FanPost

What to do with Harry Wilson?


Big things have been expected from Harry Wilson, ever since he broke Gareth Bale's record to become Wales youngest ever player aged just 16 years & 207 days. After a blinding half season on loan at Hull City, the pressure on him will only increase as he comes back under the spotlight again. In what promises to be a huge summer for Liverpool F.C, Wilson has attracted suitors, leaving the club with another decision to make. Whilst there is no doubt whatever happens with Wilson will not create the biggest headlines around the club this summer, it has the potential to be a decision looked back on in 5 or so years. So, should the club stick or twist?

Wilson is a creative midfielder comfortable playing in any of the three positions behind the striker. As a left footer, his best work arguably comes from the inside right position, using the threat of his shot to work his way into central areas around the box, thriving off short one-twos and allowing his quick footballing brain to do the rest.

I was fortunate to witness the diminutive winger wearing a Hull shirt in person multiple times. The first thing that stood out to me watching him play was his balance. You will notice when Wilson squares up his man and looks to dribble, he rarely includes complicated skills, step-overs or anything of that nature. He wins his battles with balance. He uses the threat the inside of his left foot possesses to throw defenders into over-committing a half yard before executing quick footwork to take advantage. These talents were on full display in his stunning winning goal against Norwich in March.

That wasn't his only impressive moment of this game. He also provided an assist after cutting in from the left, drawing two defenders before releasing Jackson Irvine with the outside of his left foot for Hull's opening goal. Impactful moments came regularly for Wilson this year, finishing 13 games with 7 goals and 4 assists. Perhaps the most promising aspect of these stats is the type of goals Wilson showed he was capable of scoring. Whilst brilliant individual goals are helpful to have in your locker, to become a consistent scorer you must find a way to get the easy ones. It isn't his game to become a 25+ goal a season scorer, but the top level attacking midfielders will be expected to chip in with 10-15 goals on a yearly basis. Wilson has certainly shown the potential to do this, developing a knack of finding himself the wrong side of his full back at the back post, particularly from the left wing. The goal I was most encouraged by when trying to predict future production was a tap in against Nottingham Forest. The finish may have been simple, but Wilson was behind his marker the whole attack until a last second 5 yard burst across his man put him in position for an easy finish. Instincts like these are really promising going forward.

Another attribute of Wilson's that stood out to me in person was his mentality. Sometimes, with certain players, you just feel it more than others. Hull City are a club in turmoil at the moment, from ownership downwards and were in the midst of a really tough season when Wilson arrived. On the pitch, they play a reasonable brand of football, but lack a real creative edge. Despite the circumstances, Wilson often took it upon himself to be the go to man. He isn't a shouter, but showed accountability by demanding the ball and often found himself on set pieces. When Hull grew desperate for goals, Wilson would regularly find himself more and more involved. It may only be a subtle intangible, but it can definitely help towards gaining those extra few percentages required at the top level.

There are still question marks regarding Wilson. He's quick, but he doesn't have the pace to stretch a defence. This is manageable, but to reach the highest level he needs to show he can go outside a defender. He can leverage his left foot when on the right hand side, but can he go outside and whip in a cross with his left? Occasionally this hole in his game forces him to move his starting position further inside or play with his back to goal, which has a negative affect on his teammates as space around them decreases. Posing an outside threat is the easiest way to maintain positional discipline for a wide player. This will be particularly important as he tries to break into the Liverpool squad, where the team will not be built around maximising his talents. Showing he can provide spacing to Liverpool's star players may be enough to get him through games early on in his career.

Often times, his decision making reminds you he's still only young. Reverse passes not coming off, loose square balls across midfield, getting caught in possession, all mistakes associated with inexperience. Wilson's finishing certainly needs improving to reach the highest level. Too many times a good piece of movement was squandered with a timid side foot finish.

This brings us to his current Liverpool status. A lot has to be decided within the current squad, with the futures of Ings, Origi, Sturridge, Markovic, Grujic and others to be determined. In addition to this, Liverpool's early aggressiveness in the transfer market suggests the front line will be bolstered further come September.

The number rumoured around Wilson appears to be in the £7 million range, with interest from Fulham and Huddersfield mentioned. The club have been proved right selling early before, as recently as receiving £15 million for Jordon Ibe. However, in this case I would like to see the club back Harry Wilson long term. In my opinion, Harry Wilson's floor is to become a good Premier League player. I question how much £7 million really moves the needle for a club like Liverpool, so I would like to see them take a long view on his development with such high potential rewards in play. In just roughly 1000 minutes of first team action, I believe Wilson has done enough to warrant patience. Due to his light frame physically, it may take him a little longer than others to break through, à la Jesse Lingard. Therefore, the best move for Wilson would be a loan move at a higher level. Fulham & Huddersfield have both shown interest as mentioned above, and a loan move would make sense for both clubs. Other interesting loan moves include joining his former youth team boss, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard at Rangers. Marco Bielsa's appointment at Leeds is intriguing, as though Wilson likely needs Premier League football, Bielsa provides a potentially life changing experience from a coaching standpoint.

Whatever the case, I personally will be rooting for Harry Wilson's long term success and would encourage Liverpool decision makers to keep him under contract with the club a little longer.

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