Joe Willock has not trained yet but is making 'good progress' (Howe)

[Hanshithispantz]

He's in he 98th percentile for tackles in the final third. He's got a very athletic build and doesn't look imposing but his athleticism enables him to win the ball a lot (especially against defenders) without necessarily being a defensive powerhouse.

[Kid Icarus]

1 hour ago, Lush Vlad said:

I love him. He’s possibly my favourite player, TBH. But I think whilst he gets about and pressures well. He’s never going to go crunching into tackles and often feels like he shirks challenges at times. 
 

Not even a massive criticism, plenty of players do that from kids football up to the top. 

He definitely doesn't go crunching into tackles, but now that you mention that, it's just dawned on me that all of our players rarely do that, it's nigh on always standing tackles unless they're really stretched.

[Gate4]

I on the other hand, struggle to understand what the hell it is you guys love about this guy. He offers almost nothing on the field. Watching the first half today and he was literally the only player on the team not participating in play at all.

 

He is not a winger. He is not a creative midfielder. He creates nothing. He doesn't offer anything special defensively either. Like others say, what even is his position? Joelinton is better than him at everything.

 

If we sign another quality midfielder and a winger, does he ever start? No. Ok, then what would his role be? What does he offer?

 

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Gate4

[ElDiablo]

Would like to see him in the right of midfield. Think he'd work well with Migs and Trippier and get into a lot more dangerous positions. He's hampered a bit by playing with Burn/Joelinton.

[Adam]

He is a different player to Joelinton though. Carries the ball really well, has serious pace that causes teams problems and gets us up the pitch. Wins the ball and presses very well. You could argue no one today really "created" anything, but thats because we play patient build up football, which Willock is great at. As for if he starts, that depends who we sign, but having him as an option in midfield is a great on to have. I fully expect him to be here for years and keep improving. 

Did you watch on TV or at SJP today? I often watch him when we play at home, his positioning is top class. He also looks like he's not trying as his strides are huge. 

[gbandit]

Genuinely don’t know how to respond to that. He consistently beats his man on the left with pace, he drives inside with his dribbling as well so he takes up really dangerous positions. He drags our team yards forward in seconds, quicker than anyone else because of his pace at running with the ball. His delivery is good but could be better at times, I think his main area to work on is being decisive about whether to take shots on himself or find someone else. He will have a class second half of the season I’m sure of it 

[biggmarket]

Doing well and has loads of potential, certainly keep him in and around the squad for the next few seasons and see how he develops.

[Gate4]

Don't mean to shit on him but you guys really need to adjust your standards to that of a top team. Which one of the big clubs you think would sign him? Even for the bench.

 

It's not that he doesn't have any quality. Yeah, he has moments of quality on the ball. But he often spends whole halves (if not whole matches like today) being invisible.

 

But his biggest problem is he doesn't fit any role very well. He's not a midfielder especially for a possession team. He doesn't participate in moving the ball around like a Bruno. He doesn't even do what Joelinton and Longstaff do. He is not a creative AM.

 

And then going forward he's not a pure winger, he doesn't offer what an ASM or Almiron do. He's not a striker, he's not a SS , he's not a false 9, he's not a 10. What is he exactly?

 

Again, not saying he's of no quality but he just doesn't do anything good enough for me or fill any specific role well enough to be starting for a top team in a top league.

[Kid Icarus]

We are a top team and he's performing in that team, what standards are there to adjust? People said the same thing about Henderson and Wijnaldum for Liverpool, who imo would take him in an instant as the latter's replacement. He's a carrier, brilliant at the press, and a goal threat. He doesn't need to be anybody else, who he is and who he can go on to be (he's only 23 remember) is just fine.

[Adam]

That's another shit take on one of our most consistent performers. I'm not sure what games you've been watching to think he doesn't create, he doesn't keep the ball or win the ball back like Joelinton or Longstaff. Just because a player isn't getting the ball or isn't winning a tackle doesn't mean they do nothing. Could we get a "better" player, probably, would they cover all the areas Willock covers maybe not. We'd all love a team of international super stars, but that isn't going to happen in a hurry for a number of reasons, and for someone who doesn't fit any role, he's done amazingly well at it. No one on the forum is content with our team or the standards we set, but shitting on player with moronic posts about roles, whats the point? 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Also, didn't he burst down the left and created a good chance in the first half? Bit strange to say he didn't participate 

 

I really like him, seems like a likeable kid and is really growing in this side. The fact he isn't just a specialist in one thing is why he works in this team and why he's an important part of it

 

You could get someone that's better at tackling than him but then you lose that flexibility of him and Joelinton seamlessly swapping positions. That must be a nightmare for the opposition to deal with. 

 

It provides us with a very different threat down then left in comparison to the right, which is more controlled and relies on slick passing and movement. 

 

Basically, he's playing very well and long may it continue. 

[Gate4]

What threat did he present today? Are you guys serious? Yeah no shit he did a couple of runs, he played on an attacking position on a top team, THAT'S THE BARE MINIMUM.

 

Again, the point is not that he is shit. It's just that you guys have set the bar incredibly low. This is something very commonly seen when a club goes from not seriously competing for a time to suddenly mixing it up at the top of the table. It takes a while for people to adjust their standards.

 

You're also ignoring my questions. What is his position? Who would sign him right now. And I'm sorry but comparing him to Wijnaldum is bizzare, how are they anything alike or anywhere near playing the same position?

 

I'm not asking you guys to admit he is shit and I am not saying that. My point is that it's really strange to me how he is so "loved". 

 

And again about standards, I am judging Willock as a starter in a top team of a top league. Not completely outside of context. 

[Geordie Ahmed]

This season he's grown more and more into the team as the season has went on

 

He's second behind Trippier for Big Chances created

 

He's 4th for chances created with 17, ahead of him is Bruno with 18, Joelinton with 19 and then Trippier way ahead with 51

 

So this is that he does nothing is clearly not true

[Lush Vlad]

He fits the system and Howe regularly praises him for his tactical understanding of the game. He does still need to improve and can be frustrating. In time, I’m sure we will replace him as a regular starter.
 

But I really like what he brings and Howe seems to trust him. Which is good enough for me.

Can’t have a team of superstars and we have shown that it is more about the system and the right personalities with us and players that fit.

 

You could say. A bit like Arsenal:

 

On 03/01/2023 at 21:48, Gate4 said:

Arsenal is actually proof that you don't need to sign superstars to contend for the top spots in the league. Just need to add some quality. Xhaka, Odegaard and Zintchenko are exactly that, quality but no where near 100mil superstars.

 

[gbandit]

Just on that note, Odegaard is quite clearly a superstar. He’s one of the best players in the league 

[Lush Vlad]

9 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Just on that note, Odegaard is quite clearly a superstar. He’s one of the best players in the league 

True. That is a bad example from Gate4. But when you go through their team. It’s not like necessarily individually they would get in ahead of players at City or Man U, probably not even Liverpool or Spurs for some positions. Or that they look outstanding all the while as an individual. 
 

But they are greater than the sum of their parts and all contribute massively to what Arteta wants. 
 

[Shearergol]

16 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Just on that note, Odegaard is quite clearly a superstar. He’s one of the best players in the league 

 

He's one of the best players in Europe, and would cost more than £100m to sign him. It was a bizarre example.

[Kid Icarus]

Aye Odegaard's unreal, I didn't expect it to be that player that would be unlocked like. I was expecting someone maybe nearer De Jong or even Rakatic or Modric, he's much more skillful and attacking than I was expecting.

[The Prophet]

Joe Willock has been excellent this season. He's one of the key cogs of our high press and is great at nicking the ball back (see out opener v Leicester). He's also really smart with the ball at his feet. I can't find the stat at the moment but he's one of the best players in the league for accurate passes in the final third. So he's also press proof himself.

 

His relationship with Joe down the left has looked decent and allows him to use his pace and athleticism.

 

My one gripe would be that his end product could be better, but that applies to most of our midfield.

[Kid Icarus]

Considering he's a 23 year old who looks like he'll only get better, I don't think this is 'setting the bar low'

 

[Elliottman]

I feel like I wasn't even online much during the match yesterday but between kick off and this morning I've read 

 

'Wilson needs phased out, hasn't been the same since he had Covid'

'Drawcastle'

Maxi getting hammered 

'Willock offers almost nothing on the field'

 

Staggering to think we're sitting 3rd in the league, semi final of a cup, after looking dead certs for relegation 12 months ago. Christ. 

[Smal]

12 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Considering he's a 23 year old who looks like he'll only get better, I don't think this is 'setting the bar low'

 

I think his fbref profile is in accurate in that it compares him to midfielders. He doesn’t really play in midfield for us. If you look at where he receives the ball on the field he is an attacking midfielder or shadow striker, really.

 

I like him and he’s improved a lot this season, but he needs to start scoring more goals imo.

[Kid Icarus]

15 minutes ago, Smal said:

I think his fbref profile is in accurate in that it compares him to midfielders. He doesn’t really play in midfield for us. If you look at where he receives the ball on the field he is an attacking midfielder or shadow striker, really.

 

I like him and he’s improved a lot this season, but he needs to start scoring more goals imo.

 

That's where I see him playing, but I don't think he's doing that right now like, I think you could argue that Longstaff's playing that role considering the positions he gets into to score. 

[Smal]

17 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

That's where I see him playing, but I don't think he's doing that right now like, I think you could argue that Longstaff's playing that role considering the positions he gets into to score. 

 

I’m not gonna go through all his games like, but look at his average position yesterday and against Leeds:

 

 

I do wonder whether Isak will replace him in the side.

[Kid Icarus]

Fair point well made. 

 

Weird how we seemingly avoided playing down our left yesterday.