Left Back Discussion

[yanno]

so for the last time on this thread - I don't think we currently have a sufficiently good and fit LB hence we need to buy one

My own view is that the season-ending injury to Bale was one of the two or three biggest downpoints of the season. Bale is almost a perfect fit for a Ramos FB, and he complements Steed very well - as Steed does a lot of good defensive and closing down work, and would have benefitted from having a naturally left-footed player able to overlap outside him.

Plus Bale is currently the best deliverer of a set piece at the club. If Modric and Bale are both fit next season, the quality of our set pieces, from both flanks, should improve immeasurably.

Ramos likes his FBs to attack aggressively, and a fit Hutton and Bale, backed up by Gunter and Gilberto, looks very strong to me. Especially if Ramos gets a Poulsen-type CM (ideally better than Poulsen) who has the intelligence to cover for players when they bomb forwards.

 

[Kendall]

Thhere you go Kendall the magic of google -

The News of the World report that Juande Ramos is keen on spending £8 million on Sevilla DEFENDER Adriano Correia as cover at left back where Young-Pyo Lee will be leaving and Gareth Bale might not be back from his foot injury and ..

my CAPS

oh and here's more from the Telegraph ;-)

Ramos is also looking to sign Brazilian full-back Adriano Correia, who could cost the club £8 million, as a replacement for Lee Young Pyo.

My bold


oh and more from spurs vital

. gk. kameni(espanyol) lb.adriano(seville)rb. glen johnson(pompey)


now maybe they're all wrong in their descriptions - but as you can see I didn't make it up

Thought you said we wouldn't be doing business with Sevilla?

This holds about as much water as Capel

We won't be signing another LB, we already have 4 (5 if you count Lee, which I'm not)

 

[Kendall]

Hi DC_Boy

Regardless of the nonsense spouted by the News of the Screws & the Torygraph, Adriano is primarily a LM. He has blinding pace, and can do a job defensively. However, like Gilberto, he doesn't like players running at him.

If we signed Adriano, then I would expect to see him play at LM with either Bale or Gilberto (or even BAE) at LB. Steed would have direct competition from Adriano, and might end up on the right flank (where I know you hate seeing him play).

If we sign Dos Santos, I would be surprized to see us sign Adriano as well, as Giovanni would most likely play as a wide midfielder for us.

Thanks Yanno

 

[DC_Boy]

My own view is that the season-ending injury to Bale was one of the two or three biggest downpoints of the season. Bale is almost a perfect fit for a Ramos FB, and he complements Steed very well - as Steed does a lot of good defensive and closing down work, and would have benefitted from having a naturally left-footed player able to overlap outside him.

Plus Bale is currently the best deliverer of a set piece at the club. If Modric and Bale are both fit next season, the quality of our set pieces, from both flanks, should improve immeasurably.

Ramos likes his FBs to attack aggressively, and a fit Hutton and Bale, backed up by Gunter and Gilberto, looks very strong to me. Especially if Ramos gets a Poulsen-type CM (ideally better than Poulsen) who has the intelligence to cover for players when they bomb forwards.

too right yanno

but will Bale deliver next season - if I was confident I wouldn't be calling for a LB - but anyway we'll know a lot more in July -

maybe we don't need one - but this season it's been one of our weakest positions - and I can't get past that I'm afraid

hopefullly it will all be rosy next season - but I won't be surprised if it isn't - (as it seems we probably won't buy another LB)

 

[DJS]

Left back situation:

Benoit Assou-Ekotto - has proven to be a bit dodgo when plays, probably will get rid (although not known when he will be fit)

Young-Pyo Lee - on his way, I like him but he's gone

Gilberto - at present would not feel completely confident going into next season with him as only fit left back if Bale out still

Chris Gunter - with Bale out my first choice season just gone to play as both-footed I believe


I would personally look at picking up Nicky Shorey as Reading have made him available I believe. Good solid defender, English (always a bonus in my book) and is good at overlapping and has a nice cross - a few of which I saw when he started for England

 

[chinaman]

Both fullback positions are more than adequately covered:

RB: Hutton, Chimbo, Gunter, Zoko

LB: Bale, Gilberto, Chimbo, Gunter, O'Hara, BAE

Even if Chimbo goes, we still won't need to buy any FB.

 

[chinaman]

Forgot to mention that in real emergency situations, JJ can play RB as well.

 

[Kendall]

too right yanno

but will Bale deliver next season - if I was confident I wouldn't be calling for a LB - but anyway we'll know a lot more in July -

maybe we don't need one - but this season it's been one of our weakest positions - and I can't get past that I'm afraid

hopefullly it will all be rosy next season - but I won't be surprised if it isn't - (as it seems we probably won't buy another LB)

It was only a weak position when lee was dropped imo. A, because Gilberto was unfit when he arrived, and B, because Bale & BAE were injured. Gilberto is a proven international class left wing back, he's not even played a handful of games yet, and while I agree Bale doesn't look a great defender yet, he was and will continue to be first choice there I think, while I'd prefer him to play infront of Gilberto as a LM.

But I can't see us justifying the purchase of another LB, when we've bought 3 in a year and 5 in 2 if you include BAE and Berchiche.

 

[DJS]

Both fullback positions are more than adequately covered:

RB: Hutton, Chimbo, Gunter, Zoko

LB: Bale, Gilberto, Chimbo, Gunter, O'Hara, BAE

Even if Chimbo goes, we still won't need to buy any FB.

Long term though do we really want to be playing Zokora at right back?

Also, Chimbonda should not be played at left back as provides no balance at all all offensive threat which has seriously curtailed our play. Also Chimbo's probably going anyways.

Plus should O'Hara really be considered as an option at left back - I would only view him as an emergency measure.

Gilberto has shown to be slow and cumbersome for the main part.

Of course if Bale is fit to go at start of next season then should be all good (plus I'd like to see Gunter play there!) but if Shorey is available at a knock down price surely it would do no harm to get him in?

 

[DC_Boy]

Thought you said we wouldn't be doing business with Sevilla?

I am - it's not me who's saying we'll sign Adriano - I was just pointing out there seemed to be a clamour for it

and it seemed to me that he was a LB/LM - so it there was substance to the clamour etc

but if he is not seen as a LB at all then it's irrelevant to my argument

 

[chinaman]

I've put Zoko as 4th choice RB and O'Hara as 5th at LB. These are considered as emergency covers. Any good specialist FB would not like to be joining us as 4th or 5th choice; and I think the club should not be wasting resources that way.

 

[DC_Boy]

Left back situation:

Benoit Assou-Ekotto - has proven to be a bit dodgo when plays, probably will get rid (although not known when he will be fit)

Young-Pyo Lee - on his way, I like him but he's gone

Gilberto - at present would not feel completely confident going into next season with him as only fit left back if Bale out still

Chris Gunter - with Bale out my first choice season just gone to play as both-footed I believe

I would personally look at picking up Nicky Shorey as Reading have made him available I believe. Good solid defender, English (always a bonus in my book) and is good at overlapping and has a nice cross - a few of which I saw when he started for England

Hi DJS

pretty much exactly what I think

Had JR shown he was backing Gunter as LB and the lad had stepped up to the plate - I'd have ne fears re LB

but JR hasn't and so CG didn't

hence I'm not convinced ATM we have one good fit LB - hence I think ATM we need one - maybe by July it'll be all change and Bale will be the man again -

but maybe he won't

anyway until someone in our team shows thay can play LB well and are fit to do so regularly I'll still be saying we need a LB - even if it's fair enough we don't buy one yet

 

[Kendall]

So say we buy another LB, who may well take time to adjust to the prem, will you be asking for another when in january he hasn't quite settle yet?

BAE wasn't given time to settle, but showed promise. However he must be behind Gilberto (who has shown he is top class in his many years and has played what, 5 games for us before you're writing him off?) Bale (Has potential) and Gunter (bedding in slowly so as to not have another BAE/Kaboul on our hands)

We are adequately equipped. I can't see who you could suggest who would just walk into our team and do a great job without having a settling in period.

What if United fans had been so quick to want someone else instead of Evra eh?

 

[badajozjim]

I've seen adriano play a few times here in Spain (been to a few games in seville) and he's played as LB, LM and even at RB with Alves in RM, he has pace and a good cross and covers a lot of ground.

I think that a few players that haven't featured when fit will be leaving i.e. Pyo, TT etc. I hope gunter will be loaned out next season to get some first team experience, there was even talk of him as a centre-back in the making.

 

[juande.is.a.yido]

Gareth Bale Bale Bale.

 

[DC_Boy]

I'm not writing Gilberto off Kendall - but I tell you what, you do seem a little conftrontational towards me. I said I was putting you on ignore before, you said I was being too sensitive, I probably am.

But I feel I keep having to defend myself to you. As someone who's been supporting Spurs for nearly 50 years, I don't feel the need. So I'm giving answering your criticisms of my position a miss from now on

 

[Sbix]

So I'm giving answering your criticisms of my position a miss from now on

But DC_Boy, that's part of being in a forum, and discuss things...
another person might disagree with you and will try to show you why.

And that's a good thing, because it might mean both you and him as well as other readers learn more and have a increased knowledge, from several points of views.

By dismissing his valid questions, you also dismiss us and reject the opportunity to give people more insight and knowledge. Do you want that? :razz:

 

[DC_Boy]

But DC_Boy, that's part of being in a forum, and discuss things...
another person might disagree with you and will try to show you why.

And that's a good thing, because it might mean both you and him as well as other readers learn more and have a increased knowledge, from several points of views.

By dismissing his valid questions, you also dismiss us and reject the opportunity to give people more insight and knowledge. Do you want that? :razz:

Take your point Sb - but notice how you put a :razz: in your post and talk in a collaborative way -

as I say it's probably me being over-sensitive but I've explained to Kendall before I find it difficult dealing with his posts towards me (notice how I'm trying to carefully choose my words as I don't want to blame him - I recongnise it's my problem

I'm not in any way preventing Kendall posting and nor would I want to - he talks a lot of sense

But you must know people you'd rather not talk to, because however much sense they talk, you find them a little confrontational and can't be bothered with it.

There are (IMO) nicer ways he could debate my points - but as i say that's up to him -

but I keep finding myself biting my tongue (metaphorically) with Kendall's posts and I don't want a slanging war - I've had way too many of those over the years

 

[the_king]

Annoys me when people say Bale is injury prone when he was a victim of 2 awful tackles...

 

[Kendall]

DC Boy, my posts are not towards YOU personally. We differ in opinion and that is the reason why these forums thrive.

I respect your opinion and that is why I like debating with you daily! You will not see gibbs and the likes having anywhere near the same attention, however you will find me debating points with SS57, for example.... another member I respect.

Please do not feel that I am targetting you personally, I am merely debating a point about THFC with you. I am fairly direct and to the point, but I won't berate you or attack you personally.

It's difficult to pin people's attitudes and moods down in text form on the internet.