Bearing in mind he's been playing on the opposite side to where he normally does, I think he's been pretty good and one of our better players this season.
He's exactly the same as was last season.He has a run of a few games when he scores a couple and creates something. You start to doubt yourself and think he might actually be quite good, but then your sanity is restored when he returns to his base level of performance which is abject.His control is appalling. On Saturday I thought Sanchez was back when he gave the ball away under little pressure 4 times in a row. Later in the game he had time and space in the box and shinned it out for a goal kick. It's not like these are isolated instances. At Preston in the week he have at least 3 chances to kill the game off, either by scoring or creating chances and he messed up each of them.I know there are some on here who cite the stats saying he's the most creative player in the team, but that misses the main point. If he plays as an advanced midfielder (lets say like Son/Eriksen for Spurs) or an out and out winger, then his total contribution, i.e. goals + chances created are not enough to get us promoted.
Quote from: oldhill_avfc on November 06, 2017, 12:51:51 PMHe's exactly the same as was last season.He has a run of a few games when he scores a couple and creates something. You start to doubt yourself and think he might actually be quite good, but then your sanity is restored when he returns to his base level of performance which is abject.His control is appalling. On Saturday I thought Sanchez was back when he gave the ball away under little pressure 4 times in a row. Later in the game he had time and space in the box and shinned it out for a goal kick. It's not like these are isolated instances. At Preston in the week he have at least 3 chances to kill the game off, either by scoring or creating chances and he messed up each of them.I know there are some on here who cite the stats saying he's the most creative player in the team, but that misses the main point. If he plays as an advanced midfielder (lets say like Son/Eriksen for Spurs) or an out and out winger, then his total contribution, i.e. goals + chances created are not enough to get us promoted.He played every week for a Boro team that got automatic promotion just a couple of seasons ago. I doubt he's somehow a worse player now than he was back then, so I don't see how that fits with your theory. Also, taking issue with the fact that a player like him has runs of good and bad games is like complaining that the local takeaway doesn't serve haute cuisine.
He was piss-poor on Saturday: he stood on the left touchline and offered no movement when the ball was coming out of defence. He didn't really beat his man at all, preferring to cut inside every time; very predictably.Rather like Snodgrass, actually; both very ineffectual.
It looks like his form in 13-14 with Middlesborough was something of an exceptional career high point.In his (more or less ever present) 3 seasons before and 3 since his annus mirabalis he's managed 31 goals, i.e. averaged around 5 goals a season. I agree that all players vary in form. The problem with him is that his that as his record shows, his 'base' level is totally underwhelming. Whatever got Middlesborough promoted in 15-16 (6 goals and 5 assists) doesn't seem to have been down to him in an attacking sense.So all in all, I'd say a more detailed review of his record supports my theory perfectly.