Only if we play 3 CB's against everyone. Against some teams it will make sense to go with 3 CB's, either to match them up or to make us more solid (in theory). It didn't work on Saturday because we had Valery and then Stephens as part of the back 3. If we got someone like Coady we would have been much more solid.
Not really that worrying if they are decent at defending,unfortunately ours whether it’s a 3 or a 4 are **** at what they are paid to do.
Only thing it suggests to me is that Ralph doesn't know what he is doing. He slated the defenders after the Leicester game, not for the first time, but didn't buy anyone all summer who would have been an improvement. Then he plays a Championship-standard RB at CB against Spurs, we get dicked, and suddenly he's blaming the defenders again. Now - finally - it looks like we are in the market for an experienced defender. All just a bit of a joke.
I'm fairly certain we've been in the market for another CB for a while. And Valery isn't really a RB, he's played more at RCB because he's done well there last season.
It is worrying in the sense that we can't press well with the 3 CBs and that is the only time we have ever looked good under Ralph. Plus we struggle to score enough as it is so 4222 at least helps us in that department. Although why Ralph has never tried 433 or 4231 is something I often wonder.
If a player has a bad game or two in preseason, we are told to ignore it, because it's just for fitness etc. So I don't think a player who plays well should necessarily find themselves in the first team. To be fair to Valery, he has played well before at CB a couple of times, but he isn't a CB. It was just a matter of time before he got found out. He isn't particularly strong, he's not a great header of the ball, and his reading of the game is quite slow. He's just not a CB. He's barely even a RB.
But the whole last-minute attempt to sign Coady, doesn't exactly suggest that we have much of a plan in place. It's very reactionary-sounding.
Or we have a plan but Coady suddenly being available wasn’t something they foresaw, so they tried to jump on it. And now back to the previous plan The truth is none of us know. Those who are fed up and want Ralph out will add this to their list of gripes. Those who want him to stay or want to give him at least some more games will see it more pragmatically
With KWP and Tino whom both like to bomb forward playing 3 at the back isn’t ever going to be possible,they only way they can do that is as a 5 across the midfield,but as I say our CB’s are crap and you certainly couldn’t trust any of those to play that way. 442 was the traditional way to play and I think it suits us better,but with differing personnel and different styles of play from the opposition you need to change formation,unfortunately with poor defenders that we’ve got leaves us woefully inept to dealing with situations that arise because of their lack of ability at this level. My own opinion is you certainly need an premiership harden defender or two centrally to play. A strong spine of a team as always been the base for good teams
I honestly don't remember anyone saying that. The result? Yes, because it is about fitness rather than results, but performance is hugely important.
I’d give Valery a bench seat against Leeds as he was pretty poor. Gives someone else a chance. But not sure how he was ‘found out’ in one poor performance after several impressive CB performances pre season and last year. According to Spurs, it was KWP that they worked on, knowing his strengths and weaknesses pretty well.
When playing 3CBs I think it is crucial that the RCB & LCB fully understand their roles and don’t get pulled out of position, by joining the attack. Support it by giving an out ball option to someone under pressure, but don’t get dragged too far forward. Just my opinion but seeing KWP high up the right and Valery trying to run the ball through the centre, before being dispossessed, leaves too much space for a quick turnover. And Spurs were looking to hit balls into the space behind KWP fairly regularly, with diagonal balls from the Spurs right, through space which is where a properly set up back three would have the RCB in position to intercept. Maybe Bednarek, as the central pivot needs to be instructing Valery and Salisu on where to position themselves?
Fair enough, maybe that's a bit harsh. But Jack Stephens would have been the obvious choice. Stephens was playing really well at the beginning of last season until he got injured. How Valery gets picked before him at CB I'll never know.
And because Ralph is an idiot. Stephens is crap but much better than Valery. Because Pep and Southgate moved Walker to RCB, Ralph thought he could do it too. ****ing ridiculous. Valery isn’t even a championship right back let alone a PL CB.
