Joe Willock

[mouldy_uk]

18 minutes ago, Holloway said:

I'm not one for defending him but if it's that evident that he could no longer give a shite about things he would surely be excluded from the match day squad?

This, I’m confident Eddie would have him in the reserves in no time at all if he was phoning it in during training. 

[TRon]

If he gets on the pitch today he needs to make an impact and make sure he doesn't give the ball away at the end of any runs up the pitch. He's getting less and less pitch time and it seems like Howe is losing trust. 

[Smal]

2 hours ago, Big River said:

enjoy the game!

can’t not read this in the stadium announcer’s voice

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

MOM so far 

[LFEE]

I mean… the same people dissed me when I told you Jacob Murphy was the boy…

 

Some players/people need a certain encouragement. Not rocket science to an adult 

[Pilko]

Seems like the shit show at Bournemouth has him right back on the fringes.

 

Feel like he's on the bench for injury or maybe saving legs late on, but not as an actual tactical option to influence a game through choice.

[Danh1]

11 hours ago, Big River said:

watch his application today during the pre match/half time drills and then please by all means, come back and defend this waste of space.

Seen the shooting drill like 5 mins before kick off and you’d think it was Heather Mills shooting.

 

It is a real shame that his time here is ending the way it is. Was class for us for a while, but been poor for so long. Injuries haven’t helped obviously, but you do sense a lack of application from him. 
 

 

[Lush Vlad]

5 minutes ago, LFEE said:

I mean… the same people dissed me when I told you Jacob Murphy was the boy…

 

Some players/people need a certain encouragement. Not rocket science to an adult 

You really enjoy being smug about stuff nobody has any recollection of on here, don’t you?  

[LFEE]

23 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

You really enjoy being smug about stuff nobody has any recollection of on here, don’t you?  

I get your point as always meant light hearted 

 

However if you are going back through ALL the posts related to Willock being in here or elsewhere I don’t recall anyone other than me supporting him… 🤷🏼‍♂️ 

 

Ive consistently said judge him after 25/26 season now he’s fit. He’s got to play his part of course but I’m not as quick as others to forget what he’s given to the team since he joined.

[gazza ladra]

There were quite a few positive comments about his first couple of appearances this season. He wasn't on the pitch long, but looked lively.

 

Maybe people saw what they wanted to see. But he was really poor against Bournemouth. Noticeably bad. And many pointed that out.

 

Still I thought he would make an appearance against USG if only to give one our midfielders a breather after the Arsenal.

 

I'm not about to rewatch the Bournemouth game, but Howe must have seen something beyond just an inability to hold on to the ball.

[OverThere]

1 hour ago, gazza ladra said:

There were quite a few positive comments about his first couple of appearances this season. He wasn't on the pitch long, but looked lively.

 

Maybe people saw what they wanted to see. But he was really poor against Bournemouth. Noticeably bad. And many pointed that out.

 

Still I thought he would make an appearance against USG if only to give one our midfielders a breather after the Arsenal.

 

I'm not about to rewatch the Bournemouth game, but Howe must have seen something beyond just an inability to hold on to the ball.

Maybe a can't be arsed attitude? That won't wash with EH. 

[Lush Vlad]

8 hours ago, LFEE said:

I get your point as always meant light hearted 

 

However if you are going back through ALL the posts related to Willock being in here or elsewhere I don’t recall anyone other than me supporting him… 🤷🏼‍♂️ 

 

Ive consistently said judge him after 25/26 season now he’s fit. He’s got to play his part of course but I’m not as quick as others to forget what he’s given to the team since he joined.

I was a fully paid up member of the Willock fan club for a long while. But I don’t think he will turn it around for us now. 
 

He should still get our support of course and I can’t really comment on the body language stuff. As he’s always been a bit like that IMO. Looking a bit huffy or down a lot of the time. 
 

I don’t think people should be forgetting how good he was under Bruce with his goals and then the decent spells under Howe. But he has genuinely had a good game for us in…… how many months? Years?! Birmingham away, perhaps? I certainly can’t remember any consistent performances or times where he was unlucky not to be playing. 
 

He has fallen further down the pecking order. It seems as if Howe is challenging him or openly criticising him in a roundabout way in press conferences. He doesn’t seem to be trusted with minutes off the bench. When’s he going to play? Domestic cups if we get an easier looking game? If two CM’s are injured at the same time for ages? I just can’t see him getting consistent minutes. 
 

Bit reductive to use the saying ‘you’re only as good as your last game.’ But there is some truth in the general gist of it. He hasn’t been good for a long time. 

[PauloGeordio]

1 hour ago, Lush Vlad said:

I was a fully paid up member of the Willock fan club for a long while. But I don’t think he will turn it around for us now. 
 

He should still get our support of course and I can’t really comment on the body language stuff. As he’s always been a bit like that IMO. Looking a bit huffy or down a lot of the time. 
 

I don’t think people should be forgetting how good he was under Bruce with his goals and then the decent spells under Howe. But he has genuinely had a good game for us in…… how many months? Years?! Birmingham away, perhaps? I certainly can’t remember any consistent performances or times where he was unlucky not to be playing. 
 

He has fallen further down the pecking order. It seems as if Howe is challenging him or openly criticising him in a roundabout way in press conferences. He doesn’t seem to be trusted with minutes off the bench. When’s he going to play? Domestic cups if we get an easier looking game? If two CM’s are injured at the same time for ages? I just can’t see him getting consistent minutes. 
 

Bit reductive to use the saying ‘you’re only as good as your last game.’ But there is some truth in the general gist of it. He hasn’t been good for a long time. 

Think he’ll be moved on in January if we can find a buyer. Definitely the summer if not.

[The College Dropout]

Him going right down in Howe’s trust ranks is all that matters. 
 

he’s in the worst position of the entire squad imo.  Even Osula is getting fairly decent minutes now. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I've never really understood what his position is because he's way too untidy to be a CM and not dangerous enough to be a forward. Maybe legs off the bench would be his role at the PL level, if he could stay sharp and ready to contribute when he came on. 

 

FWIW I thought he wasn't as bad this season as last. 

[nufcjmc]

32 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I've never really understood what his position is because he's way too untidy to be a CM and not dangerous enough to be a forward. Maybe legs off the bench would be his role at the PL level, if he could stay sharp and ready to contribute when he came on. 

 

FWIW I thought he wasn't as bad this season as last. 

Playing 115mins or so may have helped him not look as bad this season but is a story in of itself.

 

I have been a harsh critic of willock hes not physical enough to do the defensive stuff and doesn't score. Last season he enjoyed running the ball out of play alot or getting over injuries was my hazy memory of last season. He seems a confidence player who needs a consistent run of games but isn't going to displace the current 3 starters. 

 

Hes clearly now bottom of the pecking order unless there is a injury issue thats not getting spoke about hes not even been used as a rotation option. 

 

Massively hampered through injury and quality of what's in front of him which isn't his fault at all. 

 

27 next summer with 12 months on his deal at that point I already know my vote before seeing the season out is to sell and not extend.

 

Fresh start for the player and allows us to recruit for what we need in that area which for me is box to box midfielder or a goal scoring midfielder.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by nufcjmc

[Decky]

It's sad to see that his attitude is seemingly really shit now too. If you're a talented enough player in an Eddie Howe squad and have a desire to do well you will come through, the fact that he's just fallen off and now Eddie doesn't seem to trust him speaks volumes. 

 

He was class the season we finished 4th, and his loan spell too. But he's been a journeyman for two years now and I'll hold no bad feelings toward him if he left, he'll just be another guy that used to play for us. Shame really because the talent is clearly there.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by Decky

[nufcjmc]

10 minutes ago, Decky said:

It's sad to see that his attitude is seemingly really shit now too. If you're a talented enough player in an Eddie Howe squad and have a desire to do well you will come through, the fact that he's just fallen off and now Eddie doesn't seem to trust him speaks volumes. 

 

He was class the season we finished 4th, and his loan spell too. But he's been a journeyman for two years now and I'll hold no bad feelings toward him if he left, he'll just be another guy that used to play for us. Shame really because the talent is clearly there.

 

 

 

Fresh start may be what the player needs too. I hope unless fullbacks or another area of the pitch becomes more urgent we recruit in Jan even if he cant be peddled in the January window as like I say he doesn't currently deserve a new contract offer unless we trigger a year to keep his value up for the summer. 

 

If he carries on this way all season  with 12 months left its longstaff fee we are talking about at that point. 

[TRon]

3 hours ago, Lush Vlad said:

I was a fully paid up member of the Willock fan club for a long while. But I don’t think he will turn it around for us now. 
 

He should still get our support of course and I can’t really comment on the body language stuff. As he’s always been a bit like that IMO. Looking a bit huffy or down a lot of the time. 
 

I don’t think people should be forgetting how good he was under Bruce with his goals and then the decent spells under Howe. But he has genuinely had a good game for us in…… how many months? Years?! Birmingham away, perhaps? I certainly can’t remember any consistent performances or times where he was unlucky not to be playing. 
 

He has fallen further down the pecking order. It seems as if Howe is challenging him or openly criticising him in a roundabout way in press conferences. He doesn’t seem to be trusted with minutes off the bench. When’s he going to play? Domestic cups if we get an easier looking game? If two CM’s are injured at the same time for ages? I just can’t see him getting consistent minutes. 
 

Bit reductive to use the saying ‘you’re only as good as your last game.’ But there is some truth in the general gist of it. He hasn’t been good for a long time. 

 

 

This is me as well. I think he's a player with bags of ability, but he's been at two massive clubs now, and if that's not enough to make him put the work in, then what is? Just doesn't want it badly enough, and I think Howe has more or less given up on him. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't know if he has bags of ability. Not consistently anyway.

[TRon]

3 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don't know if he has bags of ability. Not consistently anyway.

 

He's shown it in flashes like with that memorable 50 yd pass with the outside of his boot to Isak, and a few jinking runs. He can play, but at this level you can't get away with turning up when you feel like it. 

[nufcjmc]

12 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don't know if he has bags of ability. Not consistently anyway.

I cant remember the game but think its the first time bruno called him willichino he juggled the ball within  his feet and nutmegged someone while being pinned in by 3 players. 

 

The hot steak goal scoring he did in his initial loan again points to the ability being there. The application, mindset,  time and circumstances has made him a shadow of his former self.

 

As I have said I see no value in giving him a new deal to see if he can be the player of 3 years ago. 

[The Prophet]

He was great in 22/23 before he picked up that achilles injury. Good ball carrier, relatively press proof and a handy burst of pace. It's a shame he's never rediscovered that whether it's due to injury or attitude. Seems a move would be best for all parties involved.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2025 by The Prophet

[Nucasol]

3 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

The hot steak goal scoring he did in his initial loan again points to the ability being there.

[TRon]

4 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

I cant remember the game but think its the first time bruno called him willichino he juggled the ball within  his feet and nutmegged someone while being pinned in by 3 players. 

 

The hot steak goal scoring he did in his initial loan again points to the ability being there. The application, mindset,  time and circumstances has made him a shadow of his former self.

 

As I have said I see no value in giving him a new deal to see if he can be the player of 3 years ago. 

 

 

This is exactly what I mean, he has shown great skill in flashes, just not any real desire or application.