Last night he was caught out quite a few times. Some of us at times this season have stated that we need better than Dan Burn at LB, but people keep on saying "best defence in the league" as if it refutes it, and that Dan Burn is good enough. Dan Burn is a solid player, and I'm sure he'll be a great and useful squad player who can cover CB and LB when necessary, but surely we need to look at better? At times he's been exposed quite a bit by pacey wingers, who have simply ran straight past him. Imagine if we get into the CL and he's up against elite Wingers? He has relied a lot on Joelinton/Willock covering him on the left side, but if we play an attacking winger, rather than a defensive one, he's very exposed. I love big Dan, and I want him in the squad, but not as a first choice LB. Unless he's got a defensive LM in front of him, he struggles against pacey wingers... Because in reality he's a CB playing LB.
I have always agreed with this. BDB isn't the long term answer and a solid LB that can support the wingers with some more creativity and attacking threat is required. BDB however, has been amazing since called upon. Can't fault him really, despite a few hairy moments.
Plenty of full backs will get skinned by Bowen. Usually reliable, but he lacks a bit pace when he’s faced with a fast winger.
100% - He's done fantastically well all season but it doesn't negate the fact he's not a LB really. Hoping Target plus another will be fighting for that position next year. Main areas of concern are CM x2, a CB (prospect), and a LB. Once that's sorted we have 2 players for each position to fight for places and what could be a long 23/24 season with 50-60 games.
I think he's very solid generally, and the fact he's cemented the LB position ahead of a proper LB shows how good he is. Sometimes lesser players can play big parts in successful teams - Pascal Cygan was **** for Arsenal, but still got a league metal for their invincibles team! Last year Joelinton was the big success story for making a huge improvement, this season Longstaff, Murphy, Burn and (recently) ASM are all making major improvements.
For me it's 1. 2nd/3rd choice striker, as Wilson is bound to get injured, and we cannot expect Isak to play twice a week. 2. Attacking mid - Maddison type of player who can score goals from midfield. 3. A winger because without Trippier, we only have Murphy that can actually cross well. 4. A CDM/deep lying CM - Because we struggle without Bruno 5. LB.
Nobody is beyond reproach Trev. Bruno - amazing, but gives away some stupid free kicks, for example. Isak, excellent but made of thin air... etc.
Botman is great but he makes more mistakes than Schar, plus Schar is miles better going forward and on the ball than Botman is. Botman has more potential, but right now Schar is clearly superior as an all round player. Schar looks like he can score or create something every game.
What’s Botmans limitations got to do with Schar? Botman is the future but needs a quality cb next to him not a lower PL cb
Schar has been playing out of his skin recently, but I think it's important to remember that Schar's game has massively improved ever since Botman arrived, due to all the hard work Botman does, this allowing Schar more freedom, as a result of not having a clown like Ciaran Clark playing next to him. Botman has only really had one bad moment against Forest, which admittedly was a nightmare, but has been a total beast apart from that.
I agree with signing another CB for the long term, but the way you worded "sign a partner for botman", it implied you think Botman is better now and next season Schar will be dropped for this new guy. Schar doesn't need to be replaced now, he is still our first choice CB in the present, if not long term. His all round play is still better than Botman's.
Players who need upgrading - Longstaff, Schar, Burn, Murphy, ASM Players who are on fire right now and deserve more time we us - Longstaff, Schar, Burn, Murphy, ASM This is problematic, but to move forward, we have to be cruel with some of the upgrades.
That's the way I would see it tbh. Schar is 31 now and 32 in December, I can really only see one more season out of him, I certainly don't see him played for us at 34 or anything like that. I can see us bringing in another big money CB, and Schar sharing the duties next season.
And in terms of CB's he's super young. Not many 23 year olds are part of defense's that concede less than a goal a game. So much potential there and his cross field passing is amazing. Yeah its a really interesting conundrum (problem - for those (95-112%) who struggle with words like penultimate) for Eddie in the summer. Luckily there are still loads of spaces to be filled by getting rid of players like Lacselles, Manquillo/Krafth, Lewis, Ritchie, Dummett, Fraser etc. and we can boost the coffers some more by selling loaned players like Hendrick, Hayden, Clark etc.
