Lennon V Milner

Tweedle:

James Milner Born on 04/01/1986 - Made EPL Debut aged 16 years 311 days

Aaron Lennon Born 16/04/1987 - Made EPL debut aged 16 years 129 days.

I'd like to add that Milner came into a far more stable team, at the beginning of the financial crisis - Lennon appeared when Leeds were already relegated.

@ Kimbo

It's all opinion - it a feeling you get watching a player - regardless of stats. You feel the same way about N'Zogbia.

I dont get why a player has to have an X factor to be considered great.

What was Beckhams x factor in his best days at utd? his crossing? hardly x factor stuff, but then still, highly effective.

Lennon's good, and its understandable that theres alot of hype sorrounding him at the moment, simply because of the teasing glimpses we got of him at the world cup. But can he be just as effective over 90 minutes?

Milner has experience on his side. He was excellent at Leeds in a young team, as well as at Newcastle. And i believe that O Neill shud build their team around someone like him to be successful.

@ What hype?

his unpredictability and ability to create something out of nothing is an x factor . Look! i am an arsenal fan, so i have no reason to hype him up and i am not using his WC performances to judge him.

We played against a lot of good wingers in last years CL and flamini didn't have a bad game untill he came up against lennon who ripped him apart at highbury. Before that , i remember him doing the same to many players he came up against.Players such as him are widely respected these days because team tactics have improved, defending have improved, no one plays naively anymore ,as a result teams most of the times end up neutralising each other so u need players like him to decide matches just like he twice nearly did against portugal or henry against madrid or dinho against chelsea( BTW: i am by no means putting him on the level of those players)

No doubt Lennon will find it tougher this season now that teams will double up on the kid now: Milner has that added experience and has had a few successful seasons now, so Lennon must follow suit and should try and make an even bigger impact.

I agree with Aby Gooner though- he has torn fullbacks apart in a manner not seen by an english winger in a long while. The comparisons with Arjen Robben have to be there- both even have a similar odd running style: all limp wrists and hips...

And although just a friendly, I'll never forget the first start Lennon made against Belarus in that England B game where they had something like SEVEN different players try and mark him after he had left the full back sent off for a number of lunges trying to stop him, and then he went on to skin the others so many times I'd lost count. It was embarrassing.