Left Back

[UHDrive]

Ricky will have JJ as no2 in the RB slots and Casgagne will have Fuchs as LB slots. The beauty of this is that Castagne and JJ can swap flanks whenever tactically required. There is no doubt that Castagne and Fuchs are both primary LB's and JJ/RP are RB's. 

 

We lack left footed left backs and wingers which is my only concern and chillwells final balls/dinked crosses and moreso set pieces on the left are going to be sorely missed. Granted Fuchs is the only one that excels at this but is unlikely to get much game time.

[Oxfordfox83]

FWIW, I don’t agree he’s been responsible for 3 goals. The defensive unit needs to be aware that he’s weaker in the air and respond to that. Playing 3 CBs we shouldn’t have found ourselves with him isolated against a strong header of the ball anywhere near the goal. 
 

Doesn’t mean he’s brilliant, but he’s been ok as the youngest member of a fairly experienced back 4. For me Cags’s form has been much more worrying-he’s been headless chickening and misreading the game for the best part of 9 months, and relying on Evans/his pace to usually dig him out. That won’t keep working once opponents sniff it out. Hope Brendan is working hard on it...

[UHDrive]

4 minutes ago, Oxfordfox83 said:

I’ve just read this whole thread to see whether anyone’s answered this question.

 

To me it’s obvious. We don’t have a right winger (or at least, we don’t play him). We do have a left winger in Barnes. So you really rely on the quick footwork and experience of your right back to give you width. So the better and more experienced player goes on the right.

I agree with this to an extent but I'd argue that RP is more often running up the pitch as a right winger as much as he does as a fullback. That alleviates some of the pressure off of the wingers.

[Oxfordfox83]

1 minute ago, UHDrive said:

I agree with this to an extent but I'd argue that RP is more often running up the pitch as a right winger as much as he does as a fullback. That alleviates some of the pressure off of the wingers.

Well exactly. But he has the experience to cover RB too. So you play your best player to replace him on the right...

[Nick]

Ricardo Fofana Soyunco Castagne 

 

.......................... Ndidi

 

Under......Tielemans... Maddison...Barnes

...........................Vardy

 

Eventually I can see us lining up like this.

 

 

 

[Babylon]

12 minutes ago, Nick said:

Ricardo Fofana Soyunco Castagne 

 

.......................... Ndidi

 

Under......Tielemans... Maddison...Barnes

...........................Vardy

 

Eventually I can see us lining up like this.

 

 

 

Think I’d rather have Evans than Soyuncu at the minute.

[Pliskin]

1 minute ago, Babylon said:

Think I’d rather have Evans than Soyuncu at the minute.

He's only had one bad game, but granted he was really, really poor haha....

[jmono84]

14 minutes ago, Nick said:

Ricardo Fofana Soyunco Castagne 

 

.......................... Ndidi

 

Under......Tielemans... Maddison...Barnes

...........................Vardy

 

Eventually I can see us lining up like this.

 

 

 

That’s a crazy technical team right there! To think we could actually field that when everyone is fit!

[Babylon]

8 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

He's only had one bad game, but granted he was really, really poor haha....

Didn’t think he was wonderful against Burnley and was partly at fault for the goal. I’ve had worries about him since last Christmas, he’s erratic and that worries me in a defender.

 

We’ve had a disrupted back line though and N’didi missing a lot. So we’ve not been able to get a consistent defensive unit going which won’t help. 

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Didn’t think he was wonderful against Burnley and was partly at fault for the goal. I’ve had worries about him since last Christmas, he’s erratic and that worries me in a defender.

 

We’ve had a disrupted back line though and N’didi missing a lot. So we’ve not been able to get a consistent defensive unit going which won’t help. 

I also think Evans has been pony since the restart, was atrocious in some of those games and can't put my finger on whats been going on with our defence. Set pieces especially, the whole team has become abysmal at defending them and attacking them. 

 

Soyuncu needs a leader alongside him though so I'm not overly comfortable with him and Fofana being the first choice pairing when everyone's fully fit. That said, Fofana could be a natural leader despite his age, does seem to be fearless and positional very good.

[Guest Fktf]

33 minutes ago, Nick said:

Ricardo Fofana Soyunco Castagne 

 

.......................... Ndidi

 

Under......Tielemans... Maddison...Barnes

...........................Vardy

 

Eventually I can see us lining up like this.

 

 

 

No Praet  who I think has been one of our best players so far

[Facecloth]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I also think Evans has been pony since the restart, was atrocious in some of those games and can't put my finger on whats been going on with our defence. Set pieces especially, the whole team has become abysmal at defending them and attacking them. 

 

Soyuncu needs a leader alongside him though so I'm not overly comfortable with him and Fofana being the first choice pairing when everyone's fully fit. That said, Fofana could be a natural leader despite his age, does seem to be fearless and positional very good.

Yeah Evans hasn't been great. His passing has been particularly poor to point I'm getting really frustrated with him. He's putting tons of pressure on the defence with his terrible balls out, which I thought was meant to be one of his strengths.

[sacreblueits442]

50 minutes ago, Nick said:

Ricardo Fofana Soyunco Castagne 

 

.......................... Ndidi

 

Under......Tielemans... Maddison...Barnes

...........................Vardy

 

Eventually I can see us lining up like this.

 

 

 

...this normally morphs into a 4-2-3-1......!!!

I think we need to incorporate Praet into the team as a starter, but unless we are playing a diamond we would have to drop Maddison.

[Chocolate Teapot]

More i think about this. The more likely I think it is that Ricardo is next on the list to go. Likely we'd sell ricardo and sign a out and out left back.

[AjcW]

2 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

More i think about this. The more likely I think it is that Ricardo is next on the list to go. Likely we'd sell ricardo and sign a out and out left back.

Of course he is! 

 

If he comes back and is anywhere near the same sort of form then he's one of the best right backs in the world.

 

I thought he was nailed on for Barcelona, but now they've signed Dest I'm not sure how that would work. As he would completely stunt Dests development and game time opportunity

 

He's destined for one of the top 5 teams in Europe though that's for sure. We just have to make the most of him while he's still here.

 

Hopefully we're drawing up a decent shortlist for that left back in time for next summer!

[Pliskin]

29 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Didn’t think he was wonderful against Burnley and was partly at fault for the goal. I’ve had worries about him since last Christmas, he’s erratic and that worries me in a defender.

 

We’ve had a disrupted back line though and N’didi missing a lot. So we’ve not been able to get a consistent defensive unit going which won’t help. 

I do agree. Cags does worry me when he is having one of his mad days, he is just a lunatic who can do a Cruyff turn.  

[urban fox]

1 hour ago, Ric Flair said:

I also think Evans has been pony since the restart, was atrocious in some of those games and can't put my finger on whats been going on with our defence. Set pieces especially, the whole team has become abysmal at defending them and attacking them. 

 

Soyuncu needs a leader alongside him though so I'm not overly comfortable with him and Fofana being the first choice pairing when everyone's fully fit. That said, Fofana could be a natural leader despite his age, does seem to be fearless and positional very good.

Defending set pieces was our big thing at he start of last season. We had the best record in he league in that respect and we didn't concede from one until around christmas time. Not sure what changed but we have certainly gone for a more zonal approach now. Personally i would much rather a man to man system, that way everyone knows who they are picking up and it stops opposition from targeting/overloading individual defenders 

[Angus Scott]

3 minutes ago, urban fox said:

Defending set pieces was our big thing at he start of last season. We had the best record in he league in that respect and we didn't concede from one until around christmas time. Not sure what changed but we have certainly gone for a more zonal approach now. Personally i would much rather a man to man system, that way everyone knows who they are picking up and it stops opposition from targeting/overloading individual defenders 

Well now we look like conceding at every set piece. The defence are a bag of nerves & it is all down to Kasper as he rarely comes & takes command & this problem has been there for years. JJ has got hammered for Man City's first goal, but that cross should have been Kasper's & a top goalkeeper would have come & caught it

[dayday]

On 07/10/2020 at 13:30, sacreblueits442 said:

...I am sure flitting from Left to Right having gone up a few levels in quality can't be easy!!!

Castagne states he wanted to come here as he wanted to play in one position only. If Castagne feels he needs to learn and progress his craft being maintained in one position then JJ needs to be allowed the chance to grow his own game. This is a massive job we are asking of him, to some extent set up to fail by the manager, replacing a current England Full Back with a player taken from League One and given intermittent games to cover cup matches.

  As a description of his shortcomings previously posted then you would have to acknowledge that they are correct in their observance, the only caveat is, what did you expect?

It’s quite clear to me, we didn’t sign a left back,  as Timothy Castagne’s favoured role is right back but can play left back, and pretty much Justin’s favoured role is also right back, it’s coming back to the adage of squared pegs in round holes.

 

So, Would it be not easier for the young lad, ( the less experienced player) to play his favoured role, rather than playing a side he is less comfortable with?

 

But hey what do I know?

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, dayday said:

It’s quite clear to me, we didn’t sign a left back,  as Timothy Castagne’s favoured role is right back but can play left back, and pretty much Justin’s favoured role is also right back, it’s coming back to the adage of squared pegs in round holes.

 

So, Would it be not easier for the young lad, ( the less experienced player) to play his favoured role, rather than playing a side he is less comfortable with?

 

But hey what do I know?

I think the reason we have gone with Justin at LB and Castagne at RB so far is because our best winger is Barnes at LW and until Ünder is fully fit and in the starting line up we need Castagne's attacking prowess from the right flank. Otherwise we'd have Justin and Perez down the right and thats nasty.

[NaijaFox]

10 hours ago, Oxfordfox83 said:

I’ve just read this whole thread to see whether anyone’s answered this question.

 

To me it’s obvious. We don’t have a right winger (or at least, we don’t play him). We do have a left winger in Barnes. So you really rely on the quick footwork and experience of your right back to give you width. So the better and more experienced player goes on the right.

Barnes is not so much a left winger (at least not in the orthodox or traditional sense) so much as a left forward. How many crosses does he put in during games? Often none at all. Instead, Barnes spends much of the game cutting inside, which should allow the LB to overlap and provide width. Justin does so now, and when/if Castagne moves to LB he would be doing the same. It’s just relative easier (and thus often more effective) to play that role on one’s ‘natural’ side.
 

Edited 9 October 2020 by NaijaFox

[Raw Dykes]

11 hours ago, Fktf said:

No Praet  who I think has been one of our best players so far

It's a nice problem to have. This is what squad depth looks like.