Right back has proven to be a bit of selection headache for Ron and not all for the right reasons. Cedric & Martina arrived in the summer with many expecting the Portuguese international to be first choice and Cuco was seen as a stop gap, with only a two year contract. At the start of the season Cedric picked up a few niggling injuries and bangs to the head, but it was Yoshida who found himself playing right back and not Martina. Prompting many to wonder what the point of signing Cuco actually was. It was clear Ron was nervous about Cedric defensively as he was picking Maya ahead of Soares in several games, despite the Japanese international not always looking entirely comfortable. Koeman then gave Saints a change of formation, to the more compact three at the back in a bid to change the teams fortunes after a tricky December period. Martina also made his first league starts, banging in that memorable strike against Arsenal. Since the turn of the year it's been a straight out battle between the two, with neither managing to hold down the right wing back or right back birth for any serious stretch of games. So the question is what do you think Ron should do this summer about the right back slot? Last night Saints youngster Jason McCarthy was voted fans player of the season for league two Wycombe, playing mostly as a right back and could have thrown his name in the mix.
It's true that Cedric has been a disappointment, Right Back is the one position that we are lacking real quality in, therefore I would like to see a top signing of around £10m (as Ryan cost us) to come in and be first choice with either Cuco of Cedric remaining as back up. I see Jason as more of a Centre Back, long term, although RB might be his best chance of breaking into the first team the same as Chambers did.
I forgot to add, those who want to see a new right back. Any thoughts of who you think would be a realistic target?
I would like us to test crystal palace resolve on Joel ward. I think he has been excellent in the prem.
IMO we need a new right back. Cedric and Cuco are decent, but not much more. At this point I even prefer Cuco more than Cedric. MArtina for me is a bit suspect defensively, but shows better understanding in the attack. That chipped ball to Tadić yesterday was sublime, for instance. With Cedric I'm annoyed that he often cuts back on his weaker foot and then crosses the ball. Anyway, that's the position in which we need an upgrade, only question is who makes way. Cedric one could argue has a bigger potential as he's younger that Cuco, so maybe leave him on basis of that. It would be harsh to Cuco though. As a stop gap solution who cost next to nothing he offered more than was expected of him, I think.
In all serious, my mate in Hamburg says "not a bad defender in a **** team. He's not fast, but he's big and stops people".
Definitely a position that we need to look at in the summer. If Ron doesn't trust Cedric - and it appears he doesn't - then we simply have to strengthen there. What I personally feel about Cedric is irrelevant.
Cedric might very well turn out well. He runs well, he crosses fairly well, he tackles well. He just has an unfortunate tendency to wander out of position, which may well be fixable. I remember when Saints first signed Clyne, Adkins made some reference as to how Clyne had positioning flaws that could be exploited. I just don't think Saints can afford to not have another option just in case. So it would probably be a good idea to bring in a potential starting RB. The question for me is who we get. Do we go full out for an older, established star and basically call it quits on Cedric by relegating him to the bench? Or do we get another young fullback and figure that between the two at least one of them will make it? How much money do we throw at this thing?
I would think he is out of our reach, even with RK? But yeah, if we could get him that would be awesome.
If we can nail down the RB position in the summer and keep everybody else then I can see us being much closer to the top four next season.
What's happened to Bevis Mugabi? Not in the name competition, on the field I mean. Reluctant to see another youngster pushed down the pecking order, but RB is a key position we simply must strengthen.
He's injured. I don't know what the injury is, but he has been out all calendar year and he has had a bad history with injuries at youth level.