Adel, Harry and a problem

[stainrodisalegend]

Find it amazing Adel still creates so much discussion. He has flopped the last three seasons with us and Fulham. He half impressed in a poor Italian league for a short spell. With that kind of record it is for him to convince the club he is worth investing more time in. It is now no longer the case he has outgrown the club it is the other way around.

As for creativity that is for me our main failing last season. In theory we should do much better. We have pacy wide players in Hoillett, Phillips, SWP and Traore. Petrasso coming through. In centre we now have Barton, Granero and Faurlin who should be able to string a couple of passes together. Whilst I'm under no illusions we will be world beaters we should have enough about us to create some chances without hankering after someone who has done little but show odd flashes over the last few years. Also I suspect 'Arry will bring in a couple more in middle.

Don't follow your logic. You want to ship Adel out even tho he is our most creative player (totally accept he has other issues). Yet you acknowledge we were massively lacking creativity last season. All the players you list this season as being creative were with us last season - bar two players coming back from ACL injuries - and yet you expect them to be more of a creative threat in a much more challenging league.....?

[FurtiveFox]

How can it be the best bit of sense when it's untrue? One of our managers got brilliant form out of Adel, probably the best individual form anyone has seen at LR since Rodders, his goals and assists from MF got us up to the prem in the first place.

Some people have very short memories. Like I said, any class manager with our squad would be confident in their ability to get the best out of him. Harry is an old journeyman and doesn't have the brains or foresight to foster talent. There have been plenty of flawed players with massive ability. It's down to the quality of the manager and his team to bring that out. I don't think Harry would have been able to manage Stan. Its his job to get the best out of our most gifted player. He will fail again unless TF cracks the whip.

Sorry but some players just can't be managed. He has flopped under every manager at the highest level. Spurs didn't want him, did nothing much under Hughes, 'Arry or when he was at Stoke. Keeps falling out with Morocco.

Warnock got away with mollycoddling him to a quite extraordinary degree in the Championship. It just wouldn't work in the Premiership and he wouldn't have the same kind of impact even if they did try it.

Have some great memories of his moments but most are now from several years ago. Whilst not an 'Arry fan the problem in this case is the player. Time for him and team to move on.

[Geng]

Don't follow your logic. You want to ship Adel out even tho he is our most creative player (totally accept he has other issues). Yet you acknowledge we were massively lacking creativity last season. All the players you list this season as being creative were with us last season - bar two players coming back from ACL injuries - and yet you expect them to be more of a creative threat in a much more challenging league.....?

Hoilett and SWP looked less threatening in the Championship than Adel did in the Premier League and yet most posters here seem to want the former over the latter.

[Geng]

Hoilett, 2013/14, playing for one of the top sides in the Championship:

26 starts, 12 subs

4 goals, 5 assists

1.2 chances created per game, 2.5 dribbles

Dispossessed 2.5 times per game, 1.7 turnovers

Passing success 80.5%

Taarabt, 2012/13, playing for one of the worst sides in the Premier League

25 starts, 6 subs

5 goals, 4 assists

2.5 chances created, 2.7 dribs

Dispossessed 1.7; turnovers 2.2

Passing 81.5%

So, broadly similar stats. Adel's slightly better.

But one of them was playing against Sagna, Zabaleta and co, the other against Bradley Orrs.

And yet you wont hear anyone saying: "Hoilett failed in the Championship end of get rid"

[Buffalo]

[FurtiveFox]

Don't follow your logic. You want to ship Adel out even tho he is our most creative player (totally accept he has other issues). Yet you acknowledge we were massively lacking creativity last season. All the players you list this season as being creative were with us last season - bar two players coming back from ACL injuries - and yet you expect them to be more of a creative threat in a much more challenging league.....?

I can see where you are coming from but Adel has done nothing much for us or Fulham at the top level.

Also agree on what you say about players I list. However they have pace and can fit into a system as opposed to the other way around. Last season the issues we had was a quite extraordinary squad change and often left with just one worthwhile striker partly as a consequence of that but also injuries and poor loan signings. 'Arry this time around is able to keep the nucleus of last season's side but to build upon it, add a couple more strikers, maybe a bit more creativity.

Last season wide players had very little to aim at and same with central midfielders trying to play the ball forward. I fully expect us to sign at least two strikers meaning we will have three plus BZ as super sub. It will allow players such as those I have listed an opportunity to whip balls in more and also to play more through the middle. We were good at keeping possession last season but didn't do enough with it. Now is 'Arry's time to show us how an 'Arry team can play. I just don't see where Adel fits in.

[Geng]

Definitions here, if anyone's interested: http://www.whoscored.com/Glossary Whoscored data is from Opta.

Obviously stats don't capture what's best about Adel: the fact he's really, really fun to watch playing.

[FurtiveFox]

He has his moments. I also seem to recall though awful corners, free kicks, misplaced shots galore for every moment of magic.

To be fair though his tracking back and overall team play was superb ...

[Geng]

Just trying to get people considering why one of the two is considered a failure and the other a first teamer.

There's plenty not to like about Adel but people are rewriting history here.

[hal9thou]

Last season wide players had very little to aim at and same with central midfielders trying to play the ball forward. I fully expect us to sign at least two strikers

Even if we do, we're desperately short of playmakers or pace going forward. You can play three striker, doesn't mean anything without service. I don't see how Adel's departure strengthens our hand.

[maidstone_hoop]

Look im a massive adle fan, think he's such a gifted individual and aplayer id actually build a team around. Harry though doesnt want to do that and I also respect him for that. I think the decision has been made and we move on from it. But I do agree with the op that the midfield area and the number 10 position does need rectifying as we are massively short in this position.
As said we might brong in a 10 mill striker but until we sort out the midfield we will still struggle to create.

[Rich]

Only Harry and his staff know where Adel's head is. If he's ok then we keep him and he's a squad player. He can come on and change a game when we change formation. He can also play behind a single forward whether we are 442 (therefore 4411) or in a 352 (3511). Taarabt is class and COULD be the difference between staying up and going down.

I've managed young, petulant idiots who think the world owe them a favour, turn up late, don't pay their subs, **** off team mates and the best way to deal with them is either pay them no attention or be very direct with them 1 to 1. Taarabt probably needs 2-3 weekly chats with Harry and the coaching staff to keep him motivated but not taking the ****

[ZamoraScored]

I think we all agree that whoever ends up at the sharp end wont matter if there is no service. Given that our attacking midfield cupboard isn't exactly brimming - they all have questions over them - and given that there is no word on any incomers in this vital area, it worries me that Harry still seems unable to manage Adel. I'm pretty certain that if any of the top five managers on the planet took over our current squad today, they would be looking to get the most out of AT rather than get rid. I'm just talking objectively, this isn't another AT thread although obviously he comes into it.

We're all going on about strikers, but it's putting the cart before the horse. What is the solution? Who would you like to see coming in to create a few chances? Or do you think there is no problem? Even if the AT thing is resolved and he stays, we're still very short of pace in that department.

Well said. Any other manager would have him, but HR seems very stuck in his ways about a lot of things.

[Kevin Mcleod]

Well said. Any other manager would have him, but HR seems very stuck in his ways about a lot of things.

What about ALL the other managers that have tried him and got shot asap? Have you forgotten them then?
Harry Out! For being stuck in his ways and being the only manager who wont have Adel.

[stainrodisalegend]

Hoilett, 2013/14, playing for one of the top sides in the Championship:

26 starts, 12 subs

4 goals, 5 assists

1.2 chances created per game, 2.5 dribbles

Dispossessed 2.5 times per game, 1.7 turnovers

Passing success 80.5%

Taarabt, 2012/13, playing for one of the worst sides in the Premier League

25 starts, 6 subs

5 goals, 4 assists

2.5 chances created, 2.7 dribs

Dispossessed 1.7; turnovers 2.2

Passing 81.5%

So, broadly similar stats. Adel's slightly better.

But one of them was playing against Sagna, Zabaleta and co, the other against Bradley Orrs.

And yet you wont hear anyone saying: "Hoilett failed in the Championship end of get rid"

You can't argue with that. Tho I bet some still will.