Third Lanark Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 After the Czech Rep match we now have options at MF and left back but CB is our problem, mainly because we have too many left footers to give balance to the centre back pairing. Only Martin and Greer are right footed centre backs. Let's look at the options: McGhee (Hearts) - right footed but Robbie Neilson says he could play at right back in the EPL but not CB because he isn't big enough. Souttar - Hearts rescued him from midfield obscurity at Dun U. but he is a football playing defender; is he right footed though? Hope here maybe. Cooper - will get his chance v Denmark but is another left footer. Hanley is right footed but plays on the left. Godon McQueen doesnt seem to rate Cooper acc. to Scotland on sunday today. Hanlon (Hibs) - could he cut it? Has enough U21 caps. Danny Wilson - once the great hope but is also left footed and prone to serious error. Cost RFC a goal yesterday again. O'Hara (Killie) once tipped as a promising CB. Anyone know about him? Coll Donaldson - seemed to be a prospect when he went to QPR but now? Have I missed anyone? We need Soutar and McGhee to step up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertsscot Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Odd comment from Neilson, Paul Parker and Steve Bruce were both smaller than McGhee, they were useful. Canaverro was only about 5 foot 10 and he wasn't bad! I think a lot depends who he would be paired with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErsatzThistle Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 3 hours ago, Third Lanark said: After the Czech Rep match we now have options at MF and left back but CB is our problem, mainly because we have too many left footers to give balance to the centre back pairing. Only Martin and Greer are right footed centre backs. Let's look at the options: McGhee (Hearts) - right footed but Robbie Neilson says he could play at right back in the EPL but not CB because he isn't big enough. Souttar - Hearts rescued him from midfield obscurity at Dun U. but he is a football playing defender; is he right footed though? Hope here maybe. Cooper - will get his chance v Denmark but is another left footer. Hanley is right footed but plays on the left. Godon McQueen doesnt seem to rate Cooper acc. to Scotland on sunday today. Hanlon (Hibs) - could he cut it? Has enough U21 caps. Danny Wilson - once the great hope but is also left footed and prone to serious error. Cost RFC a goal yesterday again. O'Hara (Killie) once tipped as a promising CB. Anyone know about him? Coll Donaldson - seemed to be a prospect when he went to QPR but now? Have I missed anyone? We need Soutar and McGhee to step up. McQueen's comments about Cooper were mainly due to his Cooper being a granny rule player, which automatically made him bad in McQueen book. I read McQueen's interview in the SoS and thought he was being extremely negative and far too dismissive of the new players called up. Hanlon's Under-21 caps from several years ago mean nothing. The number of Under 21 caps a player has doesn't prove anything. Unfortunately we'll just need to play the waiting game with regards to centre backs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartacus Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I don't think Strachan can do much about the lack of any great central defenders but he could maybe get a good defence coach in to make the defence a well oiled machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Return of Yermaw Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 You don't need your centre halves to be predominately right/left footed based on their position. It's been shown to be an old fashioned fallacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 I'd be happy if we had a few more decent centre backs regardless of whether they were left or right sided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modernmods Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Cbs should just lump the ball that's why their in that position last thing we want is a cb who thinks he's a STRIKER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 Ohara at Killie is not a defender. He should be played in midfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 6 hours ago, Kirk said: Ohara at Killie is not a defender. He should be played in midfield Agreed. Balatoni is Killie's best Scottish centre half which isn't saying much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 4 hours ago, Toepoke said: Agreed. Balatoni is Killie's best Scottish centre half which isn't saying much... Haha theres a reason we are in the play off spot. I knew ohara when he was young. Lived next door to my mate, was always good with theball st hisfeet,even when he was about 7 or something. Nevera defender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Return of Yermaw Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Our centre halves are going to be Berra, Martin, Hanley, Greer and Mulgrew for the next campaign - unless someone comes out of nowhere. Makes for depressing reading but with a bit of luck, fewer mistakes and McGregor, Marshall and or Gordon in top form, might just be enough. Injuries permitting, because of the paucity of any outstanding centre halves I still think we should play three centre halves for away games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Third Lanark Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 Any Hibs fans think McGregor and Hanlon are good enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radian Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I think Mulgrew has played well in the games he has played CB for us, not saying he should start but a good option if one or two injuries occur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garywag Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 I'm really hoping Liam Lindsay at Thistle's career progresses the way his potential is showing him to. Could be a good centre back in years to come!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 9 hours ago, Radian said: I think Mulgrew has played well in the games he has played CB for us, not saying he should start but a good option if one or two injuries occur. Great with the ball but tends to switch off defensively eg. the goal in Georgia... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErsatzThistle Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 9 hours ago, Garywag said: I'm really hoping Liam Lindsay at Thistle's career progresses the way his potential is showing him to. Could be a good centre back in years to come!! Will look out for him Has that fool Spragia not given him a chance with the Under 21s ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Bra Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 14 hours ago, Return of Yermaw said: Our centre halves are going to be Berra, Martin, Hanley, Greer and Mulgrew for the next campaign - unless someone comes out of nowhere. Makes for depressing reading but with a bit of luck, fewer mistakes and McGregor, Marshall and or Gordon in top form, might just be enough. Injuries permitting, because of the paucity of any outstanding centre halves I still think we should play three centre halves for away games. Think the 3 centre backs idea is definitely worth considering. I love the fact that WGS has us trying to play football (not like Leveins fear of losing tactics) but maybe we just need to accept we have to be more defensive against the better teams away from home. We always look capable of nicking a goal (Georgia away was the only game we didn't score in). We tried to play football against Germsny and lost twice, Ireland played to their strengths and got 4 points. Saying that, if we don't try out 3 centre backs in any of the friendlies I can't see it happening in the qualifiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaid Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Centre back is our weakest position, so let's play more of them in a system that none of them play at their clubs. Genius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningtings Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Exactly. I think Hanley and Mulgrew could work, one an out and out CB and the other better at reading the game and bringing the ball out. Could push Martin out to RB then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garywag Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 15 hours ago, ErsatzThistle said: Will look out for him Has that fool Spragia not given him a chance with the Under 21s ? Na he was overlooked in the last squad, deserved a call up as he's been a regular for Thistle this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hannibal smith Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 On 26/03/2016 at 1:33 PM, Third Lanark said: After the Czech Rep match we now have options at MF and left back but CB is our problem, mainly because we have too many left footers to give balance to the centre back pairing. Only Martin and Greer are right footed centre backs. Let's look at the options: McGhee (Hearts) - right footed but Robbie Neilson says he could play at right back in the EPL but not CB because he isn't big enough. Souttar - Hearts rescued him from midfield obscurity at Dun U. but he is a football playing defender; is he right footed though? Hope here maybe. Cooper - will get his chance v Denmark but is another left footer. Hanley is right footed but plays on the left. Godon McQueen doesnt seem to rate Cooper acc. to Scotland on sunday today. Hanlon (Hibs) - could he cut it? Has enough U21 caps. Danny Wilson - once the great hope but is also left footed and prone to serious error. Cost RFC a goal yesterday again. O'Hara (Killie) once tipped as a promising CB. Anyone know about him? Coll Donaldson - seemed to be a prospect when he went to QPR but now? Have I missed anyone? We need Soutar and McGhee to step up. McGhee is not good enough yet an I have my doubts he ever will be. Soutar has come in and has looked very good at centre half alongside Ozturk (St Johnstone game aside) maybe a bit early for him though Unless Wilson has drastically improved since he left Tynecastle he shouldn't be considered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
er yir macaroon Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 6 hours ago, aaid said: Centre back is our weakest position, so let's play more of them in a system that none of them play at their clubs. Genius. It is the position where we have least options but I'm not so sure it's our weakest within the starting 11. I wouldn't play three at the back as knowing us it would end up 5 at the back and we'd be under siege (it does allow 2 strikers, though). Hanley-Mulgrew could work at centre back and allow Martin at right back. That's if McGinn can do the same job Mulgrew does in midfield.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borojock Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 From watching the game last night its plain to see that we will struggle this next campaign due to the centre backs. I think it would be money wisely invested in recruiting a dedicated defence coach to work with the defence as a whole. The other important thing im my opinion would be too make sure we have the cover in front of the back 4 to help them out. If that's a weakness which it is we need to do all we can to reinforce infront to expose their weaknesses to a minimum. I like the list above but all it does is hightlight that there is very little quality coming through especially international class quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalgety Bay TA Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 On 3/26/2016 at 6:14 PM, modernmods said: Cbs should just lump the ball that's why their in that position last thing we want is a cb who thinks he's a STRIKER. Have you ever considered a career in youth football coaching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jock strap Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 On 26 March 2016 at 6:14 PM, modernmods said: Cbs should just lump the ball that's why their in that position last thing we want is a cb who thinks he's a STRIKER. I'll start off with Franco Baresi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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