Some nice contributions today. Often willing to drive forward and try to force something to happen. Liked that impossible little dinked header over some hairy arsed bastard who was coming in to challenge him, that was a real touch of class. Stay fit my man.
Fucking hell please still stay fit.
Definitely needs to start every game possible from now until the end of the season, Him, Thiago and Fabinho could be the midfield to get us out of this mess
We suddenly seem to have options.
The Test is obviously right
My only concern would be is then having him start against Wolves too many minutes already? My thinking is that maybe his body can only take 90 minutes a week when played at a PL pace since he's never consistently stayed healthy before for whatever reason.
We have a three week break after Wolves.
He will be on international duty.
I believe the club is going to prevent all non-Euro players from going anywhere this break but if not then I would assume he'll play 180 minutes on the 24th and 28th. Naby hasn't played even 2000 minutes yet since his transfer here in a season. That would just be 60% of the league games which equals out to about 1 match a week. In my mind lets hit that plateau first before thinking he can play 3500 minutes which he's never even done in his career.
Preventing internationals to go to their countries is currently allowed only is said country has been imposed travel restrictions by England. Naby will go.
Good. International football will be a regular part of his career and we can't just forever pretend it's not a thing or hope he won't be involved.Hope he gets 30/60 minutes at the weekend, and a couple of international appearances - keep sharp, increase in confidence, and come back and contribute to whatever is yet to come this season.
Naby's dribbles from central midfield to the edge of the box are EXACTLY what we have been missing with a midfield who only ever pass sideways or backwards or out to the wings. If he stays fit we have a world beater. Even if he only starts 10 games a season he is still worth a place in our squad.
David Platt has a face like a Michael Myers mask being stretched over a dinosaur egg.
Aquilani is better than Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Messi and Beckenbauer put together.
No way. 10 starts a season would be pitiful.
I'm pretty sure the poster means in the league. 10 starts in a 38 game season is okay. You'd also expect him to start some domestic cup games. I won't be presumptuous and talk about Europe.
Its still not good. Im sure i read when he signed he was on the £100k a week mark and with two years left on his contract thats not the basis for extending his terms.He is a fantastic player but we need to get him in a position where he is fit to start at least around 20-25 league games. That should be the basis for most players.
The reason I say 10 starts in the league is due to rotation rather than unavailability. You'd expect the captain to start the majority of league games he is available for (leadership). I'd expect Fabinho to start the majority of league game he is available for because it is inarguable he is our best (only) out and out holding midfielder. That would leave one position which potentially will be heavily rotated.
Absolutely, 10 league starts is what I meant. If we could get him starting 1/3 of the games and being involved in another 1/3, I would take that, although obviously you want all your players available as much as possible. Naby has a skillset that nobody else in the squad has and that is hard to find. He is the type of player who could miss a couple of months and then come back and turn a CL quarter final on it's head. Fabinho for me is the only midfielder I would have starting every game he is available for. All our other midfielders I would rotate depending upon the type of game.
A fitness expert said in a podcast that given his age and accumulation of injuries we shouldn't be looking to play Henderson more than one game a week and if we make Europe (likely UEFA) I'd want that one game a week to be in the league. So you may see more Keita in Europe (if we qualify) than the league.