Luke Thomas

[splinterdream]

17 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

He has though? One goal doesn't change that for me, he's definitely got potential to offer more than someone like Simpson did in the final third but he's not going to be a Chilwell or Ricardo mould of full-back marauding up and down the flank. Besides, there isn't anything wrong with that either if he does it well. Not everyone has to be a wing-back and Thomas has proven he supports Barnes pretty well down that side before, so arguably he doesn't need to be, but having that ability in the final third is definitely a bonus, especially in the modern game and with how well it suited us in 19/20. 

I noticed second half of the season he didn’t support Barnes at all, when Barnes was in receipt of the ball he had little support from anyone and would often lose the ball. Not sure if this was under instruction from Rodger’s who didn’t want full backs to overlap 

[Babylon]

4 minutes ago, Ian S said:

Not quite the same thing.

And that’s a matter of opinion. 

[GingerrrFox]

Selling him would be incredibly stupid and short sighted. He’s 21, yes at times he’s been inconsistent but I guarantee by the time he’s 25+ he will England’s starting left back. 

[StanSP]

Shouldn't sell. Still has plenty of time to continue developing and make that LB spot his own.

[splinterdream]

1 minute ago, pmcla26 said:

I imagine it was probably a mix between setting up more defensively, like you say, and a confidence thing, due to the fact we were shipping so many at our end. He's shown that they work together well, though. 

He does when they overlap, but that was a real problem last season is full backs not getting forward enough, ball just went out wide and was easily intercepted, Rodger’s slow build up just hampers us I think, we can also look quite imbalanced with ball constantly being fed to Barnes who loses it. 

[Ian S]

16 minutes ago, Babylon said:

And that’s a matter of opinion. 

Clearly not.

Our best player is not the same thing as one of our better players, no matter of opinion about it.

[Strokes]

18 minutes ago, GingerrrFox said:

Selling him would be incredibly stupid and short sighted. He’s 21, yes at times he’s been inconsistent but I guarantee by the time he’s 25+ he will England’s starting left back. 

I really don’t see it, I hope you’re right mind. I really want him to do well and it’s not like I think he is shit. Just a bit overrated on here.

[turlo]

26 minutes ago, Ian S said:

Not quite the same thing.

Never said it was. "one of our better players" as opposed to our best player. He had a solid to good first half of the season

[volpeazzurro]

25 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

I noticed second half of the season he didn’t support Barnes at all, when Barnes was in receipt of the ball he had little support from anyone and would often lose the ball. Not sure if this was under instruction from Rodger’s who didn’t want full backs to overlap 

I think you make a good point there. As a young player trying to get into a side, you're perhaps going to do exactly as the manager tells you, rightly or wrongly. You can often see Rodgers giving Luke his instructions and we're not of privy to that.

 

Presumably those orders would be commensurate with how Rodgers sees the threat from the opposition combined with his thoughts about how Luke could deal with situations at this point on his football journey. It has to be remembered that Luke started life as a forward player and probably coming to a more defensive role later on has therefore probably taken a bit more time to adapt.

[MPH]

1 hour ago, coolhandfox said:

No sure why people are taking it in turns to bash two home grown LBs.

 

People to keen to knock players down.

 

Wasn't long ago we developed little or no talent for me both are real credits to the academy. 

 

 

frustration.  People want new players and can’t seem to handle it when we don’t.

[mozartfox]

The rumors are becoming more sad and desperate with each passing day. This particular thread is worrying as some on here think this would be a good thing!!

 

We really need to shift some of the deadwood and quick to calm things down on here.

[Babylon]

33 minutes ago, Ian S said:

Clearly not.

Our best player is not the same thing as one of our better players, no matter of opinion about it.

Yeah who the better player was is a matter of opinion. And whether you think he was the best or not, he was definitely one of our better performers until his form went off a cliff.

[Babylon]

Just now, mozartfox said:

The rumors are becoming more sad and desperate with each passing day. This particular thread is worrying as some on here think this would be a good thing!!

 

We really need to shift some of the deadwood and quick to calm things down on here.

Who thinks it’s a good thing. I’m fairly sure every single person would rather sell the shit we have and keep the others. But, if we can’t get rid of them… then would you rather sell him or a key player like Maddison?

[Babylon]

58 minutes ago, GingerrrFox said:

Selling him would be incredibly stupid and short sighted. He’s 21, yes at times he’s been inconsistent but I guarantee by the time he’s 25+ he will England’s starting left back. 

Unless we have a total change of style I just can’t see that at all. Especially when James Justin has clearly been beyond him for us, let alone the rest of the league. 

[HoustonFox]

6 hours ago, 21st Century Fox said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jul/22/west-ham-bid-eintracht-frankfurt-filip-kostic-leicester-luke-thomas

 

Another name on the list is Thomas, who has impressed since breaking into Leicester’s first team two years ago. The 21-year-old left-back could be available if Leicester, who need to sell before signing anyone, receive a suitable offer.

Another West Ham link. Is that automatic nowadays? 

[Jobyfox]

Keep 

[splinterdream]

28 minutes ago, volpeazzurro said:

I think you make a good point there. As a young player trying to get into a side, you're perhaps going to do exactly as the manager tells you, rightly or wrongly. You can often see Rodgers giving Luke his instructions and we're not of privy to that.

 

Presumably those orders would be commensurate with how Rodgers sees the threat from the opposition combined with his thoughts about how Luke could deal with situations at this point on his football journey. It has to be remembered that Luke started life as a forward player and probably coming to a more defensive role later on has therefore probably taken a bit more time to adapt.

That final part of the season where he was put in because we had no left backs, one thing that impressed us all was his crosses into the box, he certainly has a talent up front, holding him back I thought hindered us a times, sometimes the best defense is attack imo but what do I know 

[SafewayFox]

1 hour ago, coolhandfox said:

No sure why people are taking it in turns to bash two home grown LBs.

 

People to keen to knock players down.

 

Wasn't long ago we developed little or no talent for me both are real credits to the academy. 

 

I was just about to say this.

 

We should be pretty chuffed that our academy has nurtured both players.

 

Chilwell is definitely more of a modern day FB/WB hence why Chelsea spunked 50m on him.

 

Will Thomas ever fetch such a fee? Who knows, the role of the FB seems to forever evolving and has gone from being where slightly less gifted players ended up playing to it being a specialist role and a huge part of how a team is set up.

 

One thing that everyone agrees on here is how Luke does need to physically develop to become our first choice FB though and only he can control that part.

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Babylon said:

What like Athletico Madrid when he was 20? He had a title winning fullback in front of him let us now forget. Puel embraced youth, over Shakey who was just doing jobs for the boys. 

That was the performance I was alluding to, he was brilliant that night when he came on but until that 2018/19 season he'd not done a lot for us at the stage where he was older than Luke Thomas. His game did then kick on, even with some excruciating and annoying spells of poor play. The point I'm making is Thomas got way more football and performed better than Chilwell did at the same age.

 

The real question is can Thomas moved his game on now he's 21 ro the same level that Chilwell did? He's not got the same pace and athleticism that has made Chilwell a good player who's kicked on at Chelsea but he's plenty of other attributes that Chilwell didn't show when at Leicester. It's in the balance.

[filbertway]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

That was the performance I was alluding to, he was brilliant that night when he came on but until that 2018/19 season he'd not done a lot for us at the stage where he was older than Luke Thomas. His game did then kick on, even with some excruciating and annoying spells of poor play. The point I'm making is Thomas got way more football and performed better than Chilwell did at the same age.

 

The real question is can Thomas moved his game on now he's 21 ro the same level that Chilwell did? He's not got the same pace and athleticism that has made Chilwell a good player who's kicked on at Chelsea but he's plenty of other attributes that Chilwell didn't show when at Leicester. It's in the balance.

For me Thomas is on course for a Paul Konchesky style career. A solid 6.5/10 performer. Without improving physically or being encouraged to do more in an attacking sense and utilise his obvious footballing ability, I don't see how he's anything other than a solid and unspectacular full back.

 

Maybe if the manager actually let's him get into the other teams half on a more regular basis we might see a more exciting Thomas, the one that was putting in pinpoint crosses when he first came into the team and looked a genuinely exciting player.

 

He needs two things at this age. He needs to take his strengths and get the maximum he can out of them and he needs to be playing regularly. As a footballer I think he looks a better player. Unfortunately, especially out wide, athleticism trumps ability more often than not.

[Sly]

1 hour ago, Strokes said:

I really don’t see it, I hope you’re right mind. I really want him to do well and it’s not like I think he is shit. Just a bit overrated on here.

Yes, I agree. Big call that, when he’s got Chilwell and Shaw still around.
 

Plus we’ll have others coming through like Luke Chambers etc

[mozartfox]

1 hour ago, Babylon said:

Who thinks it’s a good thing. I’m fairly sure every single person would rather sell the shit we have and keep the others. But, if we can’t get rid of them… then would you rather sell him or a key player like Maddison?

Read through this thread and there are some FT members suggesting this is not such a bad idea.  This window has been a disaster due to awlful mistakes made in the 2021 summer window.  I hope the culprits that pushed for the signings of Bertrand and Vestergaard are no where near recruitment team going forward.   Some savings in salary could me made there!!

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, filbertway said:

For me Thomas is on course for a Paul Konchesky style career. A solid 6.5/10 performer. Without improving physically or being encouraged to do more in an attacking sense and utilise his obvious footballing ability, I don't see how he's anything other than a solid and unspectacular full back.

 

Maybe if the manager actually let's him get into the other teams half on a more regular basis we might see a more exciting Thomas, the one that was putting in pinpoint crosses when he first came into the team and looked a genuinely exciting player.

 

He needs two things at this age. He needs to take his strengths and get the maximum he can out of them and he needs to be playing regularly. As a footballer I think he looks a better player. Unfortunately, especially out wide, athleticism trumps ability more often than not.

Yes that's my take on him too.

[Bergen fox]

Sell championship player.
We have better. 

[alanf0x]

Sell. Much better options in the squad who I would rather keep.