What Is Our Best Centre Back..Pairing??

[Robbo]

I wouldn't drop connolly.....I know he isn't naturally left footed but I still feel he is better than both Williams and Borrowdale as left back and adds more height.

Back Four = Leigetwood Gorkks Stewart Connolly

Can't see it happening - but I wouldn't argue too much with that.

[Morris]

Oh great, lets play a right footed center half left back and have 2 natural left backs out of the first XI.


Give me strength.

[Robbo]

Oh great, lets play a right footed center half left back and have 2 natural left backs out of the first XI.


Give me strength.

Not ideal, I agree. We don't have a "natural" right back either.


So you'd drop Connolly then?

[Morris]

Its a tough one.

As a footballer, MC is our best defender. But as we saw against Coventry, he lacks the height and strength to be able to challenge the big center forwards that you will come up against in this division.

Thats why I went for Gorkss and Stewart.

Legs RB, Borrowdale LB.

So the answer to your question is probably yes. Its a shame for Matt he isnt a coiuple of inches taller, makes all the difference for a center back.

[Kevster269]

Gorkss and Stewart, simples!

Cerny's Golden Gloves weren't all down to his shot stopping. The two CBs were immense last season, if they could get more than one game playing alongside each other, they'll be the same again!

[Dando]

Its a tough one.

As a footballer, MC is our best defender. But as we saw against Coventry, he lacks the height and strength to be able to challenge the big center forwards that you will come up against in this division.

Thats why I went for Gorkss and Stewart.

Legs RB, Borrowdale LB.

So the answer to your question is probably yes. Its a shame for Matt he isnt a coiuple of inches taller, makes all the difference for a center back.

agreed 100%. MC is a great player - but left back, borrowdale has proved me wrong and done well, and we also now have williams - who i think would come good. Our defence was awesome last year - and it should have been the last area to change around - and we should have built on it from there

[Robbo]

Its a tough one.

As a footballer, MC is our best defender. But as we saw against Coventry, he lacks the height and strength to be able to challenge the big center forwards that you will come up against in this division.

Thats why I went for Gorkss and Stewart.

Legs RB, Borrowdale LB.

So the answer to your question is probably yes. Its a shame for Matt he isnt a coiuple of inches taller, makes all the difference for a center back.

Ok.

The problem with our team is, it's a bit of a jigsaw... and whatever way you put the parts together, you have a few players playing out of their natural positions.

Buzsaky is not a left sided player, Leigertwood is not a natural right back, Ramage isn't really either.
Routledge is not a support striker, Taarabt? Not sure what he is?! Apart from a massive talent.
We do have two natural left backs, but I'm not a fan of Borrowdale... (PLEASE don't re-start the Borrowdale debate anyone, I'm not up for that again!)

Our defence just seems to a bit makeshift, cobbled together, changed rather a lot, and isn't a solid unit anymore.

But I could never drop Connolly, because despite getting done by Best on saturday a couple of times... I think he's our best defender, who's still coming back from a very serious illness.
I suppose my back 4 would be Leigertwood, Connolly, Gorkks and Williams - and stick with it to allow some stability and cohesion.


There is the argument/idea that I wouldn't mind seeing tried.
Connolly is such a good reader of the game, and a good passer/footballer that he could be a very good captain and defensive/holding midfielder in the Gavin Mahon mould.

But now I've just complicated it even more. :waaaht:

[Bernie's Barnet]

Gorkss and Stewart, simples!

Cerny's Golden Gloves weren't all down to his shot stopping. The two CBs were immense last season, if they could get more than one game playing alongside each other, they'll be the same again!

Spot on. Nothing wrong with them at all last season, as Sousa recognised from the get go. They were his CBs of choice, and rarely let him down.

If they are not doing it this season, the problem must lie with the way they are being coached and managed. It's that simple.

[Morris]

Ok.

The problem with our team is, it's a bit of a jigsaw... and whatever way you put the parts together, you have a few players playing out of their natural positions.

Buzsaky is not a left sided player, Leigertwood is not a natural right back, Ramage isn't really either.
Routledge is not a support striker, Taarabt? Not sure what he is?! Apart from a massive talent.
We do have two natural left backs, but I'm not a fan of Borrowdale... (PLEASE don't re-start the Borrowdale debate anyone, I'm not up for that again!)

Our defence just seems to a bit makeshift, cobbled together, changed rather a lot, and isn't a solid unit anymore.

But I could never drop Connolly, because despite getting done by Best on saturday a couple of times... I think he's our best defender, who's still coming back from a very serious illness.
I suppose my back 4 would be Leigertwood, Connolly, Gorkks and Williams - and stick with it to allow some stability and cohesion.


There is the argument/idea that I wouldn't mind seeing tried.
Connolly is such a good reader of the game, and a good passer/footballer that he could be a very good captain and defensive/holding midfielder in the Gavin Mahon mould.

But now I've just complicated it even more. :waaaht:

Who'd be a manager :very_sad:

[Robbo]

Spot on. Nothing wrong with them at all last season, as Sousa recognised from the get go. They were his CBs of choice, and rarely let him down.

If they are not doing it this season, the problem must lie with the way they are being coached and managed. It's that simple.

Quite right, there was nothing wrong with them last season... but THIS season Stewart hasn't carried that on.
And I don't know why either.

He just seems to lack concentration this year, and looks half asleep at times.
And slower.


Not a dig, because they've all made a few blunders this season. Probably more exposed than they were because of our more open style this season.

[Bernie's Barnet]

Quite right, there was nothing wrong with them last season... but THIS season Stewart hasn't carried that on.
And I don't know why either.

He just seems to lack concentration this year, and looks half asleep at times.
And slower.


Not a dig, because they've all made a few blunders this season. Probably more exposed than they were because of our more open style this season.

It's why I say the issue is with the way they are being coached and managed. Stewart has looked very heavy to me, and if that is the case, he should have been sorted out pre-season.

If I was a manager coming in, I'd have been looking at where the strengths and weaknesses were last season, make sure the strengths were left alone and work on the weaknesses. All players were closely monitored by John Harbin last year, data on weights, diet etc should all have been available.

But again, as we see week after week, the problem always seems to lie with a player or players, never with the manager. Ferguson doesn't blk his players publicly, nor does Wenger or any other top manager I can think of these days. WQhy magilton thinks it's the way to go I don't know.

[baz]

Its a confidence thing and I think the decsion to drop both Stewart and then Gorks at the start of the season undermined a lot. As good as they are going forward our organisation at set pieces both attacking and defensive and the defensive organisation has been woeful. The best thing we could do is ship Hall out and bring in ****tu and have Gorks?connelly competing for one slot and Stewart / ****tu of the other, that gives us a balanced pairing of pace power, brains footballing ability

[Magic]

last season gorkss and stewart were immense but connolly and gorkss need to be given a chance this season as they are by far the best two defenders at the club.

[pkloft]

I wouldn't drop connolly.....I know he isn't naturally left footed but I still feel he is better than both Williams and Borrowdale as left back and adds more height.

Back Four = Leigetwood Gorkks Stewart Connolly

yep thats what i'd go for

[rangersroar]

Last season Gorkks and Stewart were at the heart of one of the meanest defences in this league.