How good and important are these players?

[ClaretTony]

I’m currently watching Aston Villa, without Jack Grealish, beating Crystal Palace, with Wilfried Zaha.

So much has been said about how important they are to their respective teams and how the teams are not as effective without them. I think we can also throw Danny Ings & Allan Saint-Maximin into the debate too.

But how good are these players? Are they that important to their clubs? Are they much lesser teams without them? And would you include any other players at any other clubs into the debate?

[Vino blanco]

Harry Kane at Spurs?

[thegoldengoatee]

Ben Mee.

[duncandisorderly]

I'd say they're more important than good. I've never really rated Zaha overmuch, and ASM at newcastle isn't ever going to appear on a list of greatest players either, but they suit the clubs they are at.

Ings is different - he's a good player - but Liverpool and Burnley both progressed without him, and Southampton (like several teams) are only a poor season away from relegation with or without him.

I think Grealish is like Zaha and when he gets his big money move he'll fail to deliver.

[Elizabeth]

It's an interesting question I can only summarise as the collective making the individual.
Mee is invaluable in the Burnley side, would he be so in another side?
Messi in the Barcelona side is different to Messi in the Argentina side.
These are a couple of quick examples and I'm sure the argument runs deeper than that.

[Top Claret]

We got beat at Southampton by Danny Ings the same applies to
Newcastle. Asm
West Ham. Antonio

If those 3 had not have been playing we would have come away with something

[CleggHall]

Top Claret - Ings, ASM and Antonio did us home and away to claim 18 points!

[Iloveyoubrady]

Yes which is why we are so consistent staying in this league with a lesser team. We rely heavily on 5 or 6 players, so the chances of all of them being injured is low. And while we often play worse with players out, we can always pick up points. Difference is when palace have zaha out for the season, they are struggling to find a point.

[ClaretTony]

We got beat at Southampton by Danny Ings the same applies to
Newcastle. Asm
West Ham. Antonio

If those 3 had not have been playing we would have come away with something

I’m not sure I’d put Antonio at the same level in terms of his team’s dependence on him but he always causes us problems.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

The players are talismanic more then they are great players.

Same with Wolves and Jimenez.

The players mentioned instill a belief in others that they can be the game changer so the others raise their game.

Mark them out of the game and generally the teams can be beaten.

[ClaretTony]

The players are talismanic more then they are great players.

Same with Wolves and Jimenez.

The players mentioned instill a belief in others that they can be the game changer so the others raise their game.

Mark them out of the game and generally the teams can be beaten.

Jiménez is a good shout to add to the list

[Hipper]

I reckon Man City struggled early in the season because they were without David Silva, but the absence of Aguerro and de Bruyne probably also had an impact! They learned to adapt though.

Liverpool and van Dyke. He's like us and Ben Mee. Defends, leads, and is the out ball from defence.

Not sure about Harry Kane. A couple of years ago he'd been out for a while and Spurs did well. He came back in the side against us and we beat them!