TheBrownBottle Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Just now, The Prophet said: Ended up surprisingly deep at times. Find it hard to read into performances given how much of a cakewalk it ended up being. Agreed - there’s nothing to be gained in thinking too hard about any of it. Qarabag are utter shite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilko Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Looks much more at home deeper with pace closer to him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 (edited) 6 minutes ago, HawK said: Off the ball perhaps but he was definitely ahead of Willock and Tonali in possession I thought. He dropped back a couple of times to move their players about to make spaces that map is the average position of their touches on the field, so it’s entirely in possession. But even out of possession he dropped back into the flat 5 like he did at the weekend against Villa. the left sided centre mid (Joelinton, Willock) is nearly always more advanced than the right sided one (Longstaff, Bruno) in Howe’s 4-3-3. The main times he played on the last line were when we wanted to launch it long from the back and needed an aerial presence, just like we do with Joelinton. It’s good. If we can fit him in the existing setup as a more creative but perhaps less athletic Joelinton then it’s exactly what we need for certain games. Edited February 18 by Smal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fak Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 3 minutes ago, Pilko said: Looks much more at home deeper with pace closer to him. I've always said that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 11 minutes ago, Smal said: he didn’t play as a number 10. He played as an 8 in our usual 4-3-3 (again) Wish they'd have him push up more, even if it's in this same shape. Thought he was good tonight, but would be a lot more dangerous a bit further up, in more of a classic 10 position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack14Bojangles Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 17 minutes ago, KetteringMag said: To be fair whatever opposition you watch him against he always has 3 men on him , must be really difficult And in doing so, he creates space for Barnes and Gordon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack14Bojangles Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 I definitely like the system we played against Aston Villa and today. We have real attacking strength and are finally playing vertically. I really like Wolte in that position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 He's a striker for me, not a midfielder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KetteringMag Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 10 minutes ago, Jack14Bojangles said: And in doing so, he creates space for Barnes and Gordon. Saturday will be a test for that because City won’t be drawn to him as much Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infinitely Content Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 (edited) Definitely looks more himself now he's able to receive the ball facing the game rather than battling with centre backs which was becoming a highly frustrating watch. He produced some lovely moments tonight, and now he needs to develop his ability to make timely runs into the box and start getting on the end of moves and becoming more of a goal threat. The confidence he's gaining by seeing more of the ball should hopefully aid in this over the coming months. I used to enjoy watching Milinkovic-Savic for Serbia who was more imposing and box-to-box than Woltemade but similar in his massive frame and delicate footwork which made him a unique challenge for the opposition between the lines and he chipped in with plenty of goals over his career. Still not sure where he goes from here, whether it's like a Benzema arc whose goals dried up for a few seasons and he dropped back as a playmaker, before combining those skills with his previous finishing instincts to become a complete striker and one of the best in the world in his latter years. Edited February 18 by Infinitely Content Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlau88210 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Him playing in a midfield 3 is working very well, especially against a much weaker team tonight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUHRLYASLEEVESUP Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Does a bit surgery in his spare time the lad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Pilko said: Looks much more at home deeper with pace closer to him. Getting people around him has always been the key for me, in general the midfield to attack has felt far too disjointed most of the season. I don't particularly care how you achieve it, can be a 9 or 10 but getting the team to function as a unit is what's important. It's not only a waste of his talents to fail to do so but quite frankly it also hurts everyone around him too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexf Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 We've seen it every time he's played in that position against varying levels of opponents. But every time his little flicks and passes around corners in that position with the pace we have around him now with Gordon, Elanga, Barnes and Willock. It's a real possible source of joy for us if he can get turned and release our runners now. Compared to him playing as the highest point and turning a defender and then having to try and run the ball himself. Early days but his new system looks fruitful and certainly allows us to get better use out of Gordon and Osula as Pacey runners further forward to chase and close down. Also means Elanga is getting more minutes to develop and improve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Duper Branko Strupar Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Touch of class this lad. He was asked to do a job when he came in and he did it admirably, but his game is glaringly obvious and I'm certain that's not lost on Howe. Barnes' second against Benfica is exactly how he's meant to work and the wingers have failed him a bit in that respect imo. I'm delighted he's purposefully been given a deeper role recently and if we'd had more options up front I think he'd have been there sooner. Put others around him that are firing and he'll be devastating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toon25 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Hoping he'll be moved a little further up the pitch in due course, although his deeper playmaking skills are sorely needed with Bruno out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dokko Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 i thought he played well last night, and hope to see him for the rest of the season with someone infront of him. What do the stats say? I know a few on here were calling him a ghost, but I saw a lot of link up play and him getting the ball forward and out of mid. Probably a little too deep, but if thats needed to get him involved then so be it. He's easily our most technical competent player, and can walk a ball out of tight situations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stottie Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I love Wolte, I think he's great. I read that Liverpool have bulked up Wirtz since he arrived. Since Nick does not have pace he might lose, a bit more meat on him might make defenders have to pull on him harder and hold him in a more blatant way than they are currently doing. The PL can afford the biggest and fastest players as his opponents, so there is no shame in him taking a while to really shine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
huss9 Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 he already seems stronger. able to hold his own a lot more than he was earlier in the season. he is a magnet for the opposition though - always 2 or 3 on him immediately. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponsaelius Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I'm not convinced by him but getting him deeper for a little bit is probably the right idea to take some of the pressure off him and get him more involved in games. We also need that creativity and assuredness with the ball with Bruno out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1pe Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Not sure I agree with that as the eye test suggests otherwise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Formations are vastly overemphasised in general anyway. It’s much more about how and where the players are told to move when the ball is in various places. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 (edited) 45 minutes ago, St1pe said: Not sure I agree with that as the eye test suggests otherwise. the eye test doesn’t suggest otherwise though though. If you watch the Villa game where they had some settled possession, Woltemade was part of the flat midfield 5 when we switch to a mid/low block. Exactly the same as when Joelinton or anyone else plays there. When we have settled possession Woltemade is playing between the lines from the left of a midfield 3, just as when anyone else plays there. It’s exactly the same system. Banging my head against a wall when people keep saying the system has changed/we’ve gone 4-2-3-1 . Just look at where Ramsey vs Villa or Willock vs Qarabag played, they get into the same high positions as Woltemade does, just from the other side. They aren’t playing as part of a midfield 2 at all. We played a 4-2-3-1 against Bournemouth I think in January and that looked very different. The question long term is whether he’s athletic enough to play the role. For some reason he looks like he has a hell of a lot more stamina as a central midfielder than he does as a striker though, I guess it’s just from not having to sprint to lead the press as often. Edited February 19 by Smal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Enjoyed Howe prickling at the question. The guy believes in his preferred system so much and is obviously very satisfied at watching it working again. 4-3-fucking-3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1pe Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 51 minutes ago, Smal said: the eye test doesn’t suggest otherwise though though. If you watch the Villa game where they had some settled possession, Woltemade was part of the flat midfield 5 when we switch to a mid/low block. Exactly the same as when Joelinton or anyone else plays there. When we have settled possession Woltemade is playing between the lines from the left of a midfield 3, just as when anyone else plays there. It’s exactly the same system. Banging my head against a wall when people keep saying the system has changed/we’ve gone 4-2-3-1 . Just look at where Ramsey vs Villa or Willock vs Qarabag played, they get into the same high positions as Woltemade does, just from the other side. They aren’t playing as part of a midfield 2 at all. We played a 4-2-3-1 against Bournemouth I think in January and that looked very different. The question long term is whether he’s athletic enough to play the role. For some reason he looks like he has a hell of a lot more stamina as a central midfielder than he does as a striker though, I guess it’s just from not having to sprint to lead the press as often. All fair points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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