RDL

[broughtonblue]

This annoys me so much. I'm not a doom merchant. We have a weak link in the team and it needs addressing! I'm a big fan of our squad and I know we'll lose games this season (i've supported this club through plenty of shite years and far more than most on here), but it seems we can't discuss these things because it's being too negative, or it's a wind up. It's not. It's an observation that I'd love to pretend I didn't make, but I did.

Nice to see some people enter a discussion but that's clearly beyond others.

Ok discussion. you say he is a weak link in our team after two clubs who challenge for the top four places in possibly the best division in the world, have not over ran us, but got a very good game against us. Did you say at any point last season he was crap? If not you are basing your opinions on him playing 180 minutes of premier league football!

Doom merchant

See Stuliasz comments, agree entirely

[roblcfc84]

Confused here. RDL was good, especially first half!

[veezeeblue]

can one delete ones own thread ? might be useful sometimes 

[Stadt]

Looks like a lack of options regarding his passing

[Bamba's Babes]

Everybody has stepped it up apart from RDL and Nugent.

[sdb]

I think it's very irrational to question anyone's place in the team after two games against Everton and Chelsea. De Laet is going to be a very important player for us over the course of this season, particularly against the sides around us. His overlapping play is so important in attack, and he has the surprise element of extraordinary pace which I don't think many opposition teams will be aware of. He got a lot better defensively over the course of last season too, just needs a bit more protection at times.

 

 

Some of your points I've highlighted in bold I just can't fathom. If you had said, "this guy is not currently good enough to be in a side that's competing for a European place" then I'd probably agree based on his defensive abilities. However, he is part of our system that works, a system where we don't necessarily rely on pass completion but instead inter-changing (on and off the ball), getting rid of the ball to cut out individual errors and playing the ball into space. I don't think he looks nervous, unsure or low on belief at all, I really can't understand how you have came to the conclusion?? Finally, he has proved time and time again that he does know when to track, stand, or go to a man, its a bit more difficult against one the best left sides in the Premier League and one of the best in the World. Cover would be nice, every player needs to be able to work hard for their place, but because of his abilities and the system we play, RDL will rightly be our 1st choice right back for the rest of the season and your comments today may make you look rather silly come the end of the season.

 

Fair points, bar the bold text which I think and hope won't be the case. His offensive play is a great asset to us, but he looks like a fish out of water to me at the moment and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, especially at this level. Get someone more experienced and defensively sound and let him learn whilst playing more sparingly. 

 

As great as our current squad have been, we can't afford to be rose tinted all the time. That approach will get us in a lot of trouble. 

[sdb]

Ok discussion. you say he is a weak link in our team after two clubs who challenge for the top four places in possibly the best division in the world, have not over ran us, but got a very good game against us. Did you say at any point last season he was crap? If not you are basing your opinions on him playing 180 minutes of premier league football!

Doom merchant

See Stuliasz comments, agree entirely

 

Last season - good going forward, often lacking defensively. This season, 180 minutes full of errors. Should NP wait until the transfer window is open until realising what positions need addressing??! Should we ignore performances against the top 7 teams?! 

Everybody has stepped it up apart from RDL and Nugent.

 

Agreed. You'll be criticised for saying it how you see it though, which is bizarre for a forum. 

can one delete ones own thread ? might be useful sometimes 

 

 

Looks like a lack of options regarding his passing

 

No chance son. 

[broughtonblue]

Okay SDB you keep fighting your corner, seems pretty much your opinion is in the minority though!

[davieG]

This annoys me so much. I'm not a doom merchant. We have a weak link in the team and it needs addressing! I'm a big fan of our squad and I know we'll lose games this season (i've supported this club through plenty of shite years and far more than most on here), but it seems we can't discuss these things because it's being too negative, or it's a wind up. It's not. It's an observation that I'd love to pretend I didn't make, but I did. 

 

Nice to see some people enter a discussion but that's clearly beyond others.

You might have got a more acceptable response if you'd put this in the post match topic. Starting a new topic for it makes it look more like scapegoating a player and a degree of attention seeking

[veezeeblue]

Okay SDB you keep fighting your corner, seems pretty much your opinion is in the minority though!

 

yep

 

this thread owner really not looking like prem quality,  a few desperate remarks, looks quite out of it´s depth at times, not in sync with rest of team and commentators views 

 

think we need to step it up a bit lad

[st albans fox]

From what I saw, he looked nervous last week and made a hash of quite a few clearances. Today he looked more assured in general.

We have more pressing issues than RDL though we do need some cover (NP appears to have realised thus re fanni).

[Legend_in_blue]

Why is a player who was not directly responsible for either of the goals conceded being criticised here?

Jog on.

A great performance today which is being marred by idiotic knee jerk reactions. This thread being one of them.

Some numpty on the radio was calling for Nugent to be out as well as he isn't premiership quality. This, despite getting into positions to score, only for the keeper to pull off fantastic saves.

Whatever.

[sdb]

yep

 

this thread owner really not looking like prem quality,  a few desperate remarks, looks quite out of it´s depth at times, not in sync with rest of team and commentators views 

 

think we need to step it up a bit lad

 

That's the worst thing i've ever read on this forum. Genuinely cringing. 

 

And just because i'm in the minority, or standing by my point doesn't mean i'm wrong. Those 442 stats and the fact NP was instantly after a RB last Sunday kinda back up my point. 

 

It's sweet that people are taking this so personally but i'm only saying it how I see it. I'm not up for 38 games of our right side being battered because our full back isn't quite good enough. 

Why is a player who was not directly responsible for either of the goals conceded being criticised here?

Jog on.

A great performance today which is being marred by idiotic knee jerk reactions. This thread being one of them.

Some numpty on the radio was calling for Nugent to be out as well as he isn't premiership quality. This, despite getting into positions to score, only for the keeper to pull off fantastic saves.

Whatever.

 

Was he stuck in quicksand for Hazard's goal? If so, fair point. 

[smudgerfox]

Today i was sitting about four rows back from the front slightly to the right of the goal so - in the first half had a real close view of his play. It confirmed what I have always thought about him - he's a spirited defender who times his tackles well and who has an amazing engine to get up and down the field the way he does. His link up play with an on-message winger can be inspired,,,

 

BUT -  too often he doesn't get tight enough to a winger to stop them getting their cross in - this cost us some goals in the championship and will be even more expensive in the Prem. I always think one big difference between the two leagues is that most crosses in the champ are hit more in hope than expectation....

 

he can lack composure on the ball - if there's not an obvious pass he tends to hit long, hard, high and fast - giving up posession as a result - and he can panic. 

 

and while his pace in attacking mode is often praised - his crossing is poor - leading to very few goals considering the number of times his pace gets him into crossing positions. 

 

whether these faults can be addressed im not sure but it is stupid to slate the guy - he is what he is and what he's always been. 

[Manwell Pablo]

Looks like a lack of options regarding his passing

 

As I say, he said Everton and Chelsea. No way he's below 50% for Everton as well.

[shade]

he definitely isn't as solid defensively as konchesky, could be more of a threat going forward. let's see him against stoke etc.

[Big_Nige]

Bit harsh this. Thought Richie had a really good first half and dealt with Hazard while getting forward and linking up with Mahrez well. Second half he faded as an attacking threat but Chelsea were much improved after the break. I agree that he doesn't look as composed so far as some of our other players but he's hardly struggling.

Remember, he was up against Everton's left side without any protection in the first half last week, and against Hazard arguably the best player in the Prem this week. 2 of the toughest games he'll have this year. There might be a debate to have if he struggles against Stoke and Palace in the next month or so but it's hardly panic stations.

[broughtonblue]

he definitely isn't as solid defensively as konchesky, could be more of a threat going forward. let's see him against stoke etc.

this is what is good about this forum, last year according to many konchesky was past it and needed replacing asap

[sdb]

Today i was sitting about four rows back from the front slightly to the right of the goal so - in the first half had a real close view of his play. It confirmed what I have always thought about him - he's a spirited defender who times his tackles well and who has an amazing engine to get up and down the field the way he does. His link up play with an on-message winger can be inspired,,,

 

BUT -  too often he doesn't get tight enough to a winger to stop them getting their cross in - this cost us some goals in the championship and will be even more expensive in the Prem. I always think one big difference between the two leagues is that most crosses in the champ are hit more in hope than expectation....

 

he can lack composure on the ball - if there's not an obvious pass he tends to hit long, hard, high and fast - giving up posession as a result - and he can panic. 

 

and while his pace in attacking mode is often praised - his crossing is poor - leading to very few goals considering the number of times his pace gets him into crossing positions. 

 

whether these faults can be addressed im not sure but it is stupid to slate the guy - he is what he is and what he's always been. 

 

Exactly what i'm trying to say! OK I may have sounded a little harsher, but the point remains - he has weaknesses that will get exploited too often at this level.

 

I don't dislike him. It's not that I don't rate him. I just think that if we're trying to improve the starting XI (as 99% of teams in the world are), right back is a clear priority.

[LCFC Rennie]

Surely a wind up.

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Clever Fox]

There's no disputing he wasn't good today. My own opinion is he was either not 100% fit or unwell.

He was at fault not once but twice for the second Goal. He can of course play better as we all seen last year.

And I know he was up against very good players in Mc Geedy and Hazzard.

I'm not having a go at him at all. It''s much too early in the season for that. But his whole demeanour didn't look

right to me today, which is why I don't think he was 100%.

[lcfcsnow]

Watching us on SS1. He was absolutely dreadful in that first half.

[ARTY_FOX]

To be fair though how many times did he have to hoof it away after a Chelsea corner only for us to have 11 men in the box. What is he suppose to do in that situation? I thought Konchesky had a more poor game than De laet from where I was. But overall I don't think anyone was overly poor

[MC Prussian]

There's no disputing he wasn't good today. My own opinion is he was either not 100% fit or unwell.

He was at fault not once but twice for the second Goal. He can of course play better as we all seen last year.

And I know he was up against very good players in Mc Geedy and Hazzard.

I'm not having a go at him at all. It''s much too early in the season for that. But his whole demeanour didn't look

right to me today, which is why I don't think he was 100%.

Albrighton was trying to keep up with Hazard, not De Laet. And Hazard's shot was deflected by Morgan.

 

Wonder what game you were watching yesterday...

[sdb]

Albrighton was trying to keep up with Hazard, not De Laet. And Hazard's shot was deflected by Morgan.

 

Wonder what game you were watching yesterday...

 

Steve Clarke also just criticised him for the 2nd goal and watching back, he was initially tracking Costa for the first goal too, only to leave him as the ball enters the box. He had a bad game, it's not a crime. I just don't see how people can't see that.