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Matt Targett set to miss remainder of season with hamstring injury (Howe)


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He may be a mackem, but he does know his stuff - and I've always agreed with Jonathan Wilson's take on the unrecognised importance of full backs (he voiced that if you want to know who is likely to win a World Cup, look for the team with the best full backs).

 

A player of Trippier's quality on the left would make a massive difference for next season - someone like Lodi would certainly represent that.  Like most on here, I think Targett has done a cracking job; but if we don't sign him, I'm assuming it is because Howe has his sights set elsewhere, and I'll trust his judgement on this one.  This doesn't mean I'd be disappointed if Targett walked back through the doors though.

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41 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

He may be a mackem, but he does know his stuff - and I've always agreed with Jonathan Wilson's take on the unrecognised importance of full backs (he voiced that if you want to know who is likely to win a World Cup, look for the team with the best full backs).

 

A player of Trippier's quality on the left would make a massive difference for next season - someone like Lodi would certainly represent that.  Like most on here, I think Targett has done a cracking job; but if we don't sign him, I'm assuming it is because Howe has his sights set elsewhere, and I'll trust his judgement on this one.  This doesn't mean I'd be disappointed if Targett walked back through the doors though.

 

 

 

Seems like a decent price for his quality as a rotational player but he may have politely declined that role. I'd love him back also.

 

 

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3 hours ago, McDog said:

 

 

 

Seems like a decent price for his quality as a rotaional player but he may have politely declined that role. I'd love him back also.

 

 

I imagine this is it. He wanted to leave Villa as soon as they were interested in Digne.

 

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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He was definitely just talking about wanting to stay when he said that. Not about wanting to be first choice, I don’t think anyone expects to be first choice at our club. 

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I mean if he found out we were going out to specifically buy a more attackinh player in his position as a priority he may have changed his mind though, it's exactly what happened at Villa. 

 

It might just be that Howe has decided against the move but it's hard to imagine the logic behind it given how much of a bargain he is at £15m. Even if we're moving more towards wing-backs we could do with a defensively solid fullback on each side.

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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As someone who fondly wore Enriqué 3 on the back of our Championship banana-top, I think this lad has been the best left-back we've had in my living memory. Make of that what you will, i.e. our quality in that position over the years really hasn't been great, featuring such gems as Babayaro and Dummett as regulars. I only remember back as far as Beresford and then Pearce, but I don't recall any of our left backs as good off the ball offensively, or as good at striking the ball as Targett. Bernard and Domi were decent, but they were ball carriers rather than playmakers, and defensively they were average. I can't easily compare Targett to anyone we've had in that position before, other than my old favourite player Enriqué defensively. Offensively he's been a revelation, let alone the added threat from set pieces he brings. With him as our left back, we were in Champions League form without even having a decent striker. Then there's his personality, which is absolutely spot on.

 

I think any other 'better' left back is just unnecessary at the moment when we have other positions that are more pressing - cover/competition for Wilson, a starting right-sided attacker, a world-class centre back and a proper link-up player in the middle. We need to spend wisely and imo the wise choice here is to not look a gift horse in the mouth with Targett.

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9 hours ago, HawK said:

As someone who fondly wore Enriqué 3 on the back of our Championship banana-top, I think this lad has been the best left-back we've had in my living memory. Make of that what you will, i.e. our quality in that position over the years really hasn't been great, featuring such gems as Babayaro and Dummett as regulars. I only remember back as far as Beresford and then Pearce, but I don't recall any of our left backs as good off the ball offensively, or as good at striking the ball as Targett. Bernard and Domi were decent, but they were ball carriers rather than playmakers, and defensively they were average. I can't easily compare Targett to anyone we've had in that position before, other than my old favourite player Enriqué defensively. Offensively he's been a revelation, let alone the added threat from set pieces he brings. With him as our left back, we were in Champions League form without even having a decent striker. Then there's his personality, which is absolutely spot on.

 

I think any other 'better' left back is just unnecessary at the moment when we have other positions that are more pressing - cover/competition for Wilson, a starting right-sided attacker, a world-class centre back and a proper link-up player in the middle. We need to spend wisely and imo the wise choice here is to not look a gift horse in the mouth with Targett.

 

I was thinking about Enrique as well the other day, it's a good comparison as like Targett, he was a beast of a defender, maybe not outstanding going forward, but not the worst either.

 

I just think Howe's preferred method of play is going to be based on marauding full backs who can overlap the wide players, and that's not really Targett's game no matter what other qualities he has. It's purely a stylistic decision IMO.

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10 hours ago, HawK said:

As someone who fondly wore Enriqué 3 on the back of our Championship banana-top, I think this lad has been the best left-back we've had in my living memory. Make of that what you will, i.e. our quality in that position over the years really hasn't been great, featuring such gems as Babayaro and Dummett as regulars. I only remember back as far as Beresford and then Pearce, but I don't recall any of our left backs as good off the ball offensively, or as good at striking the ball as Targett. Bernard and Domi were decent, but they were ball carriers rather than playmakers, and defensively they were average. I can't easily compare Targett to anyone we've had in that position before, other than my old favourite player Enriqué defensively. Offensively he's been a revelation, let alone the added threat from set pieces he brings. With him as our left back, we were in Champions League form without even having a decent striker. Then there's his personality, which is absolutely spot on.

 

I think any other 'better' left back is just unnecessary at the moment when we have other positions that are more pressing - cover/competition for Wilson, a starting right-sided attacker, a world-class centre back and a proper link-up player in the middle. We need to spend wisely and imo the wise choice here is to not look a gift horse in the mouth with Targett.

Don't think Targett matches peak Enrique for us, like, even on a very good day. At his best pretty much nothing got past Enrique whatsoever, whereas we were able to observe Targett's limitations more in games against the top six teams, particularly when it comes to pace.

 

Describing him as a revelation offensively is also going way over the top, it's the solidity and composure he brought to the left hand side which was so valuable for us in the second half of the season. Offensively he was merely okay imo, and it looks like that may be why we are now weighing up our options.

 

 

Edited by Barnes23

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Hes a solid set piece taker but he is definitely not as strong offensively. I rated Bernard and Enrique higher than him personally. 

 

Targett reminds me of Jetro Williams. Not in terms of his playing style but we all wanted them to stay after their successful spell. Jetro potentially with some coaching could have been fantastic. Instead he had cabbage head.

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I've just deleted a post and, on reflection I should've left it in. 

 

Along the lines of..... "As likeable as Targett is, he's no Irving Nattress..............#oldbastard"

 

 

Posted it then remembered.

Yeah, Niall, he's no Irving fucking Nattress because Nattress was a fucking RIGHT back you cunt. 

 

Obvs, said in my head like cos she's still in bed ?️??

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Offensively Targett is fine, it's certainly not a glaring detriment to his game as a 'traditional fullback' or whatever they are these days. Modern marauding fullbacks are an obvious area managers can exploit and it would be handy to have someone like Targett around for when we're inevitably getting rinsed down the wings in some games. Or for matches when shutting out their right side makes more sense than trying to run riot down our left.

 

I know Dummett can fill that role but Targett does everything he does and more, so it's canny irritating, and I've noshed Dummett off for years [emoji38]

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Guest HTT II
11 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

Nicked from Twitter.

 

Am I missing something here or does this show that Targett is overall the solid option?

 

 

6427F0BB-7D70-419A-BED6-A5880EE95DD6.png

Let's have a look at what you could have won

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24 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

Nicked from Twitter.

 

Am I missing something here or does this show that Targett is overall the solid option?

 

 

6427F0BB-7D70-419A-BED6-A5880EE95DD6.png

https://fbref.com/en/stathead/player_comparison.cgi?request=1&sum=0&comp_type=by_type&dom_lg=1&spec_comps=big_5&player_id1=ed9f7cfe&p1yrfrom=2021-2022&player_id2=e514ab62&p2yrfrom=2021-2022

 

Lodi started less than half of the games he was involved in so it's difficult to gauge (Target player 87 minutes per match, Lodi 41), but watching both of them it's clear Lodi is a much bigger attacking threat.

 

Even so if you click 'Toggle per 90' above each of the tables Lodi is still close, or better, offensively in many areas despite his data per game being essentially halved (this can be a possitive or a negative but I imagine players playing a full 90 will get more actions per minute than one being used sporadically - unless they're a super sub).

 

If I've gotten this wrong then by all means someone who actually knows what they're talking about correct me [emoji38]

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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On 01/06/2022 at 18:00, HawK said:

As someone who fondly wore Enriqué 3 on the back of our Championship banana-top, I think this lad has been the best left-back we've had in my living memory. Make of that what you will, i.e. our quality in that position over the years really hasn't been great, featuring such gems as Babayaro and Dummett as regulars. I only remember back as far as Beresford and then Pearce, but I don't recall any of our left backs as good off the ball offensively, or as good at striking the ball as Targett. Bernard and Domi were decent, but they were ball carriers rather than playmakers, and defensively they were average. I can't easily compare Targett to anyone we've had in that position before, other than my old favourite player Enriqué defensively. Offensively he's been a revelation, let alone the added threat from set pieces he brings. With him as our left back, we were in Champions League form without even having a decent striker. Then there's his personality, which is absolutely spot on.

I always felt Robbie Elliott was better than all of them, tbh.  Cracking left foot too - scored more from full back than anyone I've seen in B&W

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I will repeat until beaten with a shitty stick: Lodi is no great shakes, have watched him carefully since we were linked and he hasn´t had a good season in La Liga. Can´t say before this year, although he did play a few times as centre back (gives cover I suppoose).

Would rather go for the man city full back, or nick tariq lamtey (does he play left hand side?)...

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