[Albion] Mats Wieffer SINGS on 5 year contract

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think he 'gets away with it' as Hinsh did, just better. He's beastly strong & a very good footballer. Mats is a great backup but I'd rather see him in midfield

I guess the thing is, that if Mats was to speak to FH along the line of wanting to make a career at right back, this could affect who we go out and buy during the summer.

With Lamptey likely leaving and Veltman increasingly injury prone, RB is probably positional target number 1. I think we'll get one anyway, but if we had competition between, Veltman, Weiffer and Ferdi for the spot, then any new RB we get in could have more of a young, player for the future profile.

If Weiffer and Fabian are dead set on him being a midfielder, we probably need to get a PL ready right back to compete for that spot

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The difference is a top level specialist RB has far less contests as their anticipation & positioning is better

I don't dispute this at all. Full back is a specialist position. But Mats has improved there so much, at this rate, he could have all the attributes of a top full back with another half season experience.

He's already held his own there against some very good wingers

 

[dazzer6666]

The difference is a top level specialist RB has far less contests as their anticipation & positioning is better

....which he is learning, fast.....

 

[The Fits]

....which he is learning, fast.....

Exactly. He’s looking better and better every game and I genuinely think he could become one of the best and most aggressive RBs in the league whereas Hinsh definitely looked more like he could ‘do a job’.

 

[dazzer6666]

Exactly. He’s looking better and better every game and I genuinely think he could become one of the best and most aggressive RBs in the league whereas Hinsh definitely looked more like he could ‘do a job’.

Agree - and Hinsh is now doing a job as a false 9 apparently

 

[Kojakker]

Mats and Carlos are each others cover as DM. I think both together in midfield as starters would be too defensive in most situations, but given the demands of the position and necessary rotation I’d expect both to get enough minutes.
Baleba probably has another season with us, so Mats is first in line after that.

 

[aolstudios]

I guess the thing is, that if Mats was to speak to FH along the line of wanting to make a career at right back, this could affect who we go out and buy during the summer.

With Lamptey likely leaving and Veltman increasingly injury prone, RB is probably positional target number 1. I think we'll get one anyway, but if we had competition between, Veltman, Weiffer and Ferdi for the spot, then any new RB we get in could have more of a young, player for the future profile.

If Weiffer and Fabian are dead set on him being a midfielder, we probably need to get a PL ready right back to compete for that spot

Agreed. Especially as Ferdi is a specialist left back

 

[Gabbiano]

The difference is a top level specialist RB has far less contests as their anticipation & positioning is better

You should tell that to our specialist LB, he could use the reminder.

 

[rippleman]

I guess the thing is, that if Mats was to speak to FH along the line of wanting to make a career at right back, this could affect who we go out and buy during the summer.

With Lamptey likely leaving and Veltman increasingly injury prone, RB is probably positional target number 1. I think we'll get one anyway, but if we had competition between, Veltman, Weiffer and Ferdi for the spot, then any new RB we get in could have more of a young, player for the future profile.

If Weiffer and Fabian are dead set on him being a midfielder, we probably need to get a PL ready right back to compete for that spot

On sky commentary they described Weiffer as "a reluctant right back". Make of that what you will.

 

[pigmanovich]

On sky commentary they described Weiffer as "a reluctant right back". Make of that what you will.

Fabian has explicitly said Mats was initially unhappy to be played at RB.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Fabian has explicitly said Mats was initially unhappy to be played at RB.

I was saying on another thread this week that, we could end up next season with 6 to 8 players going for 2 midfield spots next season. Baleba is ahead of all of them, so 6ish for 1 spot.

I think Weiffer, if offered a choice between right back or bench, would choose right back. Maybe it's time for him to rethink his understandable reluctance to play in a different position

 

[pigmanovich]

I was saying on another thread this week that, we could end up next season with 6 to 8 players going for 2 midfield spots next season. Baleba is ahead of all of them, so 6ish for 1 spot.

I think Weiffer, if offered a choice between right back or bench, would choose right back. Maybe it's time for him to rethink his understandable reluctance to play in a different position

There would of course also be the option of a move away so that he could continue (resume) playing in midfield. But I hope it doesn’t come to that

 

[Weststander]

Baleba & Wiefffer are our two best CMers defensively.

 

[Napper]

hes done ok recently but still a long way off being convinced he's a top 10 prem player. Certainly not a RB. We deffo need better in that position next season

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

There would of course also be the option of a move away so that he could continue (resume) playing in midfield. But I hope it doesn’t come to that

Whilst true, it would need someone to stump up at least what we did and at least match his contract.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

....which he is learning, fast.....

He is, but positionally, is some way off Veltman for example.
We need a better option - IMO…..
He isn’t a right back, he’s a midfielder and a good one at that.

When he dangled a leg in the first 2 minutes, was so pleased Gakpo didn’t take advantage.

 

[London Irish]

Next to Baleba

lol nah - you've had a season too see what the likes of Ayari can do in that role and it's shocking to me that he's still so underappreciated - even hard on the heels of yesterday's lovely goal that Wieffer wouldn't have had the movement to score in a million years. Throw in Hinshelwood and Gomez who were both superb in those final 20 minutes when we won the game - throw in Austria's young player of the season who is a genuine deep lying 6 in the mould of Caicedo. Baleba and Wieffer would be two 6's - Fab will go more attacking next season, not more defensive. All this only changes if Baleba hops it - which we all desperately hope won't happen for another year at least

 

[London Irish]

I’ve been team Mats since before his recent uptick in form but had Salah scored that sitter it would have resulted from Gakpo getting the better of Mats.

Indeed - it was a rerun of how he was constantly bodied by Newcastle wingers too. I'm not convinced he'll be reliable against the top teams's wingers (the Wolves wide players were powder puff) but at the same time we can't afford to spunk away 25 million, we are not Chelsea, we have to get some kind of return on this player. If Fab thinks he can be moulded as a stand-in defender, then let's do that.

 

[The Fits]

lol nah - you've had a season too see what the likes of Ayari can do in that role and it's shocking to me that he's still so underappreciated - even hard on the heels of yesterday's lovely goal that Wieffer wouldn't have had the movement to score in a million years. Throw in Hinshelwood and Gomez who were both superb in those final 20 minutes when we won the game - throw in Austria's young player of the season who is a genuine deep lying 6 in the mould of Caicedo. Baleba and Wieffer would be two 6's - Fab will go more attacking next season, not more defensive. All this only changes if Baleba hops it - which we all desperately hope won't happen for another year at least

Has he ever played DM in his life because unless I’m wrong he has played all season as an AM/winger?

 

[London Irish]

Has he ever played DM in his life because unless I’m wrong he has played all season as an AM/winger?

Yes against Crawley earlier this season, watched it with my own eyes