Emi Buendia - Injured

[brontebilly]

Requoting myself from Saturday:  Back to his old self of too slow on the ball and too many misplaced passes.

Also add in - throwing tantrums on the ground rather than helping the team.  He should have been yanked off.

I'd have hooked him a long way ahead of Ramsey anyway. Traore not the kind of sub to bring on when under the cosh though.

[Risso]

Poor tonight. Stroppy as a moody teenager, which is ok when he’s playing well but a bit annoying when he isn’t.

[Baldy]

Thankfully, he had the cop on to raise his arms, get out the way and not bring VAR into play for our goal tonight. Many a player would have toe poked that into the net for the glory, without thinking!!

Emi's thinks at a hundred mile an hour. If those around him are not tuned in (like tonight) things can go tits up. I think our incredibly slow play from the back tonight got up his hooter.

Wouldn't swap him for anyone though

[usav]

Wouldn't swap him for anyone though

Literally anyone?

[Baldy]

Wouldn't swap him for anyone though

Literally anyone?

As of today, literally anyone.

A spinning top on speed who is a pain in the arse to any opponent. Room for improvement but under Emery I can see that happening.

[ChicagoLion]

Wouldn't swap him for anyone though

Literally anyone?

As of today, literally anyone.

A spinning top on speed who is a pain in the arse to any opponent. Room for improvement but under Emery I can see that happening.

I would swap him for Maddison.

[Toronto Villa]

He’s going to be a very solid squad player next season

[Richard]

He’s going to be a very solid squad player next season

My take too. Won't be an automatic starter but useful from the bench. Definitely expecting an upgrade to arrive in the summer. I do like him, just not consistent enough.

[KevinGage]

He's got quality.  I like his energy. And his narkiness too.

The better players usually play on the edge.

But as a number 10 at this level you need more. Quick feet, don't always go for the obvious ball etc.

Too ponderous at key times. 

I wouldn't be advocating get rid. But wouldn't be cranking the bedsheets out if we cashed in either.

[adrenachrome]

Unai clearly likes him in our current setup. He gets through a lot of work, and can turn a game.
I would describe him as flaky. In the old days, he would have been termed as a luxury player. 

[john2710]

For me he's nearly a good player. Most games he gets as much wrong as he does right. He either keeps the ball too long or rushes & misplaces the pass. It's been much the same since he arrived, although he has improved under Emery.

But when he gets it right, it's instrumental to how we play & the results we've been getting. But he's got to get it right much more often.

When Couthino goes we'll bring in some competition.

[boozey182]

The thing with Buendia is that even when he's having a stinker, like he did last night, he still works so hard and is a nuisance for the opposition when they have the ball.

It felt like he hardly did anything right on the ball yesterday, but he was still getting his foot in on the edge of our box in the last 10 minutes to help break up the play. So whoever we replace him with needs to be able to do all that, as well as being more consistent on the ball - I don't think finding that player is a particularly easy task, and it certainly will be a very expensive one.

I can't really pinpoint exactly why he's not more consistent - I think there may have been a bit of tiredness creeping in last night, but his performance was one we've seen from him plenty of times - where he gets knocked off the ball too easily, too often. And I don't think it's an issue with his size, because against Newcastle's team of skyscrapers, he outfought them all. There is just something that goes missing from him every now and then.

I think the ideal scenario is that Emery works on him over the summer and we see continual improvement from him. More options from the bench would obviously help too.

[ChicagoLion]

Mercurial?
Still gets caught too often in possession but works hard and can be devastating when he links defence to attack.

[manic-road]

I think he will be on the bench mostly next season, he has bags of skill but gives the ball away so many times.

[SamTheMouse]

It annoys me when he has his little strops after losing possession.

Stop jumping up and down like a toddler throwing a wobbler in Asda, and win the bloody ball back!