Amadou Onana

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Nunes, Keita, Tonali, Fred, and Ndombele. They’re not perfect comparisons clearly, but midfielders for similar fees. Tonali is the best of them I’d say and I think Onana isn’t that far off him.

Tonali is miles better than Onana.

Agree PW but different players in my mind. I thought we were getting a midfield colossus who would use his physical attributes to win the ball and drive us forward, we haven’t seen any or enough of that.

I’d probably put Keita and Ndombele in a similar bracket whereas Tonali is a lot more technical and uses the ball better.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s a lot of money, but we wanted a dominant midfielder and he’s shown he can do that, but it’s been fleeting. If across his time here what he did in his first year is the sum of his contribution then I’d say it won’t have been worth it. But if he kicks on and becomes more consistent then I think he will be worth it.

[villa for life]

It’s a lot of money, but we wanted a dominant midfielder and he’s shown he can do that, but it’s been fleeting. If across his time here what he did in his first year is the sum of his contribution then I’d say it won’t have been worth it. But if he kicks on and becomes more consistent then I think he will be worth it.

I think “opportunity cost” is the key concept here. The cost of recruiting Onana would have come at the cost of recruiting certain other players and perhaps also indirectly contributing to the enforced sale of certain players now”.

For that kind of sacrifice, I’d be looking for more than just potential and the prospect of what might he become.

Top six clubs with unlimited budgets can take punts on the future. At this point, sad as it may be, we need to focus on improving our starting eleven.

Do we even know what Onana is being paid on a weekly basis?

[VillaTim]

I know a few Toffee's who were over the moon when we paid what we did for him , starting to see why now .

[kippaxvilla2]

Nunes, Keita, Tonali, Fred, and Ndombele. They’re not perfect comparisons clearly, but midfielders for similar fees. Tonali is the best of them I’d say and I think Onana isn’t that far off him.

Tonali is miles better than Onana.

You bet.

[Beard82]

I think Onnana isnt really a DCM, I think hes more of a box to box midfielder.  I agree we havent seen the best of him - but I think we will

[ChicagoLion]

I think Onnana isnt really a DCM, I think hes more of a box to box midfielder.  I agree we havent seen the best of him - but I think we will

I have seen no evidence of a box to box midfielder or there is much more to come.
I hope I am wrong but looks like a poor investment.

[Drummond]

Yss he's absolutely worth it. The issue is whether or not he fits into the structure that Emery wants to use.

Kamara and Onana together works if we're setting up defensively, but often it'll be Kamara and Tielemans. The latter two are a good pair, as Kamara and Luiz were before them which leaves Onana in a difficult position.

I think Emery needs to let the shackles off a bit too and let the players express themselves more and then we'll see more of them.

[Monty]

When you're in a slump, there are two types of fan responses: one thinks there's something wrong with the setup, the other that it's all down to individual failings, usually moral in nature (passion deficiency and so on).

Incidentally I remember The Secret Footballer once said there were two kinds of groups of fans at clubs - shit and not shit. I wonder how these two could possibly overlap.

[Ads]

I think Onnana isnt really a DCM, I think hes more of a box to box midfielder.  I agree we havent seen the best of him - but I think we will

I agree with you. I'd want Tielemans sitting as he sees and orchestrates the bigger picture. I'd want all 9 feet of Onana hitting the box and driving the game on.

[brontebilly]

I think Onnana isnt really a DCM, I think hes more of a box to box midfielder.  I agree we havent seen the best of him - but I think we will

I agree with you. I'd want Tielemans sitting as he sees and orchestrates the bigger picture. I'd want all 9 feet of Onana hitting the box and driving the game on.

The couple of times he hit the edge of their box on Saturday he was clueless. When paired with Kamara anyway he should be able to drive on into the box to give another option for our crosses. Often it's just Ollie up against three defenders.

[ChicagoLion]

When you're in a slump, there are two types of fan responses: one thinks there's something wrong with the setup, the other that it's all down to individual failings, usually moral in nature (passion deficiency and so on).

It can be both.