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What is it with Bulut, and playing his wingers inverted (ie. a left footed player on the right of the pitch, and vice versa). He did this all last season, to little effect, and now he's started off the new season, doing the same against Sunderland. So both Tanner and Willock were played out of position (to most sensible people) on the 'wrong' wide of the pitch. How many times did they beat their man, and get a cross in? Not many - in fact, I can't think of more than one example. In fact, watching Willock struggle repeatedly to get the ball on to his favoured foot was almost painful. Tanner was over the other side of the pitch from where I sit, so I couldn't witness his efforts up close, but the lack of crosses from him makes it clear that he had the same problem.
The thing with inverted wingers is that they are very limited in what they can do. They either cut inside (where they immediately run into midfielders), or the go to the byline, and then have to cut back to cross, or lay the ball off. So not only do you not get the crosses coming in, but it is also very predictable, and defenders know how to deal with it. There's also the argument that there's no-one in the box to benefit from any crosses anyway, but that's another story.
Towards the end of last season, there were one or two games when Tanner played left-back, and he produced a string of deep crosses into the box. We know he can do it. We also know he can beat a man and cross, but playing him (and Willock) on the 'wrong' side is just stifling his talents. There are already people mentioning his 'lack of effort' after just one game. Give the guy a break - he's being played out of position. It's time to drop this inverted wingers thing.
Yes, I know Yakou Meite is left footed, and yes, he managed to produce some crosses from the right side when he came on. But it doesn't alter the fact that our first choice wingers are being played out of position.
The thing with inverted wingers is that they are very limited in what they can do. They either cut inside (where they immediately run into midfielders), or the go to the byline, and then have to cut back to cross, or lay the ball off. So not only do you not get the crosses coming in, but it is also very predictable, and defenders know how to deal with it. There's also the argument that there's no-one in the box to benefit from any crosses anyway, but that's another story.
Towards the end of last season, there were one or two games when Tanner played left-back, and he produced a string of deep crosses into the box. We know he can do it. We also know he can beat a man and cross, but playing him (and Willock) on the 'wrong' side is just stifling his talents. There are already people mentioning his 'lack of effort' after just one game. Give the guy a break - he's being played out of position. It's time to drop this inverted wingers thing.
Yes, I know Yakou Meite is left footed, and yes, he managed to produce some crosses from the right side when he came on. But it doesn't alter the fact that our first choice wingers are being played out of position.
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