Whittaker

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Yes he had a thankless job today but it mystifies me how he keeps getting games. He has been sub standard for a long time now. Can someone enlighten me on what I am missing.

[im spartacus canary 0]

best hair transplant in football, that''s not to be sniffed at [:D]

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Rooney wins that.

[GJP 79]

He''s a decent player. But he''s the target. He can''t get away with mistakes that other players get away with.

 

It''s that classic situation and there''s always one player that''s in his position. People will be much quicker to see his faults than they will the same faults in another player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[im spartacus canary 0]

i said best hair transplant, rooneys can''t keep up with his rate of receeding [:D]

[Tetteys Jig 851]

He is so slow to react it seems. Since Jack bloody Rodwell gazelled past him I see him consistenly beaten for pace. Its not like he''s playing usain bolt every week either. Its the whole thing, reaction time, general fitness, accelaration, pace, concentration. He just looks like a pub player. Frustrating really as he is one of our better players on the ball.

[GJP 79]

Yeah but there are others in the team who are regularly beaten for pace too. If we''re going to say it about Whittaker we''ve got to say it about the others.

 

Like a lot of players Whittaker has a bit of pace in a straight line when he''s in his stride but struggles on the turn and off the mark.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Notably our cbs as well. I think you can get away with having one slow player in cm and cb but not two. Wide players need pace more than anything unless they are David Beckham and can ping a pass 60 yards and work damn hard all game. Whitaker is an obvious target for the opposition. We look so easy to exploit at the moment. I bet rowett is licking his lips at setting his attack up against us. We missed the energy and physicality that tettey, voo, howson and bassong would have brought today

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]Notably our cbs as well. I think you can get away with having one slow player in cm and cb but not two. Wide players need pace more than anything unless they are David Beckham and can ping a pass 60 yards and work damn hard all game. Whitaker is an obvious target for the opposition. We look so easy to exploit at the moment. I bet rowett is licking his lips at setting his attack up against us. We missed the energy and physicality that tettey, voo, howson and bassong would have brought today[/quote]

The CB, yup. But Johnson and Martin both struggle against pace too.

 

You''re totally right though. We do look too easy to exploit.

 

It''s over 2 years since the 10 game unbeaten run and we''ve never managed to recreate that kind of resoluteness since. Even though we''ve still got all the defenders on the books who formed the defence at that time (including Whittaker).

 

 

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Whittaker seemed faster then too. Remember that goal vs swansea?!

I don''t think martin struggles with pace as much. He rarely gets caught out like Whits does. Was Pritchard today but has been adomah, ibe and even that Preston winger Reid before who looked like neymar against us!

[GJP 79]

I think he does.

[ZLF 334]

Whits was poor today; but at least he had the excuse that the was a player out of position. And to be fair to AN Whit has played there before and there was no other viable alternative - McGrandles probably the closest.

What was BJs excuse? His contribution as was equally poor, woeful passing, not discipline in position, not tackle, block or intercept, want the ball or able to pass it accurately. He was played in position yet did not outshine whittaker, or have a clue what the brentford midfielders players were doing. Take out his aerial ability he offers us little. Yet whit takes all the flack. (he deserves a lot of what he got)

What about MArtin? He was exceptional last week; Yet equally abysmal today. So far up the field and out of position yet made little effort in getting back to defend, no pace, reading of the game. Ruddy asked him to have a word after his save to get the cm and cbs to pull their act together - offered not leadership and looked shell shocked. In his position. Yet whit takes the blame.

What about Olsson? Bombed recklessly forward and had his arse covered by lafferty and johnson. Jota had him on a plate - dibbled past all day as if he wasnt there. A player IN his preferred position.. £4m? you are having a laugh. Yet whit takes the flack.

The CBs? well documented. But all the problems came from wide and the huge hole in front of them - They were not todays worst area.

Pace is a useful tool. But if you cant keep a shape, maintain concentration or position, read the game or have some responsibility for your role then no amount of pace helps.

The basics of defending appear to have been lost.

We lost the back third of the pitch today - and that was a 6 man job, not just whittaker.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Zipps, I agree, but at least they are all inconsistent, Whittaker has been consistently terrible for ages.

[ZLF 334]

I dont disagree he has been; not been impressed by him for 3 seasons now - but its easy to remove him from the equation - other more systemic failures remain in the side week after week after week.

Until these are removed the fan pleasing removal of whittaker will not make on jota of difference

[Tetteys Jig 851]

I think removing him makes a massive difference. What the hell was he doing for that first goal? Does a professional footballer really dawdle like that?

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]I think removing him makes a massive difference. What the hell was he doing for that first goal? Does a professional footballer really dawdle like that?[/quote]

It really wouldn''t. We''ve lost plenty of games and looked rubbish when Whittaker hasn''t been in the team. We''ve also won games when he has been in the team. There are plenty of problems and some are bigger than him.

 

Just wish Bradley Johnson had taken that shot on instead of trying to be too cute. Funny how people aren''t remembering that but are remembering Whittaker getting caught on the ball.

[mrs miggins 0]

I think that''s because it led to a goal.

However, in a way, what do we expect when a right back is being asked to play in centre mid. He''s used to having a bit of time and the whole pitch to aim at when looking for a pass, when he''s being played in the centre of the park there''s obviously less time and less options for him and he panicked.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="mrs miggins"]I think that''s because it led to a goal.  [/quote]

Well of course but it only came because Johnson overplayed it. Not that Whittaker shouldn''t have done better because he should.

 

And then of course because Johnson had gone forward (after Whittaker) there was nobody left behind to protect the midfield area.

[mrs miggins 0]

struggling to see how thats johnson''s fault, he can''t keep supporting Whits for the whole match (though i commend him for trying), there was no-one behind because Whits in that scenario was the defensive mid, there was no need for there to be anyone behind him, in that scenario no-one expected the player with the ball to stop and panic like that, normally the ball is carried on sideways to the other side of the pitch, played over the top, or played back. Johnson didn''t put Whits under any pressure, he did that himself. Only he can hold his hands up for that, just like Cuellar has to hold his hands up for the penalty he gave away (again). Whits was there to protect that midfield area when in possession.

[GJP 79]

Well because Whitts had already gone forward and when Johnson followed both of them were on the edge of the Brentford area. There was no cover. So perhaps it could be said that when one has gone forward the other stays back so we''re not left open.

 

 

[mrs miggins 0]

I think i remember slightly different to you, I thought Whits was a quite a bit deeper than the edge of the box and was in more of a holding role?

[ZLF 334]

Systemic problems. First minute whit and bj too close together, get by passed too light in tackle, bobble saves a goal.

First goal, bj joins whit, ball gets over played and whit losses possession. Whole team over committed, so from 60 yards its 3v2 for them. Def cm is AWOL together with both reckless full backs, all ahead of ball 20 yards from goal. Madness, lack of personal and team responsibility to commit so far forward against a good counter attacking team so early. Esp bj as the designated sitting cm.

No effort from those three chasing back. Jota, goal scorer, further forward than olsson or bj, yet Lafferty closest city player. Where was the efforts committment drive from olsson, with his PACE, bj, whit, martin to do their def job? Vanished. The highlight s make this abundantly clear. If Lafferty can work it back the rest have no excuse

Sorry but as the holding mid player it was very much bjs role to def that type of attack. He has no discipline or game craft

[ZLF 334]

Systemic problems. First minute whit and bj too close together, get by passed too light in tackle, bobble saves a goal.

First goal, bj joins whit, ball gets over played and whit losses possession. Whole team over committed, so from 60 yards its 3v2 for them. Def cm is AWOL together with both reckless full backs, all ahead of ball 20 yards from goal. Madness, lack of personal and team responsibility to commit so far forward against a good counter attacking team so early. Esp bj as the designated sitting cm.

No effort from those three chasing back. Jota, goal scorer, further forward than olsson or bj, yet Lafferty closest city player. Where was the efforts committment drive from olsson, with his PACE, bj, whit, martin to do their def job? Vanished. The highlight s make this abundantly clear. If Lafferty can work it back the rest have no excuse

Sorry but as the holding mid player it was very much bjs role to def that type of attack. He has no discipline or game craft

[he 0]

A central midfield og Bradley Johnson and Whittaker is low League One level. Whittaker is a central midfielder in the same category as for example Mark Fotheringham.

It would have been much better to try a young player or play Wes Hoolahan to at least get some creativity.

In Whittaker we got no quality going forward and no quality back. Had Hoolahan been playing there could have been many more chances going forward and much more stressed the Brentford defense.