Full back/ wing back positions

[michael]

No Greg, no Green, no Hasim.

 

If ever we needed a full back its now.

 

Pleased that Sesay is doing ok, but at 17 he wont cope with the role week in and week out,and Ryans pace in defence is needed more centrally in my opinion

 

I just hope we don't go down last seasons route of rookie stop gaps - Benevides and Charamb at wing back- which in my opinion cost us relegation(there were other options in Clarke).

 

 

If we don't sign anyone-and i really hope we do-then Standen and Braithwaite !!!! at wing back would be my choice

[Chris1]

Michael makes some good points. CK likes his wingers and you can't argue with his record, but this 3-5-2 can leave us underpowered at the back. You used to be able to get round the back of defences at this level quite easily, but I think the coaches are getting wise to it.

 

Personally I would like to see 2 strong central defenders in the mould you are asking for. Keister does well at the back but is too short. So we need someone alongside Bill who is big and strong. Donovan might do it.

 

Interesting about Braithwaite. He has lost too much pace to play up front, but is fully committed and knows the game well. He's not really a defensive tackler, but it would be interesting to see him in midfield. The trouble is, you can't force a 'demotion' on a senior player, so he will have to want to do it.

 

Right side of midfield in a 4-4-2 perhaps, but that won't happen.

 

Interested to know what others think.

[MIKE PERRY]

Where has CK been playing Brayley. He was heralded as the second coming after his performances up front for us earlier in the season but it appears from the reports he using him as a wing back and if so why. He has to be better than anything else we have up front at the moment. All the talk seems to be about the defence but the bottom line is we are not scoring enough goals. CK are you Sven Goran Ericsson in disguise?

[Chris1]

Brayley has been at the front of Sven Kinnear's 'diamond' most of the time, but he does seem to prefer the left when going forward.

[michael]

I think Braithwaite started life in midfield, but i think he could do an excellent job at wing back

[Cookie]

The older they get the further back they go.Isnt that the way it goes in a lot of cases.Braithwaite may well do well at the back.His experience could help so much back there and as his pace is not as it was maybe this is an option that should be looked at.He did well the other week at full back if I heard right.

[MargateFan]

Donovan is shaping up quite well, thought he had a good game yesterday, and almost scored with a terrific header. I am sure that Kola must nearly be OK, which will give us further strength at the back.

I must admit that I prefer Ryan to play further up, but he has contributed with some powerful performances at left wing back. JK has also aquitted himself well further back. But we still have McGowan and Sacha for midfield, so if Ryan/JK do drop back we remain covered in that area. For the two games I have seen him, Sesay has covered Greg's position at rught wing back well and with a certain amount of flair, and although I do allow he is not big enough to combat the gorillas, he can whizz round them with his speed.

I might add that on Monday night, when we were playing such a good attacking game, mostly in Fisher's half and particularly in the second half, it took a lot of strain off the back line, as well as being much more gratifying to watch from my point of view.

[Chris1]

Agree about Donovan. The trouble is, if you are going to have a full back coming up for corners it is going to leave you vulnerable to a counter-attack.

 

That was seen yesterday when they were 3 against 2 after Donovan went forward for a corner. Luckily the extra man got over-excited and was offside.

 

The remedy is to have someone else ready to drop back, but then it can take ages to get your shape back. How we need another Sam Sodge!

[MargateFan]

I agree it is a gamble to bring too many people forward for corners. But it makes the argument that we should be gaining more advantages from set pieces and making them count. In the past few games we have won more corners than the opposing team, but I do not think we have scored from any of them.

[margateshot]

I have to agree with MIKEPERRY, the problem at the moment is that we are not scoring goals. Our goals against is not the worst in the league but our goals for is terrible. We need a good target man up front that can keep banging in the goals along the lines of Bugsy or Sycho. We have lost by one goal in all our defeats yet only conceded 4.

[michael]

The point about our attacking corners is well made.

 

We do not seem to threaten from tem.

 

Last season,we had a similar scoring problem, but got a few from corners, free kicks, through Barnett and Ross Smith in particular.

Hopefully as said ,Donovan will be an increasing threat.

 

I think two of our goals have come from Sacha free kicks.

Its worth playing him for his free kicks if he can get one every two games !!But then who do you drop

[Cookie]

We should now be playing our best players now having had some in some out and tried the rest. My best side would be:

 

Mitten

Edwards

Kola-Donovan-Ryan

Keister-Sacha-Hasim

Sessay-Remy-Brayley

 

Subs: McGowan(poss replacement for any above as he has also done nothing wrong)

 

Hilaire-Egan-Standen(just because he is still here)

Oates-(maybe injured and nice guy but his best form seems behind him these days)

Braithwaite(for his experience & possible replacement ANYWHERE on the pitch including full back) & Gradley( on as sub for a while to get up to fitness though not a man in form even before his injury).i.m.o.

 

Also play those players that are IN form and not because of their name or reputation.

And play them on a regular basis unless they have a real dip in form. One game not included!

Only change these players with others if injured or terribly consistently out of form.

[MargateFan]

Would you be leaving Adolph out completely then, Cookie?

[P.W.]

[color:"blue"]The trouble we have at the moment is too many similar players fighting for a few places & in order to fit them all in we are putting them in their 'wrong' position. We seem to be overrun with midfielders and short of defenders - often opting for non defenders playing as wing back but struggling in defence.

 

I think that, at the moment were doing it too much and should ensure

Warren Ryan - midfield ... defender as emergency only!

JK - sweeper but we now have better in midfield.

Bertie - just behind the front two only moving forward not to a defending role at all.

 

We do need a couple of regular full backs - Greg has become too injury prone and frankly I think it's time to let him go .. we also need a natural replacement for Greenie. Looking at the current squad I'd say we should also release Ian Hillaire, who is currently behind Adolph, Bertie, Ellis and Leon. It's also time to let Ydhego move on too. With those three gone then there should be some money for two dedicated full-backs (but hope that unlike Adrian Clarke .. Chris doesn't see them doing a job in midfield).

[P.W.]

[color:"blue"] I'd say my side would be (in blue)

 

GK: Mitten

RWB: A.N.Other

LWB: A.N.Other

Sweeper: Bill [color:"red"]or JK [color:"blue"]

Central Defence: two from Kola, Donovan [color:"red"]or Bill [color:"blue"]

Defensive Midfield: Hasim [color:"red"]or Warren [color:"blue"]

Other midfield: two from Brayley, Warren,[color:"red"] McGowan, Gradley or Sacha. [color:"blue"]

Strikers: two from Adolph, Ellis,[color:"red"] Brayley, Leon [color:"blue"]

 

Sustitutes or injury/card cover only: Egan, Sesay, Leon

 

Unlike last season we have almost too much choice

[michael]

Since its Ron manager night, my twopenny worth would be -and only selected from current squad:

 

 

Mitten,

 

 

Oates Kola Donovan Ryan Standen

 

 

Gradley Deen Brayley

 

Remy Ameoko

 

subs: Mcgowan Sacha Egan Keister Edwards

[Chris1]

The few times I have seen Kola he has looked like another Deen but not as strong. A few have selected him in this thread. What qualities did you see that I missed?

[Cookie]

June,I do apologise. Yes of course AMAOKE should be in there. A man in form most definately. Sorry I overlooked him. I will therefore replace Remy with him as it then gives us that 3 pronged attack that has pace all round. Remy & Hilaire,despite their height fail to get to headers anyway so their height dosent give us an advantage.

[Cookie]

Kola is good in the air and that goes a long way in our squad at the back.That is his strength i.m.o.

[michael]

Also a good tackler, excellent organiser,reasonable pace.

Imo not that good in air but adequate-guess he is about 5'11''.

 

Has body strength aswell so not pushed around