Kyle Walker

[thinktank]

I hear this said a lot but Ashely Cole was always quality going forward (although obviously a bit raw). Then he learnt how to defend and become the complete full back. I just don't see that attacking play in Walker, just a player running around like a headless chicken.

He goes through phases of being positive and driving past players; that I can forgive him for, to a degree, as I think that that part of his game will develop. It's the defending for me which is the main issue, and once he masters that, I think he'll be more confident going forward, more consistently.

 

[Donki]

When Sandro is back next season you will see Walker improve, Sandro will cover back into the full back positions when they are goign forward thats how the high line should work. Walker is young and extremely raw he will improve. I think we need to realise we are not goig nto have a team of stars the likes of Walker, Lennon, Dawson, Siggy, Defoe all have a part to play.

 

[nicdic]

I'm not worried about Walker at all. His temperament is great, he never shies away from the ball, and always tries to play the right way. He's come out a few times and said how he wants to keep improving, and I think his mentality is right. He's looked better as the season has gone on, not to mention missing Sandro's covering work.

 

[Main Man]

We already have a replacement on our books in Adam Smith. He may not have Walker's natural speed but I'd argue he's more intelligent going forward with better crossing and certainly no worse defensively.

Hope to him rotated regularly with Walker next season.

The Adam Smith who struggles to play in the Championship?

Or do we have another up and comer with the same name whom I know nothing about?

 

[spurs-r-us]

Would be a waste of resources. He frustrates me as much as the next man, but he's a rare talent who should only get better.

 

[dagraham]

He goes through phases of being positive and driving past players; that I can forgive him for, to a degree, as I think that that part of his game will develop. It's the defending for me which is the main issue, and once he masters that, I think he'll be more confident going forward, more consistently.

I hope your right and that with greater confidence he becomes more consistent but his poor crossing is the thing that bothers me most about his attacking play. For every one decent cross, there's ten that nearly knock out Gary Neville in the studio.

Agree that his defending and concentration are a problem. He definately ball watches way too much. In fact, on several occasions I've seen him standing in no mans land, literally pointing at Lennon to close down and/or mark Walker's man, rather than doing his job and letting Lennon get on with covering or tracking runners. If AVB persists with 4-3-3 and upgrades on Lennon with a genuine wide forward then I think Walker may be even more exposed defensively.

 

[spurs-r-us]

The Adam Smith who struggles to play in the Championship?

Or do we have another up and comer with the same name whom I know nothing about?

Smith needs another loan, or I fear he's not going to make it.

 

[thinktank]

Smith needs another loan, or I fear he's not going to make it.

Not sure why he's being brought along so slowly tbh. He's got the makings of a very good player.

 

[spurs-r-us]

Not sure why he's being brought along so slowly tbh. He's got the makings of a very good player.

Agreed. Think he's more valuable than Naughton.

 

[chinaman]

He'll get better with experience. He's so strong and fast that once he's learnt to position himself and take some time to think a bit, few winger will get the better of him.

 

[SEANSPURS1975]

Think he has the qualities to be top class. Remember he's still young and learning the game. Has to improve his concentration and stamp out stupid mistakes, the one at Liverpool was unforgivable. I'd definitely keep faith with Walker for now.

 

[yojambo]

I thought he got better as the season progressed. Imo he was one of our better player over the last 5 games or so.

 

[playboypaul]

He's not a high priority, just me suggesting players who could stand to be upgraded on.

And there's plenty of talented right backs about, hell I'd say the one we sold to fit Walker in was better.

Alan Hutton??!!

 

[Wick3d]

I think it is a second year in a row where Walker has played the most games for us, the boy needs to be rotated and rested more occasionally.

 

[Lenten]

Yes he is bad positionally at the moment and no he is not a skilled attacker yet. He will only improve. This season for example he has introduced the fake /cut inside thing on the wing, which he NEVER did last season.

Also his speed will always allow him to make the occasional game-changing play at both ends of the pitch. How many right backs can you say that about? he's like a video game player.

 

[Danny1]

It is waaayy to early to be writing off a player of his age in a position that most players take time to mature in to! Case study on this would be Phil Jagielka, good player at Sheff Utd but was moved around from RB to CM to CB and it was only after a year at Everton when he had just turned 26 that he really began to blossom in to a very good defender!

Personally I think that Walker has been very impressive in the last 6 or 7 games and has looked back to his best and I struggle to think of many wingers who have consistently got the better of him! He is a rough diamond but still a diamond!

 

[Knarf44]

The Adam Smith who struggles to play in the Championship?

Or do we have another up and comer with the same name whom I know nothing about?

Yeah, and how many games have you seen Adam Smith play that you can write him off so quickly?

Thid Kid was playing for England U19s and U21s when Walker was a nobody at Sheffield United and I bet you had never heard of either. Perhaps it's you who needs the doh!

If you knew anything about our young players you would know that Smith is highly rated by our coaches and is very much considered to be a first team squad player, on the same basis as Carroll (who by the way failed to get into Derby's side when he was there) but look how highly he's rated now!

 

[CJMurray]

I think in general, he's a really good defender, but he's capable of a clusterfuck. Very rarely do you see any winger's terrorise him or give him a bad game. The only one I can think of would be Mata in the WHL match.​

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He's had a decent season on the whole and in the last couple of months I think he's really stepped it up a gear. I can't remember which match it was, either Wigan or Southampton, but he was a real driving force in that game and was pushing on really well.​

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Cut the occasional mistakes out of his game and he'll be top draw.​

 

[onlyonekeano]

As others have pointed out, the RB slot is far less of an issue than LB. I thought BAE was one of our top 3 players of the season last season, but this season (and in the the last month especially) he has been a liability at times. I have noticed that the vast majority of good chances that we concede come from our left side due to BAE being out of position, mistiming a challenge or failing to get close enough to the winger to stop a cross. For all of Walker's silly mistakes (which he normally recovers, and which have become less frequent as the season has gone on), he is an excellent 1-on-1 defender. I do agree he has to improve positionally, but at his age I think that is definitely possible

 

[Strikeb4ck]

I think Walker is the only player that seems to give it 110% every single game (which is something a lot of our players lacked this season, spark/energy and motivation), and for that reason alone I have a lot of time for him. He is still very young, counts for our HG rule, is physically a beast, just needs to sharpen up on a couple things which will come as a player matures. Love his attitude and workrate, hope he is around for a long time.