http://chroniclesofneef.com/2013/02/05/the-brilliance-of-the-cork-schneiderlin-partnership/ http://eplindex.com/29962/epls-underrated-midfields-tactical-stats-comparison-europes-elite.html http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1782420-liverpool-vs-southampton-6-things-we-learned/page/4 As I said before, both partnerships are highly rated.
I think the Cup games have shown that Cork isn't his usual self without Schneiderlin. They seemed to know each other's game well and together they achieved a lot of sideways and "simple" passes. Cork, at times, was very hard to tackle and was good at picking passes to nearby players, so not just Schneiderlin. I don't think Wanyama lacks composure, he just needs to improve on picking the simple balls as well as his awareness of opposing players around him, as shown by the Hull goal.
To be honest both Cork and Vic are slightly different types of players. For quality there is so little to choose between them. Either could grace any of the top teams and more than hold their own. I see it as a personal preference rather than a skills preference as to why Pochettino plays vic as opposed to Corky. It could just as easily been tother way round albeit one cost a lot more money than tother, perhaps, which just may be the reason too.
That`s right, Poch is always going to favour a player he`s spent £12M on. And yes, they are different players - Cork is more mobile with quicker feet, and gets around the pitch better.
The expensive new player is always going to be given a chance, but he has to hold on to that place because he is good enough. His price alone won't keep him in the team...otherwise Ramirez wouldn't be off the pitch. Pochettino must be satisfied with Victor (or at the least, he thinks he is as good as Cork).
Since we got Wanyama, we have moved up to THIRD and have the best defensive record. Yes there are other factors. We have also seen Morgan score with a header from inside the box. We all know Victor's mind can wander, but he is a brute to get past. Jack is probably more industrious but for the way we are playing it has got to be Wanyama, surely?
So have Lovren, Boruc and a rejuvenated Fonte. I agree that big Vic is an intimidating presence sitting in front of the back four, but I still don't have him far ahead of Jack Cork in terms of his overall contribution to the team. Ok, so Cork plays it simple - but not making mistakes is a vastly under-rated attribute in a sportsman. Wanyama gifted Hull a goal on Saturday, I've never seen Cork do that.
They all have. Not so much Boruc because he's not really improved on last year, but definitely Lovren and Fonte. That doesn't mean Wanyama hasn't done anything. And Cork made basically that exact same mistake against Sunderland, but they didn't score from it - Wanyama's mistake was more costly but absolutely no worse. In fact, Cork has struggled with short goal kicks since he joined.
One of the key things that i have spotted about Vic is that he drops back and creates a back 3 and allow the fbs to push up! There is a lot people don't see about what Vic does in a match. For me I'd pick him over cork all day long sadly .
I'm a big Wanyama advocate but to be fair that is part of our system and not just his intuition/play-style, someone would be doing that job regardless of who was playing. The benefit though is that because of Vic's physique and skillset he can actually play as a CB and so genuinely creates a back three, rather than Morgan or Cork who whilst being excellent players do not slide in quite so seamlessly.
Wanyama is obviously the better choice, as we are third in the league and have only lost one game. He bossed Manchester United's midfield at old Trafford, he stood his ground against Swansea and he dominated Liverpool at Anfield. It's a complete no brainer for me. The mistake he made at Hull will hopefully be a lesson, plus he is in exactly the right place to improve. He could easily become a world class DM once adjusted to the league, I wish people would give him time.
