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Joe Willock


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33 minutes ago, Wilson said:

 

It wasn't that though, he was just genuinely lazy in the first half.  At one point Longstaff busted a gut to cover him while he was swanning about.  Don't want to go in too hard on him as he get much better but he deserved a kick up the arse. 

Agree, first half was the weakest link. Looked disinterested and shirked a couple of 50/50. He's quite passive it seems but when the game stretches he comes into his own. he'd be the one to give way for me if we upgraded. Impact Sub.

 

 

Edited by Oregon_Geordie

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I was really angry with Willock first half. I was in the Millburn paddock nearest Howe and there were a couple of times he clearly didn't want the ball and wasn't pulling his weight. No idea why, but it wasn't good. However he was much improved second half. Clearly a good player, especially when the game opens up and he can use his pace. Reminds me a lot of Keiron Dyer.

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8 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Surprising how sad he looked when coming off. Looked really depressed I thought.

Seems desperate for a goal or assist and he was probably pissed off with that really wayward shot.

 

Hope it doesn't affect him though, it'll come and he'll probably play worse than he has so far this season and score.

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Think he’s really coming alive again, he’s doing things I’ve never really seen from him and he’s playing far more the role of an all action box to box playmaker too (his Wilson ball, his Joelinton ball) where as before he was really a dribbling counter attacking midfielder. He’s improved immensely each game and he’s got his swagger and confidence back (Minus his shooting). 

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16 hours ago, Chris_R said:

I was really angry with Willock first half. I was in the Millburn paddock nearest Howe and there were a couple of times he clearly didn't want the ball and wasn't pulling his weight. No idea why, but it wasn't good. However he was much improved second half. Clearly a good player, especially when the game opens up and he can use his pace. Reminds me a lot of Keiron Dyer.

I was right behind the dugout and saw the same - he looked unbothered and Howe was fuming

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3 hours ago, Myleftboot said:

Got a feeling he’ll be sold to a team back down south next season. Wouldn’t want him to though as I like him. Sure he had a hand in 3 goals yesterday.

I'm not holding it against him as I believe he's giving it a good go, but I suspect he's protesting a bit too much about now being happy and settled up here. Time will tell, hopefully it all works out for everyone.

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21 hours ago, joeyt said:

Interesting that he played a lot of the first half on the wing with Joelinton in the centre. Thought he was fine again today

The whole team looked much better when they swapped to this I think. 

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This lad is hopefully next on the shortlist to be “Howed”. I’m not really seeing this resurgence some are claiming and for me his position is the one I’d most look to upgrade in January. He’s still miles from the form he had in that run in under Bruce when he kept us up with his goals. Hopefully Howe is working on making him a more effective midfield force. There’s something there, but he’s far too often still a weak link for me.

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10 minutes ago, Unbelievable said:

This lad is hopefully next on the shortlist to be “Howed”. I’m not really seeing this resurgence some are claiming and for me his position is the one I’d most look to upgrade in January. He’s still miles from the form he had in that run in under Bruce when he kept us up with his goals. Hopefully Howe is working on making him a more effective midfield force. There’s something there, but he’s far too often still a weak link for me.

 

I think he's twice the player he was under Bruce. He's just not getting the goals.

 

He's being asked to do a helluva lot more donkey work than Bruce did, that means a hard press. I thought prior to the villa game that he had been one of our best players.

 

I think it's clear he is right in the middle of a formative stage in his career. He will either bounce through this and become a real top midfielder or he will lose focus and be another average midfielder at someone like Palace or Everton.

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I really like him and he does a lot of stuff that I think goes unnoticed.  But as others have mentioned, the game does seem to pass him by at times and he was lazy early on.  It was noticeable when everybody else is tearing about the pitch like wild dogs.  But Willock is ball watching or jogging towards players to close them down.  

 

I'd just been saying he was tossing it off and not putting a shift in.  Before he then smashed into someone to win it back, followed 30 seconds later by some mad slight tackle where he seemed to win it with his knee :lol: sorry Joe.  I shouldn't have doubted you. 

 

He offers something different, is deceptively quick and direct and he played a big part in the first and third goals.  His style just seems to suggest he is a confidence player and at times, it is like he isn't backing himself or he is wanting too long to make a decision.  

 

I found the below interesting:

 

 

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I just wish we had the player that did what he does and scores, all for people who currently work for the system and work hard/are athletic are fantastic but have a "for now" hovering over them for me as we hopefully move on to players who do that and contribute to the goal tally. 

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I like the lad but I still don’t think he imposes himself enough on games and often takes too long to get into games. Realistically where we’re going I see us upgrading the midfield which will most likely include a better, more more creative and prolific goal scoring midfield option to Willock. I can see him staying as a squad player but a starter moving forwards, no. 


Howe does seem to have an amazing effect on players though so we’ll see…..

 

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