assuming we are playing 3 in midfield as we have been I think our best midfield is Bruno, Big Joe & Little Joe
1st choice - Bruno 2nd choice - Joelinton 3rd choice - Willock 4th/5th - Longstaff/Shelvey. These 3 should be starting in a 4-3-3 formation. As long as Joelinton is one of our best, we'll be playing 4-3-3.
The fact that Joe Willock is just 22 says a lot in the sense of development potential. He's got a stronger case to be nurtured than Longstaff who we know is almost certainly staying. Yep, the exit door is for another player, one older, one who creates little and doesn't change games.
Really depends where the budget stretches to this summer - CM is a position where we don't really need much more. A good Defensively minded CM would be a bonus but realistically GK, CB, LB, RW, CF would be the priority positions so Willock will be in and about the team consistently this year. If Kante or someone like that became available you'd worry for him out of the 3 starting CM's but he'd still get good playing time rotating with Bruno and Joelinton.
They need to get him fitter and then see but I'd be concerned how injury prone he is. There is a player in there for sure. The problem you get with him is he always looks a bit sluggish at times and gives the impression he has more to offer. The ball gets caught under his feet a lot, and he loses a bit too much possession. If they can get him fitter, develop his game to be a little more compact and precise, I think he's a useful squad option. I expect us to sign one big midfielder this summer hopefully. Its such a key area we need to level up. The likes of Shelvey, Willock, Longstaff will probably have to settle for less game time if we do. We know Willock has goals in him and bursting runs, and that can be useful from the bench too.
I think he'll be bit part. There is not really much game time if say we signed a Paqueta type. Joelinton, Bruno and any new midfielder will surely be the way. But yeah he is a bit of a ****. Depends what his value is in the market. If we can get a good fee for him I'd be tempted to cash in and look at a younger player like this croatian lad we are heavily linked with. The noises Shelvey made was he wants to see out his career here and will happily take a back seat. That would always worry me with him.
