The Zenden thread

[Jazzmaster]

I can't believe there are people asking folk to "lay off Zenden". He tries hard? So ****ing what? That is an absolute minimum requirement and "trying hard" doesn't excuse another completely **** performance.

He had the run of their right-side all night and didn't produce one single piece of quality. Not one. It's just not good enough.

In tandem with the cumbersome and agricultural Riise, our left side was a ****ing black hole.

Thats harsh on Riise - he was solid enought at left back but was made to look very limited going forward because Zenden was so poor in movement and possession. I nearly fell off my chair when i saw Zendens name on the team sheet and to be honest he perfomed exactly as i expected him to.... ****ely.

Our squad depth on the left hand side was badly exposed last night.

[simey85]

Thats harsh on Riise - he was solid enought at left back but was made to look very limited going forward because Zenden was so poor in movement and possession. I nearly fell off my chair when i saw Zendens name on the team sheet and to be honest he perfomed exactly as i expected him to.... ****ely.

Our squad depth on the left hand side was badly exposed last night.

same here couldnt believe it i thought finnan would play despite the injury! zenden was simply shocking what was he trying to do kill ferrera? his limitations were exposed bigtime ive nothing against him but the man has to go and after last night i dont care how much we spend on one player we need to buy quality in the final third we completley lacked invention last night!

[Big-Red-Ed]

Gerrard didn't look involved or interested at all first half, but got better in the 2nd.

However, he was nowhere near as bad as Zenden, who was frankly rubbish, Arbeloa, who was poor, or Agger who got about 12 new arseholes ripped by Dogbra

On the subject of agger. Can someone explain to me why agger was given the job of marking drogba and not our most experienced cb- carra? To me carra bottled it last night.

Agreed regarding zenden. In the name of good god why not put some faith in speedy rather than endure zenden continually either hitting the first chelsea man or running down a cul de sac?

We got what we deserved last night.

Ed.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Some people will always slate Zenden however well he plays,he was one of our better players tonight.

I would not go as far as saying he was one of the better players last night, but he never hid, and kept trying all match long. I have more respect for a player that does that, than one who would do his best to hide and show a lack of effort.

[singlerider]

To give him his dues - Zenden tried last night, and he was always available as an option.

But lets be objective about this - it's all very well having the ball a lot, but if you don't do anything with it, then it's a bit of a waste.

Sure, he won us a few corners, but given how redundant most of them are, that's hardly a massive bonus for the team.

Yes, credit where credit's due - he tried his best, and he wasn't the only player to have a stinker, but for a player who's played at the clubs he's been at, at played in the highest echelons of football for so long - I'm looking for a bit more intelligence and experience than he showed us last night.

He got past Ferreira a few times last night, but then never really capitalised on the progress he made, never really put a decent cross in, and didn't offer masses in terms of being 'a more defensive option than Speedy'.

While Gonzalez has been pretty pants this season, looking at how Zenden got on against Ferrieira, I can't help but think Speedy may have run riot against him. Sure - his final ball is terrible too, but with the extra pace he's got, I'm sure he could have rounded him, got in the box, and maybe had a shot or two or played a simple ball into feet.

When Zenden finally did get his cross past the first man, it invariably was nowhere near any of our players. You can say that it's not his fault nobody is in the box, but if nobody is in the box - who the **** is he passing it to?

He wasn't our worst player last night though. He shared those honours with Arbeloa

[simey85]

I would not go as far as saying he was one of the better players last night, but he never hid, and get trying all match long. I have more respect for a player that does that, than one who would do his best to hide and show a lack of effort.

fair point he didnt hide like even though things werent going for him!

[Tee]

I can't believe there are people asking folk to "lay off Zenden". He tries hard? So ****ing what? That is an absolute minimum requirement and "trying hard" doesn't excuse another completely **** performance.

He had the run of their right-side all night and didn't produce one single piece of quality. Not one. It's just not good enough.

In tandem with the cumbersome and agricultural Riise, our left side was a ****ing black hole.

Spot on.
I cringe every time he wears that shirt - would rather have had Gonzalez play.

[brikkis]

In my opinion Zenden should never play for us again.
The amount of times he had the ball last night and did nothing with it was disgraceful! - at that level. Not good enough

[Shaggy]

Gonzalez would get my vote over Zenden a hundred times out of a hundred.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I can't believe there are people asking folk to "lay off Zenden". He tries hard? So ****ing what? That is an absolute minimum requirement and "trying hard" doesn't excuse another completely **** performance.

He had the run of their right-side all night and didn't produce one single piece of quality. Not one. It's just not good enough.

In tandem with the cumbersome and agricultural Riise, our left side was a ****ing black hole.

Our right side was even worse last night. There were a few players on that pitch last night who come with bigger reputations than Zenden, and were just as ineffective as him.

For me, both full backs were poor, our left side of midfield was poor, and our right side of midfield showed that his positional sense and awareness of his role for that match was non existent.

Our frontmen showed nothing, Masher and Alonso were alright, Carra and Agger were second best most of the night. The only player on top form was Reina.

Despite all of that, we finished only a goal down, and are still in with a good chance of turning it around next Tuesday.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Gonzalez would get my vote over Zenden a hundred times out of a hundred.

I would have put Bellamy on the left last night and put Crouch up front instead of Kuyt.

Then put Pennant on the right, and have Masher slightly behind Alonso and Gerrard. But it's easy for me to say that in hindsight.

[singlerider]

Our right side was even worse last night. There were a few players on that pitch last night who come with bigger reputations than Zenden, and were just as ineffective as him.

For me, both full backs were poor, our left side of midfield was poor, and our right side of midfield showed that his positional sense and awareness of his role for that match was non existent.

Our frontmen showed nothing, Masher and Alonso were alright, Carra and Agger were second best most of the night. The only player on top form was Reina.

Despite all of that, we finished only a goal down, and are still in with a good chance of turning it around next Tuesday.

It's a good point about our right side being poor (well - pretty much non-existant actually for the most part) and I actually think Arbeloa was equally as bad as Zenden.

To be fair to the lad though, I think Stevie left him stranded out there - and the attacking instinct which was nice to see when he was linking up with Pennant in previous games - in this instance just meant he got caught out of position time and time again.

I think if we'd started with Pennant on the right Arbeloa might not have had such a shocker, and Gerrard might have actually shown some interest for 90 mins.

I can understand why Rafa might choose what he did, but in my mind Pennant has been one of our better players in recent times, and Gerrard should *always* be in the middle

[tomasjj]

I would have put Bellamy on the left last night and put Crouch up front instead of Kuyt.

Then put Pennant on the right, and have Masher slightly behind Alonso and Gerrard. But it's easy for me to say that in hindsight.

Sure enough.
Who was it that ripped into Chelsea in the league game?
I seem to remember Bellers giving Ferreira a proper run around, and Pennant also doing well.

[CAD]

Rafa was worse than Zenden...

[singlerider]

Rafa was worse than Zenden...

You're not wrong - he was the one who put him out there!