[Archived] Defensive Midfield and Right back

[Veevs]

Whoever said Selgado has been poor since he arrived is talking common sense. The only decent games he's had are when he hasn't been targeted. Since January teams have focused on him and exposed him. He lacks the basic techniques of defending.

Its regrettable that the modern day footballer thinks he can cover up his liabilities with some gung-ho crowd pleasing remonstrations. Fake passion designed to con the average punter who struggles to understand the game.

Since January.. you mean since Kean started with his tactic of not providing cover for the fullbacks..

[Steve Moss]

Looking at the team we have two serious issues that need to be rectified if we are going to have any chance of staying up:-

1) Our central midfield is extremely brittle and contains no leaders

2) Salgado is really really struggling at right back

. . .

We are not going to be able to turn things around until we get these problem positions sorted.

1. Don't we have loan spots still open? Can we get loanees in for cover or is that limited to the transfer window? If not, get in Landon Donovan and JJ. They would sort our midfield over night.

2. He needs cover, as do most backs.

[brfcs5359]

Since January.. you mean since Kean started with his tactic of not providing cover for the fullbacks..

A full back that needs a nursemaid isnt upto the job clearly. Diving in in the box and failing to clear a header at the back post are nothing to do with double cover and that got our season off to a bad start when the 3 points were in the bag.

You were doing OK until you picked three dollopers of your own Dunn, Pedersen , Goodwille. How many more times does any body need to see Ollsen at full back to know he's miles better wide on the left. He's a liability at left back. As I said the other day I'm afraid that picking any 11 at Rovers is like " Moving the deck chairs on the Titanic ". Could I do any better ? Probably not.

He needs to improve but until Jan we have a choice. Givet who cant defend or attack or Ollson who can attack and has the pace to at least get back and get to the ball first.

Dunn is no dolloper, just a sick note. Without spending £millions a fit Dunn is irreplacable. Pederson's attributes are not the number on the back of his shirt. His prozone stats put way above most other Rovers midfielders for fitness work rate. Otherwise his inconsistency would be a taxi to somewhere else.

Goodwille may prove he is a Kevin Philips. No pace, average ability, sharp penalty box brain. If not... Taxi.....

Rovers demise will come about by fatuation with poor players 'because we seem to like them' or 'feel sorry for them because they are getting stick' or 'if they played for someone else they would be rubbish but because they play for Rovers...'

Just realised we paid £3pm for Vukčević?? Do we sign anyone who can play in their first season or third season in Kalinic's case!

[joey_big_nose]

Is that what is meant by a " Soft Centre " ? You're dead right in theory, we just haven't got the players to play that way.

We do';t have the central players to play any other way either. All we can do is pack the middle and hope they can improve if they can get a bit of confidence. We did look reasonably defensively solid against City for an hour. If we played that way against weaker opposition I think we would stand a good chance of keeping a clean sheet. And we do have good counter attacking players (Hoilett, Olsson) who wold give s some goal threat on the break.

I concur that our central midfielders are a shocking bunch, but I think going ultra defensive is the only way we are going to be able to pick ourselves up and build some organisation, solidarity and confidence. If we play open we are going down, simple as that really. The opposition can score at will as we laeave acres and acres of space all over the pitch.

[67splitscreen]

1. Don't we have loan spots still open? Can we get loanees in for cover or is that limited to the transfer window? If not, get in Landon Donovan and JJ. They would sort our midfield over night.

2. He needs cover, as do most backs.

Nope! all done until the next window, except for out of contract players.

[Amo]

Stephen Appiah's still out of contract.

[john.leigh]

I haven't read all the posts on this thread, just the opening one or two comments, so please forgive me if I'm repeating somebody, but if

1) Our central midfield is extremely brittle and contains no leaders

2) Salgado is really really struggling at right back

WHY NOY PLAY SALGADO IN TUGAY'S ROLE???????

When Nelsen is fit I think I'd be putting Dann at right back for a while...

[Miker]

I think Lowe is quite decent at RB, but he hasn't slotted in there as naturally as Phil Jones did in midfield last season IMO.

It's worth a try playing Salgado as a DM. However, I'll say this: he would have the right attributes for the role, but probably not the positional sense required. Positional sense could be more important than passing or tackling ability though. If he's not used to playing in the centre, he will find it difficult to get accustomed to the new role. If he can get that part right then I think he'd make a great DM or anchor man type player, sitting in front of the defence.

[brfcs5359]

Selgado needs putting in a taxi... Never be a premiership standard player.

[Andy3809]

Irrespective of who is in charge it is now batten down the hatches time. We need to stop conceding goals. We need to defend well. The mild upside we did show we could do that against City for an hour. Formica, Rochina, Goodwillie, Vukcevic should not get on the pitch - we need to string four and five across the middle of the park and beat teams on the break through Hoilett and Olsson

-----------------------Robinson

---------Lowe---Samba----Dann----Givet

Hoilett---Nzonzi----Pedersen-----Petrovic----Olsson

------------------------Yakubu

I don't care if we are playing Norwich. We get everyone bar Yakubu behind the ball. We double up on the flanks. We hunt in packs in that space in front of the defence. Our single overriding goal is to outwork the opposition.

We have the worst goal difference in the league and have conceded so so many goals. There is no way we are staying up until this is sorted out.

Ironic that when we played liked this people were going mad about it.

Your right though we need to pick up points by any means. Remember though that we don't have many grafters left at the club.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We need to stop picking players not good enough. Selgado, Petrovic, Roberts. We need to not pick players out of position, Givet Lowe Goodwille.

Times up for some of these dollopers. Got to work with what we have until January.

When fit;

---------Robinson ----------

Ramm------Dann--------Samba---------Ollson

Hoillet-----Dunn-------Nzonzi---------Pedersen

-----------Goodwille -------- Yakubu-----------

Subs Rochina-----Hanley-------Nelson--------Vukevic------Givet-------Lowe

Rest can get rid of in January.

I've only just noticed the subs, I gave up after the first 11. Three centre halves and a full back ??????? That's a game changing bench I don't think.

[joey_big_nose]

Well amongst the general gloom of continuing poor results it does seem at least we have sorted the massive intial problems at full back and midfield. Against some of the best wingers in the league - Bale, Lennon, Malouda - Lowe and Olsson have looked capable. They have also got forward to support attacks well.

And in DM Nzonzi has been nothing short of excellent - really really impressed with him these days. Quisk incicive passes, imaginative, keeps possession. Defensively still not brilliant but he has improved there as well. Pedersen has also slotted in nicely, and shown a similar level of quality on the ball, and also seems very comitted. The pair of them compliment one another very well.

To be honest the team as a unit looks much stronger now. The main issue is striker where all of our options have big weakesses - Slow (Yak, Goodwillie), poor workrate (Yak), weak (Goodwillie), terrible in front of goal (Roberts), poor in the air (Goodwillie, Roberts). These need to be addressed!

[Neil Weaver]

Fair points Joey and I'm not going to disagree that our strikers are no great shakes, but I really think we'd cope as long as we could sort out the issue of conceding so many. It's not as though individually they're poor players, but put them together as a back four and they're not solid. As I see it that's down to the coaching staff/manager.

Won't do any harm to strengthen any part of the team in January though, you could make a case for just about any position.