Bell and Mehmeti - sell please

[Merrick's Marvels]

12 hours ago, RedNachos said:

I'm in absolute shock at the criticism of Mehmeti, I think he's developing into a standout player in the squad. When he plays well we tend to play well, cast your mind back to Watford away and Hull, back to back games where he was the best player on the pitch. Inconsistent at times, yes, but we musn't forget he's a young player who's been here only a season and been in professional football for only 3 years. If we let him go I would bet my life savings on it biting us even more than with a Szmodics.

Bell has never particuarly impressed me, feel he may be a league 1 player, but worth keep hold of to let him develop for another season, especially as he's only recently signed a new deal.

Selling players in this way hasn't benefitted us before - why would it now?

With respect, you only need one hand to count the number of young players we've let go who have subsequently proved us wrong. Wes Burns, for example, is very much in a minority. But he took years to hit his straps and had to drop down a level to do so. We weren't in a position to wait that long nor risk dropping into league one, having narrowly avoided relegation in 2015-16.

Instead we replaced him with Josh Brownhill, sound judgement surely? Wes had to spend 4 years at Fleetwood finding his feet (great to see him doing so well now, for sure).

As to Mehemti, if he was the best player on the pitch at Watford then I'm Mother Teresa.

After the recent Coventry game, Manning said - for the umpteenth time in a post match interview - that we got into dangerous areas many times but then failed to create chances - we got into great areas to hurt the opposition in the final third, then didn't, because a cross or a pass wasn't good enough.

That, in a nutshell, was Mehmeti at Watford. He must have had the ball in dangerous areas nearly a dozen times and - bar one excellent shot that led to Sykes scoring - he consistently took the wrong option, coughed up possession too cheaply, hit a poor pass, failed to create. Which is the story of our attacking play as a whole, it's a failure of all our attacking players.

Surely the reason Manning was desperate to sign attacking players in January is because most of the ones he's got aren't good enough.

Players at the level of Twine are what we require up top and I think we can all so that he's a clear level above our current attacking options.

One thing Manning has also said ore than once is that his style requires players who can receive the ball in tight areas - now this  Mehmeti can do, he has an excellent touch. Which is why I can see Manning sticking with him, even if only as a squad player. To my mind, what Mehmeti needs to improve is his decision making. Who knows if he's capable of that but time is on his side.    

As for Bell, he needs to rediscover that happy knack of being in the right place at the right time, often at the back post, because he's got a goal in him.  The bench is the best he can hope for next season, though, if we're to make serious progress.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by Merrick's Marvels

[LondonBristolian]

I think it's far too early to write Bell off. We're not getting the best out of him at the moment for sure but there are plenty of players who've struggled at Championship level football at 21 and then it clicked for them a couple of years later. He's struggled this season but I certainly wouldn't say with any certainly that he isn't good enough.

Mehmeti is a tough one. I think he could become a good player in time but the move here hasn't worked and I can see him slipping further down the pecking order as more players come in. As others have said, he could look very different with better decision making but what we have is what we have at the moment and "he'd be a good player if..." doesn't change the fact the if isn't there

All that said, the pragmatic answer is very obvious here. It's a bit daft to start a "get rid of player x" thread two days after the transfer window closes. The reality is we have Mehmeti, Bell and everyone else anyone wants rid of until the summer so the only thing to do is see how they do between now and then and reassess in the summer. 

[JoeAman08]

38 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Swansea? West Brom in the cup? Boro?

Bell’s goal at Preston last season was a classic counter attack goal, superb play by Scott & a brilliant cross by Wells.

I can’t recall a single goal of his that came from a set piece, second phase of possession maybe.

He’s being asked to play wide by Manning so still seems to be adjusting to it.

Have to agree to disagree on Mehmeti, don’t see any threat or goal supply at all.

Cutting in and scoring was my point. He doesn’t do it. His goals have been tap ins and getting in behind. He got found out and thats why his goals have dried up. He can’t go left and isn’t quick or tricky enough to go right. 
 

If you can’t see defenders are more afraid of Mehmeti than Bell then it is a you problem. Now it is really moot because both aren’t good enough wide players at this level. However Mehmeti has a quick enough burst to get a shot or cross away. Where they are going no one knows but he has a bit more to his arsenal than Bell and might be worth nurturing long term. Bell can finish but can’t see him ever being able to play centrally well enough to make the most of that.
 

All in all, 2 players that probably don’t make it at this level. Someone mentioned Bell and Burns in the same sentence. Burns had real pace and that is the difference. You might even be able to say Bell and Mehmeti both technically better. However, Burns is bigger stronger and faster and that is a type we haven’t recruited for awhile and imo is a big reason we don’t compete at this level. Hopefully the new lad on loan can be some of that. Pring can’t cross or pass very well but his pace and power makes him stand out at this level. Need to be more athletic all around the pitch. 

[Davefevs]

11 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Cutting in and scoring was my point. He doesn’t do it. His goals have been tap ins and getting in behind. He got found out and thats why his goals have dried up. He can’t go left and isn’t quick or tricky enough to go right. 
 

If you can’t see defenders are more afraid of Mehmeti than Bell then it is a you problem. Now it is really moot because both aren’t good enough wide players at this level. However Mehmeti has a quick enough burst to get a shot or cross away. Where they are going no one knows but he has a bit more to his arsenal than Bell and might be worth nurturing long term. Bell can finish but can’t see him ever being able to play centrally well enough to make the most of that.
 

All in all, 2 players that probably don’t make it at this level. Someone mentioned Bell and Burns in the same sentence. Burns had real pace and that is the difference. You might even be able to say Bell and Mehmeti both technically better. However, Burns is bigger stronger and faster and that is a type we haven’t recruited for awhile and imo is a big reason we don’t compete at this level. Hopefully the new lad on loan can be some of that. Pring can’t cross or pass very well but his pace and power makes him stand out at this level. Need to be more athletic all around the pitch. 

Agree with most of that.

Re Bell, think he will end up centrally, but in a pair.  I doubt that will be Bristol City as things stand though.

[Red-Robbo]

51 minutes ago, LondonBristolian said:

 

Mehmeti is a tough one. I think he could become a good player in time but the move here hasn't worked and I can see him slipping further down the pecking order as more players come in. As others have said, he could look very different with better decision making but what we have is what we have at the moment and "he'd be a good player if..." doesn't change the fact the if isn't there

 

What Mehmeti provides is someone who carries the ball forward out of our half (and danger) into potential scoring positions. On Friday, he came nearer than any City player to actually getting an equaliser. Sure, he needs lots of polishing but only Pring is better at carrying the ball out of our half and up the field. Better decision making will come. He's facing much faster, better defenders than he did at Wycombe.

You can't really compare what Anis does to Sam as the latter is (usually) played as an out-and-out striker and, as has been said, picks up goals from set pieces and goalie spills and crosses, from central positions.

Where both are weak is in the ability to withstand a challenge. 

[GrahamC]

22 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Cutting in and scoring was my point. He doesn’t do it. His goals have been tap ins and getting in behind. He got found out and thats why his goals have dried up. He can’t go left and isn’t quick or tricky enough to go right. 
 

If you can’t see defenders are more afraid of Mehmeti than Bell then it is a you problem. Now it is really moot because both aren’t good enough wide players at this level. However Mehmeti has a quick enough burst to get a shot or cross away. Where they are going no one knows but he has a bit more to his arsenal than Bell and might be worth nurturing long term. Bell can finish but can’t see him ever being able to play centrally well enough to make the most of that.
 

All just opinions, no one can say they’re right or wrong.