Philip

billythekid said:
That is good news as far as our club goes, gives him time to rest and hopefully will be available with others who will return after injury and the international break.

Today showed how with the players missing, how we lack in depth, no disrespect to the youngsters on our bench.
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Assuming it's not a serious injury
 
Istabraq said:
Maybe the youngsters are better than some of those on the pitch.
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I've said this before but Jordon Zemura turned 21 in November, if he can't get a game over Rico, the way he's performed all season, what's the point of keeping the guy? And I'd love to see a bit more of Kilkenny and Anthony
 
The problem is Woodgate has publicly said that he has only seen these lads (Anthony, Zemura, Kilkenny et al) in training so it's hard to gauge how they'd do...

Riquelme was given the chance v Swans and put in a decent account. I'd love to see us starting to trust these guys a bit more as I agree, otherwise what's the point...

Without promotion there is a good possibility that we will be without Danjuma, Kelly and Rico next term, so we could be seeing more of them soon... I just think us being on the verge of the play offs, probably for most of the remainder of this season, will mean we get to see very little, if any of any of them...
 
Hope as a forum we’ve now grown out of scapegoating Billing for not being the greatest midfielder to ever midfield in a two man partnership.

When playing as a No10, comfortably one of our best, and most important, players. As seen by his goal and assist contributions, his engine, his ability to pop up anywhere on the pitch and put in a tackle or interception or whatever. He’s class.

But no, I guess because he walks and runs kind of funny and is laid back in interviews, he sucks and doesn’t try EVER. :rolleyes:
 
Def_II_Royalz said:
He's a natural as a 10. It's crazy. Only took two seasons here for someone to figure it out. He even won some headers yesterday!
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Discussing Billing's latest impressive strike, Woodgate told the Daily Echo: "Have you seen the ball by Arnie for his goal? I don’t know how he sees him.

"It’s like an overhead backward kick to him and then I was on the bench going ‘go on Phil, go on Phil’.

"He took his time with it and just buried it. It was a great finish.

"I like Phil as a 10. I think he’s been very good."

Billing's strike was his fifth of the season, and fourth since Woodgate took charge of the team in February and began utilising him in a more advanced midfield role.

The Dane's previous best goals haul for a season was three, which came with Cherries in the last campaign.

Asked why he thinks Billing has enjoyed a purple patch in front of goal, Woodgate replied: "He’s playing higher up the pitch and he enjoys it there."


https://twitter.com/x/status/1378292710063239169
 
CherryBare said:
Yes agreed playing him in the right place helps.
Just hope we play lerma & Pearson as defensive midfield pair, we looked so much better yesterday once wilshire went off. I think we can play solanke, danjuma, junior and Billing with those 2.
Not sure where brooks fits if fit, had so many poor games for us this season.
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You are right, this is why we should be looking to dominate the play offs should we get there. What team in this division would be saying, ''I'm not sure where Brooks fits in''? A good amount of premier league teams wouldn't be saying that.
 
NWCherries98 said:
Hope as a forum we’ve now grown out of scapegoating Billing for not being the greatest midfielder to ever midfield in a two man partnership.

When playing as a No10, comfortably one of our best, and most important, players. As seen by his goal and assist contributions, his engine, his ability to pop up anywhere on the pitch and put in a tackle or interception or whatever. He’s class.

But no, I guess because he walks and runs kind of funny and is laid back in interviews, he sucks and doesn’t try EVER. :rolleyes:
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I seem to recall EH playing him in the PL as an attacking midfielder a couple of times and he played very well but for some reason EH did not persist with him in that position.
 
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Champagne Cherry will be along in a minute to tell us that if you ignore all of the good things Billing did yesterday you'd see that he actually had quite a poor game...:grinning:
 
I’m happy to hold my hand up as someone who’s been highly critical of Billing and say he looks much better in an advanced position. My big frustration with him deeper was how often he was dispossessed and how little he won the ball or headers. But this isn’t as much of an issue further up the pitch and his running beyond the forward(s) is something we have been missing. His place to lose now.

Wilshere was poor yesterday but I still think he has a key part to play as one of the deeper two.
 
He is generally very good when played in an advanced role tbf. An absolute disaster when played deeper in a midfield 2. I think that despite him being described as a defensive midfielder when we signed him, the reality is that he is actually a flair player. Keep him higher up the pitch please.
 
I think maybe why we've struggled for the last two years with what is on paper our best ever squad is that we've never worked out how to actually fit them all into the correct team.
When we went up the first time every fan could tell you the strongest team and formation and I think that's been missing for the last few years.
Hopefully it's starting to change
 
Waz afcb said:
He is generally very good when played in an advanced role tbf. An absolute disaster when played deeper in a midfield 2. I think that despite him being described as a defensive midfielder when we signed him, the reality is that he is actually a flair player. Keep him higher up the pitch please.
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thats the buying departments comment
 
Waz afcb said:
He is generally very good when played in an advanced role tbf. An absolute disaster when played deeper in a midfield 2. I think that despite him being described as a defensive midfielder when we signed him, the reality is that he is actually a flair player. Keep him higher up the pitch please.
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Eddie called him a box to box player so would improve defence but also would attack too
 
Topfarrier said:
Champagne Cherry will be along in a minute to tell us that if you ignore all of the good things Billing did yesterday you'd see that he actually had quite a poor game...:grinning:
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Assumptions

He played well, possibly best contributions this year. Times when he loses control and gives it away were fewer and in most cases where he normally would lose it, he did what you expect to, retain and recycle.

You will find though I don't get excited after a few matches. Happy for his performances to continue. I am not a fan of changing winning sides.

He doesn't lack ability and I am not critical of his laid back style, he just needs to be more involved, rather drift in and out of games. He also confined his silly challenges and booking to their half where he can't cause damage.

I can see us making playoff final and 50:50 for promotion, and he can influence that.

I just can't see him in a successful PL. In contrast, I would like to see Brooks afforded same freedom in a 10 off the bench tomorrow, ideally after Billing nabs a brace and saunters off game win after an hour.
 
Maybe what is needed is different sets of eyes and ideas rather than the Eddie/Tindall/Purches/Weatherstone approach. Maybe Woodgate/O'Neil/Jordan are looking at the squad with a fresh set of eyes and seeing more attacking roles for Billing and Stacey.
Maybe that they have stumbled across a few changes that will benefit us by luck more than judgement.
 
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