Touch wood, the long injury crisis is hopefully behind us. At the weekend, we saw Eddie Howe make a triple change at half time and it helped us go on to win the game. The bench has played a big role in our early success this season and it underlines the disadvantage we had in the 2023/24 campaign, as Howe didn’t have those options available to him.
There has been plenty of discussion about Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes in the last few days. A clamour is building for both to start against Fulham on Saturday. However, it is the third substitute that I will focus on for the rest of this piece. It was a surprise to see Joe Willock named on the bench at Wolves, but it was a very pleasing sight.
No other player in the squad has his ability to drive with the ball at pace in central areas. It is a thrust that we have lacked over the last 12 months. Willock was never able to get fully fit after missing pre-season in 2023 and that impacted his ability to get back from injury. This summer, he was given a pre-season and despite a small knock picked up against Nottingham Forest, he remains on track to play a bigger role this season.
Plenty of notable stats came out of the second half, but the most eye-catching was Willock’s chance creation. The midfielder made five chances in the second half. Only Amad Diallo (6) made more during the fourth match-week of the Premier League and he started the game for Manchester United.
Willock provided impetus and creativity to our midfield on Sunday. That was one of the key reasons why we managed to push on to win the game. He helped us gain control and become the more threatening team. Although game state played a part, it highlighted a midfield profile that we have lacked during his absence from the squad.
There were signs that Willock was developing into a very good player under Eddie Howe during the 2022/23 season. He was on the fringes of the England squad when he got injured towards the end of that campaign and if he stays fit, he will contribute a lot in the final third. In 81 minutes, he already has a goal and assist across both competitions.
His goal in the Carabao Cup showed his attacking instincts, as he broke into the box on the small chance that the keeper parried Isak’s shot, which he did. Willock also showed great pace and athleticism to get into that position so early into the game.
Joelinton has been a key performer for us this season, especially in the Southampton and Tottenham matches. However, his abilities on the ball have been questioned when we are having more of the ball. The Brazilian is a destructive player rather than a ball player and that can limit us when we are expected to dominate a game.
It is too soon to call for Willock to take his place in the team, as he needs to be managed smartly as he gains confidence in his body again. However, there will be a calls for him to come in for the Brazilian, especially in matches where we are facing a low block.
Howe is blessed to have options, but it is important that he uses them. During his time as manager, he has tended to stick with winning teams, but that could be at his detriment this season. Joelinton and Willock are both excellent left sided midfield players, yet they have different strengths. If you could combine them, we would have an excellent player. For the time being, we need to select the one best suited to the game situation.
It will be interesting to see how we manage them both, especially if they stay fit.
