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Mendez Laing pace


Ramfan1958

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He’s a bit of a weird player. He has one spell of amazing form a season but either side of it he’s average. Cardiff’s promotion, he’d got 5 goals and 5 assists in the first 17 games. He only scored two more and set up another after that.

Eight goals and nine assists in his first season with us but only one goal and one assists coming in the last 16 games of that season.

Even last season, slow start, unbelievable mid-season, tailed off at the end.

It’s like it takes him so many games to get going but then he knackers himself out. So you get one golden-patch a season where you make the most of him.

 

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Selfishly, we could do with him retiring from international duty. 

Does seem a bizarre time to start your international career round the other side of the world at 31, when much of your game relies on pace, something which declines past 30. International breaks would be a great time to rest, but no, he’s over in South America and not getting back until late Thursday night before a Saturday game.

I can imagine Warne must be frustrated somewhat by it all, with all due respect to Guatemala, they are not a nation that will compete for major trophies yet there’s a real opportunity here to finish on a huge promotion. (Not this season).

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29 minutes ago, Day said:

Selfishly, we could do with him retiring from international duty. 

Does seem a bizarre time to start your international career round the other side of the world at 31, when much of your game relies on pace, something which declines past 30. International breaks would be a great time to rest, but no, he’s over in South America and not getting back until late Thursday night before a Saturday game.

I can imagine Warne must be frustrated somewhat by it all, with all due respect to Guatemala, they are not a nation that will compete for major trophies yet there’s a real opportunity here to finish on a huge promotion. (Not this season).

Although, I'm sure Mendez-Laing will just want to play as much football as he can, while he can. Especially as he probably didn't make the most of his opportunities in the game when he was younger.

And we sell a lot of shirts to Guatemalans, I've heard! 

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I've been surprised by how much pace against the opposition defences he has had this season compared to last.  He drifted in and out of individual games and could be inconsistent over numbers of games in league one so his inconsistency this season is consistent with last but I've been pleasantly surprised that he's still got the ability to worry defences and individual players with his pace, strength on the ball and direct play, and he's still an important part of our free kick/corner capabilities.

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I think you just have to compare and contrast the positions & situations he's receiving the ball in this season vs last rather than look for changes in his own game.

He's hardly ever received the ball wide on the right with space to run into / a single man to beat since we came up, or been the one coming onto the ball as it breaks into the middle. When he has had the ball centrally he's been generally collected it in his own half and having to carry it 40-50 yards to get into a position to produce something- that's never been his game as his decision making gets worse the more touches he has.

The only player we ever seem to see receive the ball 20 yards out and facing goal in the middle of the pitch is Goudmijn nowadays, but that's where NML was usually picking up his goals from.

Edited by May Contain Nuts
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He seems to been a bit heavier this season, not carrying body fat but just packed on some mass and looks a bit slower to me. Still though he scored and if it wasn't for a top block from their defender probably would have scored a second. Think the internationals are killing his form for us which is a shame.

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