[colinmax]

Thomas has a lot of admirers just like Greening.
I could see Greening had certain assets but basically produced little.I posted to that effect and despite howls of protesters I was proved right as our fantastic player could not get in the Fulham team.
Thomas is similar,pleasing on the eye but producing nothing.
Arsenal,Charlton and Portsmouth didn't make great efforts to keep him and I know his fitness was suspect but we did not have to fight off many competitors to sign him.
We should drop him if he can't or won't go to the bye line and cross.

[the lords my shepherd]

Think it maybe time for Thomas to be rested. He seems to promise so much but deliver so little of late. Maybe push Brunt (who also seems out of sorts) out into his natural left sided position, Gera on the right which would allow Dorrans to maybe play behind the striker.

[WBASPE77]

I also think we should rest Thomas for a few games.

[MulumbuPower!]

Finally might allow Brunt to play on the left which has always been his best position, which would free up the right flank for more suited players like Gera and Morrison.

[Perrybarrbaggy]

Brunt is proven to be a winger, brilliant on the left

Thomas for me, can beat a man, but then too many times puts in a lazy ball or passes back to the full back

Brunt on the left ,  then either morrison or gera on the right

[Adder]

Yes he can beat a man, but ALWAYS ends up cutting back inside - assume he's not confident crossing with his left foot. Could do with more dig in his shooting also. Agree not enough end product in short.

[smethwickw]

I like Thomas but I have to agree it is time to drop him. Maybe he has been reigned in a bit by Hodgson but to justify his place he needs to be going past defenders not checking back each time. Brunt IMO is also lucky to be keeping his place too. Very lazy at times.

[KingKoren]

It's hardly a surprise that when our tactics shift to a more defensive style that our attacking winger (who never has contributed anything defensively) has started to struggle. On the same note it's no surprise that players like Olsson and McAuley are considered our best performers.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Thomas had a constant injury problem at Portsmouth because they never had the medics to deal with it. The summer we signed him, he had been training with Wolves and luckily for us decided to come and join us. I thought in our championship season he was very good offering us something different to what we already had.

We saw in the Premier League last season under Roberto Di Matteo that he had the ability to go past and cause many full backs in this league problems. He was often our outlet with his pace alongside Odemwingie. Having that extra man in midfield actually covered any potential mistakes he made.

This season, under Roy, and towards the back end of last year we've seen a more conservative approach with an improved emphasis on his defensive game. His work rate in the Liverpool game and some of his tackles were admirable.

Given that, Jerome Thomas is a luxary that he can take the game to the oppositon, unfortunatly for us, like one or two other players, he's been used incorrectly. We're all criticising him for going backwards but maybe this is under instruction from Hodgson. The Thomas under the Di Matteo reign certainly never looked backwards as much as he does now.

[Political Cake]

The Thomas under the Di Matteo reign certainly never looked backwards as much as he does now.

Unfortunately, I remember that on here he was almost always under huge critisism for our lack of defensive ability most of the time, so I suppose it's about trying to get the right balance between tracking back and getting foreward. Perhaps better decision making would make it better, too.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Unfortunately, I remember that on here he was almost always under huge critisism for our lack of defensive ability most of the time, so I suppose it's about trying to get the right balance between tracking back and getting foreward. Perhaps better decision making would make it better, too.

What I meant by that is how often he plays the ball back to the full back. Obviously worded it wrong. I've been quite happy with the improved work rate of Jerome Thomas but when you're playing in a four man midfield then it's a must that you do the defensive duties in addition to your attacking role.

[dB]

Thomas was perfect in the 4-2-3-1 system, out on the wing. As he had the two defensive midfielders covering for him. He tended to sit high up the pitch and defend very little.

Now he's being used in 4-4-2, he simply has to defend. He can't stay up the pitch as it leaves the full back too exposed. The team needs to revolve around the system, not the system around the team.

[alex1]

Thomas has a lot of admirers just like Greening.
I could see Greening had certain assets but basically produced little.I posted to that effect and despite howls of protesters I was proved right as our fantastic player could not get in the Fulham team.
Thomas is similar,pleasing on the eye but producing nothing.
Arsenal,Charlton and Portsmouth didn't make great efforts to keep him and I know his fitness was suspect but we did not have to fight off many competitors to sign him.
We should drop him if he can't or won't go to the bye line and cross.

In the last transfer window there were at least 3 clubs waiting to snap him up (Fulham, QPR and W. Ham I think). Luckily Albion didn't give them the chance. I find him a very exciting player when he runs at defenders. This season he doesn't take on as many. I think RH wants to change his natural game.

But I hope we stick with him as he is one of the only players we have who can literally go past defenders.

[Smooth Lad]

At first, i did the rocks peoples eyebrow (or ancelotti's eyebrow) at the topic title, but after reading, you have an interesting point. Would probably work, having Brunt on the left and Gera on the right, vry exciting.

[richjonawba]

Thomas is suffering from having to sit so deep, because it means when he gets the ball he has 2 players ahead of him, the oppositions winger and full back, he cant beat them both therefore he looks to pass. Whereas last season he was receiving the ball higher up so only had the full back to beat.

Asking attacking players like Brunt and Thomas to do so much defensive work, particularly when we are playing 2 defensive midfielders in Scharner and Mulumbu, is ridiculous

[divinewind]

Yes he can beat a man, but ALWAYS ends up cutting back inside - assume he's not confident crossing with his left foot. Could do with more dig in his shooting also. Agree not enough end product in short.

Right footers on the right,left footers on the left.Football is such a simple game made complicated by coaching.

If Brunt and Thomas were getting lots of goals by cutting in and shooting i would say let it ride.

But they aren't.

[baggieboyfred]

Thomas had a constant injury problem at Portsmouth because they never had the medics to deal with it. The summer we signed him, he had been training with Wolves and luckily for us decided to come and join us. I thought in our championship season he was very good offering us something different to what we already had.

We saw in the Premier League last season under Roberto Di Matteo that he had the ability to go past and cause many full backs in this league problems. He was often our outlet with his pace alongside Odemwingie. Having that extra man in midfield actually covered any potential mistakes he made.

This season, under Roy, and towards the back end of last year we've seen a more conservative approach with an improved emphasis on his defensive game. His work rate in the Liverpool game and some of his tackles were admirable.

Given that, Jerome Thomas is a luxary that he can take the game to the oppositon, unfortunatly for us, like one or two other players, he's been used incorrectly. We're all criticising him for going backwards but maybe this is under instruction from Hodgson. The Thomas under the Di Matteo reign certainly never looked backwards as much as he does now.

could not agree more its the old square peg in round hole syndrome thomas 's  only forte is going past players in the last third of the pitch, he has never been the best defensive midfielder in the world and never will be he is obviously being asked to do his share but of course  although he tries and to be fair to him  did well against the wolves his contribution to the cause is negligible because he ends up neither forward or backward he is a luxury you can only afford in a 5 man midfield we as fans see this week in and week out so the management must see it and if they continue to pick him and expect him to do something that  he is not  capable of doing consistently then that is their responsability, we have all noticed the marked difference between last season and this in his form, and on the odd occasion towards the end of games when we have gone to 5 in middle he has shown glimpses of that form but to little to late to have any effect. so RH play him to his strengths or drop him and for goodness sake if you are going to pick these players make sure they are round pegs in round holes at least then if they do not perform they cannot complain if they are dropped