Starts: 🗒️ Our Starting 1⃣1⃣ to take on @RBLeipzig_EN! ⏱️ Kickoff less than an hour 👟⚽️#WOBRBL | #VfLWolfsburg 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/DURlVdQhF2— VfL Wolfsburg EN/US 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) August 29, 2021
What's his ranking among top CBs in the Bundesliga? I know he's not perceived as world-class but he's not so far from it right?
Kicker apparently drops rankings for every position every six months. This was how they ranked it the last time they did in July International Class: 1. David Alaba, FC Bayern (now playing for Real Madrid) 2. Mats Hummels, Dortmund 3. Willi Orban, RB Leipzig 4. Jerome Boateng, FC Bayern (now a free agent) 5. Maxence Lacroix, Wolfsburg National class: 6. Moussa Niakhaté, Mainz 7. Matthias Ginter, Gladbach 8. Manuel Akanji, Dortmund 9. Marton Dardai, Hertha BSC 10. Jeremiah St. Juste, Mainz 11. Martin Hinteregger, Frankfurt 12. Marvin Friedrich, Union Berlin 13. John Anthony Brooks, Wolfsburg 14. Sebastiaan Bornauw, FC Köln 15. Nico Elvedi, Gladbach 16. Stefan Bell, Mainz 17. Niklas Stark, Hertha BSC 18. Nico Schlotterbeck, Union Berlin 19. Amon Pieper, Arminia Bielefeld https://bulinews.com/news/9154/best-bundesliga-centre-backs-2021-far
Brooks 1-0 Adams today - Brooks playing the full game. Wolfsburg is off to an excellent start, three straight wins, top-of-the-table.
Note also Kicker has another, higher, grouping- World Class. Not uncommon for them to put no one in the group (as it appears happened here).
Starts: Unsere Startelf! 💚#LOSCWOB #UCL pic.twitter.com/CdOETUVMp3— VfL Wolfsburg (@VfL_Wolfsburg) September 14, 2021
Bringing on Mr. Rabona+ Red Card, Erik Lamela, because this game’s zany potential wasn’t high enough.
Brooks just seems to have lost his form this season. Gets a yellow in the 1st half by bringing two guys down on holdup plays that weren't all that dangerous. Guys are going after him in WCQ and David likely informed Lille to do that as well. Instead of trying to win the ball or hold the player up he is just throwing them to the ground because it looks like he is scared to get beaten. We have seen serious dips in form from him in the past that were followed by big-time comebacks. Hopefully he will find his way back soon because he looks turtle slow out there.
Well, to be fair, he is turtle slow and has been, so there just has to be something else going on. He was a top defender for a good team in a tough league last season. Is he carrying a knock? Has the backline/defensive scheme changed?
Last season seemed like the year he finally got it all together. He has deficiencies but his strengths are good enough to cover for them. Seems this year is more of the same unfortunately. He's kind of like a striker in his reliance on confidence to play well. He's clearly lacking in that right now...
Second yellow. This time using his hands to smack the ball instead of yanking on Burak's neck. Ugly, poor performance. Needs to show some form soon or people will start to wonder about his position for club and country.
I am already calling for the ripcord WRT the USMNT. He is just not bringing enough to the table offensively to warrant the gaping holes he is leaving along the DLine. Like I said earlier... he has found his way out of funks before... so I am not writing him off... but right now he is a liability in WCQ and we have other young athletic CBs that can cover far more ground.
CB pairing of Miles Robinson and Chris Richards gives me more confidence. Brooks on the left in a 3 CB set.
I mean he’s not had a great week but I’m not writing him off yet. I do think he’s perhaps not a surefire starter the way we all thought he was and the games he plays and doesn’t play are going to have to be based more on match up and situation. Until he pulls out of his funk at least as he’s at different times been very good both for club and country.
If those other guys are healthy, Brooks should be saved for when we are packing it in and countering. When we dominate possession Brooks manages to get caught out at least once.
Richards's only cap in the Western Hemisphere was in Belfast, and he has like, 15 full games worth of top-flight pro experience. I get that people are annoyed by the split between Brooks's club play and his national team play, particularly in hot weather, but saying that we should replace him with [unproven American X] is like calling for the backup quarterback to replace a Pro Bowler when they throw an interception.
I dunno... his form is really bad right now. Why not use Zimmerman if you think Richards isn't ready? He was MLS defender of the year last season and did well in the GC before he got injured. I have not written of Brooks permanently... but the guy needs a break to get his head/play straight.