RDL

[Jakemoore]

RDL needs to be dropped. He's been poor for 3/4 weeks now. I've no idea if Simpson will do better or not but he can't do much worse, can he?

Going forward, RDL is pretty decent. But defensively he is poor at the moment. I know he can do better but form is temporary. However, there's an argument for allowing him to sort his form out himself and that dropping him won't help that, but, we can't play with a weak link in the back 4 for much longer.

Give DS a chance. RDL will come good again.

[lee7]

RDL at times can put in crunching challenges and has the speed to catch up with most wingers in this league so quite often his pace gets him out of trouble. Not to forget he can be effective going forward with his overlapping runs! But at the same time he dives in a lot & gives the ball away needlessly!

Whether Simpson is better or not I don't know but he deserves a chance.

[dayday]

Depends on which way the boss thinks how to take this team forward,if he thinks the best way is to defend, Simpson is your way, continue with De Leat,we need more cover.. And in my eyes he is our better option because he will go forward,and create more chances

[Fatty Arbuckle]

Agree with everything the OP said. Everyone's calling for Simpson to start - the man gets a nosebleed when he passes the half way line, aka a right footed Konchesky!

Why must I keep banging on about why we were so successful last season? ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK! Schlupp held his place down at full back and we always looked such a threat with him and De Laet and full back. Stick to our philosophy that we had last season. Seems as if Pearson is trying to go for safe options but it's backfiring.

Stick with Ritchie, he will come good.

But his attacking play has been atrocious recently, the amount of times he passed the ball inside straight to a Swansea player was shocking. One quick pass from their player and it meant De Laet was constantly chasing Montero.

Its from his mistakes going forward that he keeps on getting caught out at the back.

[Jakemoore]

He also missed 5 tackles yesterday that he should be getting.

[Stevosevic]

Not sure what he adds at the moment

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

In this league, RDL is both hapless and hopeless.

[Stadt]

He can't attack.

Absolutely no composure, poor passing, inconsistent first touch and his crossing is shit, I've stuck up for him in the past but he's a decent athlete but technically he's poor.

[65RosesFox]

I think most people are just frustrated he keeps getting away with sub standard performances when we have a decent option on the bench.

Simpson doesn't even make the bench which baffles me.

Nobody is saying Simpson is our saviour but RDL has put in some poor performances this season. Yes one of his biggest strengths is his attacking play, but he has been ineffective in that department as well last few games so it's time to try an alternative.

People seem happy to drop Nugent (I agree he should be) because he hasn't been scoring goals "which is his job" well RDL's "job" is to stop players creating chances and goals coming down his side, and he hasn't so he should be dropped too.

Simpson was bought as competition for RDL and deserves a chance now.

[LCFCCKEANO]

He looks intimidated to run at players this season, and is poor defensively atm, i think you can only play de laet in a 3-5-2/5-3-2, he is way too poor defensively to be a out right full back

[Bert]

Agree with everything the OP said. Everyone's calling for Simpson to start - the man gets a nosebleed when he passes the half way line, aka a right footed Konchesky!

Why must I keep banging on about why we were so successful last season? ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK! Schlupp held his place down at full back and we always looked such a threat with him and De Laet and full back. Stick to our philosophy that we had last season. Seems as if Pearson is trying to go for safe options but it's backfiring.

Stick with Ritchie, he will come good.

I take it youve never really seen Danny Simpson play then

It's all well and good being able to attack as a right back but if you can't defend then you're in trouble. Ritchie was fine last season a solid 7/10 but he's been average this season.

[fuchsntf]

When our midfield turns up and prevent more runs from the opposition, by not running around like 12 year olds, presenting open spaces to the opposition,string and deliver 2-4 decent passes together, then and only then will I start to criticise the back four.Like Ulloa up front they have hung and left their own defence out to dry.

Many see the individual mistakes from RDL, or Moore not closing down, but none are willing to mention the men in front are letting the back 4 in all games and too regular so far,put up with more pressure as one should expect.

[theessexfox]

Simpson isn't necessarily the saviour but RDL is not a Premier League standard right back at present. Poor positioning, skinned by most wingers in this league, not composed enough in possession. Simpson may be worse but it's surely worth a look. QPR got rid of him partly because there was no room for him in the 3-5-2 with which they were experimenting.

 

He makes the most tackles as he is caught out the most often. Pace gets him out of jail sometimes, but not always in this league. 

[EGBFitness]

When our midfield turns up and prevent more runs from the opposition, by not running around like 12 year olds, presenting open spaces to the opposition,string and deliver 2-4 decent passes together, then and only then will I start to criticise the back four.Like Ulloa up front they have hung and left their own defence out to dry.

Many see the individual mistakes from RDL, or Moore not closing down, but none are willing to mention the men in front are letting the back 4 in all games and too regular so far,put up with more pressure as one should expect.

Good post, maybe a lot know this but don't want to mention because we have a lot of fans favourites in midfield positions

[Clever Fox]

When our midfield turns up and prevent more runs from the opposition, by not running around like 12 year olds, presenting open spaces to the opposition,string and deliver 2-4 decent passes together, then and only then will I start to criticise the back four.Like Ulloa up front they have hung and left their own defence out to dry.

Many see the individual mistakes from RDL, or Moore not closing down, but none are willing to mention the men in front are letting the back 4 in all games and too regular so far,put up with more pressure as one should expect.

You make a good point about the midfield,While I agree with you that's a whole different discussion. The fact is that Nigel has kept faith with RDL in the hope that he'll come good but he hasn't. One on one he's terrible defending. Wes or Moor are being pull out of position because they don't trust him.

While he wasn't to blame yesterday for the Goals he was still terrible. 

[Bert]

You're right. The midfield are responsible for RDL stopping his run to try and play offside after his man has just ran past him.

[Clever Fox]

As to the midfield defending DD let Bony go for the first Goal. Yet only feet away.. He should be looking at the likes of Houlihan from Norwich. Despite his size he manages to play telling passes slipping people through. The forwards are frustrated because there not getting any service. He just doesn't work hard enough.

 

DD really needs to step up Pearson keeps faith with Hammond because he's the only one offering a little steel. I do agree that's the one area we need to address in January a big strong lad who can play. Give it and take it. There out there you just have to do your homework and find one.

There's problems all over the Team from KP through defense and midfield. T.he forwards will all score if they get the service but there all over the place frustrated by

others. Vardy was given the Ball several times yesterday out wide but got no support from behind. Consequently he lost possession

Cambi for the while he was on he played a few lovely passes straight to feet and also nearly scored. And yet he's 10 yrs older.

 

I don't know if Simpson is the answer but he deserves a chance otherwise we should have kept the Money to buy a quality RB next Summer.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

As others have said, Trippier was by far the best RB in the Championship last season. And in my humble opinion, Shackell / Buxton / Cresswell individually were better than Morgan / Moore / Wasyl / Konch / Schlupp etc. That said, our "team" were (and stating the bleeding obvious here) miles above the rest collectively.

[cc_star]

If the main problem is that he gets caught up field because he attacks too much and Simpson doesn't because he doesn't attack much surely the simple answer is to tell him not to get forward.

But considrring he seems to be our main attacking option because we're getting FA down the left or the middle apart from the occasional long range shot from Mahrez where he's no longer covering Delaet our chances of scoring will be even less.

Exactly! There is no attacking threat elsewhere.

The goals conceded down that flank aren't so much RDL being caught up the pitch, it's the fact the 2 defensive mids in our 4231 are completely inept at covering the attacking FB or that Morgan has an inability to get across with one of the attacking mids dropping into the box to cover him

Does Pearson & therefore the players not grasp the tactics needed of this formation

[Bettsj2]

As others have said, Trippier was by far the best RB in the Championship last season. And in my humble opinion, Shackell / Buxton / Cresswell individually were better than Morgan / Moore / Wasyl / Konch / Schlupp etc. That said, our "team" were (and stating the bleeding obvious here) miles above the rest collectively.

Agree with this.

Also think its the reason some of the team that everyone else would see dropped are getting to have a good go at the League.

There are only 9 games gone and whilst we're on the brink, we still are not in the bottom 3 and a win against WBA could see us back up in mid-table. We need to look at teams like Swansea and Newcastle. These are established Prem teams who will sit in the area in the league we will be looking to aspire too (between 10th and 17th). In those positions, teams sometimes go 4 or 5 games without a win, then they win a couple and the sequence starts again.

That is going to be our true position. We wont be going on 4,5,6 game unbeaten runs. As fans we need to accept that and not look for a scapegoat after every game.

Of course if a player is playing particularly badly, of course the opinion can be shared anout replacing them but in the case of RDL, it seems people had made their minds up after about 5 minutes of the season starting.

[chris_lcfc_85]

I certainly wouldnt see Simpson as any form of saviour but he defo deserves a chance.....

 

Im a huge De Laet fan and i think he has the potential to be a top player but i just feel his inexperience has cost us a few times this season and he's not the same dominant force going forward which is to be expected.

I also dont think he gets well protected at times but the fact is, he's not been anywhere near his best so hence why i think Simpson deserves a run

 

Plus whilst others could of done better for Swansea's 2nd goal, De Laet has to take a fair proportion of the blame!

[Fox Ulike]

I’d called for Simpson before the game, but I actually thought De Laet was one of our better players on the day. At least he tried to get at Swansea.

 

He was a bit at fault for the second goal but he’s not Danni Alves. Players make mistakes.  He has to let the guy go past him and assume that Moore is in the right position. Moore’s positioning isn’t RDL’s fault.

 

I think it’s a reflection on our other players that our right-back was probably our biggest threat going forward.

[Adster]

I'm sorry but he's been absolutely crap this season. Humiliated too many times and he struggles to even make a pass.

I'm not saying Simpson is the answer but I can't see how Nigel hasn't dropped him to at least give Simpson a chance.

[lcfcnsk]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2809309/Phil-Jagielka-officially-fastest-player-Premier-League-no-not-joking.html

 

Phil Jagielka is officially the fastest player in the Premier League... no, we're not joking!

• Phil Jagielka has recorded the fastest sprint of any player in the Barclays Premier League this season
• EA Sports tracking data shows he hit 35.99kmh against Leicester in August
• Four defenders in top 10 with Leicester's Ritchie De Laet second-fastest