Philip

SlowDownDerek said:
He's our best player.
Click to expand...
I understand people's frustration with him seemingly being asleep at times, but agree, on the whole, he's our most clinical player. He's just not really a getting stuck into challenges kind of player. He tried against Villa in 2019 as I recall, nearly got sent off and Eddie substituted him for Surman at half time. He only really showed his best for us when Woody moved him into a more attacking midfield role. That'said how Parker played him. O'Neil sometimes played him more deeply, but again, he didn'the excel because he's an attacking midfielder. Phil Bill thrives off space when others do the tackling. He has very good control considering his height, a good pass on him and a clinical finish. There is only one reason not to start him, and that's if he'said mentally checked out and preparing for his next move. Otherwise, he's one of the first names on the team sheet.
 
Cherriess said:
I understand people's frustration with him seemingly being asleep at times, but agree, on the whole, he's our most clinical player. He's just not really a getting stuck into challenges kind of player. He tried against Villa in 2019 as I recall, nearly got sent off and Eddie substituted him for Surman at half time. He only really showed his best for us when Woody moved him into a more attacking midfield role. That'said how Parker played him. O'Neil sometimes played him more deeply, but again, he didn'the excel because he's an attacking midfielder. Phil Bill thrives off space when others do the tackling. He has very good control considering his height, a good pass on him and a clinical finish. There is only one reason not to start him, and that's if he'said mentally checked out and preparing for his next move. Otherwise, he's one of the first names on the team sheet.
Click to expand...
The laziness thing is a complete myth. He needs half the stride of someone 5’6 to cover the same ground. So while you get people pumping smaller legs and bustling around players who are 6 foot 6 and lanky don’t need to.

His running stats are as good as anyones. He gets around the pitch excellently.
 
Neil Dawson said:
The laziness thing is a complete myth. He needs half the stride of someone 5’6 to cover the same ground. So while you get people pumping smaller legs and bustling around players who are 6 foot 6 and lanky don’t need to.

His running stats are as good as anyones. He gets around the pitch excellently.
Click to expand...

He just has a lethargic looking running style but that's all it is, the man is a grafter.
 
Neil Dawson said:
It’s the lack of strategy that bothers me. We saw Zemura walk, Lerma walk, now talk of Billing, Christie and Kelly. We are just not a well ran club on this front.
Click to expand...
It's scary when you think that could be five first teamers leaving for free in two seasons.

You'd really want them to be renewing or being sold from a sustainability point of view.

We have had some players out of contract in the past just seemingly arrive and carry on for us to find out they've exercised an additional season option without anyone knowing but it'd be nice to know what's going on.
 
ANWardy said:
It's scary when you think that could be five first teamers leaving for free in two seasons.

You'd really want them to be renewing or being sold from a sustainability point of view.

We have had some players out of contract in the past just seemingly arrive and carry on for us to find out they've exercised an additional season option without anyone knowing but it'd be nice to know what's going on.
Click to expand...
We have an amateur board. You are right. Letting so many quality players drift on contracts and end up having a go at the club on socials is just league two.
 
I think Phil get's all this critiscm by our fans because he doesn't run about chasing the opposition down like a headless chicken every second and because he's tall and not great in the air. But he's clearly the most technically gifted player we have, great with his feet for his height, wand of a left foot, creates, scores and is involved in every attack and goal we get near enough.
Left footers probably do have a small advantage overall because they're more rare and most footballers expect you to turn or shot on the right if they haven't done their research but that's it. When we were at home to Spurs and quite comfortable Phil came off when we were 2-1 up and even though he didn't have a great game that day his presence and that threat he can produce in a flash was clearly missed and we ended up losing 3-2 going far too deep.

Lewis Cook on the other the most over-rated player ever by our fans. 5/6 years he's been here I still don't know what position he is, he's not a DM because he can't tackle, he's not a creative midfielder because he rarely get's assists or scores and doesn't cross or do set pieces, he's not a box to box even though that's probably where he's played the most. His only strength is short passing and running about. Should sell him.
 
Last edited:
Pitman used to get alot stick from our fans for not running about/ having a unique running style even though he was our most technically gifted natural finisher who carried us for years in the dark days. They preferred players like Fogden because they ran about alot. You'd think perhaps our fans would realize that players that run about alot with 100% effort chasing shadows do it because they're not naturally talented like players like Billing and Pitman and they're trying to make up for having less talent. But still alot of our fans don't find wisdom from it.
 
Neil Dawson said:
We have an amateur board. You are right. Letting so many quality players drift on contracts and end up having a go at the club on socials is just league two.
Click to expand...
It's a bit surprising they've not sorted it, especially after Lerma left. Brighton and Brentford seem to manage to hang onto or sell their players and I'd expect our wages to be in the middle of those two, if not better than both.
 
ANWardy said:
It's a bit surprising they've not sorted it, especially after Lerma left. Brighton and Brentford seem to manage to hang onto or sell their players and I'd expect our wages to be in the middle of those two, if not better than both.
Click to expand...
I’m not surprised… and you are right we do pay more than both.

Currently we have a weaker squad than we finished the season with. And others looking to leave. Wonder if they’ve left that Marbella bar yet… another Bellini Richard?
 
afcdibby said:
Personally, I think Phil Bill is our best player on his day.
Phil Bill plays well, the team plays well.
Click to expand...
While I really appreciate Billing, I think it's actually the other way around: when the rest of the team is playing well Billing is able to play his best. While he isn't lazy like some think, his work rate and tackling aren't necessarily bad but also aren't his strong points, where he excels is creating attacks at the edge of the box and putting his quality finishing to work arriving late in the box. When the team is playing well, earning possession and generating opportunities to cross or pin the opponent back, he's able to show his quality on the ball, but when we're pinned back and struggling in a game he generally looks mediocre. He's not a player to change the momentum of a game that we're struggling in, but when we have a grip on a game he absolutely can be a key to us finding the back of the net and breaking a stalemate.
 
Neil Dawson said:
I’m not surprised… and you are right we do pay more than both.

Currently we have a weaker squad than we finished the season with. And others looking to leave. Wonder if they’ve left that Marbella bar yet… another Bellini Richard?
Click to expand...
We did sign a load of new players in Jan who are to be incorporated. Only Dango with the odd goal and assist and making Christie wake up and play better had a big impact. We have a new left back who's rated so there's players there.

But losing 2/3 of the central midfield especailly the two mainstays isn't a plan I can get behind.

I just watched Southampton lose one midfielder spend 150 mill on young talent and go down, can I have a Lerma replacement and cover for Smithy please as a minimum?!! (I don't count Fredericks as he didn't seem to be fit often)
 
Surely the difference between us, Brighton and Brentford is that we've all built our squads but then we had a dip from which we're still recovering which will result in some players move on, and run down their contracts. So the comparison doesn't really hold up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;