Worked hard and had a bad game. Poor judgement for their goal but can't criticise him too much playing in a new position up against an experience player. Only highlighted our need to get in a back up RB and leave him to LB duties only.
12
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Clean sheets
- 16
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 9
- Status
You’ll get destroyed now because it’s still wrong.
I really don't think much of him at all, left back or right back. He was poor today
Another underwhelming game but will inevitably be excused as he played RB.
I’m hoping by next season he’d have picked up, which I expect him to, but he’s far from good enough at present.
I’m hoping by next season he’d have picked up, which I expect him to, but he’s far from good enough at present.
You should get destroyed. What a lame take.
Was taken to pieces today.
He could be more suited in high pressing as he thrives from quick decision making. Inviting pressure didn't help, he made a great sliding tackle that could lead to a goal, but it's another game when we can all appreciate Dalot bit more.
He tried hard but not surprisingly, was our worst player. Willian was beating him far too easily. Also seemed to find it difficult in possession, rarely managing to pass the ball forwards.
I thought Malacia was absolutely horrible today. Willian was making him look foolish. Keep him as a rotational player with Shaw. We definitely need a new RB seeing as ETH obviously has no trust in AWB. You'd think he would have at least beern on the bench today but ETH would rather have a short bench than dress him...
It’s a convincing argument you make.
Really struggled at times but kept going and didn't totally collapse like he might have done.
AWB is injured and Malacia is a left back.
Thank you.
He was cooked the first half by freaking Willian, got better in the second half.
By the way he started the season I had higher expectations for him, hopefully he'll improve because at this time he's not challenging Shaw.
By the way he started the season I had higher expectations for him, hopefully he'll improve because at this time he's not challenging Shaw.
Looked very uncomfortable at RB
Still a young player refining his game at LB. Yes it’s fair to excuse his performance playing on the other side of the pitch, the real takeaway is that we have no cover at RB and we’re fecked if Dalot gets injured.
Assume Wan Bissaka is still injured?
Otherwise it's mad not to at least have had him on the bench.
Malachia worked hard, but a difficult game, and thankfully won't be used that side too often.
Otherwise it's mad not to at least have had him on the bench.
Malachia worked hard, but a difficult game, and thankfully won't be used that side too often.
should probably recall Laird and give him a go before spending money on anyone else
Said before the match that from the little ive seen of him at right back his defensive positioning is very suspect. Its also clear that he is struggling with the physicality of the opposition in the league (he looks smaller than Martinez and definitely is weaker). Hes definitely an upgrade on Telles and Williams as backup left backs but Shaw is the much better fullback, which is annoying as Shaw is one of the players who seems to struggle to keep his intensity and concentration throughout a season.
Made old man Willian look like prime Messi. Need a backup RB tomorrow.
I hope Malacia learn his lesson that in PL you have to close down your opponent and fight for the 1st ball, instead of letting them take the balls and then trying to pick their pocket. The quality of players in PL just does not allow Malacia's passive defensive strategy and he has to be more aggressive.
Another thing is that Malacia seems lose some of his pace in recent games. I wish he was not on those notorious "bulk up" training sessions that destroyed Lukaku , made him bigger but lose all his agility and acceleration in the end.
Another thing is that Malacia seems lose some of his pace in recent games. I wish he was not on those notorious "bulk up" training sessions that destroyed Lukaku , made him bigger but lose all his agility and acceleration in the end.
So far, he doesn't seem to be able to handle the switch to PL. He played a few good matches at the beginning, when everything was new, and he was probably extra fired up.
Today he costs a goal. He is really badly positioned. Overall he is bad today and the first half was especially a nightmare for him.
Today he costs a goal. He is really badly positioned. Overall he is bad today and the first half was especially a nightmare for him.
He isn’t a right back..
I know. That's why we need a RB.
He's not a right-back. Played in an alien position today. The lad has done fine in most games he's played and he's a very competent deputy to Shaw.
He had a difficult first half and Willian caused him major issues. I thought he did better in the 2nd and Willian was not as involved
Do we blame him for their goal? He was getting forward when we had the ball. Was it Bruno who lost it and then Fulham hit us on the break with Malacia taken out of the game
Do we blame him for their goal? He was getting forward when we had the ball. Was it Bruno who lost it and then Fulham hit us on the break with Malacia taken out of the game
No problem with him struggling on the right, but worrisome that he couldn’t keep up with Willian most of the time.
I know he's a LB. I didn't know AWB was injured though. I thought ETH was so untrusting in him that he'd rather play a guy out of position. Either way, for me, Malacia is not a good back up for RB and we definitely need to get someone in January if ETH isn't going to play AWB
Recently, he's offering a similar level of performance as Telles of last year.
What’s funny is you quoting yourself to remind us all that your post back in September was a load of bollocks.
Not a right back, looked suitably uncomfortable as a result. Nothing more to it for me.
I think he'll develop into a really good LB with patience and good coaching.
I think he'll develop into a really good LB with patience and good coaching.
I’m not his biggest fan and haven’t been since he joined. But he only needs to be good enough as a back up LB whilst we have Shaw, most teams don’t have world class players as backups.
For me the question is, is he good enough for that currently, and if not can he become good enough? For me he’s not really good enough even as a backup at the moment, but he’s still fairly young and can develop so I’d say we stick with him and give him a chance.
I’m more concerned about his seeming lack of ability going forward than his defensive issues. You can coach the positioning side of things, but he looks very basic going forward. Better than AwB but that’s a pretty low bar. He often looks to come backwards with the ball, or looks for the safe pass and takes too long doing it a lot of the time, and he has done since he arrived, so it’s not a confidence thing as he was flying high when he first arrived.
For me the question is, is he good enough for that currently, and if not can he become good enough? For me he’s not really good enough even as a backup at the moment, but he’s still fairly young and can develop so I’d say we stick with him and give him a chance.
I’m more concerned about his seeming lack of ability going forward than his defensive issues. You can coach the positioning side of things, but he looks very basic going forward. Better than AwB but that’s a pretty low bar. He often looks to come backwards with the ball, or looks for the safe pass and takes too long doing it a lot of the time, and he has done since he arrived, so it’s not a confidence thing as he was flying high when he first arrived.
Just not true, he was excellent against Sociedad and in his recent games as a LB. He's just not a RB so like.. not a surprise that he had a tough time against Willian
Agreed. A lot of hyperbole as usual in these threads
I hope Laird does really well at QPR this season as we need two RBs in the first team squad.
Yeah, I love his tenacity and he's defended okay on the left, but it's hard to see a ton of upside apart from his runs (overlapping and underlapping) being decent, though he's pretty small for the underlapping runs to make a huge impact.
In general, I think so far he looks like he'll be a really solid backup but if I had to guess if he'll be first choice for us, I'd say no and that we're looking at a 4 year Shaw contract and then replacing him with a starter at 31, which makes sense, assuming we're comfortable just letting players leave now rather than ending up with a bloated squad, or it's a 4 + 1 deal this summer and he's sold with effectively 2 years left to go at age 29.
Err, he played right back. He's not a right back. It's a very different thing to defend and play on your non natural side and he's still a novice in this league and in high level football. I think a lot of things went into struggling without needing to question all his other performances which have been promising. It says a lot about our right back options that this lad was asked to do that job.
Did the best he could as a makeshift rb
This is completely untrue. He did the exact right thing i.e. back up Bruno. 99 percent of the time when the RW receives the ball the RB is near him him giving him the passing option. Where did you expect him to be? At the edge of the box? Nonsense. It was all on Bruno that one. At this level you don't concede possession like that.
At this level you don’t lose possession deep in the opposition half? Good one.- Status