Summer window

Hope so mate. Captains armband a strange one.

 

Alese and O'Nien to me are much better suited to a back three than a back two. Alese of course will improve with experience but I think he's a perfect LCB at the moment.

I still wonder if the long term plan is to move to 3 at back with wing backs. Especially with our lack of wingers beyond Clarke and Roberts.

If Clarke got injured I think I'd actually prefer moving to a back three and have Hume push further forward at RWB, Cirkin at LWB, three central midfielders and Roberts central behind a striker.

 

Based on the extremely limited I've seen of Triantis as well - I would much rather he was in a back three for now until he gets the positioning required at this level.

 

Agree. Same. Just have to be so solid in that back 4 with how we play with Hume and Cirkin and ask them to do what they do.

Alese out for a good good while too. That Luton risk came back to bite us in the backside with him unfortunately.

 

Sorry for the treble post... but the other benefit of a back 3 is we have tonnes who can play in those positions. In theory you'd think we'd need to keep Batth MORE if we played 3 CBs instead of 2, but actually we don't.

If you change to three at the back - all of these players can fill those positions quite comfortably:

• Ballard
• O'Nien
• Seelt
• Triantis
• Alese
• Cirkin
• Hume
• Johnson (although would rather he went on loan - having him in a back 3 would be a better transition than a back 2)

 

If we had Seelt and Triantis settled I. And playing well I could see why they’d lose him in January, or even if it felt like they were now - on age alone but it feels too soon. They would probably benefit from his influence ironically.

 

I think he was bought as a CH but someone who could play LB.
I remember the manager at Accrington Stanley, where he was on loan, saying something along the lines of "although he is a CH I think his best position may be at LB".

 

In fact, **** it, I'd potentially be moving to a back three anyway based on my posts above. convinced myself.

Clarke can play right wing back - but a very aggressive one, as if Hume or O'Nien is RCB he can fill in behind to essentially move us to a back 4 when attacking, but slot into a back three when out of possession.

It offers us way more tactical flexibility. and player flexibility. and protects our young players.

And people will say "but we need Clarke up the pitch" - but I disagree. His biggest strength for me is how quickly he travels with the ball and helps us go from defend to attack. The further back he starts the more benefit we'd get.

 

Personally, I see Alese as a centre back who can fill in at LB. His attributes suit CB in my opinion.

 

@Prehab26 did you say there was another coming in as well as Bruce on the commercial side?

 

I agree but he’s goosed unfortunately

 

How can you say that? You are assuming Seelt is better than o9 without having seen him play. I genuinely think o9 gets under appreciated sometimes. He was excellent last season at centre half and has played once this season and is already written off. Even though the manager, a centre half himself, seems to really rate him there. Find it bizarre. Reverse snobbery or something

 

Why is it a strange one? Who would you have given it too on Sunday?

 

Yeah. Planned too.

 

Alese is a centre back, but just probably more comfortable at his young age (which people forget) in a back 3. He's too heavy to be a full back all the time. The squad is actually more suited to a 3 at the back formation, and if we sign the PSG kid we've been linked with then I'd be inclined to think we're moving to a 3 at the back with effective attacking wing-backs as a style of play. Would probably suit our attacking players too given we aren't all that quick in the forward areas.

 

Ballard. Main and first choice starting centre back.

 

09 will be a great DM in front of either a back 4 (or 5)

 

I see ONien as club captain material but isnt that Evans? Lost track now. Not so much an onfield captain Luke. Of all the players we have on the pitch currently I would have considered Neil or Cirkin or Ballard as captain choices. Would love the signal a young captain would give.

 

Been at club two minutes, hardly played and yet should be captain? Don't get that.

 

News fom Chile:
Firm offer for Alexander Aravena from a Russian club.
CSK Moscow (US$3.6m)