Rose versus Walker

[Papercut]

Fitness and form aside; I honestly feel there may be little in ability between the two. I actually feel that Rose sometimes offers more (and I know it will be a very debatable opinion).

This isn't just following yesterday's game but it was a point I made during a game some time back (shortly after Walker returned).

Rose was an interesting one (I think last season); where he started well and got injured (we missed the balance he provided) and then came back and was pretty dire. This season perhaps the competition with Davies and Poch's influence has brought out a different player in my view.

Walker for me is somewhat one dimensional and prone to brain farts. I think he needs to up his game a bit more and be more effective when going forward. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased he plays for us and is no doubt our best right-back (right wing-back) and I know there's more to our play than just defending but I honestly feel he needs to add a bit more intelligence to his athleticism.

Rose is far from perfect but I just see him more involved in our play; bearing in mind too that he started off as a left winger and Arry converted him to his current position - this may be a reason for his prowess going forward (Walker started off as a forward I believe).

It isn't an opinion I have set in stone but it's something I've been trying to figure recently. I know Walker is a highly rated player on this forum so that's why I'm putting it out there.

Discuss...

 

[harr1984]

I agree. Im actually a little disappointed in Walker going forward, he could learn a lot from Rose. When he first came on the scene Walker used to make some powerful, devastating runs down that right hand side with the ball, he seldom does that these days....

 

[braineclipse]

Both lack end product, but make a lot of high energy runs forward. Both have pace and use it quite well. I think when attacking there's little between them, and they also both are a bit average in their passing play.

Defensively I think Walker is better by some distance at the moment.

Rose has stepped it up massively this season though. Well done to him. Pretty clear first choice ahead of Davies at the moment and that's really well done. I'm still a bit surprised by his crossing at times. When he first broke through and at Sunderland I thought his crossing looked really rather good, but for several years now his delivery has been lacking. If he can do what he did yesterday for Chadli's goal more consistently he'd be a real danger.

 

[r-u-s-x]

Walker for me is somewhat one dimensional and prone to brain farts. I think he needs to up his game a bit more and be more effective when going forward. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pleased he plays for us and is no doubt our best right-back (right wing-back) and I know there's more to our play than just defending but I honestly feel he needs to add a bit more intelligence to his athleticism.

for me the best thing about Walker is he runs as ffast going back as going forwards. He may have a brain fart be out of posisiton but reacts very quickly to this and breaks his kneck to get back. Look at most other wing backs (Rose included) - if htey have pushed forwards they are not sprinting to get back.

We know his delivery is not great but having that outlet should (and does) give other players more options

 

[NorwegianSpursFan]

Rose is a better fotballer and walker is a better athlete. But what I love about walker is his one on one ability. When he's on form he can completely shut down his flank, rose isn't there yet imo. And whilst walker does have the occasional brainfart, rose tend to be a bit rash. Both are things that will improve with time.

 

[mjc23]

Very happy with both full backs. Last couple of games have noticed Walker making some lung busting runs, although crossing still needs some work. Rose's deliveries seem to be improving though and love his tenacity.

 

[Mumorn]

I think Rose is smarter when going forward. Both important to us though.

 

[GrimsbyYid]

I think Walker is leagues ahead of Rose in both areas. How much we missed Walker when he was injured the difference when he came back... Personally I'd prefer Davies than Rose anyway, but he's been better recent;y, but still positionally cack and doesn't do what he did yesterday in attack close to enough!

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Rose lately has looked to have the ability up play centre mid... Which is
A big step up in role

He is a very solid modern full back who is currently playing with a swagger and confidence that belies his experience in that position

Walker is so important to how we play too and only chelsea imo have a better pair in the league (I don't rate city's left backs although they do have the best right back)

 

[LCLC]

I think Walker is leagues ahead of Rose in both areas. How much we missed Walker when he was injured the difference when he came back... Personally I'd prefer Davies than Rose anyway, but he's been better recent;y, but still positionally cack and doesn't do what he did yesterday in attack close to enough!

After 3/4 of this season, I cannot see how anyone can say that Davies should start ahead of him. Davies has been OK and Rose has been one of our best players this year and would probably get 'Most Improved' if there was such an award!

I defended Rose a lot earlier this year as he consistently good and kept getting criticised by people. I think he is on par with Walker, although Walker is more stable defensively..... I think both have high ceilings and it would not surprise me if one or both are England's starting full back within the next year or so.

 

[Spur of the moment]

As a pair they do present a reassuringly robust bastion to our flanks. True, both can get caught out of position but they're usually quick to recover, so no one gets past either with too much ease.

Going forward both are fast but neither has too much finesse in the end product; crosses are predominantly either over-hit or wayward. The quality of crossing we saw from Rose last night, brilliant though it was, is hardly typical.

If anything Rose has the edge because he's that bit more likely to get on the score sheet.

 

[clevelandspur]

I am glad that the majority of our fans have started to see the light with Rose. He is getting better and better. I think some people let some glaring blunders shade their judgement because he has been excellent for about a year now. I also don't subscribe to the adage that he can't defend he has put in some brilliant defensive performances and some superb last ditch tackles helping out others.

 

[thfcsteff]

I worry that Walker is playing with an injury.

 

[parklane1]

I think Walker is leagues ahead of Rose in both areas. How much we missed Walker when he was injured the difference when he came back... Personally I'd prefer Davies than Rose anyway, but he's been better recent;y, but still positionally cack and doesn't do what he did yesterday in attack close to enough!

I will be honest and say I disagree with most of your posts however I could not agree more with this one, Walker is a much better player then Rose and I would also rather see Davies play there.

 

[harr1984]

I think Walker is leagues ahead of Rose in both areas. How much we missed Walker when he was injured the difference when he came back... Personally I'd prefer Davies than Rose anyway, but he's been better recent;y, but still positionally cack and doesn't do what he did yesterday in attack close to enough!

I cant agree with any of that - Walker isn't leagues ahead at all, I can safely say Rose offers more going forward and both are decent but not great defenders. Also prefer Rose to Davies, we look better balanced as Davies slows attacks down on the left most of the time (not saying hes a bad player at all)....

 

[billyiddo]

having both Walker and Rose in the team is key to our tactics as they provide the width and threat from the wide positions which we 'lose' by playing inverted wingers, which gives the opposition problems when defending and creates more space in the middle of the pitch for our 2 AMs to cause trouble

 

[Pirate55]

Both lack end product, but make a lot of high energy runs forward. Both have pace and use it quite well. I think when attacking there's little between them, and they also both are a bit average in their passing play.

Defensively I think Walker is better by some distance at the moment.

Rose has stepped it up massively this season though. Well done to him. Pretty clear first choice ahead of Davies at the moment and that's really well done. I'm still a bit surprised by his crossing at times. When he first broke through and at Sunderland I thought his crossing looked really rather good, but for several years now his delivery has been lacking. If he can do what he did yesterday for Chadli's goal more consistently he'd be a real danger.

I agree. Especially as Rose was a winger and looked to good at crossing at Sunderland, despite yesterday's great assist, his crossing has been generally disappointing. For me, this is particularly poor considering the fantastic positions he often gets himself into. Defensively, he is aggressive - sometimes overly so - and too often switches off at the far post.

Walker is equally poor at crossing but doesn't really get into those positions as often as he used to. Also, Walker has failed to form any sort of understanding with any of our Right hand sided AMs, whether it be Lennon, Lamela or Townsend. He also prone to brain farts and losing his man.

Conclusion, not much between them at the moment imo.

 

[Cochise]

Offensively you can see that Rose was a winger. His movement off the ball is great and he provides an option to the man on the ball. When Chadli tucks in, he is not afraid to step up into that space and go 1v1 with the opposition fullback. His crossing (apart from that goal last night) has been poor and he does have a tendency to get forward at times when he shouldn't and to move into areas where the ball won't reach him or where another player is already in.

Walker does pick his moments better which I would expect given the years he has on Rose. He was doing it when we had Modric picking him out and is thriving now with Eriksen, Bentaleb and Mason doing the same. Where he falls down however is with his end product. His pullbacks are usually wayward as he doesn't always get his head up early enough and his crosses are overhit. He has started to come inside more often now (like Rose and Naughton) but doesn't look comfortable doing so.

Defensively Rose has started to read the game better. He does make rooster ups, but isn't tested as often because we are usually the dominant team. He has looked in trouble against the better sides and good wingers have got the better of him, but at times he is left isolated. The West Ham goal the other day was poor on his part for not playing to the whistle, but that's not truly a defensive fault and more something that players do all over the pitch.

Walker is the better defender, though imo the margin isn't that great. Against Chelsea he had Hazard in his pocket for a lot of the game and he does excel against the direct players. Against those that come deep and effect play differently he does suffer and can get caught on his heels. He still has that tendency to place his hands on a players back and be overly aggresive in area's of the field where he is in control. The subsequent free kicks are in danger areas.

Something I have started to notice as well, is that both our full backs are being expected to press high up the field when play is switched and this in turn is destabilising the back four, with our centre backs having to come wider than they would like leaving quite a bit of space between one another. I do think that a large part of our problem is our inability to form up a decent line of defence with our midfielders. They look to press at times when perhaps we would be better sitting back in a compact shape. We tend to have a back line of four and a ragged line of 2.5 players in front. The switch in play forces Mason and Bentaleb out of their channels in order to press a full back and the midfielders who should be slotting into the spaces aren't recognising the dangers soon enough (Chadli vs Liverpool is one example).

 

[AdamB]

Both have been decent this season and important to the ways we play

In Yedlin we have a like for like deputy for walker, assuming he settles ok. Davies is very different to Rose in terms of style ands I'm not convinced is suited to the way we play

 

[Yiddo]

I actually think Rose's crossing is very good. It's a shame we really only have Kane in the box for our full backs to aim for.