👋 Farewell, Said Benrahma

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

The stats are there and they're good. It's the performances in my opinion, that have been inconsistent.

Well I’ve included his stats on the whole as we’ve also played Europa League stuff and obviously that’s a decent standard. Genk are no worse than some of the bottom half teams in the league for example. Tbf, I mention the stats for 2 reasons. It was something that was aimed at him last season that he wasn’t producing the numbers. So now he is. Second of all, cold, hard stats are still important. I’m not saying everyone has to like him/rate him or whatever. It’s just what he actually does produce gets overlooked for some reason, when it was a stick to beat him with last.

As posted above though. If he was at the top of his game every week he’d be Mahrez for over twice the cost. We should be pleased we have someone of Benrahma’s ability in the squad posting the numbers he does. For me, I also think we look more dangerous when he plays and generally play better stuff with him in the team, but perhaps I’m out on my own there .

[MB]

As posted above though. If he was at the top of his game every week he’d be Mahrez for over twice the cost. We should be pleased we have someone of Benrahma’s ability in the squad posting the numbers he does. For me, I also think we look more dangerous when he plays and generally play better stuff with him in the team, but perhaps I’m out on my own there .

I don't think anyone is talking about goals and assists when they talk about consistency. It is about the basics and his decision making. If he regularly scored etc then yes he'd be at Man City.

The raw numbers are good and I agree we look more of a threat with him on the pitch, but just as some (including myself) sometimes ignore the good I feel some like yourself and Crouchie are too quick to paper over the bad in the name of "flair". The same used to happen with Anderson.

There is a price to pay for having him in the side. That needs to be recognised. Same way there is with players like Soucek and Antonio so that a balanced view can be taken.

[Ironing Board]

I think we're at crossed wires here.

Benni was a 25M Fizzy player who came to West Ham

Mahrez was a 60M top PL player who went to Citeh

can't compare apples with oranges. some people (not you) want Mahrez type figures from a player who cost half as much. ergo, is pretty much half the player. one with a team that's on the rise, one with a team that's up there with the best in the world.

oh, and I think Mahrez is about 31 which gives Benni time to surpass him !!!

At Benny's age he was playing for Leicester and had cost them 450K.

[Ironing Board]

Missed the game today. Was he good or just stat padding against essentially a Championship side? More importantly, did he start from the left!?

He was excellent - against a Championship level side.

[StevePottsGoalsReel]

I'm constantly amazed that people watch West Ham players for 90 mins week in, week out, and think they're uniquely inconsistent.

Then presumably watch a few mins of highlights from other games and think players from other clubs must be much more consistent, even if the stats suggest they produce less than the West Ham player concerned.

The pattern surely isn't that difficult to crack, is it?

[Bubbles Fortuna]

At Benny's age he was playing for Leicester and had cost them 450K.

Mahrez was younger than Benrahma is now when he scored 17 in Leicester's title winning season.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

At Benny's age he was playing for Leicester and had cost them 450K.

bloody hell your eyesight's off kilter today isn't it ?

I think I said

one was at a Fizzy Pop club and cost 25M the other at a team (I think) that had just won the Prem ergo he was a top PL player.

one came to us for 25M
one went to Citeh for 60M

we're not shopping at Fortnum's for our players.

we're at Costco (or maybe you need to be American for that one)

[-DL-]

a balanced view can be taken.

Sadly, it's indicative of most things up for discussion nowadays, that there cannot be a balanced view - it has to be polarised, black or white, with no grey.

I still stick with my assessment of him that I made at the end of his first season. He's a player in the mould of Mitrovic - insofar as he's far too good for The Championship, yet not quite good enough to be a consistently good PL player - especially for a side that's now trying to harbour aspirations of being in Europe on a regular basis.

He's a bottom half premier league player - he just doesn't have the quality to be a constant 7/10 player for an upper top half side. He's not an amazing player, he's not rubbish either. His decision making at times, his shooting and on occasions his effort - would leave me pulling my hair out if I had any.

I hear a frequent defence of him that he's a player that gets you out of your seat - and it's hard to disagree - because when he's playing, I'm frequently out of my seat, only I'm holding my head in my hands when I do so as he's misplaced another pass, or he's done the hard work with a bit of skill only to run down a blind alley, or gone for the spectacular and hitting Row D (or Row Z if we're playing away) when there's an unmarked team mate he could have played the simple square ball to.

I find him terribly frustrating to watch more than I find him entertaining to watch.

Another thing I find puzzling, is why he barely gets a look in with Algeria. Clearly the manager there doesn't rate him as much as some on here do - and not forgetting the fact that before he signed for us - his career wasn't particularly glittering, apart from with Brentford in The Championship.

I'm not expecting him to be a Mahrez, I just want him to be a a level where he's a consistent performer for an upper top half PL team - and for a player that's 27 in three months - I don't think he'll ever be that.

It would probably be best for all parties if he signed for Fulham, Bournemouth, Brentford again - a club like that - where he may be a bit more of a main man.

Of course, he had a fine performance today against Norwich - and I'm taking nothing away from that, as I also gave him MOTM on EUMB this afternoon.

Here's a strange stat for him - he's scored 5 goals in league games that we've scored 4 (2 today, and v Watford (A) Leicester (H) & Newcastle (A). His other 3 league goals, have been when we've been on the losing side. Just posting that as I found it quite interesting!

[Cuenca 'ammer]

can't disagree with a lot of that DL

things is, pretty much the ONLY player we have who is a 8/10 and above (most games) is Declan Rice and he's constantly rumoured to be leaving ....

Fornals was last season I would guess. this ? not even close.

the only other player who might be up there is Bowen (again rumoured to be interesting to other clubs) but there's times when he is completely anonymous.

unfortunately any of our players (up until now) who are going to be 8/10 every week minimum, is going to be snapped up by someone else, or has ambition way above us.

I'm hoping that's quietly changing and that we'll have more of those 8/10 players and be able to recruit more of them.

at the moment it seems to me that we're going to have to shop elsewhere.

VvD was 80M
Diaz was about the same 60+M

Dawson was 2M

that's us mate. always has been but hopefully not always will be.

[Ironing Board]

bloody hell your eyesight's off kilter today isn't it ?

I think I said

one was at a Fizzy Pop club and cost 25M the other at a team (I think) that had just won the Prem ergo he was a top PL player.

one came to us for 25M
one went to Citeh for 60M

we're not shopping at Fortnum's for our players.

we're at Costco (or maybe you need to be American for that one)

What’s the point in comparing current Marhrez to Benny? He came into the premier with no reputation and made one due to being an outrageously good player.

Mahrez at Benny’s age offered so much more than the goals and assists. If Benrahma could somehow raise his level he could be an excellent PL player but at the moment he seems to lack that vision and intelligence that someone like Mahrez has.

Benny’s problem last season was he just isn’t as good a player as Lingard. He has came on a bit but he is far too inconsistent. If he isn’t firing he can be a ballast to the team. What he needs is to be capable of being useful outside of just goals and assists.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

then that's more than likely the reason we paid 25M and Citeh paid 60M

sometimes, just sometimes, you get what you pay for.

and that's another reason that Rice is priced in and above that valuation.

if Benni was Mahrez, he would have been 60M too.

he isn't. and wasn't.

[El brooko79]

Good player.
Contributed a lot to a good season for us.
Can he improve, yes. That's a massive positive also. Needs to play it simpler sometimes and keep possesion.

Possibly not completely suited to our game plan but doing his best to adapt and works hard. Would be far better receiving the ball higher up the pitch more often and I think as we get better in possesion, he will too.

Keep going Said

[Ironing Board]

then that's more than likely the reason we paid 25M and Citeh paid 60M

sometimes, just sometimes, you get what you pay for.

and that's another reason that Rice is priced in and above that valuation.

if Benni was Mahrez, he would have been 60M too.

he isn't. and wasn't.

The direct comparison for me would be Bowen. He was used quite similarly and has really kicked on. Maybe next season will be Benny’s big one big it seems Bowen just has a game that works better in this league. He is more physical and direct.

[Ironing Board]

Zouma, Dawson and Bowen are just as consistent as Deccers for me. Zouma and Rice maybe consistently better as they are better players. Bowen is getting close to that level though.

I actually think we have a really strong spine at the moment. Even when Antonio isn’t at his best he is still a big problem for defenders.

[Cuenca 'ammer]

including today

Bowen 10 goals 10 assists
Benrahma 10 goals 6 assists

Mahrez 11 goals and 5 assists

on a MUCH better team than the one that Benni plays in.

ipso facto I rest my case......

[StevePottsGoalsReel]

The direct comparison for me would be Bowen. He was used quite similarly and has really kicked on. Maybe next season will be Benny’s big one big it seems Bowen just has a game that works better in this league. He is more physical and direct.

I think that's probably true about style of play, but also worth reminding ourselves that Bowen was the most subbed player in the Premier League last season and people were constantly saying Moyes obviously didn't rate him.

[Ironing Board]

including today

Bowen 10 goals 10 assists
Benrahma 10 goals 6 assists

Mahrez 11 goals and 5 assists

on a MUCH better team than the one that Benni plays in.

ipso facto I rest my case......

:lol: To be fair, Mahrez seems to fill the Benny squad player role at Man City. He at least plays more than Grealish!

[Ironing Board]

I think that's probably true about style of play, but also worth reminding ourselves that Bowen was the most subbed player in the Premier League last season and people were constantly saying Moyes obviously didn't rate him.

Yup - and look how he had turned out. Bowen is a training beast. Maybe Benny can learn some of his tricks? He spent his time off conditioning!

[-DL-]

I think that's probably true about style of play, but also worth reminding ourselves that Bowen was the most subbed player in the Premier League last season and people were constantly saying Moyes obviously didn't rate him.

He was - but he got his head down, done a lot of conditioning work in the off-season at his farm, bulked up, got his head down and got on with it and had since become one of the first names on the team sheet when he's fit.

Can you see Benrahma doing the same?

[Cuenca 'ammer]

:lol: To be fair, Mahrez seems to fill the Benny squad player role at Man City. He at least plays more than Grealish!

that most certainly was money well spent...

to be fair though, sometimes Pep's new buys take a while to settle into the squad and how he plays.

but with as many games as they play, they need a larger squad.

however, as we weren't in Europe or latter stages of 3 cups, we didn't....