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

[M1tche]

Said ages ago that he was the reason our away form fell off last season. He's running on and off the ball is hard to replace. Being that quick, running with power, while also having good technical attributes is a bit of a cheat code.

[dave s]

coming back into form with a bang. we have missed him so badly. if we can get trips, wilson fit to help rest some, and botman back next spring.. full strength if no others take an injury 🤞

[Lush Vlad]

Him coming back into the team has been just as or more important than Longstaff, IMO. 

 

I think we take for granted those driving runs that regularly get us 30-40 yards up the pitch. He makes it look effortless, just gliding about with ease. 
 

He just needs to stay fit now. Can see why Howe is being careful with him and taking him off after an hour. 

[adamjk007]

Class to see him back somewhere near to his best, he is a real asset when he's on song. Love that left hand side with big Joe, makes such a huge difference to our attacking threat.

[alexf]

I liked that moment when Isak was sprinting for the ball and then Joe came flying past and took over and then delivered a lovely cross for the Isak volley. Would have been a great counter attack goal if we finished it. 

 

Said a few weeks ago, he was coming on and making no impact because he looked scared to stretch his legs, which is the biggest part of his game. 

 

But then that moment in the Chelsea cup game where he opened up and burst forwards over a long distance, I think was a big confidence booster to him mentally and maybe helped him trust his body wasn't going to fail him again.

 

He's looked back to his old self ever since. Great asset to the team. 

[Kanj]

Happy that he now has about 2 weeks worth of training and rest to keep building the fitness and strength levels too. 
 

I was worried he was mentally cooked when he was playing earlier this season and more that we maybe lost our little Joe to too many injuries. Thankfully I was wrong. He looks sharp as he did before the injury and just flies over the pitch. 

[TRon]

29 minutes ago, alexf said:

I liked that moment when Isak was sprinting for the ball and then Joe came flying past and took over and then delivered a lovely cross for the Isak volley. Would have been a great counter attack goal if we finished it. 

 

Said a few weeks ago, he was coming on and making no impact because he looked scared to stretch his legs, which is the biggest part of his game. 

 

But then that moment in the Chelsea cup game where he opened up and burst forwards over a long distance, I think was a big confidence booster to him mentally and maybe helped him trust his body wasn't going to fail him again.

 

He's looked back to his old self ever since. Great asset to the team. 

 

One thing which has really caught the eye is the quality of his deliveries even if we aren't scoring from a lot of them. Even early on he stood one up perfectly from the left which we didn't convert because we had no one coming in at the back post. He always threatens much more than we actually get in the end result, but feels like it could easily convert to goals given a run of form from himself and other forwards. He needs to rediscover the goals, we've seen he has it in his locker.

[Adam]

Makes a huge difference with his ability to carry at pace and get up to support play. I do wonder if we will see Tonali playing that role over time, as he seems to have the legs to do it. Would hopefully give us another option if needed. 

 

This lad also needs a song, that Willockinho one never really took off. 

[Sibierski]

Guy gives us such a different dynamic in attack, which is so needed. Helps mask over lack of RW loads, but if we can get team balanced as it’s starting to look, where Tino is the RW outlet, then we could be onto something for the season till we finally address RW. 
 

Really hope he stays fit for rest of season. In form, I think he’s a player Tuchel would really like too for England as an option. 

[Stifler]

Not good enough for us, needs to be moved on.

[Ronson333]

Everyone can have a bad game, we actually looked much better when he was on the pitch.

[Crimson Cardigan]

1 minute ago, Stifler said:

Not good enough for us, needs to be moved on.

I mean, you expect knee jerking on here after a defeat, but that is next level. He’s clearly good enough for us (when fit). Bad game tonight for sure.

[Novocastrian]

He’s inconsistent, same as the team as a whole. Literally don’t know what player you are getting game from game.

[Stifler]

Just now, Crimson Cardigan said:

I mean, you expect knee jerking on here after a defeat, but that is next level. He’s clearly good enough for us (when fit). Bad game tonight for sure.

I don’t think he is.

He has always been too inconsistent.

[Holloway]

Looked a bit stoned again 

[Gallowgate Toon]

The confidence drained out of him in real-time.

[Smal]

it’s absolutely bizarre. He’s looked brilliant recently and then has a game like that where he doesn’t even look awake and can’t control the ball.

[nufcjmc]

Close control was awful and shooting was like I remember him to be, longstaff levels of shooting ability. 

 

Saying that West ham were really effective in that first half of being on top of him offering no space for him to do much. 

[CPL]

16 minutes ago, Stifler said:

Not good enough for us, needs to be moved on.

🤣🤣

[buzza]

Saying that, the ex manu defender was class tonight

[The College Dropout]

Thought he was decent and provided cohesion even if he wasn’t great on the ball. 

[Lush Vlad]

He was far from great. But we do somehow seem better when he starts games.
 

Might be coincidental and more to do with the horrendous 4-4-2 we attempted. But they got fuck all out of us down that side first half. They seemed to be creating a chance every 5 minutes and scored down our left second half. 

 

 

Edited November 25 by Lush Vlad

[NEEJ]

Played like he had his boots on the wrong feet. 

[80]

Say what you like, we looked a hell of a lot worse without him... Back to our form of a month or two ago.

[Aiston]

Poor game from him, but he is really what our midfield misses when he is playing well.