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Van't Schip wants more from Williams

 

17 February 2014

 

Melbourne Heart coach John van't Schip said a few weeks ago that he felt striker David Williams could bring more to the team.

 

The 25-year-old Williams certainly delivered in Wellington on Sunday.

 

Williams scored the club's first ever hat-trick in the 5-0 drubbing of Wellington Phoenix and in the process became Heart's all-time top scorer with 15 goals.

 

His three goals at Westpac Stadium gave him a tally of five goals in three matches after he came off the bench to deliver match-winners against Perth Glory and Sydney FC.

 

There has never been any doubt about Williams's talent and all three goals against Phoenix were classy, from his lob over an out-of-position Glen Moss, to his deft strike for his second and finally his curling shot in off the post in the 63rd minute.

 

But many, including Van't Schip, believe Williams has still to reach his full potential.

 

"He has to be more consistent. With his experience that he now has in the A-League he has to be important every game for the team," said the Heart coach.

 

"Today he showed (the level) he actually can play and how important he can be for the team.

 

"I'm not expecting him to score three goals every game, but to work hard and to show his talent because he has a lot of talent."

 

Midfielder Orlando Engelaar, who returned to the starting line-up after suspension, was another standout for Heart in its emphatic win - its first on New Zealand soil.

 

His thunderbolt strike opened the scoring in just the ninth minute and it was his quickly-taken free-kick that set up Williams's first goal 10 minutes later.

 

"He's important (to the side)," said Van't Schip. "You can see he's got a good touch. He's calm. He's not at his physical best still ... (so) it was important today that we could keep him on the pitch."

 

The win in Wellington ended a winless away streak of 22 games but Van't Schip wasn't getting too carried away given his side remains bottom of the ladder.

 

"We have to be humble and be prepared for our next game," he said. "It went all our way this game. Next week we have a very tough game against Brisbane at home."

 

Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick said it was vital his side moved on quickly from the disappointing performance ahead of the trip to Central Coast Mariners.

 

"It's important that they show resilience to bounce back from that. It's an important measure of their character."

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1181754/Vant-Schip-wants-more-from-Williams

Edited by Murfy1
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Williams in Bozza's Fox Sports team of the week and Goal.com's team of the week. Gerhardt, Robbie Wielaert and Engelaar also made the Goal.com team of the week.

 

Williams was also named the Goal.com Southeast Asia player of the week:

 

370112_heroa.jpg

 

Southeast Asia Player of the Week: David Williams

 

Feb 17, 2014

 

The Melbourne Heart forward's hat-trick was the standout performance of the week amongst AFF affiliated nations, earning the 25-year-old the Goal accolade

 

Goal Australia Chief Editor Iain Strachan: "Having come off the bench to score the winning goal for Heart twice in succession, Williams started in place of the injured Harry Kewell away to Wellington Phoenix and did not disappoint, netting a hat-trick as the Melbourne Heart romped to a 5-0 win. His first goal, Heart's second of the game, was a perfectly timed effort from distance which left Phoenix goalkeeper Glen Moss stranded. Williams exchanged a one-two with Massimo Murdocca to finish off a fast counterattack by scoring his second and Heart's third. The Australian marquee forward bagged his third with a well-taken curling finish from distance, and has now scored five goals in the last three matches."

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3883/features/2014/02/17/4624296/southeast-asia-player-of-the-week-david-williams

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With guys like Engelaar and Kewell int he team (and if Mate and Ramsey keep getting in behind the fullbacks as easily as they have lately) he's going to be plenty of service, and although he shanks the occasional one he's pretty deadly in front of goal more often than not, to be fair (from what we've seen this season) he's probably the best finisher in the team.

 

I agree with most here that he has a fair few faults (passing and ball control being two of them) but he's just about the fastest player in the league and seems to get into pretty good areas. Those traits have been enough to see him sit as the joint top scorer in the league so you can't really complain too much. I'd like him to stay on next season but only if he takes a bit of a wage cut and is no longer considered our 'Australian Marquee'.

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After today's impressive performance, it's a bit hard to remember why people doubted Williams at all. And his numbers are starting to look good for this season (hopefully his can keep up this form over the remaining games).

 

But if you look at the statistics across Williams' 3 seasons, you see why he's been questioned (stats for Aloisi and Babalj there for comparison):

 

John Aloisi
 
                         2010-11  
 
Games played  20            
 
Games started 17            
 
Minutes            1446        
 
Goals               8              
 
Total goals per game ratio   0.4  
 
Total goal per minutes ratio 181 
 
 
Eli Babalj
 
                         2010-11  2011-12 
 
Games played 13            22      
 
Games started 1             18      
 
Minutes            414         1591    
 
Goals               2             9       
 
Total goals per game ratio  0.31  
 
Total goal per minutes ratio 182 
 
 
David Williams
 
                        2011-12  2012-13 2013-14
 
Games played 17          24           18
 
Games started 7            20           14
 
Minutes            800       1832        1254
 
Goals               1            5             9
 
Total goals per game ratio   0.25
 
Total goal per minutes ratio 259
 
 
His finishing has been impressive this season, and I hope he keeps it up for the remaining games, but he's almost played twice as many minutes as Babalj, and he only has 4 more goals to show for it.
 
I also question Williams' ball skills, passing ability and decision making. I think there's a reason why JVS was (and still is) reluctant to play Williams, and I believe it's because he shares similar concerns. Williams doesn't seem to me to be a well rounded player, which is ideal to play possession football/'good football'.
 
If Williams was a young player, you could overlook the fact that it's taken him 3 seasons to get going, and you could judge Williams to be an exciting prospect. But he'll be 26 in less than 2 weeks.
 
Rumours about him being unhappy at Heart (despite Davutovic reporting him to be on bloated Australian marquee wages) don't help his cause, either.
 
Despite my doubts about Williams, if he can keep up his good form then he might well be worth re-signing (not as an Aussie marquee on big wages, though). Given that this is just the A-League, it might be worth holding onto Williams, even if he has some weaknesses. If he can somehow keep on scoring regularly, then he's probably good enough for the A-League.

 

I agree with most of that, Willo's biggest weakness is his poor decison making of those three. Great speed and power in his shot and as a striker(lets be honest he should always be playing there) does his best work. Finishing is very hit and miss.

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I will only judge him in the JVS era, as you couldn't reliably judge any player from the JA era, as sadly, he didn't have a clue!

I don't understand the hate towards Willo, as JVS has put it out publicly, that he expects more from Williams, and from what I've seen, Willo is delivering!

This bloke is quality, and he is finally showing it, and I hope we keep him on!

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I will only judge him in the JVS era, as you couldn't reliably judge any player from the JA era, as sadly, he didn't have a clue!

I don't understand the hate towards Willo, as JVS has put it out publicly, that he expects more from Williams, and from what I've seen, Willo is delivering!

This bloke is quality, and he is finally showing it, and I hope we keep him on!

It's not hate, it's pragmatism. You have to judge Willo over the three seasons he's been with us, against the criteria you have for going forward with the ambitions the new owners have for the club, and against other players who are available. And in that respect he's no different from any of the other players coming out of contract at the end of this season.

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If we continue on with our current form for the rest of the season and David Williams continues on with his current form, then he will have a very decent chance of making the Socceroos squad, as could some of our other players.  I even wonder whether Ange will name David Williams in the squad to play Ecuador??

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If we continue on with our current form for the rest of the season and David Williams continues on with his current form, then he will have a very decent chance of making the Socceroos squad, as could some of our other players.  I even wonder whether Ange will name David Williams in the squad to play Ecuador??

 

If our current form were to continue you'd have to think Dave, Paddy K and Harry would all be chances.

 

As things are now I'd be playing Paddy K before I'd play that spud Neil anyway.

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If we continue on with our current form for the rest of the season and David Williams continues on with his current form, then he will have a very decent chance of making the Socceroos squad, as could some of our other players.  I even wonder whether Ange will name David Williams in the squad to play Ecuador??

 

If our current form were to continue you'd have to think Dave, Paddy K and Harry would all be chances.

 

As things are now I'd be playing Paddy K before I'd play that spud Neil anyway.

 

 

My first thought was Super Dave a socceroo?  (to quote JVS) for that to happen "he needs to bring more".

 

Then I started to think about it a bit more.  The truth is, the socceroos cupboard is bare.  No Kruse makes a bad situation even worse.  Basically anyone who has shown he can score goals is going to be given at least some thought.  All our options have flaws - some of them significant.  Given that Its almost certain that we will take a "smokey" striker in the squad and the smokey has to bring "something" that defenders won't like.  In 2006 that was Kennedy and it was being 7'8".  This time it will be something else.  It could be Taggart's ability to be deadly from outside the box, or maybe something else, like blistering pace.  Ok, we all know Willo can have heavy touches in a game but not many can match it with him for "toe".  So that's his edge. 

 

I strongly believe that our squad to brazil has to include some guys who are picked not because they earnt it, but because they have potential.  We just don't have enough top players to do otherwise.

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One major factor you have to take into consideration is not whether Williams will be capable to play in the World Cup, but whether he will be capable to play under postecoglous system. The thing with postecoglou is he has his system, and given it works pretty well, at club aleague level anyway. I think for willo to have any chance under ange he has to show more when he's not scoring goals, the way he passes, uses his vision and simple things like controlling the ball and not losing it through basic errors. I don't think ange will adapt his system to suit players to be honest. I think he will choose players that will fit within his system and right now, even though he's scoring goals, I just can't see willo being part of that.

Edited by n i k o
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Do you see that JA? Fuckin striker preffered position. Just needed to play fifa to find out farken.

If you go back to when Willo was signed you will recall that he said at the time his preferred position was striker. It's taken two-and-a-half years for our coach to finally play him there.

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As in the two and half years during jvs stint as coach? If that's the case he wasn't used in his preferred position as an out and out striker when babalj was being incorporated as our striker. He played as a winger due to his speed. I'm all for playing players in their preferred position. But to play Williams as an AM as JA did is crazy due to his limitations.

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As in the two and half years during jvs stint as coach? If that's the case he wasn't used in his preferred position as an out and out striker when babalj was being incorporated as our striker. He played as a winger due to his speed. I'm all for playing players in their preferred position. But to play Williams as an AM as JA did is crazy due to his limitations.

No, two and a half years since he was signed. Irrespective of coach.

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Well, just putting this back where it belongs:

 

Can't wait to see him in Orange again next season... Beautiful

 

david-williams.jpg.

http://www.foxsports...l-1226833580847

 
Given that there's a moratorium on Heart signings I'm assuming that also includes re-signings, so it doesn't surprise me that Williams has not been offered a contract for next season. Anyway, apart from that, IMO he's on far too much (rumoured $375,000) for what he has delivered over the three years he's been with us. His main asset is his speed, which at his age is not going to last much longer, and he's really not much different from a couple of others we have on our books who are speedsters.
 
Given that we're almost certainly looking at a different style of play in the future, it's inevitable that some of the current squad are going to leave.
 
Personally won't be too fussed if he moves on.
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Well, just putting this back where it belongs:

 

Can't wait to see him in Orange again next season... Beautiful

 

david-williams.jpg.

http://www.foxsports...l-1226833580847

 
Given that there's a moratorium on Heart signings I'm assuming that also includes re-signings, so it doesn't surprise me that Williams has not been offered a contract for next season. Anyway, apart from that, IMO he's on far too much (rumoured $375,000) for what he has delivered over the three years he's been with us. His main asset is his speed, which at his age is not going to last much longer, and he's really not much different from a couple of others we have on our books who are speedsters.
 
Given that we're almost certainly looking at a different style of play in the future, it's inevitable that some of the current squad are going to leave.
 
Personally won't be too fussed if he moves on.

 

 

How can you say that there is a moratorium on re-signings when recently Hoffman and Velaphi were given new contracts? Furthermore there is the rumoured contract with Mooy who would be a new signing - AFAIK no one has denied the existence of this contract.

Personally I would rather the club have signed Williams ahead of Hoffman but I presume that next season will show the folly of re-signing Hoffman.

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