Willock - Last Night 10:19 - Sep 20 with 13645 views | calHoop | I found it quite sad watching Willock last night. I didn't see a lack of effort, just a player that looked completely bereft of anything. Maybe we haven't realised what the injuries have done to him. He didn't want to take a player on, couldn't find that slight burst of speed when turning to take him away from the tackle, Just looked completely lost, sad to see. Don't know if others think the same, I hope it's confidence. But, maybe he'll never be close to being the same player again, whether that's with us or somewhere else next season. | | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 10:22 - Sep 20 with 8343 views | MedwayR | I posted in the match thread last night: Willock looks like he’s playing for himself to me, always looking to shoot or take someone on and go for glory rather than consider if there’s a better option. | |
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Willock - Last Night on 10:22 - Sep 20 with 8342 views | TheChef | I thought last night was his best game for some time (admittedly from a low base). More willing to get involved, chase back and do the physical stuff too, so hopefully he's starting to feel more confident and trust his fitness. Onwards and upwards. | |
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Willock - Last Night on 10:23 - Sep 20 with 8325 views | HAYESBOY | Just noted on the match fred that I thought he did ok. Got fouled a lot in the first half. Some nice touches and control to retain possession. Certainly not as bad as some have commented. Same goes for Dozzell. | |
| Smells like a trout farm in here |
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Willock - Last Night on 10:25 - Sep 20 with 8305 views | calHoop |
Willock - Last Night on 10:22 - Sep 20 by TheChef | I thought last night was his best game for some time (admittedly from a low base). More willing to get involved, chase back and do the physical stuff too, so hopefully he's starting to feel more confident and trust his fitness. Onwards and upwards. |
Definitely true on that, persistent hamstring injuries generally change players more than any other, Michael Owen springs to mind more than anyone on that front. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 10:35 - Sep 20 with 8220 views | Landshark | I agree, seems a very empty player at the moment. If he was older he'd probably be considering retirement soon. It just doesn't look like football is fun for him at the moment. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 10:39 - Sep 20 with 8184 views | PhilmyRs | Like most footballers, you need minutes. If he gets some decent game time over the next 4-5 games and is still looking like this, then yeah, something is seriously wrong but just getting used to the speed of the game and your thought processes when the ball is pinged in to you takes time. Let's wait and see. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 10:43 - Sep 20 with 8138 views | SydneyRs | If his form doesn't drastically improve quite soon, I'm not sure what move he (and his dad/whoever is in his ear) is expecting to materialise. He'd be better off signing a new deal here and working his way back to form. That is if we'd even think he's worth a contract now. [Post edited 20 Sep 2023 10:44]
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Willock - Last Night on 11:00 - Sep 20 with 8031 views | MrSheen |
Willock - Last Night on 10:23 - Sep 20 by HAYESBOY | Just noted on the match fred that I thought he did ok. Got fouled a lot in the first half. Some nice touches and control to retain possession. Certainly not as bad as some have commented. Same goes for Dozzell. |
Very gradual improvement, but he seemed more willing to dart ahead of the opposition to the ball than he did against Sunderland even, where he shied away from a couple of sprints. We don't have a lot of choice but to keep trying to coax him into some confidence and form. Richards is missing and Kelman was hardly prominent when he came on - not a criticism, an observation. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:02 - Sep 20 with 8017 views | Monkey_Roots | I thought he did okay. Looked interested, and was trying things, just perhaps doesn't have the minutes behind him recently to pull off the things he was trying. We're going to have to be patient I think. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:03 - Sep 20 with 8011 views | sdm1508 |
Willock - Last Night on 10:58 - Sep 20 by connell10 | I thought he looked awful and his arse looks enormous! |
If he has been having constant hamstring issues then this might actually be true. There may have been a gym programme of improving strength in hamstring glue area to how improve durability in that area. So his arse might look bigger because it is part of a fitness regiment. Having heard Ben Williams speak wouldn't be surprised if something like this has been done to help with a persistent injury | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:07 - Sep 20 with 7993 views | Monkey_Roots |
Willock - Last Night on 11:03 - Sep 20 by sdm1508 | If he has been having constant hamstring issues then this might actually be true. There may have been a gym programme of improving strength in hamstring glue area to how improve durability in that area. So his arse might look bigger because it is part of a fitness regiment. Having heard Ben Williams speak wouldn't be surprised if something like this has been done to help with a persistent injury |
This is why Sterling never gets a hammy. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:07 - Sep 20 with 7987 views | dmm | Agree with the comments that Willock played better last night than he has done in quite a while, but of course, he started the game. Still a very long way off the player we know he can be. Also agree he needs minutes and I'm surprised he hasn't been given more time with the Development team. They play plenty of games. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:11 - Sep 20 with 7960 views | MrSheen |
Willock - Last Night on 11:02 - Sep 20 by Monkey_Roots | I thought he did okay. Looked interested, and was trying things, just perhaps doesn't have the minutes behind him recently to pull off the things he was trying. We're going to have to be patient I think. |
In the first half I was frustrated that Paal, Willock and Chair were so far apart from each other (at one point Willock complained to Chair that he didn't get a pass when there were two Swansea players between them) when their close passing had been so successful under Beale. They tried something similar in the second half, but with Field rather than Paal, and Sam can't play the ball quickly enough for it to work. Willock had just wandered over to the right to try to get something going with Smyth instead when he went off...bit of a shame as I thought it had some promise. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:18 - Sep 20 with 7921 views | gazza1 | Didnt think he did too badly.....he was OKish. Applied himself better to the way the team plays. With CW playing his 'top game' he must have confidence and bundles of it because he has the ball at his feet doing taking players on, going by them, tricking opponents, etc, etc and that is his game that we have seen him do.......sadly he does not have the confidence that he had when he was playing sooooo well. Probably replaced last night because he was tired. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:20 - Sep 20 with 7922 views | QPROslo | I thought Willock was a bit better again last night. He put in that great ball from out left which Smyth headed at goal from close in, was saved well but called offside anyway. He's not back to his very best but looked like he is at least making some progress. He played ok for 70 minutes or so. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 11:22 - Sep 20 with 7899 views | TheChef |
Willock - Last Night on 10:58 - Sep 20 by connell10 | I thought he looked awful and his arse looks enormous! |
I don't think he's too complimentary about you either | |
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Willock - Last Night on 11:24 - Sep 20 with 7885 views | connell10 |
Willock - Last Night on 11:03 - Sep 20 by sdm1508 | If he has been having constant hamstring issues then this might actually be true. There may have been a gym programme of improving strength in hamstring glue area to how improve durability in that area. So his arse might look bigger because it is part of a fitness regiment. Having heard Ben Williams speak wouldn't be surprised if something like this has been done to help with a persistent injury |
Seriously I was thinking along those lines as well, If true I hope it helps him . | |
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Willock - Last Night on 11:28 - Sep 20 with 7868 views | connell10 |
Willock - Last Night on 11:22 - Sep 20 by TheChef | I don't think he's too complimentary about you either |
I haven't got a fat arse but my stomach on the other hand is a problem area | |
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Willock - Last Night on 11:42 - Sep 20 with 7810 views | bosh67 | I think there is a really basic problem here. He has had continual hamstring injuries and they have taken their toll. Physically he doesn't trust his body and secondly it seems to have become a mental health issue. I think he looks depressed and frustrated. I feel he needs mental health counselling and perhaps 1-2-1 physical sessions to build up his belief in his body. I totally don't think he doesn't want to play or play for us. I see a player fighting internally physically and mentally. He simply does not trust his body. | |
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Willock - Last Night on 12:13 - Sep 20 with 7658 views | bongo_king | I like Willock, always have rated him as probably the most naturally gifted at the club but think he's beginning to look like a busted flush at QPR. - The injury problem speaks for itself and PBBC's lasting gift is having run him into the ground. - We know from experience we see the best of Willy when there is an Illy about and preferably in close proximity. - I think he's one of those players who, the more they are involved in the game, the better they are as a player. Basically he wants/needs touches. Last night he had 36 touches and tried 21 passes in 70 minutes, that's about 27 passes / 46 touches over 90 mins. Go back to when he was at his best i.e. the 18 months up to this time last year, the pass figure was around 40 per 90 mins and I suspect the touches close to double last nights. He was involved all the time in those days and you could see the confidence flow. I get the feeling he's holding back and the style doesn't suit him. Should he be capable of adapting to a different style? Probably yes, he's a professional footballer. Will he? Not sure. All that said I think he did ok-ish last night when he had the ball. Not great without it mind you. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 12:19 - Sep 20 with 7623 views | dannyblue | I was really pleased with Chris last night. He looked like he’d been welcomed back into the fold and he was up for the fight. His ability to receive the ball and keep it in tight situations when surrounded continues to impress. He did some work closing down too. I think with a few games to get back up to speed we might have him back. Whatever will to leave or problem with the managers seems behind him on last nights evidence and he was back committed. Agree would like to see him play closer to chair. Incidentally Chair’s work rate was phenomenal yesterday but still he took shots on rather than trusting Dykes or Smyth. He trusts ballers not grafters, he trusts Willock, so having him back should also improve Chair’s effectiveness. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 12:29 - Sep 20 with 7583 views | Antti_Heinola | I thought he had in football parlance 'a couple of nice touches' but overall, looked off the pace. The snap of pace to glide away from defenders isn't there. The confidence isn't there. Second half, one wonderful cross to Smyth and I think that was about the only time he touched the ball. Absolutely anonymous, just watching as Chair killed himself trying to make something happen. Look at the end of the game and look at who collapsed flat on their back: Chair, Field. That is commitment to the cause. Willock needs to find that, and find it quickly. | |
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Willock - Last Night on 12:43 - Sep 20 with 7510 views | joe90 | Yes, there's been some incremental improvement, but still miles off the player he once was. I noticed he'd been targeted by opposition players, I think against Ipswich and Sunderland, not given any time on the ball, two or three players going for him. Seemed pre-planned and a fairly simple tactic. Link up with Chair has completely gone, but that's also partly due to how we're set up. His injury has clearly effected him badly and we need to accept we're unlikely to see him back to his former self anytime soon. | | | |
Willock - Last Night on 12:44 - Sep 20 with 7506 views | TheChef | Much as it would be great if he can get anywhere near his best form for us, my feeling is he needs a fresh start at another club. So if he can continue to improve in the next few months and we can get a reasonable fee for him in January, it might be best for all concerned. Sadly. | |
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