Adama Traore - CONFIRMED

[Olof's Beard]

He's not had a proper run of games for a number of reasons. The mistakes he makes at PL level would be punished coupled with his lack of covering and chasing back. Championship teams simply aren't as good overall and if he stays he'll have a really good chance at developing by actually playing and learning.

The lack of covering and chasing back, though, is something coaches should be instilling in him, not just saying, 'oh, he doesn't do it, so we can't play him.'

I would question whether some of our senior lot are that bothered about tracking back anyway. If they are, then they certainly aren't very good at it. We have conceded 6-3-2-4-2-4 in our last 6 home games, all of which have resulted in defeat. What negative impact could Adama's questionable defensive ability have had on that lot? He and Grealish might at least have improved our own goal output in the same period of home games, which reads 0-1-0-0-1-2.

Yep, so that's an aggregate of 21-4 against across our past 6 home games.

So again, how could Adama or indeed Grealish, Green or any other attackers have made that worse? There is literally nothing to lose - their presence could only have been a positive, nothing else. Just by lifting the crowd, that's the best we can hope for. Anything else is a bonus as we are getting humped every week anyway.

[SoccerHQ]

He's not had a proper run of games for a number of reasons. The mistakes he makes at PL level would be punished coupled with his lack of covering and chasing back. Championship teams simply aren't as good overall and if he stays he'll have a really good chance at developing by actually playing and learning.

He made two assists out of very little v Palace and Sunderland.

Given how poor we are going forward, surely that's enough for him to be selected? Even when he's on the bench it's very rare he gets even more than 20 minutes as a cameo.

[PeterWithesShin]

Who gives a fuck if he tracks back properly? He's 19, how many players are complete at that age for starters. We lose comfortably every week even with the senior players tracking back like pros, yeah I laughed as well typing that last bit! And we've been gone for months, Adama is pretty much the only exciting player at the club, how about they make some effort to actually entertain us instead of serving up the shit that loses meekly any way.

[pauliewalnuts]

In the wider picture of the ineptitudes, shortcomings and offences against football that we've been exposed to by our 'team' this season, the fact Traore doesn't track back much doesn't merit even the slightest concern.

[ozzjim]

I think in 5 years we will all be gutted we didn't see more of Traore. Kids got real talent.  The least we can do is let him loose on Newcastle from the start.

[Toronto Villa]

In the wider picture of the ineptitudes, shortcomings and offences against football that we've been exposed to by our 'team' this season, the fact Traore doesn't track back much doesn't merit even the slightest concern.

Well it does if managers are not picking him having told him that it matters. I agree in the grand context of everything else for fans it doesn't matter but for a young player he has been told to do certain things and he hasn't. Even if you dismiss Sherwood and Black for being shit, Garde went into detail about his weaknesses and where he needed to improve. When successive managers don't pick him then clearly Traore has to do his bit. That we need to have a player like him in the side just to lift our collective morale is an entirely different conversation and one most people on the back of what has been a dire season would disagree with. If the criteria for picking players was just to lift morale then I'd be selecting the U21's, along with Grealish and Traore every week.

[Toronto Villa]

I think in 5 years we will all be gutted we didn't see more of Traore. Kids got real talent.  The least we can do is let him loose on Newcastle from the start.

I would put money on all of the French lads going on to look great in other sides with less chaos around them. I'm sure Veretout for example would have looked great in the Leicester side this season for example.

[oldhill_avfc]

I think in 5 years we will all be gutted we didn't see more of Traore. Kids got real talent.  The least we can do is let him loose on Newcastle from the start.

I would put money on all of the French lads going on to look great in other sides with less chaos around them. I'm sure Veretout for example would have looked great in the Leicester side this season for example.

Jeez .... bet Ranieri is kicking himself

[Toronto Villa]

I think in 5 years we will all be gutted we didn't see more of Traore. Kids got real talent.  The least we can do is let him loose on Newcastle from the start.

I would put money on all of the French lads going on to look great in other sides with less chaos around them. I'm sure Veretout for example would have looked great in the Leicester side this season for example.

Jeez .... bet Ranieri is kicking himself

You've missed the point entirely.

[oldhill_avfc]

No I didn't - you clearly pointed out that Veretoute would look good in the Leicester team.

My point is that you're wrong.  He's just not very good - regardless of the level of surrounding chaos.

[Nunkin1965]

Who gives a fuck if he tracks back properly? He's 19, how many players are complete at that age for starters. We lose comfortably every week even with the senior players tracking back like pros, yeah I laughed as well typing that last bit! And we've been gone for months, Adama is pretty much the only exciting player at the club, how about they make some effort to actually entertain us instead of serving up the shit that loses meekly any way.

Just puttinh him in the team would lift the crowd. I can’t understand why he isn't getting in the side now. Or even the 18.

[Toronto Villa]

No I didn't - you clearly pointed out that Veretoute would look good in the Leicester team.

My point is that you're wrong.  He's just not very good - regardless of the level of surrounding chaos.

So if I understand this correctly, what you are saying is that the Veretout that was so highly rated in France playing for Nantes, played in the midfield with Pogba and Kondongbia that won the U-20 World Cup in 2013, was universally well received when he was signed is now crap? And furthermore he wouldn't have benefited from playing in a team that worked hard together, where there has been great unity throughout the club and that is about to win the title? He'd have failed there too right?

[aj2k77]

u20 football proves nothing. Exactly how many players had great u18, u20, u21 records and then completely disappeared down the pan? Nantes finished 14th btw, they weren't very good, it's not like he was one of the better players at one of the better clubs in a pretty average league.

The bottom line is, for £8m, he's looked a terrible buy. No stats, former performances, who he used to play alongside tells me otherwise. I'll go with my eyes, he's looked slow and soft almost every game.

You can kid yourself we brought some crackers though if you like, we have 16 pts.

[oldhill_avfc]

No I didn't - you clearly pointed out that Veretoute would look good in the Leicester team.

My point is that you're wrong.  He's just not very good - regardless of the level of surrounding chaos.

So if I understand this correctly, what you are saying is that the Veretout that was so highly rated in France playing for Nantes, played in the midfield with Pogba and Kondongbia that won the U-20 World Cup in 2013, was universally well received when he was signed is now crap? And furthermore he wouldn't have benefited from playing in a team that worked hard together, where there has been great unity throughout the club and that is about to win the title? He'd have failed there too right?

yep

[oldhill_avfc]

actually, I'll correct myself - I don't agree with the bit about him being universally well received.  I was always far from convinced.