Player Topic: Jesus Navas (2015/16)

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

Here's a funny statistic:

Jesús Navas created the most chances (5) for Manchester City against West Ham United. What were these five chances?


Not a single one of them was a genuine goal-scoring opportunity. They were almost all lay-offs and cutbacks. Navas isn't creative at all. He's quick, and a below-average crosser at best. Awful at shooting. At least he takes part in the associative play and does a decent job at supporting his fullback. If he was English and his name was Rupert Browning, nobody would rate him.

If your point is to highlight how meaningless the "assist" stat is - well fair played. But that's not your point is it? If it as if to say here are Navas's best bits and they were very ordinary.

Shame some aren't extended. As an example, the pass to KDB came after a blistering run from just inside his own half where he started a run 3 yards behind Cresswel and beat him to the ball. It was exhilarating.

FWIW, I have analysed every single moment Navas was involved in this game. He was very, very good aside a few minutes of total crap around the 70th minute mark. The thing is most people only remember the crap. Bilic wasn't one of them as he revealed in his post match comments when he singled him out, and they had to double up to attempt to deal with him. Very telling that IMO from someone who knows what he is talking about.

 

[Phil1]

If your point is to highlight how meaningless the "assist" stat is - well fair played. But that's not your point is it? If it as if to say here are Navas's best bits and they were very ordinary.

Shame some aren't extended. As an example, the pass to KDB came after a blistering run from just inside his own half where he started a run 3 yards behind Cresswel and beat him to the ball. It was exhilarating.

FWIW, I have analysed every single moment Navas was involved in this game. He was very, very good aside a few minutes of total crap around the 70th minute mark. The thing is most people only remember the crap. Bilic wasn't one of them as he revealed in his post match comments when he singled him out, and they had to double up to attempt to deal with him. Very telling that IMO from someone who knows what he is talking about.

He had the beating of his man all game, got himself into some fantastic positions, worked extremely hard without the ball and kept possesion very well in any build up play. Those are parts of his game that he always does well. The problem is when we need the killer instinct he doesn't deliver. Getting himself into all these great positions is a futile exercise if his final ball isn't going to cause problems other than getting us the odd corner.
It's infuriating, and whilst I always enjoy your posts and appreciate the effort of going through the stats, sometimes they just don't tell the full story.
Navas would be an 8/9 out of 10 every game, as important as Silva and Aguero if he fine tuned the most important part of his game. As it is, two years in there's been hardly any improvement and its a concern.
There's no way I'd look at getting rid, he's a very handy squad player and I reckon had we stayed clear of injuries that's exactly what he'd have been so far this season.

 

[Dazman]

He had the beating of his man all game, got himself into some fantastic positions, worked extremely hard without the ball and kept possesion very well in any build up play. Those are parts of his game that he always does well. The problem is when we need the killer instinct he doesn't deliver. Getting himself into all these great positions is a futile exercise if his final ball isn't going to cause problems other than getting us the odd corner.
It's infuriating, and whilst I always enjoy your posts and appreciate the effort of going through the stats, sometimes they just don't tell the full story.
Navas would be an 8/9 out of 10 every game, as important as Silva and Aguero if he fine tuned the most important part of his game. As it is, two years in there's been hardly any improvement and its a concern.
There's no way I'd look at getting rid, he's a very handy squad player and I reckon had we stayed clear of injuries that's exactly what he'd have been so far this season.

His final ball is just so below par, I mean it is just quite simply unbelievablely shocking. Pellegrini had it right, sterling silva kdb

 

[I_maysveryown]

I think navas wont last beyond this season. Hes your typical old school winger, full of pace but little or no end result at all. I dont see him as an upgrade on adam johnson or even sinclair. It will be better if he moves on and his place taken up by someone like pat roberts as navas will be just a backup when we have a full squad.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Does seem Barcelona are keen in January.

Perhaps taking a bench spot for them will allow him to go to the Euros next summer?

He's a champion. A Wembley Final scorer. Regardless of his shortcomings, he deserves more respect than he is presently being shown in some quarters?

Has always be a last 20 minute impact player in my eyes. I'm sure that's what Barca see in him, also.

 

[Phil1]

Does seem Barcelona are keen in January.

Perhaps taking a bench spot for them will allow him to go to the Euros next summer?

He's a champion. A Wembley Final scorer. Regardless of his shortcomings, he deserves more respect than he is presently being shown in some quarters?

Has always be a last 20 minute impact player in my eyes. I'm sure that's what Barca see in him, also.

I'm pretty sure that was the intention for him this season with us, an impact player who can stretch the game in the last half hour or so.
Unfortunately, with the KDB transfer dragging as it did and injuries across the front four, he's been thrown in from the start more often than was probably intended.

 

[simon23]

Does seem Barcelona are keen in January.

Perhaps taking a bench spot for them will allow him to go to the Euros next summer?

He's a champion. A Wembley Final scorer. Regardless of his shortcomings, he deserves more respect than he is presently being shown in some quarters?

Has always be a last 20 minute impact player in my eyes. I'm sure that's what Barca see in him, also.

Saying someone who is doing their job poorly (in one aspect) isn't a lack of respect. Its a simple truth. He has his positives but from an attacking point of view he is poor with his final ball and his decision making.....

If barca are interested Id snap their hands off personally and get someone else in

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

He had the beating of his man all game, got himself into some fantastic positions, worked extremely hard without the ball and kept possesion very well in any build up play. Those are parts of his game that he always does well. The problem is when we need the killer instinct he doesn't deliver. Getting himself into all these great positions is a futile exercise if his final ball isn't going to cause problems other than getting us the odd corner.
It's infuriating, and whilst I always enjoy your posts and appreciate the effort of going through the stats, sometimes they just don't tell the full story.
Navas would be an 8/9 out of 10 every game, as important as Silva and Aguero if he fine tuned the most important part of his game. As it is, two years in there's been hardly any improvement and its a concern.
There's no way I'd look at getting rid, he's a very handy squad player and I reckon had we stayed clear of injuries that's exactly what he'd have been so far this season.

Very balanced reply Pablo1 and I don't really disagree with anything you say.

Glad youv'e appreciated some of the stats stuff I've previously posted. I'm a stickler for perceptions being backed up by hard evidence. It is not just stats stuff tho - one thing I do for many City matches is to analyse the recording of a game after having watched it live and often an opinion I might form at the game is not quite right when I break the recording down in detail. I then get pissed of by the extreme slagging off which in this case is for Navas. The irony of the West Hame game was that he played so well he got himself into the position to highlight his crap side more than usual!

 

[Pablo ZZZ Peroni]

I can see his positives.....but his weaknesses are frustrating and actually cost us on occasions. A winger who regularly fails with his crossing/selection of cross in the end isn't good enough. This isn't based on one game...this is based on his whole time at City and now we have other options I hope we start to see him on the bench and being used as an impact sub as he seems to do well in that role for Spain.

Simon, I realise you are not a Navas fan and you are in a majority on here. I did love Neville Knevilles reply to a post of yours in the Pellegrini thread. To add balance here in the Navas thread I thought I'd quote it here:

But they didn't control Navas easily at all, he was causing them fucking nightmares. Yes his final ball should be better, but some of his set up play is fucking brilliant & people are willfully ignoring that in the hope that everything can be written off as Navas' fault.

Imo, it was often Navas fault we had the ball in West Ham's half due to his fantastic workrate & running, pulling defenders away. It's a big call, to take him off, not a simple one.

 

[1961_vintage]

Has always be a last 20 minute impact player in my eyes. I'm sure that's what Barca see in him, also.

Whether it's the 1st 20 or the last 20, he lacks the genuine consistent cutting-edge and goal-threat that separates the good from the great.

He may be more relaxed back in Spain and therefore play his more natural game. I hope so because regardless of what he has or hasn't done whilst @ City, no-one can criticise him for not giving his best every time he has been selected.