What’s up with Jelavic?

, 8 March, 10comments | Jump to most recent

The Croatian striker has gone 12 Premier League games without scoring now and even his greatest admirers must be worrying about his form. The Executioner has heard numerous theories – he’s been found out, he’s being grocked out of games, he’s working the channels too much or his confidence has gone. Instead of mere speculation, let’s have a look at his Premier League numbers....

» Read the full article at The Executioner's Bong

Reader Comments (10)

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James Martin
1 Posted 08/03/2013 at 08:33:36

Why can't Moyes see what everyone has been banging on about for weeks now?

Nick Entwistle
2 Posted 08/03/2013 at 10:06:23

What is that James? This playing on the wing talk is absolute nonsense. Not a word of that in the article. Did you read it?

James Martin
3 Posted 08/03/2013 at 10:14:54

Yes; I'm talking about the ineffectiveness of his partnership with Fellaini. It's not beneficial for Jelavic and it doesn't work well very often away from home at the big grounds. It doesn't mention him playing on the wing but then again I don't buy people's claims about Moyes ruining strikers by asking them to run the channels.

I can see why Moyes is asking Jelavic to make those sort of runs with Pienaar tucked infield supposedly supplying him with the sort of balls we saw Mirallas dispatch against Reading whilst Fellaini is in the middle should Pienaar instead go to Baines and the cross comes in. I'd much prefer to see Jelavic in the middle making those runs and Fellaini dropped back with Osman or even Naismith behind Jelavic. More through balls to him and more pace on the break with less hoofball.

Nick Entwistle
4 Posted 08/03/2013 at 10:22:38

I'm with you there. Our football was always better before Fellaini went forward, and if doing so means one becomes effective at the cost of the other then you'll be arguing the toss.

No doubt the centre two is better with Fellaini there and I would much prefer to see Osman behind Jelly. But what does that do for points ratios?

Hopefully a change of Fellaini dropping deep can just give the team a shake up it needs and get back to that scintillating early season form.

Denis Richardson
5 Posted 08/03/2013 at 12:37:16

I think Jelavic is certainly very low on confidence at the minute, only goals are going to help bring him out of that. The fellaini in CM question has been discussed many times before. Personally I'd rather see fellaini and gibson in the middle - that partnership would have enough muscel to dominate the midddle of teh park in most games and give the more creative players more freedom. Whilst Fellaini plays in the no.10 role, it all too often leads to default hoofball mode when ideas run out (which has been happening too soon and often in recent matches).

We have enough ability in the likes of pienaar, mirralas and osman (even barkely & oviedo) to create chances in the middle and outwide if the ball is kept on teh deck, with a solid base of gibo and fellaini to work off from in teh middle. I think this would also help jelavic immensely - regardless of the reason why, I don't want to see him out wide or on the wings - the guy is a poacher and needs to stay in and around the box only.

Still, the manager has grown fond of playing fellaini up top, so don't think we'll be seeing this anytime soon.

James Flynn
6 Posted 08/03/2013 at 13:13:25

Fella was pushed up front last season with Jela. Didn't seem a problem then. The chances he knocked in last season, he's not now. He could easily be on 15-16 with the chances he's taken poorly. Conservatively, 15-16.

Remember Mr. "Goals, goals, and more goals". Same guy, same team, same game. He's just not putting them in.

James Flynn
7 Posted 08/03/2013 at 13:48:32

Rooney is a fabulous player and has been all these years. Look at how Fergy's been able to deploy him all over the pitch and kept or improved team performance because Wayne was so nimble. I say, he could've gone onto the back 4 and excelled there, too. Just a fabulous player and I wish he was back with EFC; beer, tobacco, and all. He's not Messi. He's not Ronaldo. So what? Could they do what he's done at ManU all these years? Could they?

Terrific as Messi is, let's flip him with Wayne the last 5 years and both are used the same way they've been at their own clubs. You think Messi's goal tally might drop? And add Messi now in the EPL and Rooney in La Targeta Practicia Liga. Who here doesn't believe Wayne wouldn't be banging in 50 goals a season, while still doing all the little things he does that makes his team better?

A fabulous player. I wish he was back in blue right now.

Frida Ericsson
8 Posted 09/03/2013 at 10:40:50

Fellaini is, what's up with Jelly. He sits right behind him, never passes to him, feeds balls through to him and on average gets 1 or 2 shots on target a game. Compare this to other strikers in the league, where they will get 6 or 7 chances, they usually put one or two in.

Fellaini needs to be sat back in midfield. Move Mirallas up top with Jelavic, get coleman on the right wing, and force fellaini to pass the ball around.

He can't score if he isn't given enough chances to score with..under a new manager who knows what tactics are, and knows how to use forward players, I jelly would be okay again... 2/3 chances a match are simply not enough, especially when the poor man is stuck in the channel.

Frida Ericsson
9 Posted 09/03/2013 at 10:45:24

Ronaldo, Messi and to a lesser extent Van Persie are great players. Rooney is a spoilt loud mouthed badge kissing traitor. He is also a dirty player, take a loo at some of the thugs fouls..and watch him scream and abuse referees almost every game he plays in
Rooney scofres goals, because he has the people around him to do so..who create chance after chance..can't say that about the blues.

Al Reddish
10 Posted 09/03/2013 at 10:54:41

Fellaini played the same role last season (after January) and is currently our top scorer. Also, Vic doesn't seem to have a problem playing up top with Fellaini. The simple facts are Jelavic has lost his confidence. I was worried about him in pre season where his form was shit and he looked knackered after half an hour every game. I think though, now we have Gibson instead of Nev in the middle (freeing up Ozzie more), and with Pienaar, Mirallas and Coleman now all fit and coming into form, we will start seeing the best of Jelavic again. He has already looked sharper these last two games.

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