Gedion Zelalem at FC Den Bosch

Well......1st start of the year, it's something.

 

Or it was something until he got pulled at half?

 

Pulisic has been pulled after decent halves. It happens, I wouldn't read too much into it.

 

This is why I detest the inclusion of the socalled Jong... teams of the top Eredivisieclubs. It's akin to competitive fraud. Depending on which players show up in the Young teams you as a regula Jupiler club has either a lucky or a lousy day. This wasnot Young Ajax. Each player in the front line of that team is a normal first team selection player. Neres is the Brasilian top talent they recently bought and played in the last several first team matches, either as sub or as starter. Tete is their top defender, who lost his starting spot with the new coach, not for being bad in defending (I consider him as one of the best), but because he doesnot contribute much to the attack (sounds familiar from Vitesse?).

 

Don't worry, I'm not.

 

Any idea how our boy played in the first half?

 

Nope, I missed the highlights, but you can find them googling jupiler league highlights speelronde 37

 

Ajax needed to give some play time to their guys who haven't played much, ahead of the Europa semi-final vs. Lyon next Wednesday. So I can see their point using this match to train their A-team bench.

Unfair to Venlo? Not much, they're already promoted.

 

Nothing to see except GZ walking around. Never comes close being involved in any of the clips.

 

Yeah, for Reus.

 

Yeah ok just cut to the chase and say you don't rate Zelalem.

 

I added information to properly contextualize your anecdote. Do you have additional information that would tend to show this early sub was part of an effort to manage a frequently injured top player's minutes?

I am actually a bit bullish on Gedion compared to the prevailing mood.

 

CP has been taken off at the half for Reus but he has also been taken out for Emre Mor who is beneath him on the depth chart. He's been taken out at the half for Guerrero and Castro as well IIRC but I don't have the numbers offhand. Reus has been injured for over half of the season and during those periods Pulisic was subbed off at the half a few times. My point was that being subbed off at the half is not necessarily an indictment on the player by the training staff or management.

 

Well, it may seem odd, but sometimes tactics require a lesser gifted player at a certain place on the pitch instead of a better player elsewhere in the team.

 

Loan is over. Zelalem is heading to California to join the U-20 team

 

Best news this thread has seen in months. Mods, close this thread immediately and never speak of it again... ☺

On serious note, huge oppty for GZ to step up in Korea. C'mon Gideon!!!

 

I must say that my first thread title turned out to be quite the miss

 

Kid needs to really perform, and if he doesn't he needs to get a full transfer to a lower division side and earn a starting role. These days of toiling in a reserve or youth team, or getting loaned to a team that doesn't really have any use for him should be over. Build your senior career kid.

 

Not your fault. He was given a chance by Arsenal in this division and he didnot grab it. Simple.
It could have been otherwise. Manchester City loaned last season Enes Ünal to NAC Breda. He grabbed his chance and based on that FC Twente this season gave him a chance in the Eredivisie. He also there grabbed his chance, so that he now is the top 2 scoring young player in Europe and wanted by Dortmund and Lazio, to just name two of the clubs.
Some people understand how to get yourself up and some donot. The ones that donot get stuck. The ones that do understand to make the most of their chances in the Dutch leagues end up in high awarding teams.

 

I appreciated the over-the-top irony from the start.

 

It was greek to me.

 

Latin

 

What makes you think I'm not out?