- Jun 13, 2008
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Its why I started the thread about who should be LB for the QPR game and was surprised that nearly everybody thought Naughton should be a shoe in for it. I'm not saying that he should be over looked, no way, but I think we were lop sided at times last night.
I agree with Bear that he's filling in well enough, but we are losing impetus down that left hand side on the ball.
If Naughton was fit then I would keep him in the team in all honesty, I think he is doing well and on the balance deserves his place We have to accept that he isnt going to go down the outside and live with it. I think in the other thread I suggested that Bale would have to stay wider for longer periods to compensate for this. Obviously with someone like Dempsey ahead of him though it does become an issue. Bale at left back though is an option for home games and is something I would like to revisit this season to see how it goes, certainly for Sunday if Naughton is out then I'd prefer this than to move Vertonghen out from the centre of the defence.
Naughton does look like he has some intelligence and can use the ball pretty well. Maybe next time he plays on that side a tactic to get more from him in an attacking sense would be that if Bale is holding the width then Naughton looks to 'underlap' him, if he picks the ball up 10-15 yards in field then this gives him more options and he has shown he can use the ball pretty well, it could allow him to offer more going forward.