Gone with Matt Targett - it has to be a player who came in, in January as that coincided with our turnaround. Also it has to be a defender as our wins have been built on strong defensive performances with few goals scored until this last weekend. I think he has been great in almost all the games he has played in. Nothing flash, just a very solid defender who gets forward well. Hope they are planning on signing him up once the season finishes. Joelinton has improved dramatically over the season but its mostly in his tackling. Until this weekend he wasn't contributing much going forward, which was what we bought him for.
What and Joelinton changing position didn't coincide with our turnaround? The performances have also been built on shutting teams down in midfield which is where Joey has been key. Targett has slotted in well and immediately looked good in defence, but I don't see him as POTY.
Judging by the possession stats we haven't really been shutting teams down in midfield. Don't get me wrong I think Joelinton has done well since switching, but he still doesn't look particularly good on the ball, and until this weekend, he looked awful in front of goal. He was bought to be an attacking midfielder and he has been an abject failure at that.
No he was bought to be a striker and was an abject failure at that. There was no lack of effort but he clearly wasn't that good at scoring, he's been outstanding as a defensive midfielder, no one is judging him as a striker anymore, cos that was clearly the wrong position for him. Indeed most people were alarmed when he was put back as a striker at the weekend, as we all thought he wouldn't score and we'd miss him in his proper position.... however he surprised everyone and did well as a striker, but I still wouldn't like him back there.
He's specifically a defensive midfielder, he's an all round CM. He's got defensive qualities and can run with the ball and play a part in attack. He'd be wasted as a CDM. He can dispossess players and harass them, but he's not an out and out DM. He's an LCM in a 4-3-3 formation. Him and Willock are great in the right formation.
Yeah I know, but his combative qualities, physical strength and bringing other players into it are his strengths. I hear him described as a "box to box" midfielder, and when I think of that, I think of Gerrard and Lampard, who he isn't like as he isn't a regular goalscorer. He remembers me more of a midfielder like Michael Essien, ie someone who's doing the dirty work and tackling in midfield, but also coordinating breaks and attacks from midfield.
I can't agree I think Joe has been putting in performances all season. Had poor games as all players do of course. Even under Bruce playing wide I thought he improved massively from day 1 this season. Its just we had no form of a plan and some of his teammates are shirkers when the chips are down so everyones level got dragged down. Joe wins this pretty comfortably for me. Bruno and Burn would probably be next despite lack of games. And Trippier for the influence he had despite the injury. Pretty damning on the rest of the squad who were already there to be honest.
Spot on he was performing well all season but people wouldn't have it. It has taken some top draw consistently good performances before the many swallowed their pride.
For me it’s Joe too, but for a different reason as above - morale and mindset. Would have been all to easy for him to crumble - with the stick he was getting, the team a shambles, doomsayers saying we were basically relegated etc. and yet he’s turned his own performance around, in a new role and one that supports the team. The effect of that on squad morale can’t be underestimated. Could have been the difference between the season collapsing into a mire of blame excuses and backbiting vs the United we see today. Obviously Howe takes much of the credit for that. But if he hadn’t been supported by key players, it could have gone horribly wrong - and looked like it was going to after Cambridge. Yes Trippier was a key part, but it was easier for him: he knows he’s good, and the fans loved him from the start. Joe started in the depths and had to sort himself out first. And he did. Incredibly impressive stuff.
Even in the previous 2 seasons I thought he generally performed well - his attitude was far better than most of the other players and he always put the effort in. You could see he had skill, he just couldn't score regularly and was clearly a square peg in a round hole as a striker. Yes it's been amazing how good he's been as a midfielder, but I never thought of him as a lost cause, he was clearly always a good player, but just needed the right position, set up and coaching.
