✍ Manuel Lanzini

[Ludeksgloves]

Can that please be an avatar?

[Colours never run]

Did you know this'll be his 8th season with us and he's still only 29yo. I reckon he still has 4 top quality seasons left on him in the Prem too. Back to his best after a terrible knee injury on International duty and after initial concerns about whether he'd be the same again, he's proved the doubters wrong and is playing with the same freedom and flair as he always did. Arguably our greatest Loan to Perm signing and 1 of Sulleys specials that actually came through for a change. Want him to end his career with us and go down as a legend. Fantastic signing he's been and always proud when opposition fans praise us because they are always so concerned about how he'll play against them. If you don't enjoy watching him play, you don't enjoy Football.

[MB]

A bit much CNR!

That injury has deprived him of any pace he had and while neat and tidy, he doesn't threaten or probe enough for me.

He is neither creating enough to be a 10 or driving at the opposition enough to be an 8.

For the amount of ball he sees, I'd want him to be hurting the opposition more.

It isn’t the biggest problem in the squad but I'd like to think we could do better as a starter with Lanzini being a decent squad option.

[ageing hammer]

^^^^^

agree with this just one small point,

I thought he was a Slaven Bilic choice not a Sully special or is my memory gone completely

[Colours never run]

A bit much CNR!

That injury has deprived him of any pace he had and while neat and tidy, he doesn't threaten or probe enough for me.

He is neither creating enough to be a 10 or driving at the opposition enough to be an 8.

For the amount of ball he sees, I'd want him to be hurting the opposition more.

It isn’t the biggest problem in the squad but I'd like to think we could do better as a starter with Lanzini being a decent squad option.

I don't think so. Last season was as comparable as any of his best with us scoring 7 and assisting another 4 goals. And the football mostly on display was what I first fell in love with the way he would twist and turn and glide across the pitch. He was a big part of what we were doing good past season and I reckon he can better ut this season too.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Lanzini was not a Sulli Special, Bilic tried to take him to Besiktas the season prior.

[hammerman11]

not a starter but a useful squad player and cup player for us .
happy for him to stay as we have many other greater needs at the moment. revisit next summer.
coventry lanzini and a new CM should be enough

[-DL-]

I'd written this bloke off previously - but he proved me wrong last season, and I have to agree with CNR - aside from the Payet season, last season was his best season in C&B - and that's after his horrible injury.

He's a tenacious workhorse of a little bugger. Yes, he had a few duff games, but name me a player that was a regular last season that didn't?

Even he whom can't be replaced had a few **** ones.

Lanzini is relishing his new role, and if he keeps it up, there's a new lease of life in this old dog yet, and we may not even have seen the best of him. A resounding KEEP.

not a starter but a useful squad player and cup player for us .

You're advocating signing players that are not even fit to lace his boots on those poxy lists of yours, so you're chatting pigeon ****.

[bubbles1966]

Highest pass completion rate of any non-defender in the PL.

It's funny and praiseworthy that Lanzini and Rice are up there with Rodri and Gundogan.

[Burnley Hammer]

He's up there because he's an attacking midfielder that passes like a defensive midfielder.

[Colours never run]

He's always been a Pass Master. He may well be called The Jewel but he actually treats the football like one. And he always tries his best to either keep a hold of it, or to bury it in the bottom of 1 of those nets at either end of the pitch. Ok, a little ott with my poetic licence but you get the point. He takes great care of the football.

[MB]

Have you got the stats for progressive passes Bubbs?

My sense is he plays an awful lot of patty cake passing which is needed at times, but too often sees us pressed and the ball turned over.

Also there is a reason no other attacking midfielder is on there...

[prophet:marginal]

Played 120 mins in the Sevilla home match and kept the team ticking over all match, with his skills and footballing brain.

A significant component of a team that - with 11 players on the pitch - was a match for any in that competition, even the lot who dropped out of the CL.

[WCpete]

I’m happy to have him. It’s true that he never fulfilled his potential, through no fault of his own, but he is a good footballer. And he seems to be a good person and good old head in the dressing room. Sometimes that’s just as important when you offer a player a new contract.

[bubbles1966]

Have you got the stats for progressive passes Bubbs?

My sense is he plays an awful lot of patty cake passing which is needed at times, but too often sees us pressed and the ball turned over.

Also there is a reason no other attacking midfielder is on there...

He does play a lot of sideways, backwards passes but his forward pass frequency per min is almost identical to Fornals in the PL.

Lanzini shuns long passing in the main but when he goes for it he has an 80+% success rate; his colleagues are generally 25-35% lower.

Obviously, these numbers are open to interpretation. Maybe he's safe, maybe he's patient. Maybe he's a good judge of when to go for it.

We generally look calmer and more composed when he's on the ball. Others seem more prone to lose it.

[MB]

Obviously, these numbers are open to interpretation. Maybe he's safe, maybe he's patient. Maybe he's a good judge of when to go for it.

We generally look calmer and more composed when he's on the ball. Others seem more prone to lose it.

I agree with both those points. One man's safe is another's patient.

I do also agree we look calmer with him in the team.

I like him, I'd just prefer he looked up and hit a through pass a little more often. For me he is too safe, but I think that is the appeal for Moyes as it balances others in the team.

[Vic_Watson]

New contract signed! Excellent news.

[stu1]

Some slightly harsh criticism of Lanzini’s passing imo, whilst I appreciate he could be braver I wouldn’t call him negative as is being implied.

Playing Lanzini often helps nit our play together and gives us more control over games. I’ve seen enough West Ham teams unable to string two passes together to appreciate what Lanzini brings to the table, even if he’s not as dangerous as he could be.

Definitely a good option to have in the squad and certainly not a player who I would bemoan starting a reasonable amount of games next season.

[Pob!]

Fantastic news...
He should have a place here forever for the goal against spurs alone.

[MB]

Definitely a good option to have in the squad and certainly not a player who I would bemoan starting a reasonable amount of games next season.

TBF Stu, that is where I started. I have no problem with him in the squad, I'd just prefer a 10 or an 8 starting rather than Lanzini who is a bit of a multi tool.

As I said a few posts back, there are more pressing problems in the team.