Sentences with phrase «of his former self once»

It was Smalling who lost Ings for Burnley's equaliser but Evans looked a shadow of his former self once more as there were several occasions where the pair got mixed up and the ball broke to Ings or Ashley Barnes in the box.

Not exact matches

I once went through the pain of seeing a very treasured relationship crumble to a shadow of its former self when the value we were giving each other in words...

This is an incredibly difficult question to answer for a variety of reasons, most importantly because over the years our once vaunted «beautiful» style of play has become a shadow of it's former self, only to be replaced by a less than stellar «plug and play» mentality where players play out of position and adjustments / substitutions are rarely forthcoming before the 75th minute... if you look at our current players, very few would make sense in the traditional Wengerian system... at present, we don't have the personnel to move the ball quickly from deep - lying position, efficient one touch midfielders that can make the necessary through balls or the disciplined and pacey forwards to stretch defences into wide positions, without the aid of the backs coming up into the final 3rd, so that we can attack the defensive lanes in the same clinical fashion we did years ago... on this current squad, we have only 1 central defender on staf, Mustafi, who seems to have any prowess in the offensive zone or who can even pass two zones through so that we can advance play quickly out of our own end (I have seen some inklings that suggest Holding might have some offensive qualities but too early to tell)... unfortunately Mustafi has a tendency to get himself in trouble when he gets overly aggressive on the ball... from our backs out wide, we've seen pace from the likes of Bellerin and Gibbs and the spirited albeit offensively stunted play of Monreal, but none of these players possess the skill - set required in the offensive zone for the new Wenger scheme which requires deft touches, timely runs to the baseline and consistent crossing, especially when Giroud was playing and his ratio of scored goals per clear chances was relatively low (better last year though)... obviously I like Bellerin's future prospects, as you can't teach pace, but I do worry that he regressed last season, which was obvious to Wenger because there was no way he would have used Ox as the right side wing - back so often knowing that Barcelona could come calling in the off - season, if he thought otherwise... as for our midfielders, not a single one, minus the more confident Xhaka I watched played for the Swiss national team a couple years ago, who truly makes sense under the traditional Wenger model... Ramsey holds onto the ball too long, gives the ball away cheaply far too often and abandons his defensive responsibilities on a regular basis (doesn't score enough recently to justify): that being said, I've always thought he does possess a little something special, unfortunately he thinks so too... Xhaka is a little too slow to ever boss the midfield and he tends to telegraph his one true strength, his long ball play: although I must admit he did get a bit better during some points in the latter part of last season... it always made me wonder why whenever he played with Coq Wenger always seemed to play Francis in a more advanced role on the pitch... as for Coq, he is way too reckless at the wrong times and has exhibited little offensive prowess yet finds himself in and around the box far too often... let's face it Wenger was ready to throw him in the trash heap when injuries forced him to use Francis and then he had the nerve to act like this was all part of a bigger Wenger constructed plan... he like Ramsey, Xhaka and Elneny don't offer the skills necessary to satisfy the quick transitory nature of our old offensive scheme or the stout defensive mindset needed to protect the defensive zone so that our offensive players can remain aggressive in the final third... on the front end, we have Ozil, a player of immense skill but stunted by his physical demeanor that tends to offend, the fact that he's been played out of position far too many times since arriving and that the players in front of him, minus Sanchez, make little to no sense considering what he has to offer (especially Giroud); just think about the quick counter-attack offence in Real or the space and protection he receives in the German National team's midfield, where teams couldn't afford to focus too heavily on one individual... this player was a passing «specialist» long before he arrived in North London, so only an arrogant or ignorant individual would try to reinvent the wheel and / or not surround such a talent with the necessary components... in regards to Ox, Walcott and Welbeck, although they all possess serious talents I see them in large part as headless chickens who are on the injury table too much, lack the necessary first - touch and / or lack the finishing flair to warrant their inclusion in a regular starting eleven; I would say that, of the 3, Ox showed the most upside once we went to a back 3, but even he became a bit too consumed by his pending contract talks before the season ended and that concerned me a bit... if I had to choose one of those 3 players to stay on it would be Ox due to his potential as a plausible alternative to Bellerin in that wing - back position should we continue to use that formation... in Sanchez, we get one of the most committed skill players we've seen on this squad for some years but that could all change soon, if it hasn't already of course... strangely enough, even he doesn't make sense given the constructs of the original Wenger offensive model because he holds onto the ball too long and he will give the ball up a little too often in the offensive zone... a fact that is largely forgotten due to his infectious energy and the fact that the numbers he has achieved seem to justify the means... finally, and in many ways most crucially, Giroud, there is nothing about this team or the offensive system that Wenger has traditionally employed that would even suggest such a player would make sense as a starter... too slow, too inefficient and way too easily dispossessed... once again, I think he has some special skills and, at times, has showed some world - class qualities but he's lack of mobility is an albatross around the necks of our offence... so when you ask who would be our best starting 11, I don't have a clue because of the 5 or 6 players that truly deserve a place in this side, 1 just arrived, 3 aren't under contract beyond 2018 and the other was just sold to Juve... man, this is theraputic because following this team is like an addiction to heroin without the benefits

Settling for Wenger's self - titled «fourth - place trophy» is not appealing to fans anymore, as the club that was once feared throughout Europe, has regressed to a shadow of its former self.

Since returning to boyhood side Atletico, he has shown glimpses of his former self, but has failed to scale the dizzy heights he was once able to.

There is no doubt that Bale needs to get the hell out of Real if he ever wants to be the kind of player he once was... this isn't to suggest that he his skills have diminished, he simply isn't the fiery, determined and aggressive player that struck fear in the hearts of his opponents... the small fish in a big pond just doesn't fit his profile... I can't even remember the last player I've seen who has become so invisible on the big stage (maybe Pogba last year)... maybe it's a case of culture shock or maybe he wasn't able to handle the notoriety that invariably came with his big money signing, but regardless of how it happened this guy is a shadow of his former self... although I doubt he would ever come to a team in such disarray, he could quite easily fill the shoes of Sanchez, who ironically was in a similar predicament in Barcelona, as Bale would return to his favoured left side and would be given the same freedoms that have allowed Sanchez to flourish... ultimately I think the cache of wearing a Real jersey and competing for the top trophies would be too difficult to give up for a wannabe club run by suits who care little about those kinds of accolades

Once regarded as the premier coach in world football, these days Jose Mourinho resembles a shadow of his former self.

The mayor's former big - bucks campaign donor and self - described» friend» Jona Rechnitz once dressed up in blackface, evidence of which could...

The mayor's former big - bucks campaign donor and self - described» friend» Jona Rechnitz once dressed up in blackface, evidence of which could soon be presented at the bribery trial of former union head Norman Seabrook, sources tell The Post.

A former small - time operator on the edge of the seventies self - help movement — he once ran the Institute for Emotional Education — Lindenauer was Manes's bagman at Parking Violations, largely in charge of collecting bribes from various private companies engaged in the always - booming New York City parking - ticket business.

Being a former weight - loss - show - contestant, his once obese - self still wears heavy on him, and is the source of some ridicule.

This option — once one of the biggest draws of the franchise — now sees you literally driving around in an unending loop, and it's a shell of its former self.

The flashbacks help, allowing Affleck to layer his performance, showing us the gregarious knucklehead Lee once was, before mistakes hollowed him out into a shell of his former self.

Once a noted guru thanks to his successful first book, a cancelled television show, a failed marriage, and now, a second self - financed publication have whittled away the reputed personality to a mere shadow of his former self.

The tale of the horse parallels the man's; both were once champions who have been loaded up with drugs (alcohol is Sonny's choice) which make them shells of their former glorious selves.

Bagus Bay Homestay was once a hit place in Tuk - Tuk, but these days it's just a dim shadow of its former self.

The devaluations that messrs Parker and Kirby have foisted upon AAdvantage members have taken their toll and a once amazing loyalty program is now a shadow of its former self.

On that day, what was once the best airline loyalty program around (and by a considerable margin), will join the race to the bottom and become a shadow of its former self.

A mysterious darkness trailed behind the magical orb, turning the planets to which it once gave new life, including Earth, into war - torn shells of their former selves.

Finally, once our subject upgrades to the Galaxy Note 8, he sees an image of his former self in a man waiting in front of an Apple Store for the iPhone X, with his hair cut in a shape similar to the top notch on the latest iOS smartphone.

At a time when external systemic forces peer groups and mass culture are at least as powerful in defining the adolescent's world as the internal family system, the old primary family system, once figuring so dramatically in therapy, has become a shadow of its former self, often exerting less pull on the teen's heart, mind and hormones than the second family of the peer group.