Georginio Wijnaldum

[Pureblood]

For all the criticism of our midfield, we've been very dominant in terms of possession and territory in all our games this season so they must be doing something right.

 

Agreed.  Very brave making an observation like that around these parts.  The traditional response is to say the midfield is like a sieve, we need four big bastard DMs and Hendo is shit.  

[s(k)aturation]

Sing when we're winning.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I thought he got better as the game went on. He did a lot of simple things well, but he needs to work on shielding the ball a bit more. A few times he was receiving the ball with his back to goal  in his own half and was unaware of who was around him.

[Adebisi]

I like him. He looks like a number 10 no doubt about it, but he's got great energy and he'll weigh in with more goals and assists than anyone else in midfield I reckon. I really used to like wee Joe, but Wij is looking like a good upgrade.

Not sure why people were moaning about him. Supposedly he downed tools at Newcastle which is never on, but that's hardly a shocker when most of the team did. I prefer to judge players on what they do for Liverpool

[SlugTrail]

i thought he had a really good game last night, tidy energetic and good use of the ball. i dont think he can play against teams that will battle in the middle but in more open games should become a good asset.

[Xherdan]

One of the top performers last night for sure. Gonna be 3 from 4, GW, AL, JH and EC all depending on opposition.

[Bernard Diomede]

i thought he had a really good game last night, tidy energetic and good use of the ball. i dont think he can play against teams that will battle in the middle but in more open games should become a good asset.

I agree he played well last night but disagree with the battling comment. On paper matic and kante is probably the toughest midfield we will play against this year, and as a 3 we coped with it comfortably

[Strontium]

The black Hendo

 

Blanderson.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Strawberries, cherries and an angel's kiss in spring,

My summer Wijn is really made from all these things

[Simbo]

I really like him.

 

Very good technically, great energy and excellent at maintaining our forward momentum.

[TheHowieLama]

Why, why WHHYYY - Wijnaldaum

 

Why WHY WWHHYYY - Wijnaldaum

[Jhinge Machha]

hes a beautiful boy. very good smile

[BCM]

Love his composure. Many times he received the ball under pressure last night and did'nt panic.

[jimmycase]

Hope he just cramped up a little in that game last night rather than pulled a muscle.

[Mathewbet1]

Hes a grower

[El Rojo]

hes a beautiful boy. very good smile

 

Thanks Brendan. Now get back to teaching your new charges how to defend like footballers who aren't deaf, dumb and blind.

[The Woolster]

Hes a grower

 

And a shower too.

[Grinch]

Big improvement of Joe Allen.  It's strange having a manager that signs players that actually improves the team.

 

Midfield hasn't shaped up the way I'd have liked it too but it's proving me wrong game by game.

[Gym Beglin]

People rave about Dembele at Spurs now, but I remember when he first went there and he was largely ignored as a luxury player. Same player as Wijnaldum, just beautiful machines in the middle of the park capable of linking play in a variety of ways. However, don't expect them to blam 30 yard goals in every month, or beat 4 men for an assist. They will only be as good as the players around them.

 

Bit like Xavi, would have looked half the player if he was playing for MK Dons.

[Xherdan]

Big improvement of Joe Allen.  It's strange having a manager that signs players that actually improves the team.

 

Midfield hasn't shaped up the way I'd have liked it too but it's proving me wrong game by game.

 

 

Agree with this. The more I see the midfield the more I see why we didnt necessarily go after a DCM. Winning back the ball is the responsibility of every player on the field. In fact, at a very basic level, the higher up the field the dispossession happens the higher the chance of scoring from that dispossession, hence the requirement for our forward three to do as much running as the midfield three.

[El Rojo]

People rave about Dembele at Spurs now, but I remember when he first went there and he was largely ignored as a luxury player. Same player as Wijnaldum, just beautiful machines in the middle of the park capable of linking play in a variety of ways. However, don't expect them to blam 30 yard goals in every month, or beat 4 men for an assist. They will only be as good as the players around them.

 

Bit like Xavi, would have looked half the player if he was playing for MK Dons.

 

Good points, but the bit in bold is a bit too Rodgers for me.

[G Richards]

I likened Wijnaldum to a modern, faster version of Ronnie Whelan on another thread. Whelan was a very good player but he never got the sort of plaudits some of his midfield contemporaries did. At first, when I watched Whelan I thought, "what does he do?" (Apart from the odd screamer, like the curler from the edge of the box in the cup final). But he grew on me, and over time became an integral part of a class midfield. He was always available for a pass and he moved well, and moved the ball well.

 

I think Wijnaldum is a modern version, with added pace to open the play up on the turn.

[mgw100]

I like him. I suspect this thread will be a bit like the Joe Allen one, alternating between "he's great, he does the stuff no one notices" (when we win), and "what does he actually do?" (when we lose).

 

Maybe the difference will be the goals when they come.

[Ne Moe Imya]

People rave about Dembele at Spurs now, but I remember when he first went there and he was largely ignored as a luxury player. Same player as Wijnaldum, just beautiful machines in the middle of the park capable of linking play in a variety of ways. However, don't expect them to blam 30 yard goals in every month, or beat 4 men for an assist. They will only be as good as the players around them.

 

Bit like Xavi, would have looked half the player if he was playing for MK Dons.

 

The argument has been made that football is largely a "weak link" sport, where instead of relying on a top player or two to carry you that most success is down to who has the strongest weak link, or can find a way to mask their weak link the best.

 

Not sure I agree completely, because we saw in 2014 how one world-class player can elevate everyone around him to another level, but if it is true then Wijnaldum is the kind of signing that makes so much sense.

 

He's never, ever going to be one of the best players in our side.  But you can just about start to see that as a cog, as one of the players in the midfield that can step into any one of 2-3 roles and knit play together, he can be a good player for us.  He adds goals (well, not yet, but his history suggests he's capable) above the likes of Allen, is very mobile, works hard and seems fairly intelligent.  Greatness may elude him but if he's our weak link in the midfield, then we should be very strong indeed.

[Gym Beglin]

I remember seeing one brilliant touch in the game against Chelsea, just kept the momentum of the move going. That's his talent, he can see the invisible currents on the football field and he just helps it along.