He did on breaks

Ran into that position several times as a far post option. The classic example being where he threw his arms up in frustration at another poor Murphy passing decision. Where he sits in defensive positions is kind of besides the point IMO because that's not his strength.

Regardless, it's a waste of Maddison to play like that, because he's not quick without the ball. Two of his main strengths are turning on a six pence and driving at players with the ball in tight areas, so when he's either behind or to the right of a dribbling Murphy, his best talents are being wasted. Again that's a problem with sitting so deep (in the first half) and looking to counter attack, as you need pace to exploit the space in behind before the opposition have time to reorganise. Obviously Murphy is the go to for that. It's a waste of the player, but beneficial for the team defensively (I would say offensively but as we know Murphy is wasteful).

Posted By: Common Sense Police, Mar 31, 11:31:27