2 | Kyle Walker - 2022/23 Performances

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Even though they play on opposite sides, it's Ake's form that's keeping Walker out of the team more than anything.

I think Pep is reluctant to play them in the same team as the two full-backs because he wants the extra man in midfield and doesn't think either of them would be comfortable playing there.

Ake has been rock solid at left-back and being a centre-back by trade means he is naturally more suited to playing in the back three we use in the build-up than Walker. Having said that, Walker has played in a back three before and I think he could do the role Akanji is currently doing but there's no real reason to make that change right now.

The fact that Stones is proving to be very competent at playing the hybrid RB/DM role is making it even harder to see how he gets in but even if Stones wasn't performing as he is, I could see Pep opting for Lewis in a lot of games which we were already starting to see a lot of.

I'm not suggesting Walker won't play again this season because he could still have a major role to play as I'm sure there will be games where Pep feels we need his pace and experience but it does feel like we're gradually starting to phase him out of the team.
 
Right now we're doing well but come crunch times in the big games he'll probably start over Akanji and he'll be our third CB/ wide right CB for his recovery pace against trickier wingers
 
Three possibilities from here, then -

He proves Pep wrong.
Or Pep changes the system.
Or he's gone.
 
With walkers age I’d expect be want a move come the summer if he can’t get in the side because of our system
 
WallyA said:
We have a better player in the RB position now.
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we haven't got a RB or LB at the minute, that is Peps point, we are playing 3 at the back, with Stones doing similar to what Pep had Lahm do at Bayern

this is why Cancelo was a waste of time as he was shite as a flat full back or an inverted one and why Kyle atm isn't getting games when we use this system.

As a stright RB in a 4 at the back Walker is still first choice over Stones
 
i think phillips could do that role,the inverted full back stepping into dm, i believe from what pep was saying rico was a dm before he went to right back, maybe that's why he looks so comfortable when he plays.
 
His off the pitch antics won’t have helped him. In the media, Pep will make it out to be entirely tactical but I think in reality, it’s only partly. It’s just one of several things that are resulting in Walker’s minutes being limited. It’s clear he was a ‘happy flower’ at the start of the season, then he’s fucked up off the pitch, plus we’ve changed our shape. All of it together means his future is uncertain.
 
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