2020/21 Tom Davies

[BigDuncTributeBand]

I’d have some sympathy with him. A back 5 and Holgate playing so deep it was like a back 6 at times. Siggi and James the two slowest, least mobile players in the squad around him.

Frankly, the team last night was so unbalanced it was a disgrace and he was left with a mammoth task on his own in midfield.

Don’t get me wrong he still has a lot of improvement to make but Davide Ancelotti said Davies is the player who has improved most in his time at the club. After the second Southampton game last season i’d just about given up hope for him but he has shown some better performances of late.

He’ll do as a squad player, i’d only keep Doucourre, Allan and Davies our of the current midfielders we have. Sell the rest, bring in improvements and Tom can stay as a squad player.

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

Right, he's value for wages and the kind of guy that champions have in the side. He doesn't have the players surrounding him that champion sides have.

He's never a guy that you want playing in a crucial match - look at how Fernandes crossed him up in that switch off with Digne to create the space for the goal from outside the box. He's not going to shut down elite attackers.

What he can do is soak minutes as a rotation player. Put him in there with a pair of solid midfielders and he's fine for 90 against most opponents; you bring him on for 30 minutes in a won game because he's not going to gift goals to the opposition, or at the end of a match hopelessly lost beyond recovery. He's a team player and a hard worker. You never feel like he's not giving his all.

Champion sides have guys like that. You do not want 23 Galacticos in the dressing room. It explodes from the force of clashing egos.

You also don't win anything with ten injured Galacticos and 13 squad players. The squad players are forced to perform roles they can't handle, and you fail to win with sides fully capable of winning.

Any examples? I can’t think of one champion side that he’d get anywhere near. Ray Parlour is the type you are referring to, a decent player surrounded by world class, but he was a wide player. Central midfield is too influential to carry a lesser player. A side featuring a lightweight in the form of a Tom Davies in the heart of midfield is not winning any pots. The RS team that won the CL in ‘05 had a central midfield trio of Hamann, Alonso and Gerrard, the latter two world class and the former a top defensive mid. A weaker wide player (or full back like a Djimi Traore) it is possible to be successful. Any major weaknesses in the spine of the team and the whole thing unravels when up against quality.

 

[Martin Alvito]

Champion sides have players like Tom Davies? I’ve literally heard it all now.

Any examples? I can’t think of one champion side that he’d get anywhere near.

You've both missed the obvious one. Fabian Delph.

Champion sides have 18th, 19th and 20th outfield players that are there to do exactly what I described: nail down a role in rotation against lesser opposition. You send out the second tier attack, sprinkle in some lesser midfielders and defenders amongst some regular starters to soak 90 minutes, and pull out the big guns around the 60th minute if for some reason you aren't able to win with that.

You don't play those guys against the big boys, and if those reserves are asked to go 90 in quantity you start having problems. See: the reserve CBs for that lot across the park.

 

[navidson]

Any examples? I can’t think of one champion side that he’d get anywhere near. Ray Parlour is the type you are referring to, a decent player surrounded by world class, but he was a wide player. Central midfield is too influential to carry a lesser player. A side featuring a lightweight in the form of a Tom Davies in the heart of midfield is not winning any pots. The RS team that won the CL in ‘05 had a central midfield trio of Hamann, Alonso and Gerrard, the latter two world class and the former a top defensive mid. A weaker wide player (or full back like a Djimi Traore) it is possible to be successful. Any major weaknesses in the spine of the team and the whole thing unravels when up against quality.

Surely Man Utd are the ultimate example of this? Wonderful title winning teams which called on John O'Shea, Wes Brown, Park Ji Sung, Phil Neville, Danny Welbeck etc from time to time

 

[Rollo Tomassi]

Seemingly the only midfielder we can rely on to be fit and people think we should get rid of him!

 

[Sadken]

Floats like a butterfly and stings like one.

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

Davies has improved. He's ok for the 6 but not as an every game starter. He's not a first-teamer on a trophy-winning side. He has been decent and steadily available this season which puts him in the top half of our performers unfortunately.

My issue is his skinny frame. He's shown a nasty streak himself lately which is welcome - he flattened some dude a few games ago, can't remember which but it was a pleasant surprise. But he's just too easy to knock off the ball as Burnley showed. If he can bulk up some.

 

[MACCA75]

Surely Man Utd are the ultimate example of this? Wonderful title winning teams which called on John O'Shea, Wes Brown, Park Ji Sung, Phil Neville, Danny Welbeck etc from time to time

All international players. Davies is behind likes of Kalvin Phillips, Ward Prowse, Declan Rice etc - all much better than Davies and none of them at an elite club.

 

[MACCA75]

You've both missed the obvious one. Fabian Delph.

Champion sides have 18th, 19th and 20th outfield players that are there to do exactly what I described: nail down a role in rotation against lesser opposition. You send out the second tier attack, sprinkle in some lesser midfielders and defenders amongst some regular starters to soak 90 minutes, and pull out the big guns around the 60th minute if for some reason you aren't able to win with that.

You don't play those guys against the big boys, and if those reserves are asked to go 90 in quantity you start having problems. See: the reserve CBs for that lot across the park.

Delph was the absolute standout player at Villa at the time, hence why City bought him. City aren’t buying Tom Davies anytime soon.

 

[Carlito]

It's difficult to get annoyed with him now that he's lost some weight and started putting himself about.

The fact that he gets a game despite being a very poor player is on the club, not him.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

Frankly he was our best midfield player last night by a good margin.

His finishing was abysmal - which given that he has scored international goals makes it more shocking. He needs to call that Traore guy from Wolves and find out what supplements he's on.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Frankly he was our best midfield player last night by a good margin.

His finishing was abysmal - which given that he has scored international goals makes it more shocking. He needs to call that Traore guy from Wolves and find out what supplements he's on.

What was he supposed to finish? The header from past the penalty spot?

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Any examples? I can’t think of one champion side that he’d get anywhere near. Ray Parlour is the type you are referring to, a decent player surrounded by world class, but he was a wide player. Central midfield is too influential to carry a lesser player. A side featuring a lightweight in the form of a Tom Davies in the heart of midfield is not winning any pots. The RS team that won the CL in ‘05 had a central midfield trio of Hamann, Alonso and Gerrard, the latter two world class and the former a top defensive mid. A weaker wide player (or full back like a Djimi Traore) it is possible to be successful. Any major weaknesses in the spine of the team and the whole thing unravels when up against quality.

Parlour was a very good player IMO. And very underrated

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

What was he supposed to finish? The header from past the penalty spot?

even if he didn't score from that or the scuffed shot, on-target would have been good.

 

[TheBigIguana]

even if he didn't score from that or the scuffed shot, on-target would have been good.

More than likely on target is just caught by the goalkeeper.

It's really sad that we're looking at that as a missed chance.