Joe Willock

[Tiotes Witch Doctor]

This guy has been this seasons Kenedy, he's offered nothing all season and was hopeless yesterday.

 

Certainly doesn't strike me as a CM though, didn't look comfortable at all, not writing him off completely but he's been extremely disappointing, hopefully EH has a plan for him.

[et tu brute]

8 hours ago, TheGuv said:

Fair point. Hopefully we can see just 50% of what he offered last season. I’m sure Howe will get him back to his best. 
 

Agreed we can’t rely on Hayden - perhaps Longstaff may also improve? 
 

Pretty clear we need two centre midfielders, full backs and one centre half minimum. 

 

Defensive and creative midfielder (Howe seems to think that maybe could be Shelvey though), with the only difference I have I think we need a striker, as Wilson's injury record suggets he will miss another part of the season.  

[Lush Vlad]

I didn’t think he was as bad as some made out. I actually thought he looked lively getting forward, on and off the ball. He has the energy and speed to press high and even though Shelvey was much improved. It still felt like he was doing a lot of Shelvey’s running and work. 
 

Watching the highlights back. He did get caught on the ball in some bad areas. 
 

Hardly been in the team this season and was struggling with an injury early on. I think he’ll be an important player in Howe’s set up. 
 

EDIT: Where in Howe’s set up remains to be seen. Perhaps in a midfield 3 or than likely further forward if we were to play the 4-2-3-2/4-4-1-1.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by Lush Vlad

[HaydnNUFC]

2 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

I didn’t think he was as bad as some made out. I actually thought he looked lively getting forward, on and off the ball. He has the energy and speed to press high and even though Shelvey was much improved. It still felt like he was doing a lot of Shelvey’s running and work. 
 

Watching the highlights back. He did get caught on the ball in some bad areas. 
 

Hardly been in the team this season and was struggling with an injury early on. I think he’ll be an important player in Howe’s set up. 

 

Same. He was afforded more space yesterday by Maxi being out wide as he drags players out to him. He just needs more confidence and belief in himself as we all know he has the ability. 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by HaydnNUFC

[Consortium of one]

I think he works better in a midfield three, playing more advanced and allowed to roam.  Then he can press a little higher or cut out passing lanes.  He's not a true midfield defender.

[TRon]

11 minutes ago, Consortium of one said:

I think he works better in a midfield three, playing more advanced and allowed to roam.  Then he can press a little higher or cut out passing lanes.  He's not a true midfield defender.

 

He doesn't need to be, but if you are going to play in central midfield, you have to be prepared to do the dirty work as well. Howe wants to play a pressing game, it won't work if every player isn't doing it. 

[STM]

He needs to change his hair, as I was constantly confusing him for ASM.

[Pilko]

2 minutes ago, STM said:

He needs to change his hair, as I was constantly confusing him for ASM.

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He seems to be off balance and stumbling a lot at the moment, might be fitness related. Doesn't have a sureness of touch when he gets the ball. 

 

Hope he can improve though, on paper he should be the best option we have.

[Menace]

This guys been getting away with murder, he's horrid 

[toon25]

Not a central midfielder. Needs to be playing further up the pitch

[Chris_R]

Yeah he did well for us last year but he was basically playing as a 10 then. He's not a central midfielder.

[TRon]

Didn't think he was that bad today tbh, he was involved a lot more than the last couple of games. But him and Shelvey are never going to work as a pairing. We need a bit more steel in there, Willock was nicking the ball quite skilfully a few times, but he doesn't relish the phsyical battles, saw him pull out of one 50-50 at least.

[andyc35i]

I thought he was good today and don’t get the hate. He broke up play quite well in the first half and made a few runs to carry the ball in the last minutes. By all means he made a few poor decisions and touches, but he contributed far more than Shelvey and a lot of others in the team today

[nufcjb]

Is shit. 

 

Brings nothing to the team right now apart from fouling opponents.

 

Hayden in his place to win the balls back. And let Shelvey do the passing. This lad has been Bruced.

[bowlingcrofty]

He’s a bit like a poor Kevin Nolan. Decent at finishing chances but a pretty limited all round game.

[MarkyMark]

The only way Willock becomes useful again is if there’s a lockdown.  Lad clearly drops his arse in front of a crowd.  Classic ‘must be great on the training ground’ type.  Offers absolutely nothing, Arsenal pulled Bruce’s pants down.

 

Does make you wonder what would have happened if Shola played in the time of COVID.  Probably would have broke Dixie Dean’s record. 

[Jaqen]

1 hour ago, MarkyMark said:

The only way Willock becomes useful again is if there’s a lockdown.  Lad clearly drops his arse in front of a crowd.  Classic ‘must be great on the training ground’ type.  Offers absolutely nothing, Arsenal pulled Bruce’s pants down.

 

Does make you wonder what would have happened if Shola played in the time of COVID.  Probably would have broke Dixie Dean’s record. 

 

Think it's a lot more that he's just not suited to a 2 man midfield like that. Needs 2 behind him really and playing alot more advanced. 

 

Arsenal spent the summer assembling a young squad and we're happy to ship him out pretty easily so they probably don't rate him much. Early days but I don't think he'll turn out to be the success we hoped for here. We need Hayden back in there if we are going to paly this kinda system.

[TRon]

5 hours ago, bowlingcrofty said:

He’s a bit like a poor Kevin Nolan. Decent at finishing chances but a pretty limited all round game.

 

He's nothing like Kevin Nolan, he's miles quicker and that alone makes him more suitable for the modern game. I thought he was one of our better players today tbh. 

[Thiago]

He definitely seemed a more impactful player last season, even outside of his goals. He wasn't an all-rounder per-se, but I thought his ability to carry it and press were impressive strings to his bow.

 

Right now, my big concern is how we accommodate him long term because we've got all our good players at the top end of the pitch (Dubravka aside). It's nice to have depth, but I can see Eddie Howe persisting with Willock in a CM role even though I don't believe that allows him much opportunity to crash into the box.

[Aiston]

Not sure what Howe wants him to do in a CM with Shelvey, he has to be further forward surely.

 

Leaves us with no cover for the defence with Shelvey and Willock and Willock isn't really the player to pass the ball well or create chances or defend.

[Amir_9]

3 hours ago, MarkyMark said:

The only way Willock becomes useful again is if there’s a lockdown.  Lad clearly drops his arse in front of a crowd.  Classic ‘must be great on the training ground’ type.  Offers absolutely nothing, Arsenal pulled Bruce’s pants down.

 

Does make you wonder what would have happened if Shola played in the time of COVID.  Probably would have broke Dixie Dean’s record. 

 

He scored in both the final two games last year with fans back - Sheff Utd. + Fulham

 

Don't think crowd has anything to do with it. I think he's a confidence player and I am not sure if he has the mentality to get himself back in form right now especially with him being young and the collective situation being dogshit this season in terms of club's form and position, but I do believe once he scores another goal he'll be back showing a bit of what we saw last year again.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Amir_9

[Beth]

Too soon to write him off yet but he cannot play effectively in a 2 man central midfield, thats for certain.

[Kanj]

His fitness and confidence seem shot. 

[Lush Vlad]

On 27/11/2021 at 16:30, TRon said:

Didn't think he was that bad today tbh, he was involved a lot more than the last couple of games. But him and Shelvey are never going to work as a pairing. We need a bit more steel in there, Willock was nicking the ball quite skilfully a few times, but he doesn't relish the phsyical battles, saw him pull out of one 50-50 at least.

 

There were hardly any players that I'd say played well.  But coming reading other fans views, I found it strange that Willock seemed to be getting the most flak, bar maybe Lascelles and Ritchie.  I thought bar him bottling some challenges, the one with White being the worst.  I was impressed with his workrate and also his drive, when he did get the chance to get on the ball.

 

I might be wrong.  But it feels like he set the bar so high at the end of last season, that plenty are expecting too much of him.  We have far worse players than Willock and bigger problems (I don't think he is a problem, FWIW). 

 

That midfield two against a possession based team, with much more talented players, was always going to struggle.  Perhaps needed the legs of someone like Almiron in front, or someone to actually sit a bit deeper and break up play, like Hayden, to go with them.