De Laet, the new "Wellens"

[dbtcity]

I feel for him as most teams recognise that our right is our weakest area, although he has a near on impossible task of basically trying to pick up 2 players constantly as mahrez dosent look like he fancies tracking back this season, he looked like a much better player once dyer came on and offered a bit of cover.

It's a tough call for ranieri though as mahrez looks like a world better from the right yet looks like he struggles through the middle in a free role (well he did yesterday) I just don't no how we could set up to get the best of both worlds giving rdl cover whilst also giving mahrez the freedom to attack and do his thing from the right

[Babylon]

I'll back Ritchie when I think people are being harsh, but I thought he was awful yesterday.

[Babylon]

Huth was constantly telling him off from what I saw. 

After about the 8th time in 20 minutes that he was caught too far up field and too far away from his man, Huth's hand signals seemed to be suggesting he needed to concentrate on defending his area of the pitch. Far too often he was 10 metres ahead of the centre backs and gave them acres of space to run into behind him.

[Bamba's Babes]

RDL is the last donkey remaining at the club now Konch and Nugent have left.

He has been targetted by every team we have played this season, far more than Schlupp, so odds are ge may nake a few tackles as every attack comes his way.

Riyad's cover isn't the best but I've never seen a defender get turned more than this clown.

His nickname is braindead Ritchie for a reason. He is cack!

[demon_dog]

I blame Wellens

[st albans fox]

Playing with an extra holding midfielder will provide some cover for the full backs to get forward. At the moment, we aren't playing that way. RDL will look better if he has more cover in front of him. the extra downside of Riyad being doubled up on from richie's perspective is that his side is 'loaded' when the ball breaks for the opposition.

[Ricey]

Mahrez doesn't help him, but De Laet needs to learn when to break from the back line and when not to. I'm fine with him supporting the attack, but yesterday he repeatedly charged out to close a Villa player down, often getting nowhere near winning the ball and causing Villa to have the freedom of the left-wing.

 

Everything dangerous came from that side. He's quick and as a result a threat going forward, but he's just not intelligent enough for this level.

[jimmeh]

If de laet and schlupp were banned from entering the opposite half and were only allowed to defend then they would simply be awful. For that reason they aren't good enough full backs. A full back should be able to defend and attack.

[shen]

I've always been an RDL fan. His pace is brilliant when he's awake, watching smug **** wingers try and skin him. Fab.

But he's had a shit start to the season and looked wonky last year as well, we had our best spell with him out of the team.

It's not mistakes he makes on the ball that are a problem it's what he does without it. All of Villa's joy came down his side yesterday. He's never where he should be.

I'm fed up of seeing opposition wide men in acres of space receiving the ball with RDL navel gazing somewhere in or up field.

 

 

Mahrez doesn't help him, but De Laet needs to learn when to break from the back line and when not to. I'm fine with him supporting the attack, but yesterday he repeatedly charged out to close a Villa player down, often getting nowhere near winning the ball and causing Villa to have the freedom of the left-wing.

 

Everything dangerous came from that side. He's quick and as a result a threat going forward, but he's just not intelligent enough for this level.

 

Similarly, you could say that he scored a goal and the two other goals were created down his side.

[Bayfox]

I'm not RDL biggest fan and never have been, and I thought he had a bad 1st half, but then I think you could level that at, Jeff on the otherside, huth didn't cover himself in glory, inler and drinkwater gave the ball away far to easily, and the jap wasn't in the game.

 

I accept that when he has Mahrez playing on his side he gets a lack of cover, but then nearly everytime we went forward, they doubled up on our wide men so, RDL and Schlupp should have had more of an impact going forward, as they did in the 2nd half.

 

I guess the problem is that when you have so many players playing well, such as Vardy giving 100% and Mahrez in top form, kante coming on and doing so well, there is always gonna be someone who looks poor in comparison and at this moment that is RDL as he has his limitations.

[LCCFox96]

He was better in the last 30 minutes or so but the amount of times they got in down our right hand side in the first half was unnerving. Agbonlahor's runs often split Huth and De Laet, rather than Huth and Morgan, and the right flank couldn't deal with Grealish or Amavi going forwards for long periods. That was primarily down to De Laet but he didn't receive much defensive support from Mahrez, nor did Huth cover himself in much glory yesterday at RCB. De Laet wasn't convincing at all but worth a 6/10 I would say.

[Merchant_Banker]

A few posters have made a good point about De Laet getting no protection from Mahrez. This is what we expect given Mahrez is required to provide an attacking threat as well as being creative. By moving Mahrez inside in the second half with Dyer on the right wing we were not only more of a threat going forward, but better defensively as well.

[DB11]

Inler was the worst player on the pitch yesterday, although RDL was out of position a bit too often.

[lgfualol]

and the jap wasn't in the game.

Why not just say Okazaki?

[MC Prussian]

Inler was the worst player on the pitch yesterday, although RDL was out of position a bit too often.

I'd say that prize goes to Okazaki, who never really found into the game apart from the opening few minutes. Then he simply disappeared.

[Bayfox]

Why not just say Okazaki?

To give you something to do.

[5waller5]

Difficult job a modern full back...... You're expected to do a lot of of attacking and that inevitably means having to cover a lot of ground to get back if they break.

 

Sometimes the "blame" if that's what you want to do should be shared with the attacker that gave the possession away.

[filbertstreet]

RDL seems like a really good winger who's just too polite to tell Claudio he's not a defender so he pretends to be

[greatman]

Their will always be a weekness in a side the oppersition will always find the weekness and target that area.city did the same with villas number 7.

[5waller5]

Their will always be a weekness in a side the oppersition will always find the weekness and target that area.city did the same with villas number 7.

 

That's very true and it's one of our few weaknesses so will be targeted a lot.

[Juvenile]

Ranieri could put Mahrez behind Vardy then it would give De Laet a bit more support. every team will be targeting that side so mixing it up a bit wouldn't be a bad thing.

[General Smuts]

Do not get the De Laet hate at all. Yes he is the weakest member of our first 11 in terms of ability and teams exploit that - we would do so if the shoe was on the other foot. And even with teams doubling up on him he gets no support from Riyad defensively. He is fighting a losing battle from the start and is performing above my lowered expectations as far as I'm concerned.

When Riyad moved inside the game changed and De Laets energy and desire was a big part of that.

For me Dyer and Albrighton are interchangeable wingers with both showing much more willingness to help out the full backs defensively. Mahrez in the free role is lethal.

[Tuna]

Where was he for the second goal?

[Lionator]

Calling RDL a donkey is ridiculously patronising and disrespectful for a guy who's been one of our most consistent performers over the past three/four years. Yesterday like most of the team he was lacklustre in the first half and improved drastically afterwards.  

[Finn Claw II]

I think Mahrez will be moved to the middle at some point so with Dyer as cover, we can test the theory 'he looks bad because he has no support'.