Merson Backs Ash To Bounce Back

They're a dream for Heskey and Carew alright. Trouble is they're back near the halfway line dreaming about them while the crosses are coming into the box.

Tough to follow up 08/09 season for a young man whom the whole prem is highly aware of & for one still young, especially as he now receives huge attention getting doubled/trebled up on by teams(something I feel we could take more advantage off). But he hardly ever misses games, he never goes hiding in matches regardless of his form & continues to work his socks off. And when having a less effective game going fwd he still does a lot of doggy work off the ball by covering the space in front of the full back for the benefit of the defensive shape of the team. He does go down a little easy at times but does also receive some harsh treatment(something I've witnessed at close hand when sitting in the front rows of the Trinity, that I had not noticed from other areas of the ground) but keeps gettin up & getting on with it. His crossing is poor at times, but with the number of them he puts in during a game this is to be expected & does make his success ratio look a little poor, but the one thing he does do is deliver 2/3 pearlers most matches which does not sound a lot, but with a striker on top of his game who only needs that one good chance there would be the difference, which is what all the top teams have & at his age I still see him improving his game...I for one do not think for one minute that he does not have his faults & do get frustrated with him from time to time, but I think the pro's & the benefits he has brought to the team since he signed makes him a valuable player to us, that I feel we should be keeping hold of & adding to, not selling!!!

His crossing was woeful stop making excuses, he either hits the first man , or knocks it past the far post where Crouch on stilts would struggle to get near it. Plays with his head down looking for a chance to fall over. That is why he isn't gong to the world cup simple as that .