It is always interesting to see how players apply themselves at this time of the season, when there is very little importance placed on the game in which they are involved. Such was the case for relegated Hereford recently, when they travelled to struggling Yeovil Town. It was a pleasant surprise, then, to see an entertaining, hard-fought game, with the on-loan Bristol City player Jennison Myrie-Williams giving me plenty of food for thought throughout.
Firstly, he played right-wing despite being very left-footed, which can be hit and miss – sometimes your game can become predictable as you are always intent on coming inside, meaning you rarely get behind the opposition and thus have to cross the ball from in front. This is easier to defend than the pulled-back cross, where defenders are facing their own goal.
There is a plus side to this, though. When picking up the ball in an advanced position, Myrie-Williams could immediately cut inside and, when in range, get his shot off. This is exactly what he did to open the scoring against Yeovil. Receiving the ball about 20 yards from goal, he drifted past his full-back, feinted to shoot to go past another defender, and then looked like he had over-hit the ball before his extra yard of pace got him there first to give the Yeovil goalkeeper no chance with a low, left-foot shot across goal and into the bottom corner.
Whenever he was given time and space to run at the opposition he looked dangerous and comfortable with the ball at his feet. This appears to be a side to his game that comes naturally. As the match became stretched he quickly turned defence into attack with lung-bursting 50-yard runs. On two occasions, once in front of his marker he cleverly cut across, drawing another player towards him before playing a slide-rule pass. Although he is composed with the ball, however, he needs to simplify his game when held up, because as the picture changes he needs to take more time to assess the situation.
He was particularly influential as Hereford came under pressure in the second period – brilliantly taking a ball down from the clouds and doing well to keep it when under pressure in his own half. Because of his willingness to break with searing pace he was often his team's best option when possession had become restricted.
It is not an easy position to play and when he received the ball with his back to goal on the right, being left-footed he would naturally be facing inside instead of looking for the option down the line. Sometimes he went into congested areas and at other times he was too easy to mark. Confusion also occurred when he was closing down. His body position looked a bit awkward and he would show his opponent the opposite way to the one his team-mates would expect – sending them outside when he should have sent them inside, and vice-versa. He was hard-working without the ball, though his tackling and heading need work.
He fancies himself from dead balls and rightly so – he hit a superb free-kick from 25 yards that had the keeper scrambling, the ball grazing the outside of the post.
The London-born Myrie-Williams has been at Bristol City since the age of 14, playing 25 times and scoring twice for his parent club. Worryingly, despite having had five loan moves, he has yet to be taken on. If City do not see a future for him, he needs to find a club that does. But he is only 20 and as a former England under-18 there looks to be plenty more to come.
How he rates
Age 20
Born Lambeth
Position Striker
Height 6ft
Weight 12st
From Academy
Team Bristol City Responsibility 8
Pace 9
Shooting 9
Heading 7
Tackling 7
Valuation £200,000
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