Nuri Sahin

[Gibbo]

Who has called him ****? Anyone?

Shelvey came on today and showed he's better suited and the better option for us (At the moment)

No doubt Sahin is quality but he was invisible today, like has been said before he didn't get much of the ball but it's also on him to go looking for it. Like Shelvey did when he came on, took in from the CB's which I didn't see Sahin do once.. Shelvey also put the ball over the top that Sterling got fouled from and also dragged the ball to the edge of the Everton box and shot wide.

To me that shows Shelvey being deep, central and advanced. Sahin today didn't do a single one of those. He'll come good either for us or someone else but people seem to think he should have some right to not take a bit of stick and to be fair it hasn't even been stick.

Is it cold up there on your high horse.

I was only joking mate, it was more an observation of the fact that a player has couple of bad games he's automatically ****.

Nigel made a very valid point.

[kris90210]

It's still very early days for him. He's coming off practically a year without any meaningful football. He's a lot better than he's shown and I still think he'll be a big player for us.

He's clearly a classy player. He certainly has the ability to make his mark here, but he needs a run of games.

There was a time when new foreign players were given time to adapt when they came to the premiership, especially off the back of such a long spell on the sidelines. Times have changed I guess.

He's not set the league alight, but he has contributed and will only get better.

[MrMichael]

He's a class player on past evidence, but right now, in a game played at that pace in the Prem, to show his talent he does need to improve to really be as big an asset as he can be. I think he probably will, and if not its no big deal anyway as he's on loan, but it is not "saying he's ****" to point out that he was anonymous today in a game we couldn't afford passengers in.

I tend to agree that Shelvey should have started, though I guess we would rightly have been a touch worried about him getting in trouble with loose challenges if he'd started instead.

[yamiedo]

There is no harm in him being here anyway. I mean it was either sign him or keep Charlie Adam. Haha. I think we can all agree he is better than CHAD. If it doesn't work out its nice to know its just a loan deal.

[Mostar]

Nuri Sahin vs Denmark



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTJvtbZxQR8"]Nuri Sahin vs Denmark - YouTube[/ame]

[yamiedo]

I want to give him a chance but I'm just not taking to Sahin too much and its not really his fault. I just don't think he is suited to Brendan's style of play. He doesn't really have a role. He looks like he is lost between being a defensive anchor and an attacking playmaker. I mean he is technically very gifted but its not enough. Though I am reluctant to compare the two, it was similar to Charlie Adam last season. He is obviously a superior player to Adam but just a bit lost in this system. I hope he can adapt but at this stage I think he would be more useful to Rafa's team at Chelsea, playing the Xabi Alonso role. I don't think there is room for that defensive playmaker here. I feel our best midfield 3 will be Gerrard, Allen and Lucas once we settle down. Would be far more comfortable with that.

EDIT: If I was Brendan I'd even be tempted to start moving Gerrard into the front 3 and give Suso an extended run at playing down the middle because the quick passing of Allen, Lucas and Suso would be very effective. Gerrard seems in a similar way to Sahin, a bit lost in midfield. He is playing too deep and we all know he is most effective playing in an advanced role.

My ideal line-up would be:

-------------Reina-------------
--------------------------------
Johnson-Skrtel-Agger-Enrique
--------------------------------
---------Lucas--Allen----------
--------------Suso-------------
--------------------------------
Sterling-----Gerrard-----Suarez

We saw tonight Shelvey doing well and getting on the end of chances in the middle of the box. I think Gerrard could do a similar role while Suarez and Sterling overlap when he comes deep providing the opportunity for him to play them in.


Perhaps just a pipe dream...

[Fredo]

Think he was excellent in that holding role last night.

[Tee]

Think he was excellent in that holding role last night.

He looked far more accomplished in that role last night and with better players around him would definitely be able to pull the strings in matches.

[Kenneth]

Excellent is a bit strong. But first half especially he was covering very well. Still don't think he's shown that much yet, certainly not the level of player I hoped he might be.

[McDermotX]

Excellent is a bit strong. But first half especially he was covering very well. Still don't think he's shown that much yet, certainly not the level of player I hoped he might be.

This.......done OK last night.
Not sure we'll see the best of him, and he wouldn't be the first foreign player not to take to life playing in England........unless regular staring IX happens for him, its a highly unlikely permanent signing IMO.

[yamiedo]

Thought he was good technically but to be honest he looked like he just gives up when tracking people sometimes.

[SB]

The funny thing is the Shelvey is our top scoring midfielder & at the start of the season he'd have been my 5th or 6th pick on the ladder of starting CM's

[Kenneth]

Shelvey, Allen, Sahin should be our first choice three at the moment until Lucas is back.

[SB]

Shelvey, Allen, Sahin should be our first choice three at the moment until Lucas is back.

It'd be a hard pill for the captain to swallow wouldn't it. But yeah.

[yamiedo]

Wouldn't mind if we didn't get Sahin at the end of the loan at this stage.