Emi Buendia

[brontebilly]

He's better at 10 anyway but ball retention is a problem and it shouldn't be at this stage. Quality for his goal today to clinch the three points.

[Aldridge Villa]

Agreed but using Bailey as an aspirational barometer won’t do much to get Buendia where he needs to be on a week to week performance basis.

[LeeB]

I'd have him starting every game ahead of Bailey.

Me too, in that role off Watkins

[Dante Lavelli]

I'd have him starting every game ahead of Bailey.

Me too, in that role off Watkins

Not for me.  Bailey has the pace to threaten them in behind.  Buendia likes the play in front of him.  I prefer buendia to bailey but I don’t think they’re interchangeable.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I still like him, he's a quality player that has a very nasty habit of giving the ball away. It's more a fine tuning job I hope.

Gets out muscled too easily, hasn’t got that turn of pace or direction to get away from close contact.
Has other attributes and was a huge improvement on Bailey.

I've said it before, Bernardo Silva is pretty much the same size as Emi B. Emi needs to be locked in a room watching videos of Silva, it's not turn of pace or being easily out muscled that makes him a superb player.

[LeeB]

Silva is a fucking unbelievable player, his performance at Villa Park last season was as good as I've seen. So yes.

[CT Villan]

He's a great little spirited player, just wish he'd stop flopping when he knows he's about to lose possession. He takes himself out of the game and destroys our shape when he does it. Cash and Luiz do the same thing.

[Risso]

I've said it before, Bernardo Silva is pretty much the same size as Emi B. Emi needs to be locked in a room watching videos of Silva, it's not turn of pace or being easily out muscled that makes him a superb player.

The difference is Silva plays for a team where every game they have an average of about 70% possession, With Villa, you know that after every second or third pass we'll probably give it away cheaply.

[Chris Smith]

I still like him, he's a quality player that has a very nasty habit of giving the ball away. It's more a fine tuning job I hope.

Gets out muscled too easily, hasn’t got that turn of pace or direction to get away from close contact.
Has other attributes and was a huge improvement on Bailey.

I've said it before, Bernardo Silva is pretty much the same size as Emi B. Emi needs to be locked in a room watching videos of Silva, it's not turn of pace or being easily out muscled that makes him a superb player.

I think that’s a good point, it’s consistently making the right decisions at the right time that sets the very good players apart. If Buendia can learn to do that then he’ll be undroppable.

[Chris Smith]

I've said it before, Bernardo Silva is pretty much the same size as Emi B. Emi needs to be locked in a room watching videos of Silva, it's not turn of pace or being easily out muscled that makes him a superb player.

The difference is Silva plays for a team where every game they have an average of about 70% possession, With Villa, you know that after every second or third pass we'll probably give it away cheaply.

But often Buendia is one of the main culprits.

That ability to retain possession consistently only comes with practice and requires patience from players and fans to get there.

[Brend'Watkins]

I really like him. Yes, he has his limitations and his decision making isn’t quite right but as a team we perform better with him in the team than when he’s out.

[Mister E]

I'd have him starting every game ahead of Bailey.

Me too, in that role off Watkins

Not for me.  Bailey has the pace to threaten them in behind.  Buendia likes the play in front of him.  I prefer buendia to bailey but I don’t think they’re interchangeable.

I understand the point you're making but when does Bailey ever use the pace to threaten them in behind? - very rarely. Until Emery can help Bailey to utilise his undoubted attributes effectively (which I personally believe won't happen), we should  - if we want a wide striker - be playing Duran on the right or give Buendia a role behind Watkins, whichever works for the moment.

[RamboandBruno]

I really like him. Yes, he has his limitations and his decision making isn’t quite right but as a team we perform better with him in the team than when he’s out.

I agree Brendan. I wanted only one of him or Coutinho in yesterday against a Dyche team but thought Coutinho as for me he offered far more than Emi B against Arsenal. However, with Coutinho out, i would start Emi every time. Its not right to compare him and Bailey as they are used in different ways but most of the time, Bailey doesn’t offer anything, so may as well have Beundia in there.

[brontebilly]

Buendia likely will get a run of a few games now at 10 with Coutinho out and Bailey firmly benched.

[PaulWinch again]

Did great yesterday when he came on.