’m not convinced he’ll get a move to a big side. He may just have to adapt to Ollie’s style and stay where he is. For sure his moments of brilliance make up for his deficiencies.

 

[kevlee]

But that involves Eze defending on the left without possession, something he is crap at, you have to leave him without any defensive duties if you want the best version of Eze, you cant have it both ways, play him free role, or sell him, no in-between

I agree that you have to take your choice. There’s no point complaining about his defensive abilities. He is worth his place for me 100%. Just a shame he’s lost his mate Olise.

 

[Palace Old Geezer]

A lot of quasi-expert talk on here about his defensive duties, and don't get me wrong, I love the way the lad plays, but the fact is he should have put away the pinpoint pass that Munoz played to him in front of an open goal.