Whats The Whole Story With Luke?

[Guest thelightside]

Lots of media talk yesterday that Luke really wanted to leave the club just for a change but today Johnsons come out saying he will have to fight his way into the side due to his injury... Surely from what ive seen of Luke Wilkshire hes a qaulity player and we really need him to perform for us IN the side untill the end of the season as he could be a good asset.. I'm just a bit confused that Johnson has said he has to Fight his way back into the team when hes just been taken off the transfer list because no other club has come in for him.. I'd put him in the side straight away once his injury had cleared up...

Can someone please clear this whole confusion up!

[Moth Eaten Pillow]

Lots of media talk yesterday that Luke really wanted to leave the club just for a change but today Johnsons come out saying he will have to fight his way into the side due to his injury... Surely from what ive seen of Luke Wilkshire hes a qaulity player and we really need him to perform for us IN the side untill the end of the season as he could be a good asset.. I'm just a bit confused that Johnson has said he has to Fight his way back into the team when hes just been taken off the transfer list because no other club has come in for him.. I'd put him in the side straight away once his injury had cleared up...

Can someone please clear this whole confusion up!

Who do you drop? Noble or Russel - don't be silly. I don't think he offers us anything extra on the wing either.

[Guest The Dude]

Lots of media talk yesterday that Luke really wanted to leave the club just for a change but today Johnsons come out saying he will have to fight his way into the side due to his injury... Surely from what ive seen of Luke Wilkshire hes a qaulity player and we really need him to perform for us IN the side untill the end of the season as he could be a good asset.. I'm just a bit confused that Johnson has said he has to Fight his way back into the team when hes just been taken off the transfer list because no other club has come in for him.. I'd put him in the side straight away once his injury had cleared up...

Can someone please clear this whole confusion up!

Luke isn't injured. He is playing regular reserve team fixtures and has been playing well. He missed one game through injury a few weeks ago and hasn't been back in since. GJ reckons the team are performing and that he can't drop someone until they play a bad game.

I think Luke should be in th team but I remain convinced that he'll go out on loan. My money is on him being gone by early next week.

[Guest stroud reds on tour]

I think Luke Wilkshire deserves a place in our starting line up

hes a top class player and deserves to be treated better than

he has been. Hes a creative midfielder and will create chances

for the midfield aswel as score goals from midfield that we badly

need. I would drop russel for wilkshire as i feel wilkshire is a

younger and much better player.

come on you reds

[Moth Eaten Pillow]

I think Luke Wilkshire deserves a place in our starting line up

hes a top class player and deserves to be treated better than

he has been. Hes a creative midfielder and will create chances

for the midfield aswel as score goals from midfield that we badly

need. I would drop russel for wilkshire as i feel wilkshire is a

younger and much better player.

come on you reds

But ultimately doesn't defend as well as Russel which is why are midfield was weaker than a wet tissue before Russel come in. No surprise to me results picked up since LW got injured/dropped.

[Guest thelightside]

I agree yes that our midfield is very promising at the moment and that every player should have to fight for their place, however this is a player destined to gotto Austrailia in the world cup, perhaps destined for the premiership one day in the future, perhaps it sais something about our sqaud this season if players like Luke has to play in a reserve side for a leauge 1 team!

[kiwicolin]

when he has a run of games you can see him playing

better each game .then along comes the urge to go and

play for your country ( well anybody would ).

he is a way for 3 games and comes back jet lagged.

plays in the next game and scores a goal. starts to get back to

form then along come that urge again.it is a stop start

situation for him.it doesn't help him or the team.

( no i am not going to say what i usually say about him.i am

biting my tonge ) ouch it hurts!!!!

[Guest BCTIDBolts]

Wilkshire should be playing, in my opinion hes the best midfielder we have. If i was him i would want out, hes going to the world cup for god sakes. Good luck to him if he does go off on loan

[Guest Consigliere]

Luke will stay with your club and fight for his spot. He is a consummate professional.

[RedM]

when he has a run of games you can see him playing

better each game .then along comes the urge to go and

play for your country ( well anybody would ).

he is a way for 3 games and comes back jet lagged.

plays in the next game and scores a goal. starts to get back to

form then along come that urge again.it is a stop start

situation for him.it doesn't help him or the team.

( no i am not going to say what i usually say about him.i am

biting my tonge ) ouch it hurts!!!!

I always see the opposite happening, ie when he returns from International duty he always seems to give that much more, like his confidence has been boosted and mixing with classier players and coaches has done him some good. This happened when playing under Wilson and Tinnion anyway. Not really seen it happen under GJ yet.

I rate LW and would want to play him in the team. That said I wouldn't know who to drop to allow that to happen, which is exactly the dilema GJ finds himself in.

[Granty]

I always see the opposite happening, ie when he returns from International duty he always seems to give that much more, like his confidence has been boosted and mixing with classier players and coaches has done him some good. This happened when playing under Wilson and Tinnion anyway. Not really seen it happen under GJ yet.

I rate LW and would want to play him in the team. That said I wouldn't know who to drop to allow that to happen, which is exactly the dilema GJ finds himself in.

It's very hard to see where he would fit in out current 4-4-2 formation, left winger he aint, and a little too lightweight for the centre alongside either noble or Russell.

3-5-2 and I can see him slotting well into this as it allows for a more creative player to express himself, however, City's experience of playing this system is mainly bad.

[CodeRed]

He's not the best midfielder in the club

but he is the best passer

however as others have already said our midfield was weak earlier in the season with teams cutting through

us regularly

Luke can't tackle, is too easily brushed off the ball, and goes "missing" too much in away games.

When we've won the battle to play our football and we're 2-0 up at home and the game has opened up Luke looks great in space passing the ball around. Unfortunately when you're 0-2 down on a wet November at Chesterfield/Oldham etc you need fighters and that's not Luke.

With Noble & Russell our shape and covering has been excellent and been the platform for many of our good results.

Futhermore mangers find his continual round the world trips to play for Austrailia very disruptive, if the team play well while he's away - do you change it etc

That's why he's never really been a regular in the team despite his obvious passing ability.

And with the World cup coming up I don't see him charging into many 50/50 tackles.

Nothing against the lad as he's never let the club down (drinking etc) but he's not really a Div 3 player.

[Nibor]

I don't think the story is any different from how Johnson tells it.

Luke lost his place through injury, couldn't get back in the team since. He needs first team football to go to the world cup so the club agreed to circulate his name. Noone other than Blackpool came in and we wouldn't give them a player when they're in a relegation dogfight and he wouldn't go there anyway. So now his only option is to fight for a place in the team unless a club he wants to move to comes in for a loan.

As for whether he should be in the team, my view is not while playing 442. He doesn't do enough defensive work for that and our midfield has markedly improved since Russell and Noble took the middle two spots. If we were playing 352 then yes, play him in the hole.

Nibor

[fRed]

What I can't understand is why he was transfer listed so late in the transfer window :Confused13:

It would be a shame for Luke if his lack of first team football affects his World Cup chances.

[Nibor]

What I can't understand is why he was transfer listed so late in the transfer window :Confused13:

It would be a shame for Luke if his lack of first team football affects his World Cup chances.

He wasn't, his name was circulated weeks ago, it was just that the media guys weren't told about it or didn't pick up on it until monday so it seemed like it was last minute.

Nibor