Actually, no. I used to, but what an improvement in the last few weeks! I think it's all down to NM & his organisational skills. Our central defence was left to do all the defending with Grayson, whereas now, we defend from the front. Everyone's involved. O'Dea isn't as exposed now with this smartening up. As well as this new attitude in midfied & attack, we also have a defensive left back playing under NW (Pugh, then Robinson) who covers the areas that O'Dea had to cover when White went marauding forward. No wonder he was making so many errors! If Lees had been covering the left CB spot, I think we'd have been tearing him apart, rather than O'Dea. Funny thing is - even though I suspected I knew what was wrong, I still took it out on O'Dea. Think that probably says more about me than him. I guess it's time for me to apologise to him publicly.
You can't apologise for the individual errors he has made though. And he has made a lot of them, even if it was down to him covering white (who I have always said is not a LB, people said I was stupid for that comment), he still made too many individual errors. Him backing out of header I can never forgive as a CB
He's not perfect by any means, but I think the huge improvements he's made in the last few weeks warrant a place in the side at the moment. 3 clean sheets in 4 games, and one conceded against the league leaders. Like him or not, I think it would be incredibly unjust to take him out the squad with the way he and the team have performed defensively over the last couple of weeks.
I wouldn't like to say who we should keep and release just yet. All season I have been confused as to why we have kept O'Dea but yesterday he never put a foot wrong, he cost us the Southampton goal but rest of the game he was spot on. I wasn't as impressed with White yesterday, I am pretty sure Warnock is still learning a lot about what the players are made of and so far he certainly seems to be bringing the best out of them. Going by our last 4 matches who would have bet 3 clean sheets and what was very nearly 4 apart from one brief lapse and a superb strike by the divisions leading scorer.
I will never feel relaxed when O'Dea is involved in anything. He ball watches too much. I'm happy to be proven wrong, he is still relatively young and could be he just needs training in his weaker areas.
How many years is it since we have had a quality left back playing? Robinson looked calm composed and quality, also that header when he was stretching n ended up in the goal was unreal
He's looking like a permanent signing in the summer, but try reserve judgement a bit until we've seen him play a few times
Afternoon all. I mentioned some while ago that all the team needed was a bit of tweaking. That seems to be all that NW has done. We have Clayton & brown providing some steel in the centre & Snoddy et al providing the glamour & glry out wide. Ross seems to be playing whereever he feels & Becchio is leading the line. At the back, O'Dea seems to be playing better, & we now have a LB who can put his foot in. Connolly seems to be doing okay at RB, & the goals against flood seems to have dried to a trickle. Who goes & who stays? I think O'Dea might now stay. Lees will obviously stay. I think both Bromby & Bruce will stay. Bromby is versatile, & Bruce is young enough that he can improve. I think AOB will go, & for once I think Kisnorbo might have to battle Bromby or Bruce to keep his place. I think Parker will go, which is a pity. But he clearly didn't do enough on loan to warrant a place in the squad for next season, especially if we sign Robinson. We need cover for Brown/Clayton. Don't think Varynun is the answer, but I could be proved wrong. I doubt NW will lallow White to leave, as he has the one thing no one else really has, & that's pace. Snoddy will stay (hopefully). I think Rodgers & Sam will stay for now. But they will need to push harder for a place. Don't know what's happening with Nunez. He too will have to work harder for a place. On the forwards, Becchio, Ross, & Somma will certainly all stay. Somma may have to go out on loan to prove his fitness. I think Paynter will go (& I think we'll live to regret it one day). To be honest, apart from a back up GK & a proper RB, I'm not sure we'll do too much more business inwards in the close season. Things are looking up, & a win against the Hammers on Saturday, & all of a sudden top 6 really is dooable.
O'Dea's confidence is growing now he's got good strong support from his fellow defenders and most importantly the two Rotty's in midfield.
