[Archived] Centre Back Pairings Under Bowyer

[Tom]

I thought the centre backs were fairly good yesterday. Up against 2 very good championship strikers. But people say they want to Bowyer to pick the same team week in week out. He has chosen Duffy/Hanley as his two centre backs. They need to play 10 games together and understand each games and their roles in the team before we judge them on stats for this season performances

Raya had no chance with the 1st one. 2nd goal was a forehand smash. If Edwards didnt touch the ball then Raya would have catch the ball comfortable.

Raya was confidence, command enough to come off his line and collect crosses.

I think you are being overly kind on Raya, hand or head he should be expecting it could get a touch and reacting better - I would stick with him though.

He drastically needs to improve his kicking though, you don't need to be as good as Robinson but his kicks had zero accuracy and he fluffed one out of his hands trying to kick it too flat.

For my Duffy and Killgallon would be my 2 in the middle but it's the least likely of all the possibilities, Hanley will play no matter what.

[tomphil]

They could play well for 95% of the game but there's always a mistake or two in them, and it often proves costly.

Yep that's the way I see it but I don't want to him swapping the centre halves around every week either. Killa should be in full stop, weak management again.

I thought the centre backs were fairly good yesterday. Up against 2 very good championship strikers. But people say they want to Bowyer to pick the same team week in week out. He has chosen Duffy/Hanley as his two centre backs. They need to play 10 games together and understand each games and their roles in the team before we judge them on stats for this season performances

Raya had no chance with the 1st one. 2nd goal was a forehand smash. If Edwards didnt touch the ball then Raya would have catch the ball comfortable.

Raya was confidence, command enough to come off his line and collect crosses.

..and if he's stuck his hand out like he should have done he'd have stopped it. Terrible from the ref and that complete plant pot of a linesman who I'm convinced was getting his own back for some of the verbals he got earlier.

[mustard]

Yep that's the way I see it but I don't want to him swapping the centre halves around every week either. Killa should be in full stop, weak management again.

..and if he's stuck his hand out like he should have done he'd have stopped it. Terrible from the ref and that complete plant pot of a linesman who I'm convinced was getting his own back for some of the verbals he got earlier.

Agreed. Imagine it wasn't a handball and it actually flicked off his head when he was offside and Raya spilled it in the way he did. No one would be defending him then. The biggest mistake was that of the ref/lino but it was certainly poor from Raya.

[Stuart]

Killa proved last season without a doubt he's the steadiest centre half of the lot. Also his experience helps organize the back line. He's over 30 though and has no real sell on value so he'll get left on the bench. It's ridiculous but typical of what's going on at the club and the way GB goes about things.

I suppose if Bowyer is going with these two then he has to stick with it and let them try and gel although I don't think they ever will properly. For a supposedly good side Wolves didn't put them under too much pressure, bigger tests will await starting on Saturday.

Good points you make but I guess we have to accept that player values are more important than results - let alone promotion.

Hope nobody expects fans to be endeared to Bowyer if this continues. I suppose the hope is that players increase their value by playing well. The trouble is that in an 11-man team it only needs two players to stand out and bring in a few million but it takes a lot more than two to produce consistency and results. So he could continue to produce 3000% mark ups and take Rovers nowhere.

Can someone tell me how this philosophy, if true, would be any different to what Kean "was trying to do here"?

[tomphil]

Good points you make but I guess we have to accept that player values are more important than results - let alone promotion.

Hope nobody expects fans to be endeared to Bowyer if this continues. I suppose the hope is that players increase their value by playing well. The trouble is that in an 11-man team it only needs two players to stand out and bring in a few million but it takes a lot more than two to produce consistency and results. So he could continue to produce 3000% mark ups and take Rovers nowhere.

Can someone tell me how this philosophy, if true, would be any different to what Kean "was trying to do here"?

Exactly the reason Raya is now in, he's no better than Steele at this moment in time but once he gets 15 games under his belt he's worth money. In moderation it's a reasonable business plan but once they start throwing in and out several players at once who aren't really better than others it's a very risky way to run a football team. 3000% mark ups with no monetary reinvestment in decent players won't keep us out of league 1.

[Feniscowles Blue]

Playing players just to sell them? Naughty Mr. Bowyer.

Can just imagine the comfy little board meetings with them all milking us till we hit rock bottom

[DE.]

So he could continue to produce 3000% mark ups and take Rovers nowhere.

He'll take us somewhere, but it won't be the PL.

You're right though, Bowyer's role is essentially no different to Kean's. I think the difference between the two is that Anderson/Kean had profits to make through transfers, whereas I would assume Bowyer is doing it simply to appease the owners and stay in a job.

[Blueandwhitemike]

Hanley and Duffy don't look like a partnership to me, they didn't look very good in preseason either not just Wolves. Duffy is great in the air not so much on the ground. I don't get why Kilgallon is on the bench, other than for bad reasons. I think Hanley has been the better out of the two younger ones and as such should partner Kilgallon. IMO GB made a mistake vs Wolves and needs to rectify it asap.

[Mike E]

I wonder if it could be as simple a solution as playing Hanley as the right cb and Duffy as the left, to suit their feet?

[tomphil]

I wonder if it could be as simple a solution as playing Hanley as the right cb and Duffy as the left, to suit their feet?

Plenty of moans around me on Sat when Hanley always had to try and get his right foot on everything instead of simply playing the ball out with his left. Caused of couple of hesitant moments. Killa is the most natural left sided one it seems.

[Stuart]

I wonder if it could be as simple a solution as playing Hanley as the right cb and Duffy as the left, to suit their feet?

It couldn't just be simpler to play our best CB?

[broadsword]

It couldn't just be simpler to play our best CB?

Oh don't be so silly.

We've picked Hanley and Duffy for the last game, so we must stick with them to maintain consistency.

Better to persevere with an error than admit one and put it right. Then just wait until one of them starts playing well and drop them. Sorted.

[Mike E]

It couldn't just be simpler to play our best CB?

Even so: Killa on the left, Hanley right, right?

[Stuart]

Even so: Killa on the left, Hanley right, right?

I have to laugh, Mike. Yesterday you were the one saying that despite the stats Kilgallon and Duffy hadn't played enough games together to prove that their partnership was the best [of the three combinations].

You know what a solution to that oversight would be, don't you...?

[Mike E]

I have to laugh, Mike. Yesterday you were the one saying that despite the stats Kilgallon and Duffy hadn't played enough games together to prove that their partnership was the best [of the three combinations].

You know what a solution to that oversight would be, don't you...?

I actually haven't commented on this thread before so no idea where you got that from mate.

[K-Hod]

Oh don't be so silly.

We've picked Hanley and Duffy for the last game, so we must stick with them to maintain consistency.

Better to persevere with an error than admit one and put it right. Then just wait until one of them starts playing well and drop them. Sorted.

That's one thing Bowyer is often criticised for though, not maintaining consistency in selection! So we probably won't.....

As for the second bit, do they ever play that well? Our players tend to have a purple patch of a few games then tail off anyway......

[onlyonejackwalker]

Thanks for the information.

I didn't need all the stats to know that Kilgallon was our best centre half however. Nor Baptiste. They would have been my pairing.

Mike raises a point I've mentioned before. Hanley isn't left footed and should ideally play his football on the right of defence.

[Stuart]

I actually haven't commented on this thread before so no idea where you got that from mate.

Apologies, you're right, it was the Bizzelow. Not sure why I got you two mixed up.

[Mike E]

Apologies, you're right, it was the Bizzelow. Not sure why I got you two mixed up.

No worries pal

Altho I agree KillaDuffy is our best pairing, I'm assuming Hanley won't be dropped when I keep picking him.

[Blueandwhitemike]

I know Hanley didn't have a good season last time out, and his reputation around town isn't great but do people really think Duffy is the better player?

[Blue blood]

I think people would be a lot less frustrated if Hanley wasn't an automatic pick regardless of form. Appalling last season and never dropped despite fellow defender and player of the season Olsson being dropped for Spurr despite hos form. Unsure how stats etc can really help us when such things are going on. Logics out of the window.

As for profit a tight back line leading to promotion would earn us something like selling 20 Hanleys. Just a thought for our financial minded leadership.

[Pedro]

As an experiment, I'd still like to see Hanley as a battering ram in CM in one of the league cup games. Simple instructions - win it and give it.

[Stuart]

http://m.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/13639432.Captain_Grant_Hanley_has_answered_questions_over_his_place_in_Blackburn_Rovers_side/

Brilliant.

"According to our [LT] stats..."

Oh, yes, that explains all of those clean sheets.

Apparently Kilgallon came in and excelled but no explanation as to why he was dropped - or the fact that under Kilgallon we had a good run of form towards the end of last season. Maybe, just maybe, Kilgallon brings a calm steady head to the team as opposed to a loose cannon one rush of blood away from a red.

Still, averaging 7 out of 10 according to the LT stats so who can argue with that? (but what does that say about the rest of the team?)

[JBiz]

Stuart, you live those stats... I prefer eyes! My eyes tell me the centre back pairing is a sight better than 12 months ago.

Whilst I'm tempted to say that Killa is the best choice overall, and that you are probably right at this moment in time, I have no doubts still that long term sticking to these two will be a better idea.

GB is lamented as the tombola manager. On this occasion, I think his consistency in choice of these two will ultimately lead to a real convincing and promising centre back pairing... Likely under a different manager!

We are well stocked in that role IMO, 3 out and out and a couple more that can do that position.

[Stuart]

That would be all well and good, Joe. If we were winning games, if we were tight at the back, if we were keeping clean sheets, if his captaincy brought organisation and assurance instead of panic and lots of shouting and finger pointing.