Iñaki Williams settles into Terzic’s central-striker role

Iñaki Williams has established himself as Athletic’s centre-forward under Edin Terzic. The coach again selected him through the middle at Vallecas, where the team managed only 13 minutes and a few seconds of play. “Guru” had returned to the squad for the trip, but Terzic continued to trust Iñaki.

The decision continued an approach used in the four matches before the visit to Rayo. Williams, who had spent much of his career on the right side of the attack, was deployed as the most advanced player. At Vallecas, Robert Navarro was on the right, Canales played behind the striker in place of the injured Sancet, and Berenguer took the left flank.

The arrangement comes amid a season in which the team secured its second victory, which remains its most recent so far. That win gave Terzic another reason to stick with his choice. The new centre-forward has not yet had much luck in the role, and the brief time played at Vallecas offered little opportunity to assess it further.

Terzic explained his decision at Lezama on September 15. He noted that Iñaki had already played three matches in the position and pointed to his pace, pressing, presence in the box and threat on the counter. “He is our captain,” Terzic said, adding that Williams was ready to take on the responsibility and had made important strides in recent matches. He also acknowledged that players in the role need goals and that Iñaki had had chances.

Iñaki had also spoken about the possibility: “That option has always been there. In fact, when I arrived, Iñaki was the starter. The coach likes to move the players up front around a lot, whether inside or outside,” he said in an interview with Cope Bilbao. If Terzic sticks with this approach, Williams will remain the team’s centre-forward.