Player Profile : Ezgjan Alioski

[1964white]

Today's player

Ezgjan Alioski

Retain as our LB next season ?

Retain as our LW/RW next season

Retain as a bench player ?

Move on ?

Rating out of 10 last season

[hector]

The Macedonian Muppet.........

keep as a RW reserve as that is his best position, and he will keep whomever we have as RW honest...

10/10 for effort, but for effectiveness and skill etc 6/10

[Ratscoot]

Duracell Bunny and a pain in the arse to play against

Retain as our LW and reserve LWB, RW - hoping Douglas picks up next season so him and Ali are our title winning left side

Bench No

Move on No

Keeper Definitely Not

Rating out of 10 as Hector said for effort 10/10 but overall for the season 7

[dezzy]

Good solid hard working player, versatile, you could never question his commitment, a great squad player, I’d keep him for the bench, but he’d probably play a lot with injuries.
7/10

[Sara]

He has to play, for me, in whichever position best suits the team at the time. He gets criticised for his crossing and defensive ability, but these are inconsistent, not bad, and he contributes with vital assists and goals.

I also think he is important for giving the team that relentless in your faceness which is at the heart of Bielsa's style. Plus he shakes the tunnel, bites the ball and licks players faces - someone's got to do it!

8/10

[weasel]

Ezgjan Alioski

Retain as our LB/LW/RW next season ? Would definitely retain him and would probably start him wherever he was needed. A bit like Ayling he gets up and down and has a great engine but at times final ball is lacking. That said he got a great amount of goals from full back and no reason why he wouldn't get double figures as a winger.

Retain as a bench player ? Would likely be a starter but also a great option in a small squad to have versatile players as back up.

Move on ? No - unless we got a really good offer - same as for most of our players.

Rating out of 10 last season 7.5 - everywhere he played he gave his all and for me would be our first choice left back given the options we have in our first team squad (don't know enough about the youngsters like Leif Davis to compare).

[1964white]

Retain without any doubt. Whether Ali starts I'm 50/50 on that stance, I'm unconvinced about his defending & positional sense, should we sign a more productive winger Alioski would struggle to make my first eleven, problem is without him we lose the energy factor he gives us. To be fair he would get plenty of games due to his versatility as cover down both flanks. So for now without the knowledge of our squad personnel come August I'd start Ali in the left wing position, more goals/assists than Jack Harrison

Rating 6.5

[mothbanquet]

If he had a decent partner on the left we'd see his best, rather than him just trying his best which no one doubts he does on a regular basis.

Keep, give him more starts alongside a good winger and judge from there.

7/10 all round.

[The Subhuman]

Best position is right wing for me, very poor defender with poor positioning and technique. I'd keep him as an emergence wing back but start him as RW. He's not a get to the bye line winger imo and is a lot better crossing coming in onto his left foot.

Weasel praised his goals from LWB but how many did he score from there? IIRC most of his goals came when he was playing LW. Lets not forget there were a few games where he was moved from LWB to LW when we chased games and Harrison came off. So I'm going to find it difficult to pinpoint which games he scored in playing LWB.

[The Subhuman]

Definitely a keeper though. As it stands and if Pablo plays next season he starts LW for me. I was surprised he didn't get a shot at AMF once we lost Saiz...

[paddy parrott]

Alioski and the word retain should go together yes, probably not as full back.
Though R or L /M is definitely why he needs to be involved. His ability isn't questionably & workmate tremendous.
Probably Bench for me too,as for rating I'd give him 7.

[onemoreslogan]

He's a difficult case for me.

His qualities and liabilities have already been well discussed on this thread by everyone so I won't repeat similar impressions.

The only point I would add is that while he did find the net frequently last season I found his goals often owed more to chance or the efforts of others than to anything he did (besides put himself in position which I grant is no small thing).

In fact his goal total could easily have been doubled or trebled if he had found a way to finish a better part of all the chances he had at his feet last season. So, so many went wide or over ending promising attacks.

He does contribute to team morale and I would keep him for that along with his versatility, but in an ideal world we would be starting a more clinical winger and a steadier back who work just as hard as he did.

[lufc1304]

Retain, but for what position, who knows? Love his energy, enthusiasm and the fact that he's a bit unhinged! Pros and cons to his attributes in whatever position he plays, but the fact that he can cover so many slots means he's an essential squad player for me. 7/10 for the season

[Cjay]

Right wing is his best position imo, but he is a better left back then Douglas imo whose season at Wolves surrounded by better players hid his clear issues which were clear from his playing level pre Wolves.

Ali is also a dream for MB, versatile and will run and run and run, plus he is a bit nuts.

Had a good season imo. 7.5/10.

[1964white]

Opinions so far !

Ezgjan Alioski

11 = 100% - Retain as a RW/LW

1 - Bench player

7.0 - Average Rating

[Genghers]

Keep 100%. He pretty much optimises the 'Bielsa way' with his relentless effort. Not sure what his best position is, but as it stands he'll be starting at LB, LW or RW depending on who comes in.

Would keep him as a squad player if we replace in those positions as he's always going to be a good option off the bench for his energy alone.

He's a strange one in terms of transfer as I can't see any English teams coming in for him, as he's not showy - I doubt many other fans would pick him out tbh.

Gets an 8/10 for me. Had an excellent run at LB after Douglas got ruled out for the season and I don't think he played badly before that, despite his limitations at LW.

[Genghers]

Right wing is his best position imo, but he is a better left back then Douglas imo whose season at Wolves surrounded by better players hid his clear issues which were clear from his playing level pre Wolves.

Douglas has had one season with us in which he missed half of it injured and was probably not at 100% for another quarter. Very difficult to judge him (or Bamford) on this year.

Didn't realise you'd followed his career pre-Wolves?

Does every player not improve in a better team?

[Cjay]

Douglas has had one season with us in which he missed half of it injured and was probably not at 100% for another quarter. Very difficult to judge him (or Bamford) on this year.

Didn't realise you'd followed his career pre-Wolves?

Does every player not improve in a better team?

I didnt really but read a bit.

Either he had been very injury prone or he wasnt first choice it seems.

They dont necessarily improve imo they just look better then they actually are, that is my opinion on Douglas (could be wrong of course).

But he so far has looked very much like Wolves fans said (minus the great set pieces).

Defensively very suspect, quite slow and vulnerable and without Neves, Boly and Coady to cover for him he doesnt look like the best left back in the league as he was for Wolves apparently.

As you say he did have injuries tbf, but maybe he always will have? Maybe that is just how he is and it would explain why in 2 years in Turkey he only played 50% of the league games or in 3 years in Poland he only played 69% in what i imagine is a pretty poor standard.

At present i would prefer Ali to Douglas at left back.

[The Subhuman]

Fans generally slag off players it's what they're best at. Especially former players. Wasn't Douglas in the team of the year for the Championship?

[Cjay]

I did think about that but actually if you check back to before he left that was the main concerns they had over him, in open play they felt Douglas was a weak link.

He was but tbf as i said good players can make others seem better, Djimi Traore is a Champions League winner.

Going forward Douglas is ok, he has an eye for a pass and can put in a decent cross on occasion.

But how much defending would he have had to do at Wolves? Very little id imagine and its defensively i think he is very dodgy and without a back 3 and a dm to cover for him those frailties become much more obvious imo.