I think we need a CB. Don't put words in posts that aren't there. Yoshida is working hard, has improved, justifies someone sticking up for him, yet I'd like improvement in that position. Nowhere do I say we don't need a CB. I even said on a thread this last week that they've done well but we still leak goals and so there must be room to improve. Start reading posts properly.
I think our present CBs are doing enough and I feel that Jos has settled down again and Yoshida is improving....doesn't mean that I don't want a better player signed. Just as I would be thrilled if we signed a better player than Lallana or Rickie.
Pochettino is a former defender and must understand the importance of a settled back four. I think this is why he has yet to introduce Forren at such an important stage of the season. If we secure safety with games to spare I'm sure he will get a chance.
I read this a great deal on here, but according to Squawka stats, his pass rates have been Chelsea 84% Liverpool 71% Compare with Nathan Chelsea 74% Liverpool 81% Compare with Morgan Chelsea 85% Liverpoool 73% Not bad, by any means. Meanwhile, back on topic, I think Hoover is now VERY solid. In the air he's a killer (as long as he stays on his feet). Plus, he's always the last one off the pitch as he goes round the whole crowd applauding our support. Deserves respect if only for that. Vin
He was also the chirpiest as he came off (on the Matchday Uncovered video). He claims to be lovable...well he is.
Better than Rickie? This is heresy, woman. Get those fires lit. As for Jos, he has surprised me. I really though he was out of his depth, but of course a new CB would be good.
I think Jos has put a lot of effort in on the training ground. After a tough start, he's gone away and seems to have improved a few things about his game. But the biggest difference to his game might well be Yoshida. He looks like he's improving every week! Was quite worried about his distribution when he first started out with us, but some of the last ditch stuff he does is top draw. Him & J-Rod must be the biggest improvements under MP.
We've got 4 centre backs. Yoshida can play LB, RB. Forren can play LB. We don't need another ****ing CB! We have no cover at CDM for either Cork or Schneiderlin. The only position we really need a cover player is CDM.
I wasn't arguing with you. I was highlighting your point. Saints are playing better team defense and moving the ball better now which masks the flaws of both Hooiveld and Yoshida. We're getting the job done with what we have now, but I think some people (not you) are vastly over-rating the CB's. I like both Hooiveld and Yoshida for the effort they give but if we want to take the next step up we need to strengthen in that area.
Our team is better than its parts...the fact that we are winning games now suggests that our defence as a whole is effective. We should leave ourselves exposed playing this pressing style, but so far we manage to get back and defend as well.
JWP would make a dreadful CDM. We've already seen Schneiderlin and Davis trying to play CDM leaves us wide open. Even JWP, Davis and Schneiderlin all at once on the pitch we were wide open . So no. We have absolutely no replacement for Cork.
I wonder where JWP is supposed to play for us. IMO, he doesn't have the defensive attributes to play CDM, and he's not enough of an attacker to play in the hole, behind the striker, in the 4-2-3-1. He seems to be simply a CM, which we don't accommodate for in our formation. I think in an interview recently he said he's been training and competing a lot with Morgan and Corky, which suggests he will be utilised in the CDM role, but I cannot see that suiting him.
I tend to agree with fran. Our defense plays above it's ability, and I think part of that comes from us having two defensive midfielders with crazy work-rates to help out our backs (as well as two good fullbacks). The problem is that it's a finely tuned machine so we have to mix and match a bit based on opponent and we need everyone healthy because it's such a finely tuned machine. So you could go either way with it. I agree that right now Cork is crucial to our defense, and if we bring in another CDM we would have cover for Cork. OTOH, if we bring in a better CB then maybe we could get by with Davis or JWP. I prefer the CB route as I think Cork has something to offer on offense as well so a CB would lessen his defensive duties and allow him to contribute more when he's in as well as increase depth. Also I think a good CB is cheaper and easier to find than someone as good or better than Cork. But nothing stopping us from doing both if we can find the players. I think JWP is like Schneiderlin. He can pick out a nice pass and really keeps the game flowing. His tackling and defense needs work, but he's still young. Schneiderlin wasn't initially that good at that either, and at the time I also wondered what Saints would do with a sort of deep-lying playmaker/offensive DMC as I wasn't sure we had the luxury to give up some defense. I think I was probably still wondering about that to some extent even starting this year. Turns out Schneiderlin can play defense just fine. And again, I think that as we improve our defensive MC duties will shift a little more towards being a link up between defense and offense and holding the ball in the opposition half as opposed to being extra defenders.
I don't think he suits us. I think he'd be best in our team to play a Davis type role when Davis has Cork and Schneiderlin both behind him but he's not as good as Davis at either attack or defence. And then there's Ramirez that can play CAM. Lallana can play there as well so I find it hard to see how he fits in other than as a replacement for Davis. But often we start Ramirez and then Davis is the replacement. He can cover lots of ground but that's obviously irrelevant if he's by-passed completely since tackling or intercepting the ball seem to be the weakest parts of his game. He's definitely decent at passing the ball but not much else.
I think everyone is forgetting his age. He still has plenty of time to blossom into being much better at attacking AND defending than Davis.
He'll get better. I'm not forgetting his age. We need more cover at CDM is mainly what I'm getting at.
