Season 2021-22 Opinion Talking Points
The enigma that is Jonjoe Kenny
First off, I have to admit to being a fan of Jonjoe Kenny. In fact, I'm a fan of any locally born player.
Kenny may not be the most gifted of players but he will always leave everything out on the pitch, unlike so many of our “gifted” players.
Every team, including our past trophy-winning sides, are and have been constructed with team players as opposed to superstars.
Recently, our boy has proved his worth and has produced good steady performances in unlikely positions. So what do we do?
Is he worth keeping or do we let him go?
I know my answer.
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Reader Comments (26)
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2 Posted 05/03/2022 at 14:30:54
I think he has done enough on the field and in training to impress his worth to Frank Lampard.
I've got to admit being a fan of Jonjoe like John Keating who wrote the O/P but I wouldn't post if I didn't believe in Kenny's ability.
3 Posted 05/03/2022 at 14:40:55
He isn't brilliant - but he's much the same standard or better than others who have been playing regularly.
The situation with Ukraine, money etc may mean we do offer him a contract because otherwise we may have to pay more (fees, salary, agent costs etc) to bring in the cover he's providing.
I kind of hope he stays – and really hope he has a good careers. First class attitude
4 Posted 05/03/2022 at 16:01:24
I fear he may fall into the Sandy Brown, Alan Harper category of player, excellent as a stand-in, great guy to have around, not quite up to the standard to be an automatic first pick on a regular basis.
If I was his manager I think I would have to explain that to him. I would want him to stay at the club as a squad player, but if he wanted to go elsewhere for a first team game every week I would let him do so, with thanks for his efforts.
5 Posted 05/03/2022 at 16:07:54
No, he isn't world class but neither was Sandy Brown and he filled many positions and gave many useful performances in a title-winning team. Jonjoe is much better than Sandy.
6 Posted 05/03/2022 at 16:16:09
7 Posted 05/03/2022 at 21:50:39
He is being taken a bit for granted by the club. If he was half as good and they paid megabucks for him, he would have a new contract. Always puts in the work and effort.
8 Posted 05/03/2022 at 22:03:42
9 Posted 05/03/2022 at 22:31:55
Full-back spots have badly planned out. Coleman is back-up only, Patterson doesn't look ready, Kenny looks like a lad who will be back-up for 5 odd games a season.
Left-back is equally as badly equipped. We've sold an out-of-form Digne, no real left foot cover for a Mykolenko who has a lot to prove. And a lad out on loan, that has promise – but looks a fair way of Premier League quality.
The recruitment team have let the club down here.
10 Posted 05/03/2022 at 23:25:29
Kenny has been pretty solid for last few games and having reliable, hardworking, versatile squad players on low wages is always a good idea. Though perhaps he may have loftier ambitions.
11 Posted 06/03/2022 at 00:45:56
He's been better at his job than Delph, Iwobi and some of the others are at theirs. But that really shows where we are now….
12 Posted 06/03/2022 at 02:23:32
He's exactly the sort of player who'd be ignored by the likes of Ancelotti, but can probably carve out a niche for himself under a manager like Lampard.
13 Posted 06/03/2022 at 03:23:07
A lot depends on what Frank Lampard and his team can get out of players like Kenny, Davies, Holgate etc. With other decent players around the pitch, it can be made to work for players with pure effort and will to win, but the key in that is getting the other skilled players in.
The restrictions around our finances will tell us where we are heading, I think, but – if we do go down – then it's players like Kenny who are the more likely ones to stick around and help us back on our feet.
14 Posted 06/03/2022 at 03:26:30
15 Posted 06/03/2022 at 05:00:56
16 Posted 06/03/2022 at 06:50:28
A few years back, I wasn't convinced he was good enough to be where we wanted to be. I'll still maintain that.
But I like him. He is committed and he is good enough to be part of a squad for where we are now. He gives us options at both full-back positions and as a wingback, where I watched him play for Schalke.
For me, Pat van den Hauwe wasn't the best fullback or footballer. He brought attributes and was fortunate enough to have played in a great team. Phil Neville wasn't the greatest full-back or footballer, but he provided leadership, presence and influence on other players.
You can see that Kenny is respected by the team and squad. In hindsight, he has been a victim of the continuous managerial revolving door and uncertainty that has plagued both players and fans over recent years. And in terms of development, it is the younger up and coming ones that have suffered from this more than me and my dogs.
Maybe he was just a late developer. We all develop and mature at different stages in any walk of life.
Keep him in my opinion. Although, given how the club he loves has treated him, will he stay?
17 Posted 06/03/2022 at 08:59:12
I think Jonjoe will continue to improve with regular first team football.
18 Posted 06/03/2022 at 09:14:46
Koeman - signed Martina as cover - says it all
Silva - didn't give a single youngster a debut
Ancelotti - always preferred established players
Benitez - see Ancelotti but worse. He was forced into playing Gordon because his performances embarrassed him to do so.
Like others have said, if he isn't first choice then he's a very good back-up to have. Offer him a new contract.
19 Posted 06/03/2022 at 09:28:32
20 Posted 06/03/2022 at 21:57:27
I've never seen anything from JJK to suggest he's any worse than some/a lot of the others we've seen underperform on numerous occasions.
He's not brilliant, never will be, but he's a decent player and seems like a good guy with the right attitude. Another P. Neville in the making who could turn out to be a valuable squad player.
[BRZ]
21 Posted 07/03/2022 at 14:16:38
Full of praise for the new management staff, in particular Frank Lampard himself and Ashley Cole.
22 Posted 07/03/2022 at 14:21:09
23 Posted 07/03/2022 at 15:14:38
Most of the players have undoubted talent but too many have shown an inconsistency that has put the team in a struggling position.
One can only speculate how the season would have gone if the two main strikers hadn't missed so many games and especially as the stand-in's Tosun and Rondon have been unable to step up for different reasons.
Apart from the odd decent games from those two who cost nothing (Townsend and Gray) we have been a non-entity going forward and then the onus has been on a defensive line that has proved inadequate against most teams. We have not been able to get many draws--(4) and a few more points in that column could have eased the situation a little.
Perhaps Lampard can get the team up for it today as we did have a good time in the capital last season.
24 Posted 10/03/2022 at 17:37:19
The Premier League is all about pace and strength and he has neither. Not athletic enough to bully his winger and certainly lacking pace. You can coach players in positional play but you can't teach them to run faster.
We've tried to develop him with a loan to Schalke and move to the Scottish Prem (doesn't that say something?) and neither worked out for him.
25 Posted 10/03/2022 at 18:03:41
26 Posted 10/03/2022 at 23:58:35
Kenny got into the team under Silva and after a slow start became one of our best players.
After Seamus got back into the team he has been completely overlooked until Lampard gave him a chance and he has done remarkably well, at left back. And would play even better at right back!
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1 Posted 05/03/2022 at 14:18:58