What’s the solution for this lad then? I was underwhelmed very early last year because the mistakes he made were nothing to do with speed of the PL, youth, new country, but he kept getting a free pass. He always did little going forward, tackles very well, but NEVER tracks opposition midfielders into our box when they run near him. No shame in that if attacking players do it and switch off, but there are calls for him to be a DCM? But everyone said time was all that was needed, so we all waited.
He is in a pickle here almost entirely due to his past and previous coaching/managers. He has shown today and last week when facing the opposition goal, deep, with a bit of time he can spot and brilliantly weight passes (3 in 2 games at least). But I wouldn’t want him deep despite the last ditch tackling ability, he doesn’t track. Ever. It’s not laziness, he just doesn’t naturally scan and follow. His attacking attributes are at odds with his defensive ones for a CM.
If we were solid in the middle, the only thing left is to play him as the more attacking midfielder and “rest” Doucs, who has my eternal gratitude, but isn’t on it. See if he can play with a bit more freedom until the rest of his awareness matures? Haven’t decided whether he makes the best decisions instinctively in tight spots, or whether he’s better with load of time. He might not end up playing forward, but if he has the potential that everyone in world football says he has, it would be great if our spine was strong enough to tell him to just go out, get the ball as much as you can in attacking positions, relax and see what happens. Something has to change, and benching him feels like it would be as much Dyche’s fault as his. But we are too crap to experiment and play people into form.
Haven’t seen any of the aftermath, but the Insta abuse is abhorrent (whoever they support), needs highlighting and stamping out hard even if it brings more negativity and criticism to the club.