👋 Farewell, Pablo Fornals

[LeonRivers]

Personally I find it depressing reading some of the stuff on here. To me he looks like a player with real potential, I think Pellers is using him well and gently introducing him, I'm convinced he'll come good and a few on here will look silly.

We don’t give new players a chance here any more. If they’ve not scored a League goal quickly they’re written off. If they dare to get injured in the opening two months then they have no hope.

Evra and Vidic were poor in their first half-season at Man Utd. They turned out ok....

[Lil Joe 17]

At least we didnt write off Yarmolenko right away... oh wait.

But Roberto is also literally the worst player in the world, as is Ajeti.

So was Arnautovic his first 6 games.

[hammerman11]

early days for fornals but he is getting some game time and getting better . had to play on the right when coming on which is not his position. If he can settle and hit form he is the one pelle has down to replace noble I would suggest.

[Ozza]

You love of the Manager is commendable and I certainly wouldn’t fire him (although would get over it pretty quickly). My point is we had bigger priority positions. Bizarre signing

Maybe your issue should be with our mug owners and their lack of financial support for the manager. It's only a bizarre signing in your eyes, there's a serious player in there, and this manager knows that.

[hammerman11]

fornals will get there if he gets the minutes. same for ajeti.

they are the future

we need more younger players.

now that LB is sorted , awful decision, we still need CB CM CF and possibly a reserve GK

[Smonnie]

Pablo Barrera?

[Doyley72]

I think everyone can see that Fornals has potential, there is no doubt about that.

He has moved to a new country, still quite young (23) and we can see Pellers is trying to set the formation and gradually give him minutes on the pitch.

I've seen him play for Spain U21's on the left, but he is right footed and has mainly played on the right, where Yarmo is currently playing.

He is more of an attacking player and really gets close to the main forward, so he wont be replacing Noble.

I personally think Yarmo has had a very good start of the season, not only with his goals, but his work rate to chase back when needed. So Fornals is going to struggle to shift him at the moment.

Saying that, Pellers likes Yarmo and Anderson to cut in, with the wing backs over lapping and that's where Yarmo is dangerous, getting the left footed curl shot from the right....maybe he see's Fornals doing the same on the other wing, cutting in and hitting a curling right footed shot?....i would like to see Anderson playing the number 10 role, behind Haller and supplying Fornal/Yarmo, next to Haller (maybe)....it means Lanzini/Wilshere have to up their game...

The ultimate plan would be for these players to inter-change and we have already seen that, during games, where Yarmo and Anderson swap sides, Anderson pops up in the number 10 hole and Lanzini goes to the left and even Haller, dragging the centre backs to the left allowing space for Yarmo to ghost in and Fredricks to us the extra space to get forward...its just a matter of the players getting used to the systems and changing the tactics during the game, which i'm sure, Pellers, Cousillas and Maresca are explaining this on the sidelines, with Fornals taking it all in...

As for a Noble replacement, i would love the club to go for Lewis Cook at Bournemouth, who has a great passing range and plays that "quarter back" role that would support the front line...however, i don't see Bournemouth selling, at any price...

[Redkanpps dog]

Fornals definitely has potential. I'd like him to get into shooting positions a bit more. He showed for Spain that he can find the back of the net, so i'd like to see a bit more of a greedy side of him in that respect.

On a separate note, i know for a fact that he is loving life in London and at West Ham. I met his sister at a wedding and we had a long albeit drunken chat. HE LOVES PELLERS!

[Denzil]

He's going to make a lot of people on here eat their words, trust me.

(I am aware that you want to eat your words and for him to be a success, so this is not a dig).

[Marky]

Ozza, I have seen little signs there is a serous player so far for physical English game...he looks too frail.

Agree about the owners I just accept reluctantly we can’t change them

[Croydon]

Think he needs to put on some more muscle and play centrally; he's far too slow to be utilised on the wing and doesn't seem to have any tricks to get passed players.

Once he familiarises himself with his new surroundings, I can see him being a decent attacking mid perhaps being used how MP uses Noble right now - furthest forward and slightly on the right, sometimes even in front of Yarma (which I think is the wrong position for the Captain... but that's for another thread).

[Cockneyboy311]

Ozza, I have seen little signs there is a serous player so far for physical English game...he looks too frail.

That's what i thought initially about Yossi. He didn't work out too bad

[Doyley72]

Think he needs to put on some more muscle and play centrally; he's far too slow to be utilised on the wing and doesn't seem to have any tricks to get passed players.

Once he familiarises himself with his new surroundings, I can see him being a decent attacking mid perhaps being used how MP uses Noble right now - furthest forward and slightly on the right, sometimes even in front of Yarma (which I think is the wrong position for the Captain... but that's for another thread).

Noble doesn't play forward, he is the player that takes the ball of the centre backs and looks to start off the move. Fornals is a very good player, but what i've seen, he isn't the same as Noble (collecting the ball, looking to thread balls to the top three or number 10, long passes etc), he is more of an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, playing off Haller and good at finding space. He is not a replacement for Noble, more of an alternative for Anderson or Yarmo...imo

[Croydon]

Noble doesn't play forward, he is the player that takes the ball of the centre backs and looks to start off the move. Fornals is a very good player, but what i've seen, he isn't the same as Noble (collecting the ball, looking to thread balls to the top three or number 10, long passes etc), he is more of an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, playing off Haller and good at finding space. He is not a replacement for Noble, more of an alternative for Anderson or Yarmo...imo

In the last few games Noble has been the furthest forward and is generally the one closing down the CB's. For instance:



or



Can't find the Bournemouth game though and tbh I don't remember him playing further forward there.

[hammerman11]

noble was too far forward against palace leaving lanzini at the back. lanzini played well upfront with arnie a season ago so could do the same with haller. noble needs to switch with lanzini and let the younger faster more skilful player lead attacks.

noble also cant get back when moves break down so we are then light in the middle.

[YorksHammer]

That's how Pellegrini is setting us up, though - 4-1-4-1, five in attack, five in defence. He also wants us to be pressing from the front, you can see it in how we play.

In those screenshots, Noble is quite probably following the tactical direction of the manager. For the record, this is what Fornals did a lot at Villareal - 1.4 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game last season, a career average of 1.5 and 0.9. These are numbers that almost exactly match Noble's for last season and this to date.

In our current set up, Rice is the player to pick the ball up from the centre backs and turning it on to the more creative/adventurous midfielder.

[Doyley72]

noble was too far forward against palace leaving lanzini at the back. lanzini played well upfront with arnie a season ago so could do the same with haller. noble needs to switch with lanzini and let the younger faster more skilful player lead attacks.

noble also cant get back when moves break down so we are then light in the middle.

Spot on Hammerman 11

Noble has never had the energy to close down or play as an attacking midfield and is a lot more effective as the "quarter back". When he does venture up the field, it does leave the gaps that Palace and Bournemouth manage to find and its even more important that he holds his position if we have both Arthur and Fred as wing backs (both more attacking than natural defenders like Cresswell,who also needs to hold his position when up against fast wingers).

Yes, there might be the odd occasion where he has stayed up after an attack, which is ok if someone drops into his position, but you would rather have him back in the centre, pulling the strings, than the images of him up top. The problem is, Lanzini should not be dropping back as he can't defend for toffee and if we do win the ball back after pressing, i rather have Lanzini/Fornals taking someone on than Noble.

In the main, he is collecting the ball and retaining it, passing to the full backs, collecting it back and looking for the runs up top...

Fornals has the legs to chase down, but not the experience/leadership and range of passing that Noble produces..

My worry is, that when we play teams like Palace and Bournemouth, we are throwing points away after gaining the lead. Noble needs to hold it with Rice or we need another enforcer next to Rice to see the game out. Again, this isn't a position that Fornals can do and should be a priority next summer.

[Doyley72]

That's how Pellegrini is setting us up, though - 4-1-4-1, five in attack, five in defence. He also wants us to be pressing from the front, you can see it in how we play.

In those screenshots, Noble is quite probably following the tactical direction of the manager. For the record, this is what Fornals did a lot at Villareal - 1.4 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game last season, a career average of 1.5 and 0.9. These are numbers that almost exactly match Noble's for last season and this to date.

In our current set up, Rice is the player to pick the ball up from the centre backs and turning it on to the more creative/adventurous midfielder.

Yes, you can see Rice doing more of "pick the ball up from the centre backs" role, learning from Noble and seems to be going forward with it more, but he is not a "quarter back" player and can not make a pass like Noble. He is a defensive enforcer that covers the full back areas when we attack fast and is very good at it and very important for us.

I think Pellers would like to see more pressing and indeed, we have seen more of it lately, but its no where near what the top clubs do and seems a bit half hearted...it needs to be done in packs of three and keeping that triangle format. So if in their left back area, then Haller comes over, Yarmo is the main man to hunt him down and Lanzini will join from the middle...then Fred will follow their left winger when he moves forward to try and help the left back.

You need young quick players to do that....Fornals can do it and as you say, did it a lot at Villareal, but Noble should not be used there and in the main, he isn't, because its not his natural game....when he does, he hinders our main tactics, although to be fair, tactics change during the game and especially if Pellers sees a weakness, then he will order a movement of the players formation....

[Croydon]

That's how Pellegrini is setting us up, though - 4-1-4-1, five in attack, five in defence. He also wants us to be pressing from the front, you can see it in how we play.

In those screenshots, Noble is quite probably following the tactical direction of the manager. For the record, this is what Fornals did a lot at Villareal - 1.4 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game last season, a career average of 1.5 and 0.9. These are numbers that almost exactly match Noble's for last season and this to date.

In our current set up, Rice is the player to pick the ball up from the centre backs and turning it on to the more creative/adventurous midfielder.

Yep, that's what I said in my post. I don't agree with Noble's positions in the last few games, but I can see Fornals adopting that role moving forward.

FWIW, I've never seen Noble as a decent tackler or even "disrupter" ... I recognise this is a Fornals thread, however, just stating that I see Fornals as the long term successor to Noble (at least in the current system)

[Aceface]

You don't pick up 12 assists in a season in a top league without having something about you.

It's probably instructive to keep an eye on Ceballos at Arsenal too given the similarities. He's probably even more talented but has also endured a mixed start – good in patches initially, less so lately. Patience will be rewarded.