I happen to think he's a technically and more versatile footballer than Tripps. Watching him play clearly shows how technically proficient he is, whether you're playing with the kids in the garden or grown mens football doesn't stop/stunt/hide a players technical proficiency.Ah, such a pitty that our gaffer is a clueless dud. With him we could hardly step up our game and results, right? We will most likely face the worst results in current past, right?
Well, the actual fact is that you are judging everything based on his performances against kids. He has played very-very little senior football during his whole career. Not enough anyways to draw any conclusions whatsoever. Also if he could play on both sides of the defence then why has he not been prioritized above Rose who has been criminally bad and indifferent?
Don't get me wrong, I hope KWP becomes a player that we could say "KWP is better footballer than any fullback in the world" - that would be absolutely awesome! But right now it sounds more like bashing of Tripps than praise of KWP. At the end of the day Poch sees him on the training ground every day, and yet has not given him much playing time this season.
Maybe he hasn't got his stamina to where it should be, maybe he's not mentally right yet, maybe he's being "managed" being held back so he is expected to push even harder rather than expect to get first team football (look at CCV, Onomah, Edwards) e.g the final steps are the hardest, these things you can't see and are challenges for the younger lads to overcome. Or maybe I'm just talking out of my arse.
He's doesn't play ahead of Rose because Davies is clearly better and we are trying to get the once best LB in the PL back up to those levels again, so that a) He helps the team b) He gets on the plane to Russia c) It adds to his market value should we be selling him this summer.
As for the right hand side we've just bought a new high profile RB in Auier. With Tripps, who we bought for £3.5m, is now on the verge of cementing his place in the England squad, which adds about £25m on his valuation.