Willian

[LDN Blue 7,903]

He's a bit of an odd player. Amazing energy, fantastic at free kicks, wonderful work rate, but I hate him on the ball. He is very slow at moving the ball once he receives it and runs sideways and in circles a lot instead of attacking. At the top level, you have to move the ball quickly and Willian just doesn't do that often enough. It's a strange contradiction that he's been both our best player this season and also that he has been too central to our attack.

Perfect summary.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

You can say that about Hazard then too. 21 games without a goal and has put glimpses in this season but not enough. Maybe if our star players were performing like him this season, he would also look better and have better stats. Right now he is the only one who is consistently looking like offering anything. If Hazard can put in performances like last season and Costa can start playing football and the likes of Fabregas can rmeember his passing instinct we might even have a better player.

Willian is fine in our team. Realistically who can we get that will be an upgrade on him. He is a quality player. We need upgrades on the likes of Oscar who really does not add anything and looks way out depth and fragile when he is on the pitch.

I'll give you that I can't offer an available name who might be brought in to replace Willian but I put that down entirely to my lack of knowledge not a lack of appropriately talented players. I'm busier work wise than I have been for a while and I'm watching a lot less football than I have done recently.

I thought that yesterday was a great example of what we get from Willian. Some of his ball carrying was outstanding, turning defence into potentially dangerous attacking situations. I want to stress that I don't regard this as nothing, this is a great attribute. However what did he ever generate to make any of those more than an uplifting moment for the fans? Time after time he was in position to translate a good position into a great one but missed the boat. As for example when his pass to Ramires was just too far in front of his fellow Selacao resulting in a pressured shot and wasted opportunity. That, I'm afraid, is how it goes with William, just too far in front, a little behind the run instead of into it, little flicks than find touch or the defender and cross-field balls that look great but require headed control and so limit the receiver's options.

I'm not trying to pretend that passes which require accuracy within a matter of inches are easy. Of course they are not but Willian misses and misses and misses again. To satisfy me that he's a Chelsea player he'd have to hit sometimes. In fact we should be looking for players who hit more often than an average player might. Willian does not.

Eden Hazard has shown us what he can do. He has given us reason to believe and to be patient with him. (In fact I thought he wa very good yesterday.) I'm still waiting for Willian to do likewise. His lovely runs beating 2 or 3 opponents is for show, the simple pass perfectly executed at the right moment is for dough. Willian puts on a great show.

There is a logic to what you say about Willian looking better if the side is playing well. My fear however is that as long as Willian is deserving of a starting place it will only serve to reinforce the fact that we are not playing well. When we get the side we need, the side we all want, Willian won't be in it.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

He's a bit of an odd player. Amazing energy, fantastic at free kicks, wonderful work rate, but I hate him on the ball. He is very slow at moving the ball once he receives it and runs sideways and in circles a lot instead of attacking. At the top level, you have to move the ball quickly and Willian just doesn't do that often enough. It's a strange contradiction that he's been both our best player this season and also that he has been too central to our attack.

Exactly. I've said a few pages back that he always seems to be our best player when we're playing poorly. I don't know why....

[illmatic 901]

Around of the minute 45 of the first half. Great counter attack for us. Willy on the ball, at least 3 teammates near to him, but thinks a lot his choice, and lets Stoke reset his form. Goodbye to a great counter attack option.

The reason for who Willy is not a totally TOP, in one action.

[JDY 1,290]

Interesting that some don't like him on the ball. He can be frustrating at times on the counter when he has too much time to think, but he's no more frustrating than the likes of Oscar, Pedro, Costa, and even Hazard in that regard at the moment. His ball retention is excellent, the best in our squad bar in form Eden. I really think people under appreciate players who can keep the ball under intense pressure, the lad who was meant to replace Willian last season couldn't even control the ball with no one around him. Sounds simple but only him & Eden are good at it in our squad, and for a supposed top team that's simply not enough when you look at some other clubs.

His passing when under pressure is also excellent most of the time. Countless times does he receive the ball with not a lot on, shift it quickly & play a precise ball instantaneously. He actually sets up a LOT of counters by being quick in possession, the problem is that when he's the one leading the counter the initial burst is good but then he seems to get overwhelmed and picks the wrong option.

[Oscar 441]

Regarding willian's free kicks this season that ended up as goals...

Have you ever seen a luckier batch of goals than WIllian's fks this season?

[Yeboii 1,844]

Regarding willian's free kicks this season that ended up as goals...

Have you ever seen a luckier batch of goals than WIllian's fks this season?

He has perfected a technique that makes goals very likely, because they are very hard for keepers to defend. Then there are his great strikes at goal like the one against Dynamo.

[Stats 6,980]

Regarding willian's free kicks this season that ended up as goals...

Have you ever seen a luckier batch of goals than WIllian's fks this season?

More skill than luck. He purposely adds that spin so that if it evades a player's head it can work it's way to the goal.

[Oscar 441]

More skill than luck. He purposely adds that spin so that if it evades a player's head it can work it's way to the goal.

He has perfected a technique that makes goals very likely, because they are very hard for keepers to defend. Then there are his great strikes at goal like the one against Dynamo.

You guys really think so?

Seems like every fk goal the keeper didn't see the ball/bad goalkeeping.

1: Pure luck

2: Ramires agresssion is what scored the goal

3. Casillas went on the post game interview and said he couldn't see the ball

4. this goal was so weird. The keeper was there and still didnt make the save. I'm guessing he didn't see the ball as well

5. Bad goalkeeping.

it's really crazy how willian never scored above 4 goals in a season for us and manage to score 5 already all via free kicks.

[zolayes 14,489]

You guys really think so?

Seems like every fk goal the keeper didn't see the ball/bad goalkeeping.

1: Pure luck

2: Ramires agresssion is what scored the goal

3. Casillas went on the post game interview and said he couldn't see the ball

4. this goal was so weird. The keeper was there and still didnt make the save. I'm guessing he didn't see the ball as well

5. Bad goalkeeping.

it's really crazy how willian never scored above 4 goals in a season for us and manage to score 5 already all via free kicks.

this is the first season he has been our main free kick taker ,, hadnt you noticed that ?

[Oscar 441]

this is the first season he has been our main free kick taker ,, hadnt you noticed that ?

that's irrelevant.

Guys like lampard, kdb, pirlo, gerrard never scored like 5 fks in a season let alone the first few months....

The position where willian is taking these free kicks are so far away as well, which makes it crazier.

[zolayes 14,489]

that's irrelevant.

Guys like lampard, kdb, pirlo, gerrard never scored like 5 fks in a season let alone the first few months....

The position where willian is taking these free kicks are so far away as well, which makes it crazier.

how is it irrelevant if he wasnt taking freekicks how the fuck could he score from them , Just recognise he has a TECHNIQUE ..

incidentally in a Barca game this season there were 3 free kicks in about 10 mins from the position Willian has scored from .

Messi scored 2 and the other team 1 ... Just appreciate .. It is SKILL.. you could look back at some Zola classics as well

[Yeboii 1,844]

it's really crazy how willian never scored above 4 goals in a season for us and manage to score 5 already all via free kicks.

Guys like lampard, kdb, pirlo, gerrard never scored like 5 fks in a season let alone the first few months.... The position where willian is taking these free kicks are so far away as well, which makes it crazier.

You just answered your question of "is it just luck" by your self...

Football professionals know much more about the works of football than we do. There must be something Willian and the coaches worked on the training ground in the summer that is making all these goals. Even more positive of that since he uses the same technique as well.

Also, with delivering all these great free kicks his confidence in his ability must be sky high! That, along with the other reasons, must be why he is doing it so well.

Like his goal with Dynamo. When I saw that we won a free kick at that spot and saw Willian step up I knew it was going to be a goal. Reminds me of how it was when Mata was doing our attacking set pieces (corners, free kicks).

[Stats 6,980]

You guys really think so?

Seems like every fk goal the keeper didn't see the ball/bad goalkeeping.

1: Pure luck

2: Ramires agresssion is what scored the goal

3. Casillas went on the post game interview and said he couldn't see the ball

4. this goal was so weird. The keeper was there and still didnt make the save. I'm guessing he didn't see the ball as well

5. Bad goalkeeping.

it's really crazy how willian never scored above 4 goals in a season for us and manage to score 5 already all via free kicks.

Definitely. I am sure it is a skill. He just has spend hours practising and it has benefited him and us. This was his comments on his free kick technique couple weeks ago:

"I've been practicing free-kicks for a long time, but until this season I haven't had many opportunities to take them during the game. Now I have, and it comes from something I've been practicing."

"I've been hitting the ball with a lot of intensity and I've found a way of striking them from wide on the left with a lot of pace and velocity so there is a chance for my teammates to get a touch on the ball, but if it happens that no one gets a touch, it passes straight into the goal."

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

I'm sure no one really imagines that Willian's current rate of free kick conversion is going to continue. Of course it won't, no matter how much he practices. In the entire history of the game no one has ever sustained this rate of success over a prolonged period. There's a reason for that.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I'm sure no one really imagines that Willian's current rate of free kick conversion is going to continue. Of course it won't, no matter how much he practices. In the entire history of the game no one has ever sustained this rate of success over a prolonged period. There's a reason for that.

Of course it won't, but lets hope it continues a little while longer.

[Adnane 1,101]

I'm sure Willian's supporters will want to carry on the discussion but I can't see any way to assess his output other than as I've said above.

I have my own opinion on Willian and I can see that other members highlight the points I want to make, so I will avoid running through the debate again ( as I've been doing so since October 2013 eveyrwhere on Internet... ), but this sentence is absolutely out of place, especially the second part of it, are you serious in believement that your assessment is the only valid one ?

[Adnane 1,101]

3. Casillas went on the post game interview and said he couldn't see the ball

Seriously ?

Guess that would be every goalkeeper's excuse when conceding a free-kick then no ? There is a reason why it is considered a goal chance