The Milner Novela... Final episode page 296

[Risso]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

Last night was his career in a nutshell.  Make things easy for world class attacking players like Gerrard, then make a total hash of his own chances.  I'd start with Crouch next game, as he does a similar job but has a much better scoring record.

Thing is its very easy to criticise Heskey but difficult to praise when its due.

As I said, he made things easy for Gerrard which is what he's there to do I suppose.  It's impossible to ignore just how shit he is in front of goal though.  I still hope he's a Stoke City player by the time the new season kicks off.

[Big Dick Edwards]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

He should have done better but that's a huge exaggeration.

I don't think so. When goalkeepers make a mistake on the goal line in front of their posts it almost inevitably leads to a goal. Strikers missing a routine finish don't receive the same level of criticism. Heskey had pleenty of time and space to pick his spot but instead just blasted it at saveable height, straight at the keeper.

I'm not a Heskey knocker like some, more sympathetic to Green for his personal disaster. Heskey should have scored, or at the very least forced the keeper to make an excellent save.

[Chris Smith]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

He should have done better but that's a huge exaggeration.

I don't think so. When goalkeepers make a mistake on the goal line in front of their posts it almost inevitably leads to a goal. Strikers missing a routine finish don't receive the same level of criticism. Heskey had pleenty of time and space to pick his spot but instead just blasted it at saveable height, straight at the keeper.

I'm not a Heskey knocker like some, more sympathetic to Green for his personal disaster. Heskey should have scored, or at the very least forced the keeper to make an excellent save.

Strikers miss chances in every single game, Green might not do that again for the rest of his career. It's just not the same thing.

[peter w]

While Heskey had an impressive game overall, his miss when through on the keeper was every bit as bad as Green's howler the other end.

He should have done better but that's a huge exaggeration.

He should have, yes, but credit to the defender to getting across to him and showing good pace forcing Heskey to hit it earlier then he would have liked and outside the box, or just about on the 18 yard line. I think in that position Defoe is the only one who would have arried the ball with enough pace to make it a genuine one-on-one in the box. As it is, at international level you would expect the forward to score but it wasn't as naile on as you'd think.

[Summers]

If Heskey doesn't start the next game, it's a joke. He was our best player by a mile, the only man who looked like making something happen.

[TimTheVillain]

If Heskey doesn't start the next game, it's a joke. He was our best player by a mile, the only man who looked like making something happen.

Lord help us.

[Clampy]

Heskey had a very good game, he was probably our best attacking player. Got caught offside too many times though and should have done better with his chance.

Milner looked a little too over-keen to impress, but he'll learn from it.

[eastie]

chris , when did i suggest milner tried to hoodwink the manager?
i implied maybe he felt he could play if needed and didnt want to let the manager down but should have said he didnt feel right , that is not suggesting he deliberately tried to hoodwink capello!

[Clampy]

Who knows? Maybe he did feel ok at the start of the game. It was a World Cup game, of course he's going to want to play. Like i've said on the WC Match Thread, he just looked a little over-keen to impress, but he'll learn from it.

[Somniloquism]

Must be frustrating for him played well in the centre and on the right all season then gets picked on the left.

He has played well on the left in all his England appearances apart from Mexico when he started in the centre.

[nechells]

I think that money is obviously important to Milner, as it is to us all.

He was sick of the circus at Newcastle, part of which was them trying to get away with paying him a lot less than other 1st team players.  If he leaves us now, I think it will be mainly be for the 'footballing' reasons of thinking Man City are a better longterm bet, but he'll also negotiate himself a very healthy payrise in the process.

I think he's being motivated 25% by the cash and 75% for other reasons.

That's an interesting percentage breakdown John.

Out of interest, how did you arrive at that exact figure?

According to Mysterious Ways on VT he's had his head turned by the money on offer and nowt else. Taken in isolation that kind of reference would be easy enough to dismiss, granted.

But the fella does have a pretty decent track record of calling it right previously. And Milner has left for monetary reasons previously too by his own admission. I didn't see any reference to the troubles at Newcastle forming part of his decision.

For clarity:

Milner is happy to have joined Villa but insists that Newcastle could have done more to keep him.

He said: "I enjoyed every minute at Newcastle. It was a fantastic club. I enjoyed working with the manager and they are a great bunch of lads.

"But I knew offers had come in over the summer and the club had turned them down and the valuation of me wasn't reflected in the deal I was on.

"Speaking to them, I felt it was the right thing to put in a transfer request to show how I felt.

"A pretty good track record"?

I used to get txts off the bloke on an almost daily basis-from SWP to Defoe to Santa Cruz-

The only one he ever got right was NRC which was hardly the worlds best kept secret anyway.

Do you really think these private matters are bounced around every gossip & up & comming Nostrademous in Birmingham?

[Risso]

That Mystery Man just enjoys being in the limelight.  He might be mates with Faulkner or whoever, but there's no way they discuss everything in detail with him.

[TheSandman]

That's why I was particularly disappointed for Heskey missing the one-on-one. Bar far our best player and it was obvious people would focus on the miss rather than his beautiful cushioned reverse pass the made Gerrard's task very easy.

Last night was his career in a nutshell.  Make things easy for world class attacking players like Gerrard, then make a total hash of his own chances.  I'd start with Crouch next game, as he does a similar job but has a much better scoring record.

Thing is its very easy to criticise Heskey but difficult to praise when its due.

Very true and as for Crouch I don't think he does do a similar job to Heskey. He hasn't got his physical strength so although he'll win headers all day he doesn't dominate centre halves in the way that Emile did last night. It's all flicks and knock downs rather than holding the ball up to bring the midfield into play.

Absolutely, I'm a massive fan of Crouchy but he lacks Heskey's hustle and bustle. I don't think Crouch can make the job of his team mates easier like Heskey. The problem up front last night was not Emile Heskey who did his job absolutely perfectly but Wayne Rooney who did not deliver as well as we know he can.

[PaulTheVillan]

Its amazing! People are almost being positive about Heskey!

[eastie]

If heskey did his job absolutely perfectly as you say , he would have scored when he was through on the keeper rather than shot straight at him !

He played well and showed some good touches but absolutely perfect is stretching it in the extreme!