Robbie Neilson

[Bert]

At yet Brown was the one at fault for the goal.

As well as Hobbs....

[Webbo]

He's not let us down yet but I have noticed he likes to get forward a lot and doesn't always get back when we lose possession. Eventually we're going to get caught out.

[Flynny]

As well as Hobbs....

Brown looked like the one who should have taken responsibility in the gif of it I saw, I don't remember thinking Hobbs should have been anywhere near, but I'll look again if I can find it.

[wigstonexile]

He is capable, that's the point. Nothing more, nothing less. He isn't going to set the world alight, he isn't going to be POTS and he isn't going to have the big clubs sniffing after him. A solid defender who will so a job for us this season.

I remember a certain Gerry Tagart in first season with City was poor, passes and free kicks going astray, it took him a while to find his feet!. So give Neilson a chance, he is having to learn a new system with LCFC having been at Hearts for the last 10 years. I am sure he will become a good competent right back. No flash - able to do a job for us.

[eaststandtom]

neilson is a right back through and through. he looks like a right back the way he runs. i like this as he seems pretty dependable. from what i have seen his distribution isnt the greatest but he can tackle and knows his position and is very experienced at it.

i thought he looked good at sheff utd particularly when our backs were against the wall in the 2nd half. i think he will come in for stick because he is not flash or skilful or even an enterprising full back. he is just a right back which is probably the least interesting position for fans to relate to. left backs always seem to be cooler, chip in with some goals, have more flair. right backs are just right backs but i think he will win fans over when fans come to except him for what he is (like steve howard, limited but whole hearted and good at what he can do)

[Salieri]

He is capable, that's the point. Nothing more, nothing less. He isn't going to set the world alight, he isn't going to be POTS and he isn't going to have the big clubs sniffing after him. A solid defender who will so a job for us this season.

Agree with this.

Of our signings pre season, Neilson I remember had a fair bit of negative press from Hearts fans who came on here. I feel like some fans read that and developed a pre-conceived idea about the lad before he'd even kicked a ball.

Of course, a new whipping boy was required to take the place of Mr.Mattock.

[Bert]

Brown looked like the one who should have taken responsibility in the gif of it I saw, I don't remember thinking Hobbs should have been anywhere near, but I'll look again if I can find it.

If Hobbs had've stood the guy up instead of diving in, he wouldn't have had the room to take the shot.

[Thracian]

Agree with this.

Of our signings pre season, Neilson I remember had a fair bit of negative press from Hearts fans who came on here. I feel like some fans read that and developed a pre-conceived idea about the lad before he'd even kicked a ball.

Of course, a new whipping boy was required to take the place of Mr.Mattock.

Can't remember reading a single one of the Hearts comments. I watched Neilson at Ipswich with a completely open mind and wasn't impressed one bit. Nothing has really convinced me in subsequent matches. To me he just doesn't have the reovery speed for what I want in a full-back and therefore stays cautious about supporting attacks.

As for Mattock I don't think he was ever a whipping boy. Quite the opposite in general. He was much over-rated by some, just like Fryatt as a Championship player. Nothing would please me more than to feel differently.

[Flynny]

If Hobbs had've stood the guy up instead of diving in, he wouldn't have had the room to take the shot.

Was that not Berner?

[Bert]

Was that not Berner?

No. Was certainly Hobbs.

[maddog]

Not been great so far and his long throws have come to nothing because no one can win the fooking ball <_<

I think Wheale has so far been the best performer, made some outstanding saves, good kicking, great commanding of area and catches of crosses, he's very very good so far.

Not as good as Fulop obviously but easily better than Stockdale, Bunn, Hendo, Logan, Warner etc.

Of the new signings he's certainly been the most consistent, and could do nothing about the goals at Sheffield and Newcastle.

And we've only conceded 1 other goal, which was down to the defence really, although perhaps Wheale could have caught the cross but apart from that he's been flawless.

[Edmund]

He's not let us down yet but I have noticed he likes to get forward a lot and doesn't always get back when we lose possession. Eventually we're going to get caught out.

Surely thats what you want your full backs to do Thats like saying eventually a goalkeeper is going to let a goal in.

Can't remember reading a single one of the Hearts comments. I watched Neilson at Ipswich with a completely open mind and wasn't impressed one bit. Nothing has really convinced me in subsequent matches. To me he just doesn't have the reovery speed for what I want in a full-back and therefore stays cautious about supporting attacks.

The game he made a goal saving tackle

[ian_marshall]

Following another shocking performance from Neilson the Clown, who in recent years deserves the accolade of Leicester's worst signing?

[stez]

to be fair to maybury he was made to play down the left most of the time. it seems neilson was only purchaced for his throw-ins, rather than any other skills he may, or may not, have

[davieG]

Maybury was decent FB who we ruined by constantly playing him out of position and crushing his confidence.

[Narborough Bod]

A lack of height and pace didn't really help him though.

[daveyboy]

to be fair to maybury he was made to play down the left most of the time. it seems neilson was only purchaced for his throw-ins, rather than any other skills he may, or may not, have

Which are not even good! The way he puts them in has now power or proper direction and therefore are very easy for defences to clear...

[davieG]

A lack of height and pace didn't really help him though.

Is height a pre-requisite for a full-back. There's been plenty of outstanding small fullbacks. Pace certainly wasn't a major problem for us when Maybury was around there were a lot more telling weaknesses in the team than Maybury's lack of pace.

[clazkel]

I think Morrison should be playing instead of Neilson and have thought that for the last few games, but i think some of the stick he is getting is alittle unfair. He didnt get the support from N'Guessan when defending that he should get yesterday. Also he doesn't hide, he does try and get involved. That said i think we have better players who should be playing instead of him.

When it comes to Maybury i actually thought he was a decent player and didnt deserve alot of the flack he got, he was isolated alot.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Neilson looks like the sort of player who has more limitations than potential. He's never going to improve any more than the player he is now - a one-paced defender of limited technical ability who will try his heart out and will fight for the cause. Although he looked to me at fault for a couple of the goals last weekend, he generally seems to make up for his lack of pace and first touch with some good positioning and huge effort. He's an average passer of the ball though and Pearson would do well to instruct him not to try to be something he's not. Gilbert could bomb upfield and still get back, but Preston's second goal yesterday (while perhaps not being Neilson's fault) is the sort of goal we can expect to concede on several occasions in the future if Neilson keeps trying to be Dani Alves. Overlapping and supporting the attack is all well and good, but Championship football is, boringly, all about percentages - especially when dealing with limited players. We aren't going to get done every week by quick wingers though and he dealt fairly well with Ross Wallace yesterday, primarily through intimidation and some tactical fouling.

I think that sort of solid, unspectacular full-back is probably under-appreciated by most and we'd equally be in danger of conceding goals through bad positioning or aerial weakness if we fielded a different type of player at right-back, but Neilson's not the type of player I enjoy watching and I can see already he's going to frustrate me all season. It's a shame because I could see it straight away at Tamworth on his first appearance and, as mentioned, his pace and first touch are not going to improve noticeably over the season.

[Matt]

Has anyone seen a pattern that most of the time when you bring Scottish players to play in the English leagues they just don't seem to cut it?

[Legend_in_blue]

If you're going to start a thread criticising Robbie Neilson may I suggest this as another:

Danny N'Guessan - The New Momo Sylla.

Neilson may not be Cafu but at least he gives it 100%. You can't fault his workrate. Yes, he may have limitations but he is clearly trying to play a role forced on him by NP that he is unaccustomed to and without proper backup down the right from his 'I'll wonder over here for 10 minutes and run and produce nothing' RM what do you expect?

Give the guy a break.

[Narborough Bod]

Is height a pre-requisite for a full-back. There's been plenty of outstanding small fullbacks. Pace certainly wasn't a major problem for us when Maybury was around there were a lot more telling weaknesses in the team than Maybury's lack of pace.

I personally think height should be a pre-requisite for any defender, be they centre back or full back. Don't get me wrong, Alan Wright did a great job for Villa, and Maybury was taller than him, but I felt Maybury was no more than steady at best.

I think it's too early to properly judge Nielson yet, but worryingly in my eyes, both he and Maybury started the first couple of games looking steady and solid, capable of being safe. But Maybury was, and Nielson has the potential to be, average at best.

For Nielson, his long throws also seem to be too low. Look at Delap and Clint Hill, they had a lot of height so that even if a defender got a head on the ball it was likely to go up rather than be cleared. Nielson's seem to be very flat so far, any defensive touch and they're cleared 20 yards.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Has anyone seen a pattern that most of the time when you bring Scottish players to play in the English leagues they just don't seem to cut it?

It depends who you sign. We've brought in some real stinkers from the SPL (not necessarily all Scottish) but, to give two examples, McFadden and Snodgrass were both within our reach prior to their moves to England and they would both have improved our team significantly. In recent times we've only signed one player from Scotland that I can think of who had a decent mix of strength and pace - Kisnorbo, who I think would be termed a success overall. Maybury was passable as well but suffered from the lack of quality in the rest of the team and being shunted around three different positions. The rest either lacked strength (Sylla, Hamill, Hughes) or pace (de Vries) and their technical weaknesses were therefore exposed. In terms of ability on the ball, I don't think any of them have been any good but that's not to say that there are no good Scottish players available and the best Scottish players outside of the Old Firm can certainly be effective Championship players.

[Fox92]

Agree with you Legend In Blue.

Robbie Nielson has given one bad performance from what I have seen of him.

He constantly gets stuck in, I mean against Barnsley, Hume didn't know what hit him (and I was glad), he's good in the air, ok his crossing may not be good but at least he attacks down that right, and sometimes gets caught out of position because of stupid N'Guessan. Nielson's throws are good and his first touch and passing is fine.

Like Legend In Blue says, before we single out Nielson, lets start a thread about N'Guessan who must be the worst signing under Nigel Pearson in the two season's he's been here.

Stop picking on Nielson, give him a break. I'm fed up with people moaning about Nielson.

And saying a centre back (Morrison) should play instead of a right back (Nielson) is ridiculas, we'll get caught out all the time then - did you see him at full back against Swansea?