Topic: Welcome Dominik Szoboszlai

[amir87]

He’s a wide player being asked to play central and it’s showing.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

You switch if off at half time? 0.04 xg second half, was wank.

Yes, the second half was crap. But at least we played some terrific stuff in the first half, led by our most talented footballer returning from injury. By 60 our legs had gone and it was over.

[Draex]

Yes, the second half was crap. But at least we played some terrific stuff in the first half, led by our most talented footballer returning from injury. By 60 our legs had gone and it was over.

Trent? he was good, it’s a shame our entire threat comes from him.

[Mister Flip Flop]

Another massive worry. Looked the real deal for the first few weeks now he looks like a prime Mario Fellaini with a good haircut. 

[Schmidt]

He’s a wide player being asked to play central and it’s showing.

Then why does he seem to hate going wide? The only productive thing he ever does is make overlapping runs and he can't be arsed doing it more than once or twice per game.

Whatever the reason for his form is he should really be last choice in midfield at this point.

[Keith Lard]

Reading some proper bollocks on here. Dom is a class player - bit out of form and lacked energy recently, but if you can’t see his class then you’re an idiot. Like a lot of lads in the team, he’d benefit from being part of a top notch team performance and a goal. Confidence is a delicate thing … we’re all human and should be able to relate to this

[PEG2K]

Strange player I find. He's clearly got good vision and awareness at times when you'll find him good at laying people off for shots on goal at the correct moment. Then other times he'll aimlessly pass the ball to the opposition in our own half

I was hoping for more defence splitting ability passes like Coutinho used to be able to do very well when he first joined. I supposed I had conjured this image in my head of a technically proficient attacking midfielder with lovely passing technique spraying passes around the pitch. Don't know where I got that idea from really but he's clearly not lived up that image in my head

I was under this impression when we first signed him too. An all round AM with athleticism, like Kevin De Bruyne. But soon I realized he isn't. He has the passing technique but doesn't have the vision, speed of thought and close control of a central attacking midfielder. On good days he can look decent as an AM or a 8. But on bad days, especially days when they pressed the shit out of us like this, his weakness is exposed and it looks like he can't pass to save his life.

He does create but mostly from dead balls and crosses, like a traditional RM. Salzburg played 442 and Leipzig played 4222 which suit him more. I'm not writing him off or anything but clearly the system has to change to accommodate his strong attributes.

[rhysd]

His confidence is shot to bits is all.

Looks nervy on the ball, but the talent is there. Just needs a goal.

[Kopenhagen]

23 years old. Supremely talented footballer going through a rusty patch. Calling him a "fraud" has to be one of the worst shouts I've seen in all my years here.

[spider-neil]

He’s a wide player being asked to play central and it’s showing.

More like a player who thrives in the attacking third and is being asked to play in midfield.

[Draex]

More like a player who thrives in the attacking third and is being asked to play in midfield.

Begs the question if the above is true, why we bought him with Salah playing there.

[Knight]

I was under this impression when we first signed him too. An all round AM with athleticism, like Kevin De Bruyne. But soon I realized he isn't. He has the passing technique but doesn't have the vision, speed of thought and close control of a central attacking midfielder. On good days he can look decent as an AM or a 8. But on bad days, especially days when they pressed the shit out of us like this, his weakness is exposed and it looks like he can't pass to save his life.

He does create but mostly from dead balls and crosses, like a traditional RM. Salzburg played 442 and Leipzig played 4222 which suit him more. I'm not writing him off or anything but clearly the system has to change to accommodate his strong attributes.

Too early to be calling this for me. Your ‘he’s not a creative passer’ shout of a few weeks ago is definitely being borne out right now but then no one in the team really looks like a creative passer. I think he could definitely develop into what you’re describing. And has already looked like it at points this season, as you admit.

[Knight]

Begs the question if the above is true, why we bought him with Salah playing there.

I’ve been as negative about our recruitment over the past few years as anyone (not enough players, not the right players at points) but I don’t think this is fair on us. He’s not a wide forward, he’s not really a 10. He’d probably be a very good right winger in a flat midfield 4 but they basically don’t exist anymore. And if some of the best of them played today they’d be right sided 8s anyway. David Beckham would, for example, be a right sided 8. So basically I think he’s an ideal option to play as an 8.

[Zlen]

Why don't we ever try him as right-wing forward?
Look to me like he has the skills to at least deputise there better than Harvey.

[Chris~]

Why don't we ever try him as right-wing forward?
Look to me like he has the skills to at least deputise there better than Harvey.

We want him pressing and covering ground in the middle of the pitch

[Zlen]

We want him pressing and covering ground in the middle of the pitch

But he is struggling with that as well at the moment. Why not have that as a bonus, have him as a solid front line presser who might here and there cover counters down the wing. And in the meantime let him focus on creating overloads, making runs for Trent to exploit, whipping crosses in etc. Don't know, he's out of form and tired, so it's all moot now - but we seem to be losing three players to cover the absence on one - an athletic DM.

[ScubaSteve]

Why don't we ever try him as right-wing forward?
Look to me like he has the skills to at least deputise there better than Harvey.

I thought this when Salah was injured.

Elliott is great in midfield but doesn’t know how to play the Salah role. Doesn’t play high enough and that space was always left empty.

Dom has great shooting ability (mostly for his country) so I’d say with his technique would provide something on the wing with his crossing

[Egyptian36]

I was under this impression when we first signed him too. An all round AM with athleticism, like Kevin De Bruyne. But soon I realized he isn't. He has the passing technique but doesn't have the vision, speed of thought and close control of a central attacking midfielder. On good days he can look decent as an AM or a 8. But on bad days, especially days when they pressed the shit out of us like this, his weakness is exposed and it looks like he can't pass to save his life.

He does create but mostly from dead balls and crosses, like a traditional RM. Salzburg played 442 and Leipzig played 4222 which suit him more. I'm not writing him off or anything but clearly the system has to change to accommodate his strong attributes.

I am. A player with his limitations shouldn't be a starter for us in attack or midfield.

[spider-neil]

I think once of the forwards needs to drop out of the team with Dom being part of the front three. That way you are playing to Dom's strengths and out of possession he can drop back into the midfield.

[Historical Fool]

I was under this impression when we first signed him too. An all round AM with athleticism, like Kevin De Bruyne. But soon I realized he isn't. He has the passing technique but doesn't have the vision, speed of thought and close control of a central attacking midfielder. On good days he can look decent as an AM or a 8. But on bad days, especially days when they pressed the shit out of us like this, his weakness is exposed and it looks like he can't pass to save his life.

He does create but mostly from dead balls and crosses, like a traditional RM. Salzburg played 442 and Leipzig played 4222 which suit him more. I'm not writing him off or anything but clearly the system has to change to accommodate his strong attributes.

It’s his first season here, not surprised he’s showing the strain with the intensity. He could learn to pass with more empathy of course but I think that will come on leaps and bounds next season …

[spider-neil]

Under Amorim, he play 3-4-3. That's three centre-backs, two midfielders, two wingbacks and three forwards.
The 4 in the formation are going to be a double pivot of a destroyer and controller and the wingbacks so unless Dom is used as a forward I don't see how he gets into the team.

[The G in Gerrard]

Some of the comments in here. Unbelievable.

[AndyMuller]

Some of the comments in here. Unbelievable.

What about them? He has been bad more than he has been good so far in his time here so how do you expect people to react?

[Schmidt]

I think once of the forwards needs to drop out of the team with Dom being part of the front three. That way you are playing to Dom's strengths and out of possession he can drop back into the midfield.

Is he productive enough to play in a front three? I never really see him make the kind of runs into the box that would suggest he could up his numbers if deployed higher.

He looks built for counter attacking football where he can rampage into open space all game.

[Paul JH]

Some of the comments in here. Unbelievable.

To be fair, when was the last time he really shone, or put in a fantastic, MOTM performance like MacAllister? Imposed himself on a game? He hasn't for a long time.

[Coolie High]

Some of the comments in here. Unbelievable.

Not really check the Salah thread and that’s someone with credit in the bank and one of the most productive players in the league.

[LFCEmpire]

Its like he has been Space Jammed.