Nothing wrong with Zincky but at this moment in time we need,IMO, seasoned pros to get us across the line. Is Cleverly fit ? Gosling? A couple of 1-0 borefests is what we need at the moment
I've been happy with most of his performances since he has started games. One of our few more creative players and does try to graft for the team too.
Seems to have been not so good lately, but we must remember he moved straight to us from the end of a full season in Norway, so it might well have been fatigue. Worth retaining as backup and bench at the very least IMO.
I'm not sure if this was the case, but did Zinc play RWB for Forest today? If so maybe we should recall him as we need cover for that position and he looked pretty sharp today against PL opposition.
Granted, there are probably some very good reasons why it panned out that way, but it's a shame that Zinckernagel was loaned out and Sema stayed, the Championship is far more Sema's level, while Zinck maybe just maybe would have proven his worth on occasion as a squad player in the Prem
Has played 90 mins just 7 times in his 24 apps for Forest. 4 of which came in his first 5 apps. So 3 times in his last 19 apps. Barely a key player for a mid table Championship side. Find it unlikely that, at 27, he'll ever be good enough to be an effective PL player
Well that’s not quite true. I’ve had it confirmed today that they paid Watford in buttons. But…….they were big round shiny ones, so worth more than regular shirt buttons. We always drive a hard bargain.
That's true. But to me it suggests he's still not fully trusted or relied upon by an average Championship side. And the stats/opinions of Forest fans seem to back that up.
Isn’t he a regular starter under Cooper and their form has dramatically improved? Seems like he’s plenty trusted and relied upon no? 26 games all season. 22 starts and came on in the other 4. Left out of the squad for one League Cup game. The fact he doesn’t always finish 90 minutes is a strange metric to use against him really - it’s not like he regular comes off after 50-60 mins either. He has finished the entirety of a lot of games and been taken off around 65-85 of the rest. I’d understand the criticism a bit more if he was coming off regularly at HT like Louza. Whether he’s good enough for what we need right now is debatable I agree - but I don’t believe he would be a worse option than some we still use and I think he’s better than Sema, Gosling, Fletcher and 1-2 others. I also find it quite interesting that some didn’t allow him the excuse last season of him adapting to a new league/country but use that very excuse for Louza. (Not suggesting yourself)
Sure, he starts. But can you imagine Sarr getting hooked in the Championship when we're drawing? Or losing? To me that suggests he's not seen as a massively influential player, but is slightly better than their other attackers, so starts. Much like Sema for us last season. And as mentioned, the stats and views of Forest fans seem to back that up. Don't necessarily disagree that he's a better option than Sema, Gosling, Fletcher, but I wouldn't want him starting often, and if he wants to play regularly then the loan move was probably for the best. Could have replaced him more effectively, mind.
He definitely didn't get 90 mins every game for us last season, but it didn't stop him being one of our most creative forces, I see Sema mentioned, didn't Zinck out-assist him in, what, less than half the number of minutes?
I think some sort of mental gymnastics occurred whereby some of his assists were discounted because they were supposedly easy despite other players in the squad (save for Sarr) not doing the same number of easy assists.
Well Rotherham away was two crosses IIRC, a good time to play them perhaps given their had Covid problems, but still, hardly anyone else managed to get it in the ******* mixer all season. Reading at home I recall he was under little pressure, but he still had to play the right weight of pass which I definitely don't think everyone in that squad (including Sarr) could do. His first start was Wycombe wasn't it? They may have been way off us in terms of natural talent, but against a team like that who are going to sit back and try to make things difficult, you need someone who can thread the ball through the eye of the needle, and Zinckernagel did just that. Perhaps he was badly missed at Adams Park as despite a woeful performance, we still had a number of opportunities where we'd have been in but for the final ball!
He had a couple of lovely assists (Wycombe was beautiful), also had an awful shot against some no-mark Championship club that happened to deflect in off Sarr
So does it count or not? Take that one away if you want - still leaves his numbers ahead of the others in half the time.
I didn't say it didn't, just that it's probably a waste of time to marvel over statistics with such a small sample size, as proven by Zinc's continuing bang average form in the league below. Zinckernagel got more assists than JP last season, in much fewer games. Is he a better player? Or did he just happen to fill his boots in a couple of games against awful opposition and be fortunate enough to get the last touch 30 yards from goal before Sarr produces actual quality?
When Zinckernagel reproduces his assist rate in his 9 starts for us, at a decent level, over a period of years, this will be a decent comparison.
Without the long term Sarr injury I am not convinced he gets game time in his actual position. I'd still prefer him in midfield over some of the utter dross we have there at the moment, but it does sound like game time in his actual position was a factor in the move. If Sema starts getting actual game time, then I will begin to wonder.
Agree, it’s a funny one as having regular game time is probably better for him (and us) in the long run, yet at the same time he’s definitely better than some of the rubbish we’ve got in the squad who get occasional minutes.
