Luke Thomas

[Devonfox1884]

Much better in a 4 yesterday, but let’s be honest he didn’t have much defending to do in the second half. First half he was, to put it kindly, very poor. 

 

I just don’t think he’s ready for this level yet… I’d love to be proven wrong but he lacks a bit of pace and physicality and is an easy target at the minute. 
 

Playing week in, week out will benefit him no end I feel. I really hope he goes out on loan in January if we’re confident of JJ’s fitness by that point.
 

There is a player there, but he’s not going to progress by playing the odd cup game and PL game to cover injury - and I’d argue these opportunities will be even more sparse when JJ returns.

[StanSP]

18 hours ago, Blue-fox said:

Poor first half. Much improved second half. Definitely not a wing back and so much better as a full back

Very much this. Looked more comfortable having a proper winger in front of him. 

[Blue-fox]

2 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Very much this. Looked more comfortable having a proper winger in front of him. 

He hasn’t got the pace to play as a wing back, but I think he has a higher potential than chilwell has as for me he is technically better, crosses better just need to bulk up and gain experience which will help his defending. A loan would do him good to a top half championship team for 6 months. 

[MonkeyTennis?]

Seemed outclassed and flustered in the first half, but linked up well with Barnes in the second half and looked much, much better, on and off the ball. 

 

Not sure what else there is to say. He's still relatively young, and looks it at times, but he remains promising.

[Bryn]

He’s got miles to go to be PL quality for me. I’d give him a loan out.

[RoboFox]

1 hour ago, Bryn said:

He’s got miles to go to be PL quality for me. I’d give him a loan out.

Absolutely. You just have to look at Barnes to see the benefits a season long loan at a good quality Championship side will bring.

 

The odd game here or there isn’t going to benefit Thomas whatsoever.

 

Edited 31 October 2021 by RoboFox

[Always Next Year]

18 hours ago, st albans fox said:

He’s young…..

he has plenty of quality 

we just need to give him time

i remember chilwell having a tough period  - puel stuck with him and it paid dividends.  But chilwell did take responsibility for himself by spending a summer driving his fitness levels upwards. 

Time waits for no man, if he wants to play at this level he needs to improve quickly, sadly he is miles off the level required.

[Stadt]

He’s not miles off as he showed last season. The problem is he doesn’t have the physical qualities to be a wingback and it’s a tough gig against a 2 v 1 out wide.

 

I argued against a loan in the summer but he probably does need one. Appearances here and there aren’t going to give him the game time he needs to build his confidence.

[murphy]

9 minutes ago, Always Next Year said:

Time waits for no man, if he wants to play at this level he needs to improve quickly, sadly he is miles off the level required.

Sadly. that comment is miles off the level required.

 

He is 20 years old and he has plenty of time.  Every kid stepping up into the first team needs to develop and a bit of patience from the fans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Col city fan]

Improved dramatically in the second half imo 

First half was out of his depth at this level I’m afraid 

[Tielemans63]

29 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Improved dramatically in the second half imo 

First half was out of his depth at this level I’m afraid 

That's because he was able to play in his correct position in the second half. He's been asked to play wingback a few times and has struggled massively each time. In a flat back 4, he's perfectly capable. 

[gerblod]

10 hours ago, buzzer_b said:

Not once did I say he was responsible for our bad start and I don’t dislike young players.

I don't believe that I was referring specifically to you. If that's the way it came across that wasn't intended. It was my rebuttal of a collective set of what I feel are unwarranted takes on his abilities or lack of.

[Facecloth]

2 hours ago, Tielemans63 said:

That's because he was able to play in his correct position in the second half. He's been asked to play wingback a few times and has struggled massively each time. In a flat back 4, he's perfectly capable. 

Exactly. Would people say Tielemans was out of his depth if he played on the wing, or Ndidi if he played at number 10, or Vestergaard if he played centre back 

Edited 31 October 2021 by Facecloth

[sacreblueits442]

22 hours ago, Angus Scott said:

Doesn't seem to be progressing 

....how is he going to impress playing in fits and starts in different systems!!!

No consistent time on the pitch will not aid his progression and he is not getting game time in the U23s. Like Hamza circumstances have contributed to him not get the option to go out on loan for regular pitch time.

 

[gerblod]

12 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

But this is a problem with our squad.  "Unit substitutes" are pretty untenable for league games when you only get three, but basically Barnes and Lookman had to come on jointly because it required a total formation change.

 

 We have too many players who only "fit" with certain other players.

I guess it depends on how the game is proceeding and what the manager might need to do. Only a suggestion with a very specific change in game plan in mind.

I wonder just how much coaches and managers train the adaptability out of young players - by labelling them as such-and-such. For me that compartmentalising suppresses their development as footballers.

 

[ScrumpyJack]

I must be thick, I thought he’s been alright. At 20, he’s no world-beater nor at Chilwell’s standard in 16/17, but he’s been okay. With a bit more luck yesterday we’d be waxing about his goal.

[volpeazzurro]

5 hours ago, Col city fan said:

Improved dramatically in the second half imo 

First half was out of his depth at this level I’m afraid 

Would we say that the equally shocking performances by Ricardo at left back or Castagne at centre half was because they were out of their depths too? Or would it be fairer to say that Rodgers put them in roles that they were unsuited to? Likewise, I don't think that Thomas was out of his depth but he was quite often left exposed in the first half and at this stage in his career, I don't think he's suited to the wing back role yet, nor do I think Ricardo or Castagne are to be entirely honest.

 

Thomas however vastly improved in the second half when Rodgers changed his tactics, in fact I think he actually contributed more to the game than Castagne on the right, is that just coincidence? It's too easy just to right him off due to inexperience. Didn't we have a similar problem with Chilwell in the left back position, he seems to be going ok now he's left us.

[Beechey]

1 hour ago, ScrumpyJack said:

I must be thick, I thought he’s been alright. At 20, he’s no world-beater nor at Chilwell’s standard in 16/17, but he’s been okay. With a bit more luck yesterday we’d be waxing about his goal.

16/17 was Chilwell's breakout year, he barely played and only came in to replace Fuchs when he needed resting. Chilwell played in like 14 games (45 mins or more) that entire season across all competitions. Thomas has already played in 8 for more than 45 minutes. I reckon I trust Thomas more now than I did Chilwell in 16/17. Not sure if he'll be as good as Ben, but he's on a good path.

 

His off-the-ball underlap into Arsenals box was really quite good. Really unfortunate he couldn't quite finish it.

[volpeazzurro]

19 hours ago, gerblod said:

Is that like Chilly got isolated and "found out" against Liverpool and Man City over Xmas '18-'19? Didn't stop Chelsea paying a handsome transfer fee for him.

I was at the Man City game and not for one moment would I have said Chilwell was 'found out', 'let down' possibly. At one point I remember him having both Marhez and DeBreuyne running at him at once with no-one in between! It was poor tactics and seemingly no game plan that day.

 

Chilwell, like Thomas in the first half against Arsenal, had no cover or little support at times.

 

What a difference a change in tactics made at half time, didn't we see similar last season with some regularity but usually 60-70 minutes in? it's a complete and easy cop out to say a young full back has been 'found out' at times. The reality is some of the time, it's our manager and his tactics that is getting  more and more 'found out', it's becoming like a stuck record with him.

 

It was soon very clear in the first half against Arsenal that with our ponderous back 5 we were never going to pass through them. You can only really play a system with wing backs when you've got wing backs and we haven't!

Edited 1 November 2021 by volpeazzurro

[Vardinio'sCat]

As with our other young players consistency will be an issue.

As with our other squad players, we cannot expect him to always rise to the occasion when he hasn't had a run of games.

He defo seems a straight LB at the mo, not so great as a LWB.

He has been targeted before, so we have to be smart about when he plays.

Bertrand has not proved competitive yet, but FT is littered with examples of players being written off prematurely.

JJ will start being phased in at some point soon, which will be a relief to everyone, lets hope he picks up quicker than Ricky.

If Ricky was available LT may well not have played.

 

[iancognito]

I have no idea why the lad gets so much stick. People seem to expect him to be Roberto Carlos having played a handful of first team games.

Looks miles better with Barnes in front of him to overlap and support which is something we could never say with Chilwell who just seemed to get in his way. A bit like Amartey, his confidence will grow if he thinks he's first choice in the position. But if he's constantly being chopped & changed for Bertrand or Castagne, he will never be comfortable. Maybe too late in his development to send him to a top end Championship club but it certainly helped Chilwell, Hamza and Barnes.

[Royston.]

His confidence has probably taken a hit being usurped by a 30+ Bertrand.

[Jimmy]

he started the season well then got dropped for Bertrand who stank up the place now he's playing as a wing back which doesn't really suit him so we can get 2 strikers in because the manager thinks its the only way he can.

 

Luke should be playing more but in a back 4 with a winger ahead of him, he and Barnes link up really well

[gerblod]

21 hours ago, volpeazzurro said:

I was at the Man City game and not for one moment would I have said Chilwell was 'found out', 'let down' possibly. At one point I remember him having both Marhez and DeBreuyne running at him at once with no-one in between! It was poor tactics and seemingly no game plan that day.

 

Chilwell, like Thomas in the first half against Arsenal, had no cover or little support at times.

 

What a difference a change in tactics made at half time, didn't we see similar last season with some regularity but usually 60-70 minutes in? it's a complete and easy cop out to say a young full back has been 'found out' at times. The reality is some of the time, it's our manager and his tactics that is getting  more and more 'found out', it's becoming like a stuck record with him.

 

It was soon very clear in the first half against Arsenal that with our ponderous back 5 we were never going to pass through them. You can only really play a system with wing backs when you've got wing backs and we haven't!

The quotation marks around 'found out' were intended as an ironic gesture to all those who, for whatever reason, seek to decry Luke.

Chilly was similarly isolated in those matches I mentioned. With players like Mahrez and Salah attacking defenders should hunt in twos (or more). 

Rodgers, like Puel, has had enough time to establish a method of resisting these early onslaught games. He also has not figured out how to break out of high presses yet. Same old pattern of doing well against teams who aren't as clever in their tactical awareness and planning but resorting to passing between centre-backs, Schmeichel and the full- backs when the opposition are sharp. 

We have more-than-decent players who, for whatever reason, seem to lack the confidence to break up attacks and initiate counters. We begin to look as if we're gaining stability over a short run of games and then get taken to the cleaners by teams we should be at least matching.

BR is as unimaginative and unadaptable as Puel. He has a better squad than Puel and is a better man-manager, yet tactically he's not moving on. Maybe when JJ and Wes return things will change, but unless he can demonstrate he has the nouse to keep City in the top six, then the lottery of the various cups we compete in is the best we can hope to do well in.

Key players need to know the team is capable of sustaining meaningful challenges. If that's not apparent then they will move on.

Edited 1 November 2021 by gerblod
Incomplete clause in para.3

[Foxxed]

He seems like just one of the players who've hit bad form of late. I don't think it's a reflection of his abilities, especially not at his age.