Whitts back on the left yesterday

I think Ole showed good tatical awareness yesterday by moving Whitts to left side midefield in the second half, which I think is his best position he is not physical enough for a central role in a 4-4-2 set up. Also combining with Fabio down the left flank could be a real threat. Remember he scored over 20 goals in one season from the left of midfield

Except as soon as he went out on the left, he kept drifting inside and left Fabio exposed.

We switched to a diamond yesterday so he was going to drift in field to cover gaps in central midfield that's the downside of that formation. Thought overall it worked better than 442.

I think Whitts would do well to re-learn this position. He is going to get harder and harder to pick if we continue to play a lot of 4-4-2 because he has his weaknesses being in the middle. For all his top class assets as a player, I find his movement and positioning can be weak at times and he can be easy to play through compared to a solid all-round midfielder like Adeyemi.

For Ole it's going to be easier to pick Whitts if he knows he can switch him out left later in a game to protect a lead.

Fabio is probably the best attacking left back we've ever had as well, so as mentioned, if Whitts can pick out his overlapping runs that could realy hurt teams as well. I've found in Cardiff have been quite a predictable team for many seasons now in regard to the way we set up. Having this one extra dimension could give us more adaptability.

Good OP.

Whitts needs to trust adeyami to do his job
We were too exsposed down our left the space we gave huddersfield to exploit we can not give to better teams
Fabio had no support from whitts
Whitts is too one paced for out wide
He will have to improve along side adeyami or he wont be first choice when noone and pilkington are avaliable imo

Whitts needs to trust adeyami to do his job
We were too exsposed down our left the space we gave huddersfield to exploit we can not give to better teams
Fabio had no support from whitts
Whitts is too one paced for out wide
He will have to improve along side adeyami or he wont be first choice when noone and pilkington are avaliable imo

The more 4-4-2 we play through the season and the more other players prove themselves, the harder it could become to continue starting Whitts, despite his outstanding strengths. But if he proves he is adaptable within a game and can be moved from CM to LM, he will be easier to pick.

Whitts isn't an out and out winger at all, because as you mention he doesn't have the pace at all. But he could offer something different out there by releasing other players on the flanks (Fabio, John, Macheda or ALF). If we are protecting a lead, we could just go narrower with Whitts left and be harder to play through.

I can see why managers play Whitts deep because he's at his best having players in front of him who he can pick out. I think we know what we're going to get with him in the middle - good points and bad. But if Whitts can re-master his off the ball movement and positioning on the left, he will be more pickable for Ole.

Also I can't forget to say he's quite possibly the best crosser of the ball I've seen at the club. Something we don't see a lot of in open play...

Whitts had the best season of his career on the left. In retrospect, it was essential tonight that if we went 4-4-2 that we played Adeyemi and Gunnar in the middle.

Fabio's work rate and attacking qualities still means we don't lose anything on the left with Whitts in front.