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Jermaine pennant

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 8:46 am
by Ciggy
When he is back fit where is he going to fit in?

We havent missed him atall if I am being honest, when he signed I thought it was a big mistake not because of his past behaviour just because I didnt think he was good enough.

But he won me over with his hard work he was a bit overawed when he first joined and took him a good while to settle he was excellent in the CL final probably our best player that night on the pitch and probably his best game that he had ever played for us.

But Yossi has come on leaps and bounds (he was another player I wasnt to sure about signing for us) but he has proved me wrong also.

I just think Babel, Kewel, Benayoun, and Gerrard offer more of a goal threat when playing outwide than Pennant does.

I just dont know where he is going to fit in when he is back maybe if we are still in the FA Cup and Carling Cup then he will get a shout.

But I feel he may be used sparringly like Sissoko and will find it hard to get a game in future.

What do you guys think?

Does he have a future with us?

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:09 am
by dawson99
id like to think he has a future with us if he can be patient. The only thing about this club that soemtimes annoys me is our turnover of players. We cant just keep getting rid of players after a handful of games. whether or not Penant has the patience to bide his time and wait for his next chance to play tho is another matter.

I hope he stays, but i also hope he knows that he is not a guarunteed starter

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:20 am
by Elchris
He's a useful player for the team , need to start scoring goals and be more consistant , the competition in the team is far greater now , he really need to be top to break into the first eleven

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:21 am
by 66-1112520797
Good question Ciggy.

Over the last few monthsm before he got injured and including the CL final as you've said he honestly has impressed me. He hasnt set the world alight and IMHO never will, but he certainly is a decent squad player and again IMHO will never have the "end product" to become a top player.

In saying this though Benayoun has end product but I certainly wouldnt catergorise him as a top player, but definately a useful one. Pennants work rate is probably higher than that of the Israeli, and we all know Rafa likes work rate (see Kuyt).

I'm sure when Pennants fit he will fit in somewhere, and the fight for RM will be between him and Benayoun. Babel will hopefully play fuss further forward for us, I think he could do much more damage and less harm (loosing possesion) in an advanced role.

All in all Rafa likes options and Pennant is surely another one of those.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:37 am
by Lucky
I've almost forgotten we had such a player if you didn't mention his name. :D

I think he'll struggle hard for a position after he's fit. His poor pass annoyed me during the last season. He did improved a lot at the beginning of this season before getting injured, but still not convince me. Now with Benayoun and Babel playing quite well and both of them have better crosses and much creativity than him, I guess Pennant must work really hard to compete for his place. That's a good thing for the club anyway.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:01 am
by Ace Ventura
Cant see what the worry is ciggy tbh, yes he might not get straight into the team and if i was to pick between the two (Pennant & Yossi) i would go for Benayoun most of the time due to his better final ball and the fact that he is a goal threat.
But Jermaine scares the life out of full backs at times and even if he doesnt start would be a very useful substitute.
We all know Rafa loves different options or possibilities  :D  so i forsee both being used just as often, obviously depending on the opposition.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:13 am
by Ciggy
Ace Ventura wrote:Cant see what the worry is ciggy tbh,

Not worried Ace just wanted peoples opinions as what the future holds for Pennant as I dont feel he has been missed.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:25 am
by burjennio
His final ball needs work but he tortures Cashly Cole every time we play Chelsea!

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:35 am
by Ace Ventura
Ciggy wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Cant see what the worry is ciggy tbh,

Not worried Ace just wanted peoples opinions as what the future holds for Pennant as I dont feel he has been missed.

I agree he hasnt been missed as we are in a good form, but he will be needed throughout the season.
He offers a different threat than Benayoun and has improved an awful lot over the last 6 months or so.
Dont write him off just yet.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:42 am
by JoeTerp
I think some of you are forgetting how good this guy is. Yossi couldn't get a game when Pennant was fit and he was on the verge of an England call up. a little reminder of what he is capable  of, and at the very least he offers something different from Yossi, but both players in good form and fitness I think I would go with Pennant, epsecially if Crouch was playing up front.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:33 pm
by stmichael
i don't think he's been missed but the kid's definitely got a future here. infact i'd say that in 2007 up until he got injured he was probably our best attacking player.

i'm not going to compare him to benayoun as they're completely different players. benayoun has a far bigger goal threat but is not a traditional wide man. the only traditional wide players we've got are pennant and kewell.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:43 pm
by whylongball?
Ace Ventura wrote:Cant see what the worry is ciggy tbh, yes he might not get straight into the team and if i was to pick between the two (Pennant & Yossi) i would go for Benayoun most of the time due to his better final ball and the fact that he is a goal threat.
But Jermaine scares the life out of full backs at times and even if he doesnt start would be a very useful substitute.
We all know Rafa loves different options or possibilities  :D  so i forsee both being used just as often, obviously depending on the opposition.

i dont think he scares defenders at all.. does he takes on them in the first place? Not missed at all

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:14 pm
by Leonmc0708
Good to have him back for the competition, but no she in thats for sure.

For the record I think Babel is our best right winger.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:27 pm
by Ace Ventura
whylongball? wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Cant see what the worry is ciggy tbh, yes he might not get straight into the team and if i was to pick between the two (Pennant & Yossi) i would go for Benayoun most of the time due to his better final ball and the fact that he is a goal threat.
But Jermaine scares the life out of full backs at times and even if he doesnt start would be a very useful substitute.
We all know Rafa loves different options or possibilities  :D  so i forsee both being used just as often, obviously depending on the opposition.

i dont think he scares defenders at all.. does he takes on them in the first place? Not missed at all

Not in the first 6 months of his career at Anfield but he has gradually got the confidence and attacked the full back more and more.
Ask Ashley Cole whether he enjoyed playing against him at Anfield last season in the 2-0. He was also fantastic against Derby in the 6-0 on the left and right.
He definately has a future imo.

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:01 pm
by Fowler_E7
Pennant deffo has a future here beacause he's the only right winger in the squad for a starters, and even though he may lack goals he provides plenty of crosses and assists, as well as being a constant threat to the opposition full back. He also sticks to his job by providing width, something Benayoun and Babel couldnt do if there lives depeneded on it.