Stick or twist? Big window approaching for Wales star Neco Williams
Should I stay or should I go, The Clash once famously asked. The same question will currently be turning over in the mind of Liverpool and Wales defender Neco Williams. With another transfer market about to throw open its doors for business, anyone considering a change of scenery for 2022 will have just 31 days through January in which to find a new home – permanent or otherwise – and get their bags packed.
A window of opportunity will not stay open for long and decisive action will be the order of the day for those who find themselves on the fringes of any given fold. For the likes of Williams, the time has come for big decisions to be made.
Opting to push for a move elsewhere is never an easy call to make, particularity when you find yourself on the books of one of the biggest clubs in world football. Liverpool are back in the hunt for major honours this season, with football betting sites like Space Casino making them 51/20 shots for the Premier League title.
Williams already has one of those medals safely tucked away, but the opportunity to challenge for another will be difficult to pass up. Realistically, though, how many minutes is he likely to see when stuck behind Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Anfield pecking order? Taking that into account, forcing open an exit door may be the best idea. He is being nudged in that direction by those he works with at international level. Play games
Wales boss Rob Page has said of those in his squad who will be looking for more regular game time over the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign: “Players will want to play games. All I can influence is encouraging the players to want to go and play domestic football, whether it is at their parent club or elsewhere.”
It did not take long for that message to reach Merseyside, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp responding by pointing out that he is “really short of players” at the moment and the sanctioning of loan moves is “the last thing I’m thinking about”. He went on to state that while he can understand Page’s point of view, Williams still has a part to play in his long-term plans.
The German tactician also believes that a graduate of Anfield’s famed academy system is “developing every day” in his current surroundings, with positive progress made by a defender who still has plenty of potential to unlock and one who will get opportunities as heavyweights of English football continue compete on multiple fronts.
Such a stance from a club manager is to be expected, but Williams must determine whether he really is developing at the pace he intended to when making a senior breakthrough. If you believe what you read, then plenty of suitors are lining up ready to present him with a more prominent role in their respective squads.
Admiring glances will catch the eye and turn heads, especially at this time of year, with now the time to decide whether to stick or twist.