Whittingham

The main reason for this post is about Whittingham but might as well take this opportunity to re introduce my self seeing as it's been a while and some might remember me and some are thinking "who is he and when did he post 500 times?!" but it's certainly good to be back, main reason I wasn't on much was due to lack of laptop and I was lurking for a while before posting again, as Trash knows (if he can even remember posting his lurkers thread a few nights back ) but it's good to be back

Anyway, over the last few days, even weeks and months their has been huge debate about Whittinghams form and position and I though it would be a good opportunity to put my opinion across to you guys to see what you think.

For starters, up and until Tuesday nights game I thought Whitts was doing quite well, nothing special, but doing well. He was dictating the tempo of the games and made sure our passing (which at the time) was flowing. During the last few months, I've felt that too many people were too quick to have a go at Whitts and his form, purely down to the fact he wasn't scoring as many goals as he was early season. Most say it's down to being played in the wrong position, personally I have a much different opinion to this.

At the beginning of the season when Whitts was scoring goals, out of his 7 scored I believe 4 to have been scored from set pieces and only the 3 from open play. Now it's easy to look at and say more would come from open play if he was played further forward, and perhaps this is true, I cannot say it isn't but whilst watching Whittingham very closely this season (which I have been doing) I find as much as he sits deep to collect the ball off defenders and help dictate the play, once he has spread the ball out wide and he sees the team advance, he often will himself to get in and around the penalty area to create or score goals. I don't think his deep lying playmaker role affects him getting into potential goal scoring positions. The lack of goals for me is purely down to not Whitts not having his shooting boots on. I've found over the last few months their has been a number of times where he has been in and around the area with the ball and has opportunities to shoot and either doesn't or smashes it wide/over. Never mind the countless number of free kicks he has had, but wasted over the last few months.

This season Whitts has had a total of 57 shots, with 35 going on target, scoring just 7 which surprised me considering how lethal his left foot can be. I personally don't see that as a sign of wasted talent who is unable to get into good positions.

The other problem for me with Whitts is, that if he were to be say given a role in behind the striker(s) or as an advanced midfielder, I can't quite imagine him gliding past players with the ball and being able to turn his markers with the ball due to his lack of pace. I believe the deep lying playmaker role is Whittinghams best position because their will be less pressure on the ball than there will be higher up the pitch so it allows him to pick out his passes, which when on form is fantastic to watch.

Turned out longer than I expected so sorry about that on a Friday night when everyone probably just wants to relax.

Nice to see you back RR.....I think a lot of what you say makes sense. I'm quite happy with him playing deep, if only because it provides our back four with an alternative outlet rather than just hoofing it upfield. But his shooting definitely isn't what it was earlier in the season, either from open play or set pieces. I still wouldn't drop him though, his control and distribution in midfield is too valuable.

I think you're right while his position isn't natural, it isn't the sole cause of his problems. His problem in my mind is 100% confidence related. Possibly instigated by the position and a genuine dip in form, but Whittingham now seems too quick to hand free kicks and corners to Bellamy, too quick to pass the ball away if he's given it in a tight spot, too quick to give it to Campbell instead of give the shot a go himself. When he does try something you can virtually tell 'maybe I should hand it over?' Is still in the back of his mind and he makes a mess of it because of that.

He needs hard treatment, that's the only solution I see. Pull him aside and tell him he's not immune from being dropped and has to prove his worth. He is the best player in the league when his head is in it, he just needs to see that.

Cheers Tonker!

Couldn't agree more, Whitts has his worst game on Tuesday which is probably one of the reasons why we ended up hoofing it so much. Wouldn't mind if Kim were to give it a go in that role, though most games Whitts has been doing the same thing since the start of the year (Tuesday aside) only difference his shooting has been worse.


I do agree with you that it is down to confidence, but I certainly don't think that the confidence knock has come from the position, especially when you look how consistent he was last year and earlier on this season playing the same role.

Nice to have you back on board. The site can do with a few more regular posters i think even if i do quite like it's cosy atmosphere.

While i agree with what you say about the benefits Whittingham brings to the team in his deep lying role i do think it has come at a price. His ability to dictate play and to pick up the ball from Marshall or the defense to begin to start our moves is great when he is totally on form but i do think the role he is being asked to do is slightly different to the seasons start and that is reflected in his own personal goals tally.

Early season we seemed to score a little more freely but also had a rather leaky defense. While Marshall, Hudson and those around them in defense are the main reason for the improvement i do think that Whittingham being asked to sit deep and help out the defense, bringing an air of calm to the passing in that part of the field, has had a psycological effect on Whittingham in terms of what he thinks is expected of him now.

In short i think he no longer sees it as his job to provide goals or assists or killer passes but to be the link man spreading the ball around and keeping things moving as the team as a whole searches for an opening. He DOES get into those positions to be able to score, to thread that defense splitting pass, but i think as his role in the side has changed so has his confidence in the more attacking side of his play.

Against Derby Whittingham stood over a free kick with most of the team waiting in the box and instead of curling the ball in from a more favourable angle actually passed the ball to Connolly stood fairly centrally just inside their half. That to me is someone painfully short of confidence - now beginning to abdicate responsibility for the things he has previously been so good at.

There should be no reason he can't retain all those attacking qualites when he gets in the right position but in reality it doesn't seem to be happening. Malky's call that he doesn't worry about Whittingham not scoring is a bad one. As much as he should praise him for his over all game when dictating play he should be demanding more from him from an attacking sense. I am not sure Whitts is the right personality to be demanding more from himself - he seems more and more happy to see his role as just the link man. We need that incisve thrust back again. We need Whitts seeing it as his job to rifle in those free kicks and to attempt the more ambitious killer passes.

It should be possible for him to do both but i am beginning to suspect it will be one or the other. If getting the attacking Whitts back again means pushing him further forward and losing that degree of control further back then i think it is now a risk worth taking. If Whittingham stays back then i think Malky must start with one or both of Kim or Noone in games for the rest of the season and even consider moving Bellamy to a wide position. The midfield is severely lacking creativity at the moment.

Cheers Toast Boy

Whilst I agree that confidence is part of the issue, I don't seem to see any extra defensive duties that Whittingham has taken on since the start of the season. Seems to me he's been playing the same game just lacking confidence to have a pop or try and split the defense.

Most of the time Whitts just runs back when defending, although does more tackling than a couple of years ago, I don't think he's very good at defending and I notice a lot more of that is left for someone like Aron to do.

I think Red is right in saying he should be told he's not invincible, and don't pick him for Tuesdays game in hope he comes back even fresher with more enthusiasm.

I noticed on Tuesday that he has literally changed his shooting boots from Puma to Adidas.
Maybe a superstitious effort to bring back some magic?
Didn't work though.

Yes i think i mean defensive more in terms of his effect on the team. Pump the ball upfield out of defense or give it to someone who is liable to lose it and the team is under more pressure. Give it to someone who, mostly, seems to have time on the ball and can pick and make the right pass and keep possession for the team and the pressure relieves.

I am just wondering if Whitts is almost forgetting how to be that more attack minded, incisive passing footballer. If he gets back to his best and the confidence returns it will be one hell of a boost to getting us over the finishing line.

G-ster wrote:I noticed on Tuesday that he has literally changed his shooting boots from Puma to Adidas.
Maybe a superstitious effort to bring back some magic?
Didn't work though.

This is where Malky is going wrong. How can he let anyone change their boots at such a crucial stage of the season?!

Malky OUT!

Toast Boy wrote:Yes i think i mean defensive more in terms of his effect on the team. Pump the ball upfield out of defense or give it to someone who is liable to lose it and the team is under more pressure. Give it to someone who, mostly, seems to have time on the ball and can pick and make the right pass and keep possession for the team and the pressure relieves.

I am just wondering if Whitts is almost forgetting how to be that more attack minded, incisive passing footballer. If he gets back to his best and the confidence returns it will be one hell of a boost to getting us over the finishing line.

I see where your coming from but not really seeing where the sudden lack of confidence has come from. Surely Malky isn't stupid enough to tell him he only has to do the simple things and pass it to someone 5 yards left of him. Dare I say complacency on Whittinghams behalf, thinking that he can just keep it flowing with simple passes? Or is it the movement in front of him, does he get the chance to split the defense open as much as he did when Chopra was playing for us who was always on the shoulder of defenders? Our strikers do have a tendency to drop deep looking for the ball rather than playing off the shoulder. Does it all go down the Malkys overall attacking philosophy, for asking to be to spread wide all of the time (via Whitts or the strikers dropping deep to collect then spread wide) rather than asking at least of the strikers to play on the shoulder, keep defenders guessing and hope Whitts can pick out the pass.

Hard to decide what it could be! So many other things it could also be as well.

I think also that opposition is now quicker to close down Whitts when he has the ball. He is not nearly so effective when under pressure.

Playing Kim close to him would provide an outlet and I think the two together have enough skill to be able to nullify the close attention that Whitts is attracting.

One things for sure - if Whittingham finds his early season form again and then has as potent a finisher as Campbell is to pick up his passes then we could be laughing our way to the premier league.

TDA wrote:I think also that opposition is now quicker to close down Whitts when he has the ball. He is not nearly so effective when under pressure.

Playing Kim close to him would provide an outlet and I think the two together have enough skill to be able to nullify the close attention that Whitts is attracting.

Very true, while occasionally ineffective Kim definetely requires the oppositions attention constantly otherwise he's very capable of causing trouble. One way of countering the opposition marking your star player out if the game is to double the amount of danger players they need to mark - they can't be everywhere at once.

Welcome back matey

Whittingham is still a mighty talent but his confidence is shot to bits... Malky does need to give him a role further forward... Most disappointing thing for me is that I have no expectations of he lad lately.. He is anonymous... I can't imagine a city predictition thread where I put Whitts in the frame for a goal

Valley Trash wrote:Welcome back matey

Whittingham is still a mighty talent but his confidence is shot to bits... Malky does need to give him a role further forward... Most disappointing thing for me is that I have no expectations of he lad lately.. He is anonymous... I can't imagine a city predictition thread where I put Whitts in the frame for a goal

Cheers Trash!

I agree his confidence is shot but I just don't think giving him the role further forward will improve as it could make it worse in my opinion as he'll be under more pressure than he already gets in the deeper role. Best option for me, is to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation so Cowie/Mutch/Gunnarsson can sit in next to him to give him a hand starting moves as well as giving Whittingham more space as their will be more for the opposition midfield to be thinking about.