James Maddison

[Guest ttfn]

Definitely the biggest beneficiary of Tielemans coming in to the side.

 

Makes such a big difference to have two creative options in the centre of the pitch. I said when Puel was sacked that his biggest mistake was building our attack around Maddison, something he clearly wasn’t ready for. Now with Tielemans there to support he looks a far better player.

 

Maddison looked very good today but he was struggling from about December to March and his performance in the defeat to Palace a few weeks ago was shocking.

 

People are absolutely right to call out those writing him off as impatient but @kingfox is equally right to say that he hasn’t played well for big chunks of the season.

 

The stat about most chances created in Europe is an absolute nonsense, as most people commenting on it seemed to agree only a couple of weeks ago when there was a thread asking why he wasn’t in the England squad. He’s miles away from Ryan Fraser, for example, on the creativity metrics that manage to place relative value on chances created rather than counting a short pass before a 40 yard shot as a “chance created”.

 

None of this means I think he’s a poor player or isn’t worth a spot in a top half team. He’s a good young player having a decent debut season at a new level and he’s having a really good patch at the moment. Fingers crossed we keep his partnership with Tielemans going past the summer.

[Col city fan]

2 hours ago, Foxymcoxy said:

Just a bit weird to look at a signing from the championship of a 21 year old through the lens of "not even player of the season"

This is the point. 

A. He’s 21

B. He was playing for Fraud where NOBODY seemed happy. They looked confused

C. Anyone with half a brain could see he was quality. He simply needed the right manager, playing in the right formation and with his confidence up

 

To make the yardstick of Maddison ‘not having a successful season because he won’t be player of the season’ is barmy

And, as I said earlier, it’s just the usual bollox.

Don’t expect anyone on here to apologise though. 

[Beechey]

11 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

This is the point. 

A. He’s 21

B. He was playing for Fraud where NOBODY seemed happy. They looked confused

C. Anyone with half a brain could see he was quality. He simply needed the right manager, playing in the right formation and with his confidence up

 

To make the yardstick of Maddison ‘not having a successful season because he won’t be player of the season’ is barmy

And, as I said earlier, it’s just the usual bollox.

Don’t expect anyone on here to apologise though. 

This kind of nonsense discredits any legitimate points you make. It's so annoying - no need for it. More annoying considering I agree with the rest of the post.

Edited 6 April 2019 by Beechey

[kingfox]

8 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

To make the yardstick of Maddison ‘not having a successful season because he won’t be player of the season’ is barmy

And, as I said earlier, it’s just the usual bollox.

Don’t expect anyone on here to apologise though. 

Did I say that exactly? No I didn't.

 

I just wouldn't be surprised if some fans claim he's been player of the season, because numerous fans get weekly hard ons over players like Maddison.

 

He hasn't had a successful season because his overall performances haven't been good enough, that's the reason, something I've said numerous times over the past few months.

 

He started the season on fire then suddenly turned shit, he had a long spell out of form more so than other players.

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Beechey said:

This kind of nonsense discredits any legitimate points you make. It's so annoying - no need for it. More annoying considering I agree with the rest of the post.

A top 10 finish, three quarter finals and transitioning an ageing team with no future into one of the most exciting and youngest squads about. Proper fraud that. 

 

Clearly not without issue, but FFS it's such a childish thing to say and it's the sort of thing worthy of the admitted wums saying that stuff for a reaction. 

[blueharmie]

Ran the midfield today..his passes and vision were top notch and the goal was super.  People going on about teli but maddison is quality on his day and that showed today.

[gurru991]

10 minutes ago, blueharmie said:

Ran the midfield today..his passes and vision were top notch and the goal was super.  People going on about teli but maddison is quality on his day and that showed today.

He looked the part today, full of energy & enjoying himself. If he continues to progress like this we are in for a real treat next season.

[Vardinio'sCat]

3 hours ago, brucey said:

 

 

 

Those two posts say a great deal about the past, the present and the future...

 

There is a buzz in the air, and I think they are all loving Brendan. We aint gonna be 5000/1 next season

[Col city fan]

3 minutes ago, gurru991 said:

He looked the part today, full of energy & enjoying himself. If he continues to progress like this we are in for a real treat next season.

It’s an exciting time to be a City fan, once again

A few nice signings this summer and we could have the basis of a very very tidy side.

As I said during his spell of poor form, why I like Maddison is because he takes on the mantle of the play-maker. He doesn’t shirk it and as such, not everything he tries will come off. 

I think he’ll go on to be a superb player. He needed to get away from Puel, as they all did really. Now he’ll shine imo.

[Buzzell]

Maddison’s link up play to Vardy is majestic at times.

[Jordan]

Maddison has been fantastic lately.

 

Something has clicked. I don’t know if it’s Tielemans, the tweak in Maddison’s position, good man management by Rodgers, his fitness finally getting to an elite standard, motivation to make the England squad, anything in his personal life, or all of these things—but whatever it is, Maddison is playing his best football of the season.

 

This is not at all to say he was bad before—not at all—but he had ups and downs that were natural for young players.

 

Maddison receives the ball so well. He either takes a touch or positions himself in such a way so that he’s got the space to make his next play. This is very valuable in a league where midfielders don’t have time to breathe, let alone think two steps ahead.

 

But I’ve also noticed over the past three games how much stronger Maddison looks on the ball than he did early in the season. He’s not just fit for 90 minutes (in multiple roles, too—switching from 8 to 10 to left wing), but he’s playing like he’s not skipping any days in the weight room, too.

 

Recent opponents have been in his face and given him a lot of physical attention, but he’s now shaking off defenders and running through tackles when he would have been pushed off the ball before. Recall the first half today, when Hogg resorted to a cynical, “professional” foul to stop Maddison driving forward down the left side of the midfield just a minute after Maddison drove through two fouls in a similar area and was unlucky to not have advantage called.

 

Maddison is a flashy player, but I think he’s a grittier and tougher player than his pomade makes it seem! ?

[gurru991]

4 hours ago, Col city fan said:

It’s an exciting time to be a City fan, once again

A few nice signings this summer and we could have the basis of a very very tidy side.

As I said during his spell of poor form, why I like Maddison is because he takes on the mantle of the play-maker. He doesn’t shirk it and as such, not everything he tries will come off. 

I think he’ll go on to be a superb player. He needed to get away from Puel, as they all did really. Now he’ll shine imo.

I agree. Players like Maddison & Tielemans need a degree of freedom to excel. Brendan seems to give them the freedom to perform.

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

We all know the good Puel did for the club

I'd love to think that was true, Col.

[reynard]

7 hours ago, Jordan said:

Maddison has been fantastic lately.

 

Something has clicked. I don’t know if it’s Tielemans, the tweak in Maddison’s position, good man management by Rodgers, his fitness finally getting to an elite standard, motivation to make the England squad, anything in his personal life, or all of these things—but whatever it is, Maddison is playing his best football of the season.

 

This is not at all to say he was bad before—not at all—but he had ups and downs that were natural for young players.

 

Maddison receives the ball so well. He either takes a touch or positions himself in such a way so that he’s got the space to make his next play. This is very valuable in a league where midfielders don’t have time to breathe, let alone think two steps ahead.

 

But I’ve also noticed over the past three games how much stronger Maddison looks on the ball than he did early in the season. He’s not just fit for 90 minutes (in multiple roles, too—switching from 8 to 10 to left wing), but he’s playing like he’s not skipping any days in the weight room, too.

 

Recent opponents have been in his face and given him a lot of physical attention, but he’s now shaking off defenders and running through tackles when he would have been pushed off the ball before. Recall the first half today, when Hogg resorted to a cynical, “professional” foul to stop Maddison driving forward down the left side of the midfield just a minute after Maddison drove through two fouls in a similar area and was unlucky to not have advantage called.

 

Maddison is a flashy player, but I think he’s a grittier and tougher player than his pomade makes it seem! ?

Excellent post and spot on.

Maddison is quite clearly one of the most talented players in the squad. It is no coincidence that his form has improved with the arrival of Tielemans and the departure of Puel. It appears we now have a manger who has allowed young players to express themselves on the pitch in the best way the can and has given them freedom to play a more attacking game.

 

Under the final months of Puel players like Maddison were going backwards. They were completely stymied by the style of play and losing confidence quickly.

 

Maddison was having to drop deeper and deeper to get the ball and his attacking options were becoming more limited by the game. Hardly surprising his level dropped.

His work rate has picked up since Puel has gone and he looks to be playing the game with joy rather than sufferance.

 

Next season Maddison will need to develop his game further as other teams find ways to combat him but under this manager there is a good chance this will happen whereas it was less likely to have been the case under Puel.

 

He is the type of player people pay to watch and for one I'm delighted we have him, the fee we paid could well turn out to be a bargain.

[Corky]

Since the awful Palace game where he seemed obsessed with taking the same shot every time he got the ball, he's played very well, key passes to Vardy, couple of excellent free-kicks and variety on the corners as well.

 

Impressed with his turnaround in form.

[whoareyaaa]

He is starting to show how good he is under BR, we have some player on our hands.

[Col city fan]

He looks wonderful at the moment.

Reminds me of a young Christian Erikssen. In my eyes, he’s a similar type of player.

Possibly as far from ‘the most over-rated player in the division’ as you could get at present.

[norwichfox]

8 hours ago, Jordan said:

Maddison has been fantastic lately.

 

Something has clicked. I don’t know if it’s Tielemans, the tweak in Maddison’s position, good man management by Rodgers, his fitness finally getting to an elite standard, motivation to make the England squad, anything in his personal life, or all of these things—but whatever it is, Maddison is playing his best football of the season.

 

This is not at all to say he was bad before—not at all—but he had ups and downs that were natural for young players.

 

Maddison receives the ball so well. He either takes a touch or positions himself in such a way so that he’s got the space to make his next play. This is very valuable in a league where midfielders don’t have time to breathe, let alone think two steps ahead.

 

But I’ve also noticed over the past three games how much stronger Maddison looks on the ball than he did early in the season. He’s not just fit for 90 minutes (in multiple roles, too—switching from 8 to 10 to left wing), but he’s playing like he’s not skipping any days in the weight room, too.

 

Recent opponents have been in his face and given him a lot of physical attention, but he’s now shaking off defenders and running through tackles when he would have been pushed off the ball before. Recall the first half today, when Hogg resorted to a cynical, “professional” foul to stop Maddison driving forward down the left side of the midfield just a minute after Maddison drove through two fouls in a similar area and was unlucky to not have advantage called.

 

Maddison is a flashy player, but I think he’s a grittier and tougher player than his pomade makes it seem! ?

With VAR coming next season, perhaps he's been told to stop diving...

Edited 7 April 2019 by norwichfox

[mod hero]

Look, can everyone who’s ever questioned Maddison’s ability please apologise to @Col city fan and then we can move on. ?

 

we go again ??

 

 

[dmayne7]

We're finally starting to see what we saw in pre season where he looked a class above. His decision making has improved loads over the last few weeks as has his final ball (which still has some work to be done).

[Gerard]

It's much easier for Maddison to play with Tielemans supporting him and offering another threat in a Rodgers attacking team than playing with Mendy and Ndidi behind him in a Puel safety first side.

 

One of the reasons our team looks so good at the moment is obviously Tielemans but also that Tielemans style of play allows Maddison more support and Ndidi can do more of what he does best which is protecting the defence and winning tackles and interceptions and giving it to more creative players. Horses for courses and watching Ndidi and Mendy in the same team is okay for consolidating but painful when you're trying to break the opposition down. 

[murphy]

Bend it like Beckham?

 

Move it like Madders...

 

Mould it like...

 

Manipula...

 

 

Twat it like James!

[UniFox21]

1 minute ago, Gerard said:

It's much easier for Maddison to play with Tielemans supporting him and offering another threat in a Rodgers attacking team than playing with Mendy and Ndidi behind him in a Puel safety first side.

 

One of the reasons our team looks so good at the moment is obviously Tielemans but also that Tielemans style of play allows Maddison more support and Ndidi can do more of what he does best which is protecting the defence and winning tackles and interceptions and giving it to more creative players. Horses for courses and watching Ndidi and Mendy in the same team is okay for consolidating but painful when you're trying to break the opposition down. 

Having 2 creative players almost takes some of the burden off Maddison, whilst giving him more space to work in. It's almost impossible to mark Maddison, Vardy AND Tielemans in the centre and completely cover Ricardo, Chilly, Barnes and Gray outwide.

 

It then gives Wilf the defensive responsibilities he thrives with, and Mendy is able to come on and buzz around the pitch to help secure up a result.

[Gerard]

5 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Having 2 creative players almost takes some of the burden off Maddison, whilst giving him more space to work in. It's almost impossible to mark Maddison, Vardy AND Tielemans in the centre and completely cover Ricardo, Chilly, Barnes and Gray outwide.

 

It then gives Wilf the defensive responsibilities he thrives with, and Mendy is able to come on and buzz around the pitch to help secure up a result.

 

Like at Manchester City, good players who can hurt you everywhere like Aguero, Sterling, Sane, Silva and DeBruyne with Fernandinho holding and then you have two full backs getting in on the act. You can't double up on any one player as it leaves holes to be exploited elsewhere. 

 

If we can't get Tielemans next season we need to replace him with a similar type player who can be an offensive threat. 

[norwichfox]

1 hour ago, mod hero said:

Look, can everyone who’s ever questioned Maddison’s ability please apologise to @Col city fan and then we can move on. ?

 

we go again ??

 

 

I apologise for Col City Fan....