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Francis Laurent

Is Laurent too much of a luxury?


  • Total voters
    36

Yorkshire Blue

Super Moderator⭐
Staff member
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Oct 27, 2003
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With us involved in a relegation scrap, is Francis Laurent a luxury on the team sheet we can't afford?

A lot of you seem opposed to playing him up front saying he is a winger, but there's no way I'd even contemplate him starting in midfield in our current predicament.

He is an absolute luxury player on the wing, who can look good (great on a good day) going forward but leaves you with a midfield 3 rather than a midfield 4. Given that our midfield seems to struggle with 4 on 4, I don't see going in with effectively a man less is going to help.

This is maybe less of an issue up front, which is the one position I'd contemplate starting him, but even then I'd have reservations because despite that mesmeric control he isn't very good at holding the ball up, is poor at linking play and his work-rate is sporadic at best.

For me he is an impact player best utilised off the bench to try and change games. If I started him, it would be up front only.
 
Luxury player upfront luxury player on the wing, he can make things happen but its not happening enough at the moment for me.
 
Only flair/creative player in the side - BUT, way out of form at the moment and only looked decent on the right.
 
I've been saying this a lot lately, but he's an impact player at most...

He can't last a full 90 minutes, he drifts in and out of games more than any other player I've seen and he is largely inconsistent. That said, when he gets an opportunity to run at a full back there's few better in this league and he'd be devastating to come on against tired legs.

There's no shame in being an impact player, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer forged a career out of it on the highest stage, and if he can learn to produce a consistent end product then he could become a starter, but at the moment he's far too much of a luxury, especially as a striker, when we have more viable options on the bench.
 
Ok, so just for arguement's sake, we drop Laurent, and play who in his position? More importantly, he maybe hit and miss, but who else will run at defenders and cause problems?

In a side lacking ANY sort of creativity, i think it's crazy to suggest not playing the ONLY player in our team capable of working some magic. Yes he is hit and miss, but even on a poor day he's a better option going forward than some of our other midfielders
 
Ok, so just for arguement's sake, we drop Laurent, and play who in his position? More importantly, he maybe hit and miss, but who else will run at defenders and cause problems?

In a side lacking ANY sort of creativity, i think it's crazy to suggest not playing the ONLY player in our team capable of working some magic. Yes he is hit and miss, but even on a poor day he's a better option going forward than some of our other midfielders

He's currently playing up front, so we could bring in Paterson, Spencer or your probable choice of Freedman.
 
Ok, so just for arguement's sake, we drop Laurent, and play who in his position? More importantly, he maybe hit and miss, but who else will run at defenders and cause problems?

In a side lacking ANY sort of creativity, i think it's crazy to suggest not playing the ONLY player in our team capable of working some magic. Yes he is hit and miss, but even on a poor day he's a better option going forward than some of our other midfielders

I'd try Scannell on the right and McCormack on the left. It's a position Macca played at Preston, he's played there for us before and it's a potential formation accomodating our best players.
 
I'd try Scannell on the right and McCormack on the left. It's a position Macca played at Preston, he's played there for us before and it's a potential formation accomodating our best players.

Agreed.

Bizzare, I can see him now!

That's why I don't think you can play him in midfield - he keeps disappearing!
 
He's currently playing up front, so we could bring in Paterson, Spencer or your probable choice of Freedman.

I've said before, Laurent can only play up front when he's up alongside a decent targetman who wull do all of the donkey work, hence why him and Revs looked dangerous when paired together (albeit only a few games).

I'd prefer to see him on the wing.
 
I've said before, Laurent can only play up front when he's up alongside a decent targetman who wull do all of the donkey work, hence why him and Revs looked dangerous when paired together (albeit only a few games).

Agree he needs someone with some muscle alongside him and that partnership with Revs looked promising.

Possibly worth a shot.

As long as it isn't a McCormack shot.
 
I thought he was s thorn in our own side today! He had about 3 or 4 seperste chances to cross the ball but chose to try and take the man on again. Made everyone angry and I must admit I am growing tired of this always happening. He needs an end product!
 
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