Leon Bailey

[paul_e]

Can't remember the last time I was that angry at a player in the Emery era. Guessand was frustrating at times, but he never let his head drop and you could see that he just wasn't comfortable playing out wide.

I wouldn't go so far as to call Bailey 'lazy', but he is simply too easily effected by his own errors. If he get's blocked out early and often in a game, his head completely goes and he gives up. There where at least 3 occasions where Ollie or Cash had to cover for his pathetic lack of effort after he failed to beat his man.

I will never get on a players back for mistakes so long as they react to them. He is far, FAR too delicate in temperament for the PL.

Pretty much nailed it, I can't get too angry though as it's painful watching, I've never seen a player so tortured by his own errors.

Lots of people have commented about how poor he was not chasing back just before he got subbed but, for me, I was much more disappointed by how he lost the ball. He ran with it like he knew he had no chance of doing anything and made it far too easy for the defender. His confidence is so fragile and once he loses it there's no point keeping him in the game because he just gets worse and on Saturday that reached a level that I've never seen from him before, I don't know how he recovers from that.

[TheToffnar]

I don't think there's any way back from it, unfortunately.

The ironic cheers for Rogers earlier in the season where due to a lack of composure we knew he still had. When I heard them for Bailey, there was genuine malice in them towards a player who's shown nothing much of any worth for almost 2 years now. It would be both cruel and ill-informed for Unai to start him again unless he had no other option. There's an argument to say he doesn't even make the bench once McGinn's back.

[VILLA MOLE]

That was the thing losing it so often ,  when players are not confident they play safe keep it simple .  He was trying to go through traffic down blind alleys and holding on to too long.  I know there is trying to play yourself into form but my god it was awful.

[Rigadon]

There was a small chance, post Newcastle in the league, that I thought he might come good again.  But he seems to have convinced himself that he's not good enough to play in the PL.  There's nothing about his demeanor that says "I'm going to get stuck in and show them what I can do".  His body language is awful. 

The physicality in the league has been ratcheted up up some way, even since his good season (when he was very good off the bench and then from the start of games as that season wore on).  But the biggest thing is that he is the very epitome of a confidence winger, who has zero confidence. 

[ROBBO]

Knowing all this Emery still picked him, it's a puzzle. Yes we are restricted by injuries but you don't confound the problem by picking a player that has proven many times over that he just is not up to it. We are short of several talented players but at least pick a player that is going to put up a fight. Bailey looks terrified, I think he would have been relieved to subbed off.

[TheToffnar]

My only guess is that he picked him as one last show of confidence, as well the fact we're so limp on the left in a game where much of the promise would have come from pace out wide.

It's done now, as far as I'm concerned. That was his last chance to show a bit of nerve and resolve in a game where we needed conviction against relatively 'easy' opposition. He's a spent force now, we'd be lucky to get 10m for him in the Summer to any promoted side that want's to take a risk.

[Rigadon]

I'd say something like £1m  if the fee was based on that performance.

[john e]

Knowing all this Emery still picked him, it's a puzzle. Yes we are restricted by injuries but you don't confound the problem by picking a player that has proven many times over that he just is not up to it. We are short of several talented players but at least pick a player that is going to put up a fight. Bailey looks terrified, I think he would have been relieved to subbed off.

Especially when you got a better player we’re paying best part of 200k a week sitting on the bench (well comfy leather stitched sports seat)

[andyh]

He certainly doesn’t like physicality.
Yet another player who goes down with so many life threatening injuries only to be back in his feet minutes later. Funnily though, his injuries are so often seem to be neck/head high.

[Percy McCarthy]

What is Elliott’s injury? Wouldn’t mind Sancho starting and Elliott maybe doing the last half-hour on Friday. Should be enough cover til SJM recovers.