Some of it can be put down to rust due to lack of game time but tbh I’d argue this is exactly why he isn’t getting the minutes right now too.
He’s still too raw and he doesn’t have the element of surprise that he did last season where teams don’t know much about the player and their tendencies.
What rotation policy? MLS has been poor practically every time he’s played this season.
At the end of the day minutes are earned and I’d argue he’s been lucky to play as much as he has with his output.
Don’t think he’s a left back tbh… but Arteta persists.
I don’t know what happened to him physically, maybe just a weird phase in his development or a reaction to not playing regularly for the first time in his career, but he really looks so much slower and more sluggish than last year. He was never lightning quick or anything but he competed with players like Rodrygo and also had pretty good stats like duels won, etc. Tonight he looked like he was running in quick sand.
I kept thinking about the Madrid games too watching his performance today.
It wasn’t just Rodrygo, I think over the two legs he had situations with Mbappe, Bellingham, Valverde and Vinicius and they barely troubled him.
That wasn’t even a year ago. If he suffered some sort of significant I’d get it, but be hasn’t. I do wonder if this is development thing or whether he has some sort of issue he’s been working around.
I remember all those months ago when Tuchel said that being a good citizen in camp wouldn’t be enough to stay with the NT. I actually thought that was more of a shot at Myles for not looking good when called up rather than his minutes. I think if Myles was still performing when called up he’d be with the England squad still.
See how Madueke has kept his spot despite not being guaranteed starter for either Arsenal or Chelsea. Difference is, Madueke has always impressed for England under Tuchel.
One thing that really irks me, and it’s a small detail, is when he takes a throw-in. He holds on to it so long I can just feel the ref waiting to pull out the yellow card for it.
So do hincapie, timber and white though…it’s definitely some weird instruction from Mikel.
But generally what the f has happened to MLS? I could excuse it as rustiness for the most part but as a few others mentioned he looked like he was wearing lead boots yesterday. Where is the fucking bull???
Now, I don’t think that’s purely the reason of his struggles, because that still doesn’t explain how stiff he looks physically, however, I’ve had a look at his heat maps this season compared to last, and it seems like he’s tucking much less this season, especially when he plays with Zubimendi.
He tends to tuck in more when he plays with Norgaard.
Didn’t really think about it before, he’s the last remnant of that inverted fullback gimmick.
Even when Rice played RB, he wasn’t really tucking into midfield much himself.
Calafiori does tuck in occasionally but I think you’re right about this in general. Zubimendi has allowed us to move away from inverting the fullback so often and that makes the case for MLS as a LB weaker. The future is pretty clearly Calafiori/Hincapie at the LB position and its also why it makes a degree of sense that we’re still getting linked to players like Guehi and Jacquet, as we’re one defender light if MLS won’t stay in the backline and the longer term squad plan is to have eight first team defenders.
Man looked incapable of running - I appreciate Frimpong is quick, but there is no excuse if he is fit, that he could run quicker - he looked slower than Mertesacker in his final year
Calafiori basically plays CM. We defo still use that system.
Likely adjusted depending on who’s playing. Hincapie doesn’t seem the type to me. MLS can do it but he looks mentally shagged - probably believed his own hype too much.
The fullbacks can still underlap, we’ve seen cases where Calafiori somehow found himself on the right wing, however I don’t think it’s the same as when Zinchenko and Partey played fullback before.
You don’t see the fullback tucking in to form the base of the box midfield with whoever started as a holding midfielder.
Nowadays our fullbacks are playing much further ahead. They’re practically an extra forward in possession rather than an extra midfielder.
Looks way off it this season. Young player, who is struggling for minutes and form. He’ll be okay because he appears to have he mindset to get out of a rough patch. Would love to see him get a game in midfield this weekend. Him, Nwaneri and Norgsaard.
Gonna be needed at LB this weekend with the injuries we have
Yeah, he needs to step up!
With Hincapie out for a while and no word on Cala, he will be getting an extended run at LB. Let’s hope that he finds some form and soon.
Guehi can play there when we bring him in next week. Jokes aside, MLS did the job last season, we need him to find form again.
Myles Lewis-R.Kelly touch of a ******
Love the kid but his form is stinky. Sort it out.
Bet the fucking mortgage, life savings, family fortune on him getting a yellow card against Chelsea if Estevao starts.
Yeah he is a bit of a liability in his current form.