Olivier Ntcham

I think you’ll find most footballers are more up for big games and European games. That’s not just an Ntcham thing, and that’s the problem with people making a mountain out of a molehill with him because he strolls around the park effortless.

Nobody is talking about Christie as much when he’s half arsing his defensive responsibilities or just taking 30 yard shots or being laid back enough to try and back heel it in the goal in a European Qualifier.

 

I think you’re underestimating training and the stuff they will plan for game to game. They will go through it. It’s been said Lennon doesn’t bother with shape but he will have the team playing a certain way (I’d hope).

If Lennon puts his arm round him and tells him he’s the man for play to go through, I have no doubt he’d be running these games. But it’s obvious that isn’t the case, Christie seems to be that focal point and we tend to want to get the ball wider or into the channels which can sometimes bypass Ntcham. His link up play on the edge of the box is next level, but it’s hard with 11 men in the box.

 

Hard to know exactly..

But, I’m sure you don’t need to be told to get involved more.

 

Trust me I was equally unhappy with Christie doing that in the CL qualifier, however one thing Christie can’t be questioned for is effort. His quality on the ball can vary and he does take on overly ambitious shots and through balls but he always gives his all at all ends of the pitch. One reason I think it benefits the team when he is a better box to box midfielder.

Ntcham has more quality on the ball definitely but you can’t say he strolls games and that is where people get this opinion of him. Out of possession he often wonders around aimlessly.

I thought on Saturday his link up play particularly with Frimpong and Elhamed down our right was excellently times and his turn and drive which led to the ball to Christie and the set up for Ajeti was what we need more from him.

I think Ntcham is a cracking footballer and it is only out of wanting the best for club I feel frustrated we don’t get to see his best more often.

Another factor that would help would probably be a more settled side to allow partnerships and links between players to form.

 

It’s not exactly ground breaking coaching advice is it? What does it even mean? Go take the ball off your team mates? Because he doesn’t hide, he stays in the area of the field he’s meant to be in and even gets involved wide. I’m really not sure what people are asking for, I’m not sure you are either.

 

I'm asking him to be more involved, it's not rocket science.. With his ability he should be dominating games, he doesn't do that enough for me.

I don't know how much more simple I can make it for you.

 

He doesn’t give his all, which is why the Ntcham criticism is so frustrating. Taking more 30 yarders isn’t effort. He might do a lot of running but a lot of it is for no reason and defensively he’s not involved at all. He’s the kind of player who goes down to a tackle and complains instead of getting up and winning the ball back, btw he hasn’t always been like that, these are new frustrating habits which come with an overinflated ego.

But this isn’t about Christie, it’s about Ntcham. A good run in the side is a must. I don’t think a style of play can be mistaken for not caring though and that was my initial point. This idea that he doesn’t care. It’s ludicrous.

 

Yeh, but what do you mean “more involved”? It’s just something you think sounds smart but it doesn’t, what do you want him to do. If you were his coach, what would you be telling him? This isn’t an argument, I’m genuinely curious.

 

Ffs mate..

More involved, means exactly that..

Go out and stamp your authority on the game demand the ball, take up the positions necessary to dictate the play.. Id be saying your a class above the opposition go and demonstrate that..

 

You’re just using buzz phrases though like “stamp your authority”. You’re not actually saying what you want from him. It’s people just complaining for the sake of it, he’s been our best player in a few games now.

Demanding the ball more suggests he’s hiding in games which is wrong and like I’ve already said, he’s in the centre of the park doing his job and he even links up well out wide, where is he meant to be on the park with 2 strikers, 2 wingbacks, and 3 centre mids all trying to work the ball into the box past 11 opponent players in the box.

As I said, it’s a coaching issue not an Ntcham issue.

 

I've said several times what I want from him, there not 'buzz words'..

Get more involved, dictate.. Show your class..


If you look at the work McGregor and Christie do to be just in a position to receive a pass, Ntcham doesn't seem to have that same desire as that..

He should effect the game more than he does at times, that's not a coaching issue thats a Ntcham issue.

He's class and we should expect a lot more from him including goals.

 

McGregor aye, Christie nah.

I think our squad as a whole can be awful at moving without the ball and showing for a pass at times. I find myself shouting at someone to just move.

 

We've yet to see him really deliver over an extended period. I think he was really starting to show what he can do last season when we switched to the 3-5-2. We know he is good technically and combined with his strength it can be difficult to get the ball off him, but he was starting to link with the front two, run in behind and was getting a few goals.

Now we're back in a 3-5-2, I'd love to see him, McGregor and Edouard starting as often as possible.

 

I think he has it all to stand-out in this League in the same way that Wanyama or Virgil did.

I want to see him put in those sort of performances consistently where it looks like he's levels above anything, he's absolutely capable of it.

We see in flits of him looking outrageous but not often enough. He's still doing enough to keep that central spot but there's still more to come.

 

Really? Christie is always on the move, not as intelligent in his movement as McGregor maybe but he definitely has the desire.

At least Ntcham is being played and for me it's Broonie that's the issue with our midfield at the moment and maybe if he was left out more we'd see Ntcham take more responsibility..

We played our best football in recent years without Broonie and I'd like to see..

McGregor
Ntcham Christie

McGregor
Ntcham Rogic

McGregor
Turnbull Christie.

McGregor
Christie Elyonoussi

Soro
Turnbull Christie
​

You get the idea.

 

Surely you know what @JC Anton means when he says he wants a Centre Mid to stamp his authority on a game more?

Press opponents, win back possession, win balls in the air, use his exceptional range of passing to control the tempo (diagonals when countering and teams are out of shape, shorter passes when in against rigid defences), break the defensive lines with his power and pace, hit better digs from 25 yards out (no more blootering the ball like it's Novo's heid all the time)

For me he has arguably more in his locker than what Wanyama did when he played for us yet we don't see him regularly * teams in the Scottish League like Victor did.

If he has aspirations to go to the top of the game (and he should with his ability) then he should be absolutely bossing the SPFL academy graduates and EPL youth loanees that he's regularly up against.

 

I just can’t take to Christie as this work horse people see him as. If you compare him to McGregor they are miles apart, McGregor actually contributes defensively. I think he gives up possession and gives up in general far too easily. I’m not a fan of a player just running for the sake of it, and he’s someone that does that. He asks for the ball in bad positions at times and it backfires. His decision making is awful. When we see him ask for the right ball in the right position, he’s often then got a great chance on goal or has a quick pass in behind for someone like we’ve seen. I’ve actually said already he’s not always been like that, I remember some European games he was tracking back and winning the ball. I genuinely think success and stats have gone to his head.

We definitely agree on Brown.

 

I understand what he meant. I just wanted to be petty and have him say what he actually wanted instead of just essentially saying try harder.

I’m not sure how much the aerial game and winning the ball back are in his locker. It would be great for him to be an all rounder but I think he’s excellent at what he does and we should have someone else doing the dirty work. Obviously that would be Brown but he’s not been effective this season.

Ntcham is a conductor, but it’s difficult to create when the box is packed. I think we want more from every player, my issue is him getting a particular hard time and this “not caring” pish.

 

He has it in his locker to be the complete midfielder. He's got all the natural attributes and skill-set to do it.

He's built like a bull, fast over 10 yards and no slouch over further, great touch, vision, awareness. It's that tenacity and application to piece it all together and blow the League away that seems to be missing.

Watch back the 1-0 game at Parkhead where he scored the winner under the rat and it's basically everything I've listed above. They were laughing before that we had replaced Armstrong with a Man City youth cast-off then he controlled that game from start to finish and shut them up.

He wouldn't still be in the SPFL if he had maintained that sort of standard since then but we have only seen it in short spells in the 2 years since.

 

The main thing for me is a run of games. I want him to be undroppable like others seem to be.