Clearly Traore's best position which he showed again today IMO. He did very well. Not technically good enough ball control further forward at this level which he also showed again today when he reaches the oppositions back however many (1 does him) on the edge of their box.
Isla is a quality player, but hasn't adjusted to the PL yet. He will get it right, sooner or later. Selling Simpson was an obvious mistake, though.
Did you see in the first half when Vargas had the ball up the left of their box and cut inside and waited......and waited and waited for Traore to overlap him? He finally played the ball and it went out over the goal-line because Traore hadn't bovvered to run past him. Vargas sent a couple of choice words in his direction. I don't know why a fullback won't continue on his run after he's played the wide man in. He played well in parts today but there's something missing with him. He's what I'd call half a footballer
Eamon is right, Isla is a wing-back used to playing in a 3-5-2 formation which is why he was signed. It's not his fault Harry bottled that formation after the Spurs game leaving us with no right back for a four man defence. The Simpson sale was madness without another right back coming in and it's one of several positions we're lacking in and facing a hard first half of the season without the chance to rectify these weaknesses...
The right back situation is a farce. Isla was brought in to play as a wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation, which was quickly abandoned. Having sold Simpson, we are now playing 4-4-2 without a natural right back in the squad. Where's Harriman?
Saw that yes. Thought they just misunderstood each other. Most of the team are strangers (yet again) but they better learn that sort of move quick.
I will expect Simpson to show us tomorrow v UTD how a right back defends!!!!!................................
I've read likewise over the past couple of games but today, having watched my first game of the season, I saw it in black & white ......... or should I say, blue & white.
Haven't seen that much of Isla but agree him & Traore (definitely) are not proper full backs so we're really playing wing backs in a flat back four which will cause us problems time after time. Unfortunately the plan was a back five which now abandoned we don't have the right players.
Yesterday he was up against a player bang on form in Moses, sometimes you have to accept that you will be roasted. But of course as many have pointed out, he is not a full back, and especially not when there is no right sided midfielder/winger tracking back - we needed to double up on Moses yesterday.
Isla certainly looked that he was lost against Moses. In Chelsea and Liverpool Moses hasnt really shined yet, but now he maybe finded a place for himself in Stoke? Imo all the mistakes cant be throw on Isla because Rio was also very much involved in both of Stoke goals. Isla was great in the WC but there he had tight defence unit around him and in hoops our defence unit resembled more like hash than tight defence wall. Maybe we ought to give him a little bit more time.
So is the answer to put Ned behind him and play Isla as a wing back in front.......great idea, but don't we need Ned to play instead of Rio, Oh dear Dunne or Hill needs to play there, then ...if only we had a ready to play spare right back????!!!!
not only that phillips tucked him right up by giving him the ball, then buggering off down the wing leaving isla surrounded by 2 stoke players. however he didn't cover himself in glory after that. and yes, rio's marking was very poor.
I coulda told you this. In fact, I'm pretty sure I did. "But officer, he played in the World Cup and is on loan from Juventus... He's going to be class" Did you learn nothing from Granero?
