Jean II Makoun loaned to Olympiakos

[andyaston]

Can't see for the life of me how a player who can keep the ball pass the ball, be creative with it, make good pieacing through balls, and will only get better,is not suited to playing in the prem

Some of you guys are still living on the 1970's and will only be happy when we go and sign someone like Lee Catermole

I'd tend to agree John, though the fact he's 28 means time isn't on his side to adapt.

The problem is the other players need to be on the same wavelength re moving and passing; making the ball do the work crisply with short passes.  I'm not sure we have enough who are that type of player to succeed at the moment.  Delph, Bannan, N'zogbia probably are but Gabby, Bent, Heskey, Collins, Dunne I would say are not.

I would agree with you up until you mentioned Bent. His movement is brilliant and even though he does get caught offside often its only marginal because, he is on the last defender's shoulder constantely.

[ktvillan]

I have to agree with John E, and I''m a bit baffled as to why people are saying he's not suited to the PL, or he hasn't adapted.  He's featured in, what,  7 games,  looked pretty good in most of them, and some of the ones he missed were through suspension (and fitness? and rotation?)  issues rather than "not being persevered with by Houllier".   

The threaded through ball for Bent's wrongly disallowed goal v Newcastle was something I've rarely if ever seen Petrov do the likes of.  Delph, Bannan and Ireland may be capable of such, but who knows what the loon will do next and how BB and FD will turn out?

Heré's one of quite a few articles that mentioned JIIM's debut performance at Old Trafford and remarked on the exceptional number of completed passes, and the quality of them. 

http://astonvillacentral.com/2011/02/jean-makoun-completes-85-passes-against-manchester-utd/

One of our biggest problems under both O'Neill and GH has been retaining possession yet here are some people  saying the player probably best suited to addressing that problem is not right for the PL and is the most expendable.   Another problem was lack of a bit of subtlety and creativiy in the final third, and his aforementioned through ball showed signs he could have something to offer in that department too.

Writing him off really doesn't make much sense to me. 

[UsualSuspect]

What would one of our not so young youngsters get by playing in the fizzy pop? We learnt sod all by sending the fonz and bannan out.

Surely if Parker is such a catch other teams will be in for him

[Phil from the upper holte]

Thought he did well tonight

[west sussex villan]

goodbye!!

[eamonn]

The threaded through ball for Bent's wrongly disallowed goal v Newcastle was something I've rarely if ever seen Petrov do the likes of.  Delph, Bannan and Ireland may be capable of such, but who knows what the loon will do next and how BB and FD will turn out?

I mentioned that earlier in the thread and cited his killer-pass to Young when he hit the bar against Wolves. I knew Makoun had done it again in another game but couldn't place it.

[KevinGage]

I have to agree with John E, and I''m a bit baffled as to why people are saying he's not suited to the PL, or he hasn't adapted.  He's featured in, what,  7 games,  looked pretty good in most of them, and some of the ones he missed were through suspension (and fitness? and rotation?)  issues rather than "not being persevered with by Houllier".   

The threaded through ball for Bent's wrongly disallowed goal v Newcastle was something I've rarely if ever seen Petrov do the likes of.  Delph, Bannan and Ireland may be capable of such, but who knows what the loon will do next and how BB and FD will turn out?

Heré's one of quite a few articles that mentioned JIIM's debut performance at Old Trafford and remarked on the exceptional number of completed passes, and the quality of them. 

http://astonvillacentral.com/2011/02/jean-makoun-completes-85-passes-against-manchester-utd/

One of our biggest problems under both O'Neill and GH has been retaining possession yet here are some people  saying the player probably best suited to addressing that problem is not right for the PL and is the most expendable.   Another problem was lack of a bit of subtlety and creativiy in the final third, and his aforementioned through ball showed signs he could have something to offer in that department too.

Writing him off really doesn't make much sense to me. 

I wouldn't disagree with any of that, but his tackling is a worry.  I don't just mean under par/ ineffective - I mean liability levels.

Also, his form has gradually dipped since his debut.  I have seen enough of him to know he's a good player - his range of passing at home v Fulham was exceptional. But if he's feeling unsettled it will impact on performance -it's natural.

I have mixed feelings, If I'm honest.  Part of me wants us to persevere with him -as their is definitely talent there. But another part of me thinks we've got the bit part roles covered with Bannan and Ireland. If moving Makoun out gets us someone who can come in and hit the ground running, we have to consider it.

In fact -if the offers were suitable enough - I'd be tempted to move both Makoun and Ireland out -if it meant we could bring in pretty much a guaranteed starter for the first XI.

[KRS]

No doubt he can pick a pass but he is also prone to giving the ball away cheaply and losing possession. He's got away with it a few times (including a couple tonight) and against better opposition these mistakes would be punished. I see him as a younger version of Petrov but without the Premier League experience so he has potential, but someone like Parker would do a better job in our midfield right now.

[not3bad]

Luke Young, Barry Bannan, Jean Makoun going nowhere:

http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2011/08/24/aston-villa-transfer-update-jean-makoun-barry-bannan-and-luke-young-97319-29292668/

[ktvillan]

Fair enough Kevin Gage, he was sent off for one lunge against Blackpool, but I can't say I noticed any bad challenges against Newcastle, a game I managed to attend, or in other games, although I didn't manage to see the Fulham game which is one that many seem to be basing their opinions on.  Rash tackling didn't stop Scholes being a massive contributor to Man Yoo, and it's something that Delph seems equally guilty of.  Have there been more examples from JIIM or is he being vilified on the basis of one bad challenge at Blackpool?  Fine if he's not AM's cup of tea and he decides he's the most expendable if it's one in one out, but let's not kid ourselves it's because he isn't good enough for the PL.

KRS our team has been full of players who give the ball away cheaply for the last five years or so, and the stats suggest that Makoun is far from the biggest culprit in that department. And as other have said, maybe sometimes he cedes possession because he's tried something that the other players are too dim or slow to pick up on.   I think in Bent, Bannan, N'Zogbia and maybe if Ireland ever deigns to return to his home planet we have players with the nous and movement to gel with Makoun and make the most of his clever passes.   

[PaulTheVillan]

I can't make my mind up on J2M.

Last night I think we'd have been better off with Hogg in the middle, giving a bit more freedom for Bannan to dictate the pace of our play.

[UK Redsox]

Thought he did well tonight

Was that a sarcastic comment ?

I thought he was poor and no one sat near me had a good word about his performance.

[KevinGage]

Fair enough Kevin Gage, he was sent off for one lunge against Blackpool, but I can't say I noticed any bad challenges against Newcastle, a game I managed to attend, or in other games, although I didn't manage to see the Fulham game which is one that many seem to be basing their opinions on. 

He also gave away a penalty v Everton -with a needless lunge at that tricky little player Jagielka, who was actually heading out of the penalty area at the time.

There were a few other examples in a number of games where if he'd actually made contact with his opponent, he'd have most likely seen red too. But the tackle was that late he missed the guy altogether...

[eamonn]

Fair enough Kevin Gage, he was sent off for one lunge against Blackpool, but I can't say I noticed any bad challenges against Newcastle, a game I managed to attend, or in other games, although I didn't manage to see the Fulham game which is one that many seem to be basing their opinions on. 

He also gave away a penalty v Everton -with a needless lunge at that tricky little player Jagielka, who was actually heading out of the penalty area at the time.

In fairness Jagielka dived for that. Makoun possibly should have been wise to it but it wasn't a penalty; that afternoon Everton had earlier hit the bar and the ball bounced ''over'' the line but wasn't given and the ref was always going to give the slightest of decisions to them after that.

[ktvillan]

Yes other tackles I can't comment on but to cite the everton pen is unfair as he clearly pulled out of any chAllenge and jagielka dived brushing his leg against makoun. I don't think you can blame him for a very ropey ref.