applejuice
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 22 Oct 2021
- Messages
- 1,890
- Team supported
- England
Doku does not like playing on the right side.First season with us, he's done remarkably well but now isn't the time to persist starting him if he's going to make the same mistakes in possession. It does infuriate me how he's always put on the left so he can cut inside. I just don't understand why he isn't put on the right given how much pace he has.
Everytime he gets the ball on the left there's 2 men waiting for him so all he can do is roll it back. At least if he trys to go on the outside on the right he's on his stronger foot if he gets a cross in. Literally never seen him do that for us despite every pre city clip I've seen of him involves him attacking down the right.
I'd honestly rather see Bobb start at the moment. Seems to have a better pass on him and a bit more football intelligence.
There is an interview of Doku's former coach back in November. Quote:
--
That is still true now when Pep Guardiola bought Doku as a right winger after Riyad Mahrez left. The right-hand side: Kompany attempted that as well. He always gravitates back to the left, as has happened at City.
‘Everyone has tried,’ Haegeman laughs. ‘He was playing as a No 9 in the Under 13s. Kindermans asked me to put Jeremy in another position to learn something new. But Jeremy didn’t like it! I saw a good player but not Jeremy. To be honest, before a game, I said: “Jeremy, please… today you will play on the left but please give me 15 minutes on the right side to do your job, so everybody at the club is happy!”’
---
The answer is that he does not like to play on the right.
He made it very clear after that Bournemouth game - "all the G/A came from left". Although - technically he roamed to the right and made a typical right winger assist - but he ignored it and insisted everything coming from left.
The sad fact is that most of our youngsters care too much about goals. Phil Alvarez and Doku - their first instinct and preference are always cutting in and shot - comparing to what Gundo Grealish and Bernado did last season. There is nothing wrong. But the problem is that you cannot have too many players in this category on the pitch at the same time... It makes our attacking quite one dimensional.