His work rate and the amount of times he wins the ball back for us is really under rated by most.
I sometimes think he works that hard that he is too knackered when he receives the ball.
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https://x.com/mobyhaque1/status/2097827131631821290?s=61&t=VxX1vHU3NOwwNhlbyICG-g
The big chance the missed was at the end of a move that he started by picking the ball up at the end of our box. He made up 80 yards to get on the end of it. That is standard for him but he moves so effortlessly his work rate is easy to miss.
He now just needs to make it productive
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Last night we really saw the generational talent stuff. His touch his delicious. The way he puts just enough on the ball when running with it to lure the opposition into making a challenge is sublime. He was different class. By far the best player on the park yesterday.
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I think you make a very good point here. Having your creative number 10 exhausted when he gets the ball is not what you want is it.
Maybe some of it is that he runs when he shouldnāt or he needs to do more running because he wasnāt quite in position. In which case we can make him a bit more efficient with it and conserve a bit of his energy
Short term, Iām rather focusing on his general contribution to our game. Yesterday night was a good example of that. He got no goal nor assist to his name, but was influential, and even key in the way he was pressing the opposition, taking back balls and launching new attacking moves. He was a permanent thorn in Atleticoās side. Thatās what I want to see from him right now.
The goals and assists will come, Iām sure of it, because he has the natural qualities and has shown before that he has it in himself, but for now, Iām happy with what he offers.
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Isak covers one hell of a lot of ground to keep away from the ball 
.
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cant get my head around a centre back covering more ground than mcallister (or any midfielder)
cant even get my head around Szobo only covering 1.6k more than Virgil
how does a Jacquet cover 200m less than a Kerkez, overlapping fullback.
weird stats TBH. i actually question them.
Kerkez and Mac Allister were both subbed.
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of course!
im yet to watch the second half (its on in the morning in Oz)
still odd that Jacquet is covering less than a K from Szobo
He was playing as a sitting midfielder.
So he sat.
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Heās already done so much - 45 Germany appearances, 200 professional games, made his pro debut two weeks after turning 17, that itās easy to forget he just turned 23. His output certainly needs to improve but his quality is not in doubt, A brilliant footballer and personally I have zero doubt he will develop into our best player under Andoni.
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Also worth considering the kind of running
I imagine szobo did a lot more sprint or three quarter pace runs than Jacquet, for example
Florian walks very fast!
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He was horrendous today, next to no impact on the game and the promising positions he did end up taking upā¦he either took on a shit shot, underhit his pass or overhit his pass.
There can be no more āacclimatising to a new leagueā excuse, no more āSlot is holding him backā excuse and no more āstationary wingersā making him look bad, he simply needs to start doing what he was bought in to do.
Did one great pass through to Barcola and a great touch where he had a shot, but the touch summed up his problem. He did a world class touch to trick rhe defender and then was too slow to set himself up for the shot and was then under pressure and dragged it wide.
He needs to everything quicker. HeĀ“s not a slow slow runner but he isnĀ“t playing with any zest or slickness. His movements and choices have to be quicker and his passes firmer. Have said already that our midfield is awful at getting him on the ball in good areas and so heĀ“s often coming way too deep and with nothing ahead of him. He needs to get the ball in between the lines, turn, beat somebody if he has to, and then play a sharp pass
Really poor today, but one thing, he never shirks or hides, however, he has to learn how to affect games when we play like this, although hard to do so with so many players being so poor.
He is a a quick pass and move player and looks his best when players are closer to him for that quick pass or making runs in behind in a close proximity.
Unfortunately, this didnāt happen today as the midfield were too deep and everything in our possession was stretched, too much distance between our midfielders and forwards.
What he needs to improve is his longer passing, he sees them but seems to always woefully underhit them. Look at other players who play a similar position, De Bruyne and Fernadez, they both can spread play as well as play those little neat balls in behind. To suceed he needs to develop this side of his game, otherwise he is will continue to be nullified.
I think he needed to be subbed for a more dynamic player today, but even then how does that work when we are so poor at passing the ball apart from sideways and wide.
Cmon Flo you are better than you are showing.
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Heās definitely a player who needs the rest of the team to be tuned to his qualities. I believe that Barcola, Isak and Ekitike, even Munoz and Ngumoha, are the type of forwards who thrive when playing with someone like Wirtz and vice versa, but if he doesnāt get any real support from midfield, he wonāt be able to make his mark on any game.
That said, against Fulham, he was guilty of giving the ball away so cheaply with some poor passes. It wasnāt quite Tsimikas-level of wastefulness but it wasnāt too far off either. Aside from the lack of balance in our midfield, I also think our lads arenāt ready for midweek - weekend tempo and it will take some time for them to get to those required fitness levels.
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That said, any player with 100+m price tag before 2025/2026 summer transfer window is expected to raise the teamās level, rather than needing a few more heavyweight players to be āunlockedā. One can look at how Rice immediately upgraded Arsenalās midfield after joining them. Or long before that, Stevie carried our team for years. Neither Stevie nor Rice needed 3-4 new big signings to āunlockā them.