Why won't Malky drop his mates?

I'm going to be controversial so I apologise in advance if this offends anyone.

After hearing yet more reports of defensive howlers I have come to the conclusion that Malky needs to rebuild our defence this summer.

Scoring goals has clearly not been an issue this season being the second highest scorers in the league but when you look over the whole season, defensively we have been shocking.

Will MM put things right in the summer? I dont think he will. Reason being is that our back 4 are essentially his mates or at the very least, part of the "defenders club". I cant see any other reason why Malky wouldnt have tried to change things beyond just getting Taylor in. It's not about having zero monies, has there even been the slightest whisper re getting a CM in on loan? NO.
He harped on about not being able to get another LB on loan in but could he have not tied down Taylor to a season long loan earlier? If he did try, then why the hell wasnt the LB situation addressed way before Taylor went back?

Another point that bothers me is that Buckley and Sordell have one off game and they're banished to the bench for weeks at a time yet our back 4 are allowed to get away with conceding comedy goals every week.

I appreciate that you really want the same back 4 week in week but to conceded 66 goals in 44 games simply isnt anywhere near good enough.

Players will be leaving in the summer, that we know for certain and whilst I appreciate that we need a creative midfielder desperado, a new CB and LB are the absolute priority (Plus Doyley's name engraved on one of the subs benches)

The question is, will we have a new back 4 in time for next season or will the boss continue to give his pals imunity?

 

Martin Taylor has played well this season, is he included in this criticism?

 

Mariappa was outstanding on Saturday.

I'm not sure if I've seen many decent defenders for opposing teams this year. Besides wouldn't replacement defenders also be part of the "defenders club"?

Perhaps we should play strikers at the back?

 

I don't think its a case of not dropping his mates, its just a case of no one to replace....Bennett is the only youngster who has been given a go, but is not upto scratch at the moment IMO. Aldred has yet to show...so who to put in?

Marriappa & Taylor have had good seasons, Lee and Lloyd have done their bit when played out of possition. The only member of the back 5, I would question would be Loach. We do need to strengthen at the back yes....We will see how good MM scouting system is in the summer.....When he spends the DG10 transfer money.

 

Mapps and Tiny have been fine. In my opinion it has been the chopping and changing of personell and sides of the full backs that has been a problem.

Hodson has played left back and right back and his form has been up and down.
Doyley has played left back and right back and his form has been up and down.
Thompson has played left back and right back and done bloody well.
Andy Taylor was obviously superb when he was here.
Bennet has played at full back and showed he struggles there.
Mariappa has played full back and then we were murdered in the middle!

If we had enjoyed the same consistency with the full back positions that we have had with the centre halves we would have done well. Andy Taylor and Adam Thompson as the two full backs would be great for next year.

 

Agreed. Another good prospect......needs to beef up abit though?

 

Guinness and steak through the summer will sort him out.

 

Have you thought that the reason we concede so many is probably because we are set up to attack?

If we did what Hull have done, or what Sheff United have done for the last 6 years until this season, you set up defensively, nick a goal and shut up shop.

We have gone out to try and play open attacking football, which leaves us open at the back,

Do you really think we would have scored so many if we had been set up defensively?

Oh, and Leeds have concede 69 goals in 44 games, which is worse than us! I would rather watch us score 2 and concede 3 than score none and concede 1. Attacking football is always superior to dull defensive play.

nb - this sounds really arsey and antagonising, but its not meant to. I can't be bothered to write it again though, so just know it is supposed to be a normal post.

 

Thompson Bennett Taylor Mariappa. Sorted

 

You are thick as pig excrement.

 

I don't think we'll switch to a back five and who's this Sorted fella?
Are you ITK and if so who's your source, is he/she reliable etc etc etc blah blah blah.

















































Blah.

 

I've been watching football for over 40 years and am sometimes amused by the comments on here. Lets be truthful about all of this:

Goalkeeper - Loach has lost the plot. Great guy but for every world class save he makes 2 howlers. At the moment he can't catch the ball! Reserve keeper...........shocking

Martin Taylor - Player of the season along with DG. If it were not for him we would be fighting at the bottom

Doyley - Long past his sell by date - doubt he would get into any other championship team

Mariappa - Pretty good

Hodson - ucking useless

Bennett - ucking useless

 

The couple of appearances he has made this season he has been poor, however whenever he has made cameo appearances before this season he has been great. I remember him single handedly keeping a clean sheet away at Plymouth not so long ago.

 

I think that Tiny and Marriappa have had a good season, if we have to strengthen anywhere at the back it's both full back positions and Loach has to become more reliable, as I don't think the defence have a lot of confidence in him?

Loach is very frustrating because he can be brilliant, in fact he pulled off a world class save on Saturday, not unlike the famous Pele and Banks world cup incident, but he is also very prone to making silly mistakes, hence the defenders lack of confidence in him!

I am wondering if going to 3 CB's, 2 holding and 1 attacking CMF's 2 strikers and wing backs might be the answer.

I think we already have the personel for most of that set up, the weak spot being LWB, which Cowie might be able to fill, but more than likely we will need to bring someone in, Jordan Stewart maybe :naughty: I actually think he would do a good job, but I know many on here will not agree!!! I think Troy could do the RWB job, his defending has been great this season and he has a great engine. The extra CB could be anyone of three players, Thompson, Aldred or Bennett. Holding MF's Eustace and Jenkins (or maybe another) AMF Cowie, up front DG and Sordell, if we still have them.

IMO we need a GK that commands respect from his defenders, which could be Loach , if he can step up to the plate and cut out his stupid errors, a left sided WB and I believe we can fill the other slots from what we already have assuming we don't lose anybody, which is probably unlikely.

What do you think?

 

You are, as been stated, thick as mince.

Every word that dribbles from your fingers adds to the evidence.

 

It's not a case of him dropping his mates.

It's a case of no one being able to replace them and do a better job. Mariappa and Taylor have been great this season. Doyley at right back was superb, not so much so out of position on the left.

Personally I believe that once we get in a decent left back we will be as strong as we were defensively as when Andy Taylor was with us. Every single game the opposition always go down the right because they know that is where we are weak due to the fact that we have no natural left footers in our squad.

 

R.e. the defence we need a new left back definitely and possibly a new keeper but most of all we need to have a settled right and left back to play as a unit with the excellent Taylor and Mariappa

Thats not the whole problem though, its easy to look at the goals against column and immediately criticise the defence but the midfield and forwards dont help them out one bit. Often when we have the lead in a game the midfield and forwards dont keep possession and lose their shape, resorting to playing long balls and inviting pressure by sitting too deep. It doesnt matter how good the defence is, theyre always going to struggle when the opposition is allowed to relentlessly attack them, in some games this season weve taken the lead and its effectively turned into a game of attack vs defence

 

I take it your the straight man in the act ?

that's about the most Bizarre first choice selection I have ever seen

 

Spot on.

We have better ball retention we take the pressure off the back 4

 

In fairness I would put Doyley at RB because he suffers more than the other options from being switched to the left - a great right back but uncomfortable verging on the amateurish on the left. In contrast Hodson isn't as good at RB as Doyley, and doesn't suffer as mutch when switched.

 

If that was our back four this season then we would have been relegated in March.

 

I just wrote mutch instead of much - what does it mean? Is it an omen - he didn't even make the bench for Brum's spanking on Saturday.

 

Of course it's about not having any money :whoosh:

I agree with IRB; a lot of goals have come about because the midfield put the defence under too much pressure by not keeping the ball. As for Sordell, his reluctance to help out in defence is surely the reason he has been frequently left out of the starting 11, it's been so obvious.

 

As is the case with Buckley as well.

 

I certainly agree with LBH.

The full-backs have been the problem this season, which has made our defence and side in general unbalanced. Playing a right-footed player at left-back creates problems.

We were much more solid and balanced with A.Taylor in the side than we ever were with Doyley or Hodson at left-back.

A natural left-footed left-back is what we need this summer. I think Thompson is more than good enough to step up to right-back next season.

Also the loss of Mutch was just as big a blow as losing A.Taylor, if not bigger, IMO.

Totally unbalanced the midfield, as he and Eustace worked up a great partnership in midfield. Mutch chipped in with goals, and was generally very creative, whilst Eustace won the ball and protected the defence.

Recently he's been playing Eustace with Jenkins, which was the wrong move, IMO. Both too similar, and we lacked a creative spark in midfield. We'd have been much better off playing Cowie in the middle with Eustace and playing Buckley or Whichelow on the wing, rather than letting them get splinters in their backsides over the last couple of months!

Which brings me on to my next point...why the f**k have Sordell and Buckley both been sitting on the bench!? Both give us genuine pace and the ability to take players on. It's no surprise to me our poor form towards the end of the season has been down to the fact two of our most feared players have been bench warming!

Weimann is not a bad player, but I think again he's too similar to what we've already got (Graham), hence the excellent understanding and partnership Graham and Sordell have struck up this season. Sordell has smashed in 15 goals in the League this season, half of which has been spent on the bench or on the wing! Not a bad effort at all! Whilst Weimann has scored about 3 goals in roughly 15 games...a poor return, IMO. Not to mention the fact DG has scored plenty more goals whilst Sordell and Buckley have been in the side...coincidence? I think not!

 

A 4 man midfield with Buckley and Whichelow would be too attacking and give no cover to the defence.

 

Just for clarification purposes.. absolutely NOT

 

What an absolutely **** post.

M.Taylor - again an absolutely fantastic season. Solid throughout and 6 goals.

A.Marriapa - played all across the back. Performs almost every single week and is a wfc fan through and through.

L.Doyley - has his moments but has played well overall

L.Hodon - first few games were poor, but last 8-10 have been great. Really come on again

A.Taylor - played well and had a sweet left foot. But for me, no better defensively than Hodson

Thompson - One for the future. Quality first few performances in a wfc shirt.

------------------------------------------------------

We have conceded poor goals, but all teams do and some of our losses have to be put down to Loach. He has one us points, but he has lost them all too much.

No doubt when we sell AM or MT you will be on Malkys back telling him he's to weak etc etc

WELL DONE MALKY. Great season, lets keep these set of lads together and go for it next year!!

 

Agree with the majority of your post but the part I highlighted is complete rubbish. Hodson will be a good right back in the future and has played well of late but to say that he is as good a left back as Taylor is nonsense.

Hodson was diabolical at left back (not his fault as it is not his position and he has no left foot) and the only reason he is playing well now is because he is at right back.

You won't find many left backs better than Andy Taylor in this division and when he went back our defence fell apart. A right footer playing there probided no balance whatsoever.

 

Weimann's injured now so won't be playing any further part with us this season it seems.

 

Something I can agree with you on. Saying Andrew Taylor is no better than Hodson defensively is just wrong.

Good, give Deeney the last 180 minutes up front, that's where he'll be playing next season when Graham leaves.

 

I think Loach is the main problem in defence, he doesnt seem to be learning from his mistakes and had two massive blunders against Leicester. Need to get an experienced keeper in. Also Doyley, has been a great servant to the club but you are guaranteed at least one mistake a game out of him.

 

What people forget is when Andrew Taylor first came we only won 2 out of the first 11 games he played in before we had the good run, we won 5 out our first ten games we played without him, i think hes is a good player but at 24 he should be, i think Hodson and Thompson at 24 will be as good if not better than Taylor one day.

 

Thompson has never played left back for the first team.