Vanishing Vargas?

[Qprtanpa1]

The most exciting addition to the club this season has looked at times "uninvolved" the past two games. Any thoughts as to why?

[nasser95]

The most exciting addition to the club this season has looked at times "uninvolved" the past two games. Any thoughts as to why?

This match, playing without Isla is not something he is used to. He can't communicate as well with everyone else and perhaps he feels like he has to cover more for onuoha at the back, limiting his attacking. He was considered our second worst starter today only ahead of Barton, he only made 1 successful dribble and one shot which was off target I believe. Compare that to his match against Man City, he still only had 1 successful dribble but had 6 shots in total, individually holding the ball for 6.7 percent of the total match possession. He only managed 3.6 percent today. Personally, I feel that he has recently been more isolated, against leicester he seemed to be playing up front without much support from austin, who likes to be the final target as opposed to the hold up man that zamora is. I think that is the key difference, Zamora was able to bring the smaller players like Vargas into the game more. We lacked that in the last couple of matches so maybe against Burnley, especially at home where Zamora and Vargas will connect more on the small and narrow pitch, we can see a return of form to vargas.

[dsqpr]

I thought Vargas was quite involved and had a good game today.

[iheartwegerle]

I thought Vargas was quite involved and had a good game today.

He wasn't and he didn't. I was there last night, Vargas was a passenger. He jogged around the pitch and apart from one dribble and shot did nothing. I thought he was our worst player last night.

[surreyranger]

new born baby...tiredness?

[californiahoop]

Not being found by teammates, they don't spot his runs, midfielders are very fixated on Austin and Zamora, when the ball is in mid field we are looking sideways, we need an attacking thinking CM, one that looks to slide balls in between CB's and full backs or down the side of them.

Arry wanted to get all his ball players in the team last night, he thought that we would be able to hold the ball a lot better with those guys in midfield, but they had no one playing the out ball so we got bogged down.

Unfortunately Hoillet and Phillips are not good enough, so we have no wide players, Sinclair and Townsend would give us the out ball, we just need a quality ball playing midfielder to find them, we are getting closer, some of the ball retention was good first half, a bit of pace and guile in the team and we will be fine!

[californiahoop]

new born baby...tiredness?

You could he right mate, it changes everything.

[ArcticHoop]

so we have no wide players

That's why we should play diamond formation and let Yun and Isla do the running on the wings until Harry and board get us PL quality wingers. Fer is not a winger, Vargas is not a winger, Niko is not a winger

[CroydonCaptainJack]

A couple of bad games? It happens.

[Westway]

new born baby...tiredness?

I thought the same.

[MYU]

What was up with Isla anyway?

[dave58]

felt sorry for him last night obviously prefers Isla with also he knows his game, he also refers it when we play 2 up top because they occupy defenders giving him a bit more space to use seem lost when asked to play in a 5 across the middle

[MYU]

Not being found by teammates, they don't spot his runs, midfielders are very fixated on Austin and Zamora, when the ball is in mid field we are looking sideways, we need an attacking thinking CM, one that looks to slide balls in between CB's and full backs or down the side of them.

Arry wanted to get all his ball players in the team last night, he thought that we would be able to hold the ball a lot better with those guys in midfield, but they had no one playing the out ball so we got bogged down.

Unfortunately Hoillet and Phillips are not good enough, so we have no wide players, Sinclair and Townsend would give us the out ball, we just need a quality ball playing midfielder to find them, we are getting closer, some of the ball retention was good first half, a bit of pace and guile in the team and we will be fine!

Exactly, on a different level to others. Only other players that are on this level is Adel and Remy who moved on to smaller things.

[Blogandwhitehoops]

He gives the ball away a hell of a lot.
Not sure if his best position is on the right or up top. On the right he can get caught out deep and in the middle it's a dangerous place to give the ball away.
I'm inclined to see him on the right cutting in, but he needs an athletic RB behind him. Isla is great for that role and should've played last night

[DeepcutHoop]

felt sorry for him last night obviously prefers Isla with also he knows his game, he also refers it when we play 2 up top because they occupy defenders giving him a bit more space to use seem lost when asked to play in a 5 across the middle

There was one moment in the first half, after a period when we could not pass the ball well enough to get out of our own half, when he picked the ball up and ran with the ball about 50 yards into Swansea's half, finally got an option to pass and laid it off to Barton, who looked up tried to play a long ball out to the left and battered it straight into Vargas' legs from 5 yards and gave possession away.

Sort of sums up last night for me.