Def_II_Royalz
Star Player
First to admit I was underwhelmed when he first came back. He's been excellent for months now.
Lewis Cook stats from Sky today.
93 touches, 80 passes and 90% passing accuracy.
Adam Smith had 100 touches, 81 passes and 88.9% accuracy.
Nat Phillips had 95 touches, 81 passes and 81.5% accuracy.
Agree but thought Smith was very good yesterday, forwards and making tackles, interceptions at the back.2 are passing along the back line to each other and then back again. The other is making assists and setting up goals. Slight difference and proof that football stats are meaningless. Watch the games and see who plays well. Possession, xg or whatever it's called as well as the above cannot possibly tell the story of how players or teams play.
Personally, I'll go as far as saying its one of the most complete Lewis Cook performances we've had. Good interceptions, tackles, quick passes to keep the tempo high, runs forward into space. Everything you'd want from a player in that role.
Never underestimate the impact that two very serious and potentially career threatening injuries can have on a player. Even after physical recovery the mental challenge of believing that you can play at the highest level again is huge. I am so pleased for him as he has always been the best player by far for the role he is in at the moment. I hope Kilkenny is watching him closely as it will do his progression good to learn from his ball retention near his own box in particular.
Surman’s reading of the game was good too. The two areas that Cook absolutely betters him in are carrying the ball at pace and tackling (I love Surman but he’d struggle to tackle present day Paul Gascogne.)He has been superb recently and seems to have added that knack of anticipating and intercepting opposition passes regularly. One of the things Surman did brilliantly, despite half our fans thinking he was carp!
or:Ahem, “he’s already played for England”.
”He’s gonna captain England” perhaps