Who is the best defensive partnership?

[Dan]

Just at the fact Mee & Vitor are winning this hands down.

I'm sure they've never played together at centre half.

Add to that they're both small, I rate both but I think against someone like Forest who'll have Blackstock/Adebola they'd both struggle, a lot.

[James18]

Just at the fact Mee & Vitor are winning this hands down.

I'm sure they've never played together at centre half.

Add to that they're both small, I rate both but I think against someone like Forest who'll have Blackstock/Adebola they'd both struggle, a lot.

I actually can't remember Ben Mee losing out on a header, the guy is fantastic in the air, regardless of his height. Also the majority of votes are going to Vitor & Mee because they are our best two centre backs and i'm guessing if you put your two best centre backs together they would make a pretty good partnership

[thebartonfox]

Bring back Jack Hobbs and stick him with Mee at the back.

Unbeatable.

[shiv]

For all Bruma's failings, I think he's getting a bit to much of the loanee scapegoat stick.

Bamba has been just as bad in recent weeks IMO

Maybe, but it's no coincidence that we haven't won when Bruma has played...

[Thracian]

I've no idea how anyone can tell. It's like musical chairs in our defence with never the same personnel sitting on the same chairs twice.

Bamba's flattered to deceive. He started so well, even scoring some goals which he's never showed signs of doing since the last one. But defensively the bloke is unsafe. He wanders way out of position, takes unnecessary chances to show off his undoubted skills and leaves colleagues exposed in doing so.

Mee seems to play best with him - perhaps because he seems the most mobile and committed. Vitor's been in and out like like the piston of a steam engine. He seems to add stability but there's no concrete evidence because he's not played enough games. Bruma hasn't been on the winning side yet - even in a fair number of matches - and I don't like stats like that because there's usuallly a reason for them.

As for Tunchev I really can't see him returning to his cultured best, more's the pity. When I think of great City centre-backs I think of Ian King, Tony Knapp and John Sjoberg and I can' see we've got anyone close to their class except perhaps Tunchev if he confounded my thoughts and returned to full fitness.

The saddest thing of all this season is that we don't seem to have built anything. We demolished the House of Pearson and have built on the sand of loanees and fading stars ever since.

I've never been much for ageing or journeymen loanees - their widespread use contributed greatly to our relegation - but, at first team level we don't seem capable of improving our own players either. So something has to change. And forget nice guys. You need winners. Wayne Brown was one of the worst professionals I've seen on the ball but he was a winner and those around him knew it. Walshie was the same. Though never the most subtle defender but he did show and demand focus and commitment.

[Simmo86]

Maybe, but it's no coincidence that we haven't won when Bruma has played...

The problem with Bruma is that he always plays with Bamba which means Souleymane always get shunted to Left Centre Back which unsettles him, which may also unsettle Bruma playing alongside him.

I'd be interested to see how Bruma plays alongside Mee/Vitor because he's obviously got some talent otherwise he wouldnt be at Chelsea and a full Dutch international.

[Haydos]

I've no idea how anyone can tell. It's like musical chairs in our defence with never the same personnel sitting on the same chairs twice.

Bamba's flattered to deceive. He started so well, even scoring some goals which he's never showed signs of doing since the last one. But defensively the bloke is unsafe. He wanders way out of position, takes unnecessary chances to show off his undoubted skills and leaves colleagues exposed in doing so.

Mee seems to play best with him - perhaps because he seems the most mobile and committed. Vitor's been in and out like like the piston of a steam engine. He seems to add stability but there's no concrete evidence because he's not played enough games. Bruma hasn't been on the winning side yet - even in a fair number of matches - and I don't like stats like that because there's usuallly a reason for them.

As for Tunchev I really can't see him returning to his cultured best, more's the pity. When I think of great City centre-backs I think of Ian King, Tony Knapp and John Sjoberg and I can' see we've got anyone close to their class except perhaps Tunchev if he confounded my thoughts and returned to full fitness.

The saddest thing of all this season is that we don't seem to have built anything. We demolished the House of Pearson and have built on the sand of loanees and fading stars ever since.

I've never been much for ageing or journeymen loanees - their widespread use contributed greatly to our relegation - but, at first team level we don't seem capable of improving our own players either. So something has to change. And forget nice guys. You need winners. Wayne Brown was one of the worst professionals I've seen on the ball but he was a winner and those around him knew it. Walshie was the same. Though never the most subtle defender but he did show and demand focus and commitment.

This is barely worth mentioning at this stage. You could argue that maybe one or two permanents should have arrived in January but like someone mentioned last week that nobody else seems to have taken on board. Sven gambled on getting there on ability alone this season (with loans), and it damn well nearly paid off. And for all we know he's lining up those one or two to come in the summer (Kamara, Mee, Yakubu). If you take away Sousa's reign there wasn't much building that could be achieved and I think with the new style we've adopted, that we seem comfortable with reasonably quickly, we have some good foundations for next season.

[marbelladave]

This is barely worth mentioning at this stage. You could argue that maybe one or two permanents should have arrived in January but like someone mentioned last week that nobody else seems to have taken on board. Sven gambled on getting there on ability alone this season (with loans), and it damn well nearly paid off. And for all we know he's lining up those one or two to come in the summer (Kamara, Mee, Yakubu). If you take away Sousa's reign there wasn't much building that could be achieved and I think with the new style we've adopted, that we seem comfortable with reasonably quickly, we have some good foundations for next season.

Spot on, glad someone takes notice.....

With no pre-season and virtually a quarter of the season wrecked by PDFS, Sven had two realistic choices;

He could write off this season and start building for next, or

He could mount a push for promotion, using whoever he could beg or borrow.

He took the second option and gave us a roller coaster season full of anticipation and frustration, great at times,(even Thrac approved on occasion) awful at others, one thing it was not was boring. It is not going to get us up but it did give us a chance, worth the gamble in my view.

Having missed pretty much all the games in march and april I guess that is easier for me to say than for those of you who have had to endure recent games, but i stand by what I say.

Serious rebuilding starts this summer....

[MikeyT]

Bring back Jack Hobbs and stick him with Mee at the back.

Unbeatable.

Rather have Vitor over Mee in this instance then. Vitor and Hobbs would be good.

[marbelladave]

Rather have Vitor over Mee in this instance then. Vitor and Hobbs would be good.

I think it is highly unlikely that we can get Vitor but I think Mee is a possibility.

I doubt that Hobbs is a good enough footballer to be a starter, so I would look to Bamba and Mee as first choice, assuming we can get Mee of course.

[muzzy1981]

Vitor and Mee probaly the best but I'd keep Bamba in as he's a good player and he is ours, we can't push out our permament signings.

[Thracian]

He gave us a roller coaster season full of anticipation and frustration, great at times,(even Thrac approved on occasion) awful at others, one thing it was not was boring. It is not going to get us up but it did give us a chance, worth the gamble in my view.

Having missed pretty much all the games in march and april I guess that is easier for me to say than for those of you who have had to endure recent games, but i stand by what I say.

Serious rebuilding starts this summer....

I did indeed approve of the fast-passing style we adopted and, at first, happily accepted the choice of players Sven chose to bring in to effect that change.

But, from conceding the first goal at Cardiff, that system was mostly abandoned or modified , Burnley mostly excepted.

We started falling off to regain possession instead of pressing high. We stopped moving for each other and using the full width of the field, we took pace out of our side and some of those players I hoped Sven had chosen wisely proved to be questionable at best. And, as they were found wanting, so our confidence, conviction and organisation disappeared.

As you say though, all that matters now is the summer rebuild.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Tunchev & Vitor

This, but it will never happen cos Vitor will go back before we play Tunch.

[blueredswed]

Mee in the left CB and anyone of the others to partner him

I agree with you, but looking forward next season when Sven gonna get a strong team!

[blueredswed]

I did indeed approve of the fast-passing style we adopted and, at first, happily accepted the choice of players Sven chose to bring in to effect that change.

But, from conceding the first goal at Cardiff, that system was mostly abandoned or modified , Burnley mostly excepted.

We started falling off to regain possession instead of pressing high. We stopped moving for each other and using the full width of the field, we took pace out of our side and some of those players I hoped Sven had chosen wisely proved to be questionable at best. And, as they were found wanting, so our confidence, conviction and organisation disappeared.

As you say though, all that matters now is the summer rebuild.

Sven must looking for some other players if this beautifuel game not working bring in English steel or Welsh or Scottish, but tall strong players and quick.......

Just my thoughts!

[marbelladave]

I did indeed approve of the fast-passing style we adopted and, at first, happily accepted the choice of players Sven chose to bring in to effect that change.

But, from conceding the first goal at Cardiff, that system was mostly abandoned or modified , Burnley mostly excepted.

We started falling off to regain possession instead of pressing high. We stopped moving for each other and using the full width of the field, we took pace out of our side and some of those players I hoped Sven had chosen wisely proved to be questionable at best. And, as they were found wanting, so our confidence, conviction and organisation disappeared.

As you say though, all that matters now is the summer rebuild.

Due to family and other commitments (moving house in the main) I have not seen any of our games since the beginning of march.

I can only assume that it is my absence that has turned us from playoff certainties into also rans, I never realised Sven relied on my analysis quite so much!...

Many posters have commented on the way the opposition has closed us down but it is interesting that you place the emphasis on us failing to do likewise to the opposition. We play such an attacking, open style that defending from the front is an integral part of our game, if we are not doing that then it is no surprise that we are being taken apart at the back.

Without seeing any of the games I put our recent slump down to a collective loss of form, but if we are failing tactically i find that strange. Sitting back and allowing the opposition time and space is an 'old City' trait yet we are a very different side these days.....

Given that, maybe it is down to our midfield, one area of our team that has changed little. Over the course of the season I have questioned the makeup and effectiveness of our play in this area and your observations seem to support this thought.

[cc_star]

Due to family and other commitments (moving house in the main) I have not seen any of our games since the beginning of march.

I can only assume that it is my absence that has turned us from playoff certainties into also rans, I never realised Sven relied on my analysis quite so much!...

Many posters have commented on the way the opposition has closed us down but it is interesting that you place the emphasis on us failing to do likewise to the opposition. We play such an attacking, open style that defending from the front is an integral part of our game, if we are not doing that then it is no surprise that we are being taken apart at the back.

Without seeing any of the games I put our recent slump down to a collective loss of form, but if we are failing tactically i find that strange. Sitting back and allowing the opposition time and space is an 'old City' trait yet we are a very different side these days.....

Given that, maybe it is down to our midfield, one area of our team that has changed little. Over the course of the season I have questioned the makeup and effectiveness of our play in this area and your observations seem to support this thought.

Not so different, as that's pretty much what is happening. Upfront Yak, Gally & Dyer (when he's played) press very little, if at all

Vassell runs around a bit but accomplishes little... and then we're relying on a our midfield which for me (Burnley excepted) hasn't been in a single game since halftime at Derby

What baffles me, is why Sven has done so little to arrest the decline that is obvious to (almost) everyone, although I suppose his signing of Kamara was an attempt, which baffles me even more as its obvious the defensive side to our game is non-existant so the signing of another flair player was odd

[marbelladave]

Not so different, as that's pretty much what is happening. Upfront Yak, Gally & Dyer (when he's played) press very little, if at all

Vassell runs around a bit but accomplishes little... and then we're relying on a our midfield which for me (Burnley excepted) hasn't been in a single game since halftime at Derby

What baffles me, is why Sven has done so little to arrest the decline that is obvious to (almost) everyone, although I suppose his signing of Kamara was an attempt, which baffles me even more as its obvious the defensive side to our game is non-existant so the signing of another flair player was odd

Personally I think both Gallagher and Vassell, when they play, do enough defensively, they are forwards and there is only so much you can expect from them. The Yak holds the forward line, not with any great energy but its what you get.

So once again it comes down to our midfield, the main culprits. We simply do not hve the right combination of players here, all our players are 'bits and pieces' support players, we have no one who can dominate either defensively or in attack, Abe or currently Oakley work at the defensive role but the results show they are largely ineffective, Wellens falls apart under pressure and for all his talents in either box, King does not get involved in the middle og the park.

New midfield please!...

[Merging Cultures]

Spot on, glad someone takes notice.....

With no pre-season and virtually a quarter of the season wrecked by PDFS, Sven had two realistic choices;

He could write off this season and start building for next, or

He could mount a push for promotion, using whoever he could beg or borrow.

He took the second option and gave us a roller coaster season full of anticipation and frustration, great at times,(even Thrac approved on occasion) awful at others, one thing it was not was boring. It is not going to get us up but it did give us a chance, worth the gamble in my view.

Having missed pretty much all the games in march and april I guess that is easier for me to say than for those of you who have had to endure recent games, but i stand by what I say.

Serious rebuilding starts this summer....

Agreed. Sven has done well trying to bring in talent with little funds. Yes we have the Thai funds, but as we've read a few weeks ago, the clubs finances are not the best. Thanks Mandric.

[Jakemoore]

For me it has to be Bamba and Vitor however, with Bamba out I'd play Mee and Vitor, Vitor is useful for a goal or two also ;-)