Sofiane Boufal

[benjii]

He can’t concentrate.

[Turkish]

If was hilarious when after beating a player he lost the ball to a player laying on the floor. Sums him up.

[Convict Colony]

Too slow in decision making. He's so skilful but it's not going to happen.

 

Look at Redmond - a frustrating player whose end product isn't quite good enough, but he's hugely missed because he's still involved in far more goals than Boufal. I can see Redmond improving further and he's been mostly good under Ralph. But I can't see Boufal even getting to Redmond's standard. .

 

The way we play I'm fine with Redmond, Armstrong and Djenpo, we just need one more in there for next season. Bowen would have been perfect but guess money is tight

 

Just wanted to check this and redmond has played nearly 13.5 games more than boufal time wise this season.

 

He has 3 goals 1 assist and Boufal 2 assists 0 goals so I'd say their output is both poor and I'd take an updgrade on both but we have more pressing issues elsewhere.

[TWar]

Just wanted to check this and redmond has played nearly 13.5 games more than boufal time wise this season.

 

He has 3 goals 1 assist and Boufal 2 assists 0 goals so I'd say their output is both poor and I'd take an updgrade on both but we have more pressing issues elsewhere.

 

Redmond tends to the the pass before the assist, he transitions defence to attack and puts players in positions where they can be dangerous, unlike Boufal who runs into players and loses the ball most of the time. Redmond is probably our second or third most valuable player after Ings and maybe JWP, there is a reason we have had such a downturn in form and quality without him.

[Noodles34]

He is one of those players that you know can be better, so you keep waiting and every now and then, you will get flashes of what might be.

But it is never going to materialise into anything consistent.

We keep waiting and we keep hoping, but we are wasting our time, he is never going to make it in this league.

Exactly the same as Gaston and look what happened to him. He left us and did nothing, no one missed him and it would be the same with Boufal.

[jamesa]

He's not good enough, simple as that. He has no pace to beat a man and when he does he tries to beat them again. His delivery is always under or over hit.

 

An amazing 5 a side player, not a great premier league player.

 

Get rid in the summer.

[Matthew Le God]

He's not good enough, simple as that. He has no pace to beat a man

 

This is nonsense. He had more successful take ons than Messi (or anyone else in La Liga) last season.

 

[jamesa]

This is nonsense. He had more successful take ons than Messi (or anyone else in La Liga) last season.

 

 

That's why every club in the world wants to sign Boufal then, as he must be good as Messi. Look at his chances created, big chances created, goals etc and he will be nowhere near the leader board.

 

You can put stats like that up, but these are pointless stats. He has no end product, you may as well have a freestyler play for us.

 

69 appearances in the league for us and has 3 goals/4 assists.

[Shroppie]

This is nonsense. He had more successful take ons than Messi (or anyone else in La Liga) last season.

 

But his complete absence from all other stats demonstrates his inability to do anything with the ball once he's beaten a defender.

 

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[Turkish]

That's why every club in the world wants to sign Boufal then, as he must be good as Messi. Look at his chances created, big chances created, goals etc and he will be nowhere near the leader board.

 

You can put stats like that up, but these are pointless stats. He has no end product, you may as well have a freestyler play for us.

 

69 appearances in the league for us and has 3 goals/4 assists.

 

You have to remember that stats is all MLG understands.

[Barsiem]

Tbf to MLG he's only responding to the point someone made that boufal cannot beat a man, which he clearly can.

 

We all know there's no end product after he's beaten that man!

[qwertyell]

This is nonsense. He had more successful take ons than Messi (or anyone else in La Liga) last season.

 

And Celta Vigo were nearly relegated.

 

Boufal's "take ons" were about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

Aimlessly ****ing around with the ball is not a quality.

 

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[Give it to Ron]

Tbf to MLG he's only responding to the point someone made that boufal cannot beat a man, which he clearly can.

 

We all know there's no end product after he's beaten that man!

 

Unless he is lying on the floor

 

 

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[Micky]

Simply not enough 'end product'. Yes, hes a skillful player, there's no doubt about that - but 9 times out of 10 there's nothing at the end of it. Time to mag to grid for me I'm afraid.

[Fan The Flames]

The perfect example of this was on Saturday first half, he expertly got to the byline and then whipped in a cross so hard and to no one. He really produce an opportunity out of nothing but then completely threw it away with such a shocking cross. We would be better off him not creating as we become more vulnerable when he does eventually **** it up.

[OttawaSaint]

If was hilarious when after beating a player he lost the ball to a player laying on the floor. Sums him up.

 

Yep. Blew past 2 players and then ran right into a player that was effectively out of the game. Ruined a very good attack too. Sums him up. Headless chicken. Passes when he has a free look at goal, shoots when there are open teammates. No-one knows what he's going to do, probably not even him.

[Bananaman]

Exactly as above. Last seasons stats deceive by way that Boufal will often beat a man or two and then lose the ball trying to do too much/running out of play or a poor decision with the pass/cross.

[SW5 SAINT]

But his complete absence from all other stats demonstrates his inability to do anything with the ball once he's beaten a defender.

 

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TBF all the other stats are Messi........

[VectisSaint]

Yep. Blew past 2 players and then ran right into a player that was effectively out of the game. Ruined a very good attack too. Sums him up. Headless chicken. Passes when he has a free look at goal, shoots when there are open teammates. No-one knows what he's going to do, probably not even him.

 

Have said it all along, Boufal is a talented footballer, he 's even quite goo defensively, but he has a fundamental flaw in his game, that is he never looks up and so has no awareness of what is going on around him. Unless or until he can be coached out of that (and it seems like it can' t) he will never be a successful professional footballer contributing to the team. It is a team game and he is unable to be a team player.

[mrfahaji]

Didn't see the game past about 25 minutes but I find Glen's match reports to be generally fair and often reflect my thoughts when I have seen the game. He says in his latest blog that Boufal worked hard and did well even if the game didn't suit him much. Surprised me to read that given the comments on here.

[Shroppie]

Didn't see the game past about 25 minutes but I find Glen's match reports to be generally fair and often reflect my thoughts when I have seen the game. He says in his latest blog that Boufal worked hard and did well even if the game didn't suit him much. Surprised me to read that given the comments on here.

I have agreed that he worked hard defensively, which is good to see but not his prime function, which is to be creative.

 

As has been said many times, his weakness is that after beating one or more players, there's no vision. If he doesn't get a shooting chance it's unlikely he'll find a useful pass.

 

Maybe there's hope as Redmond used to be like that. But I fear Boufal is a much slower learner.

 

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[mrfahaji]

I have agreed that he worked hard defensively, which is good to see but not his prime function, which is to be creative.

 

As has been said many times, his weakness is that after beating one or more players, there's no vision. If he doesn't get a shooting chance it's unlikely he'll find a useful pass.

 

Maybe there's hope as Redmond used to be like that. But I fear Boufal is a much slower learner.

 

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Right, thanks. Given we had 10 men and seemed to trying to salvage something from the game, does he not deserve credit for putting a shift in rather than pelters because he didn’t create anything?

 

Pretty sure one justification for Redmond’s place in the team - of which I don’t dispute - is that he might not get many goals or assists but he is a better “team” player and works hard...

 

There was a match recently - Burnley? - where we needed Boufal to step up creatively and he didn’t, so fair enough. Just doesn’t seem like this is the right game to single him out for.

[Lord Duckhunter]

More excuses for him.

 

 

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[Shroppie]

Right, thanks. Given we had 10 men and seemed to trying to salvage something from the game, does he not deserve credit for putting a shift in rather than pelters because he didn’t create anything?

 

Pretty sure one justification for Redmond’s place in the team - of which I don’t dispute - is that he might not get many goals or assists but he is a better “team” player and works hard...

 

There was a match recently - Burnley? - where we needed Boufal to step up creatively and he didn’t, so fair enough. Just doesn’t seem like this is the right game to single him out for.

That's fair.

 

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[Saint_clark]

He also gave the ball away repeatedly with passes that should have been simple and conceded stupid freekicks and the penalty.

 

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[Lighthouse]

Right, thanks. Given we had 10 men and seemed to trying to salvage something from the game, does he not deserve credit for putting a shift in rather than pelters because he didn’t create anything?

 

Pretty sure one justification for Redmond’s place in the team - of which I don’t dispute - is that he might not get many goals or assists but he is a better “team” player and works hard...

 

There was a match recently - Burnley? - where we needed Boufal to step up creatively and he didn’t, so fair enough. Just doesn’t seem like this is the right game to single him out for.

 

No, he doesn’t. Nobody deserves credit for simply ‘putting a shift in’, that’s the absolute bare minimum I’d expect from any player. That’s how we’ve ended up in this mess, crap players like Long and Boufal who ‘put a shift in’ are seen as being worthy of praise, when in their actual role of setting up and scoring goals they are terrible.

 

Armstrong puts a shift in and is good. We are a noticeably better team with him in it, as we were with Stephen Davis. As a team we’ve put in many awful attacking performances with Boufal on the pitch.

[mrfahaji]

No, he doesn’t. Nobody deserves credit for simply ‘putting a shift in’, that’s the absolute bare minimum I’d expect from any player. That’s how we’ve ended up in this mess, crap players like Long and Boufal who ‘put a shift in’ are seen as being worthy of praise, when in their actual role of setting up and scoring goals they are terrible.

 

Armstrong puts a shift in and is good. We are a noticeably better team with him in it, as we were with Stephen Davis. As a team we’ve put in many awful attacking performances with Boufal on the pitch.

 

I just meant that previously people used to criticise him for not putting a shift in, and when he has a good game from a defensive point of view - in a match where the team’s focus was on defending - he gets criticised for not being creative.

 

I’m disappointed with him second half of this season, but it just seems to me some people are looking for any excuse to slate him.

[Lighthouse]

I just meant that previously people used to criticise him for not putting a shift in, and when he has a good game from a defensive point of view - in a match where the team’s focus was on defending - he gets criticised for not being creative.

 

I’m disappointed with him second half of this season, but it just seems to me some people are looking for any excuse to slate him.

 

TBH I really can’t remember all that many people ever actually criticising him for being lazy. That’s never been the accusation, more that he has a poor attitude towards team play. He often looks like he’s playing for himself and by the time he’s shown everyone he can beat a man, 6 more have got back to defend.

 

There’s no excuse to slate him, he’s just not actually done anything since she’s been here. A couple of screamers against crap teams when he first signed, that’s about it.

[mrfahaji]

TBH I really can’t remember all that many people ever actually criticising him for being lazy. That’s never been the accusation, more that he has a poor attitude towards team play. He often looks like he’s playing for himself and by the time he’s shown everyone he can beat a man, 6 more have got back to defend.

 

There’s no excuse to slate him, he’s just not actually done anything since she’s been here. A couple of screamers against crap teams when he first signed, that’s about it.

 

When is his contract up, next season? He hasn't done enough to earn another one, and I can't see that he'd be desperate to stay anyway, so pretty sure we won't have him much longer. His time with us has definitely been disappointing, can't argue that. However I think he has had some decent moments - of all our poor signings, he has at least had some good games (I've been to two matches this year, and he did well in both). Plus after a fair bit of turmoil he at least came back this season, worked hard and contributed. He might not have been a great signing but he hasn't been one of the worst!

 

Always thought he had potential, but not sure if he will ever fulfil it. But Jack Stephens was pretty poor for years, to the extent that I was pretty confident we would lose if he played, and he seems to have miraculously turned a corner. Maybe that's temporary, maybe it's because he's a centre half, but it shows it can happen. I'll always want every Saints player to be good, just feels like quite a few people on here almost want Boufal to be rubbish. Also, that screamer he scored against West Brom - they may have been a crap team, but we couldn't break them down until he did what he did, wasn't like he scored the last goal in a 5-0 win!

[norwaysaint]

And Celta Vigo were nearly relegated.

 

Boufal's "take ons" were about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

Aimlessly ****ing around with the ball is not a quality.

 

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To be fair, that list was posted in response to someone saying he never beat a player. It was wrong. So in this case MLG was right and could back it up.

 

Whether or not Boufal creates any end result is beside the point and would be pointless to comment on with regard to what he wrote.

 

 

 

 

As someone who has watched very little football this year, I have no idea what to think of Boufal. From this forum, I had been led to believe that he was probably our best player and should start more, but now it seems he's a waste of space and should never start.

 

It's pretty tough these days anyway to say who needs more time to settle in properly and who needs dropping. Stephens, Bednarek, JWP, Redmond and Armstrong are all players now being lauded after they were once considered not good enough. Gunn, Hoedt and Vestergaard are widely considered to be a waste of space now, but will maybe one day be in the same position.

[Wade Garrett]

His decision-making is atrocious.

 

Chooses to to try and beat a player, or try a glory ball, rather than the correct pass.

[SFC Forever]

He has always shown glimpses but glimpses will never be enough.

[Saint Fan CaM]

There are better players in the Championship in terms of assists and end product. And that’s saying something.

[Noodles34]

Did you lot not see his goal v WBA?

i mean, he could do that again, at some point, in a galaxy far, far away.

[SFC Forever]

True but some of us could be dead and buried long before that happens.

[Jonnyboy]

You have to remember that stats is all MLG understands.

 

James a made a completely false comment. MLG is right to pint that out.

[SFC Forever]

I agree

[SuperSAINT]

Will be interesting so see if anything picks up this week regarding him potentially leaving this window.

[stevy777_x]

27 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Will be interesting so see if anything picks up this week regarding him potentially leaving this window.

I personally hope not.

if Redmond or Armstrong get injured, then there s only Djenepo with some creativity to come in.

Yes Smallbone can play there but that s not his position where we were all saying he could be a Hojbjerg replacement.

Tella maybe but we have absolutely no idea if he can play at this level.

If we sell him that we are very thin on squad depth and i m not sure that s worth saving 4m + his wages especially for his ability of turning games around (watford game at home last season sticks in my mind).

 

[Fatboy40]

He's just another on a recent long list that looked good on paper, but has provided the club with very little, once he's gone his time with Saints will vanish into obscurity.

Like many others he'll be off on a freebie summer 2021, to some French club more than likely where he can just coast along.

[Charlie Wayman]

1 hour ago, Fatboy40 said:

He's just another on a recent long list that looked good on paper, but has provided the club with very little, once he's gone his time with Saints will vanish into obscurity.

Like many others he'll be off on a freebie summer 2021, to some French club more than likely where he can just coast along.

It's not a level playing field 'though, is it. Somebody like Ward Prowse who was always the club's favourite poster boy (one of our own crap) when loads of fans were tearing their hair out with frustration over his ineptitude and lack of basic abilities was persisted with week after week when he didn't deserve his place in the team. On the other hand many naturally gifted and talented players like Boufal have never been given more than a few starts at a time before they were judged negatively and seemingly permanently. 

Redmond's another who has been persisted with and in the eyes of the club and fans has now become a 'great' player for us, but we all lived that agonising journey as well.

Funny too that no other clubs are in for our stars.

Just saying.

Edited 7 September, 2020 by Charlie Wayman

[Appy]

Has he ever properly affected a game from the start for us? 

 

Even his best moment was as a sub. 

[SuperSAINT]

I’m guilty for liking him — But he’s probably averaged 1 memorable moment for each year he’s been here.

[Dr. Kucho]

French football website Foot Mercato reporting that we are willing to let Boufal go for 4 million.

[Depressed of Shirley]

45 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

It's not a level playing field 'though, is it. Somebody like Ward Prowse who was always the club's favourite poster boy (one of our own crap) when loads of fans were tearing their hair out with frustration over his ineptitude and lack of basic abilities was persisted with week after week when he didn't deserve his place in the team. On the other hand many naturally gifted and talented players like Boufal have never been given more than a few starts at a time before they were judged negatively and seemingly permanently. 

Redmond's another who has been persisted with and in the eyes of the club and fans has now become a 'great' player for us, but we all lived that agonising journey as well.

Funny too that no other clubs are in for our stars.

Just saying.

The only thing I would say about JWP and Redmond, is that even when playing poorly, they were always trying to do what their manager at the time wanted them to, just not very well. Boufal just annoys managers because he doesn't do what he's told, just what he wants. This is fine when scoring great goals, less use when the man your supposed to be marking scores against you, or you give the ball away when everyone has pushed up in attack waiting for a pass or cross.

[Marsdinho]

Imagine if we had the you tube clip versions of Boufal and Djenepo...

                   McCarthy

KWP  Bednarek  Stephens  Bertrand

                Romeu  JWP  

              Boufal  Djenepo

                Adams  Ings

 

😮

Edited 7 September, 2020 by Marsdinho

[SuperSAINT]

Not kept tabs on things today — Injured or dropped?

[The Curse of St Mary's]

21 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Not kept tabs on things today — Injured or dropped?

Made way for Tella. Ralph says he's one of a few players that can leave according to Dan Sheldon

[Dusic]

5 minutes ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

Made way for Tella. Ralph says he's one of a few players that can leave according to Dan Sheldon

Makes sense, he obviously has no long term future at Saints.

[SuperSAINT]

23 minutes ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

Made way for Tella. Ralph says he's one of a few players that can leave according to Dan Sheldon

Thanks! Just had a look...