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LEFT BACK 10:34 - Jan 21 with 1747 views

I hope we sign a left sided defender who can play the left back / left midfield role. As I understand it the Dutch lad that we signed is a left sided Centre Back - maybe not.

Niko is not good enough yet (may never be) and Wallace, who I would pick ahead of Niko, is arguably not good enough either.

LEFT BACK on 10:51 - Jan 21 with 1673 views

CliveWilsonSaid

I thought Niko played ok yesterday. Tidy in possession and not many mistakes I can think of.

Left back and midfield both areas we could strengthen though.

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LEFT BACK on 11:19 - Jan 21 with 1578 views

francisbowles

I think he was ok as well but I think he generally is. He hasn't really settled into championship football yet though but he won't unless we keep playing him and hoping he learns, adapts, gets stronger and improves. He is often quite tidy in possession but his forward passing is inconsistent. Hopefully, that will improve as he gets more experienced and his confidence grows.

Still a work in progress and we have three weeks now with only one game, so time for more coaching.

LEFT BACK on 11:59 - Jan 21 with 1408 views

qprd

LEFT BACK on 10:51 - Jan 21 by CliveWilsonSaid
I thought Niko played ok yesterday. Tidy in possession and not many mistakes I can think of. Left back and midfield both areas we could strengthen though.

I agree

hes definitely below the league average leftback, but he gets hammered unnecessarily and excessively by quite a few of our fans

wallace, on the other hand, is quite a liability

LEFT BACK on 12:04 - Jan 21 with 1393 views

MedwayR

I don't quite get the fascination some fans have with Hamalainen. He's a young player with average ability who will be perfectly adequate cover at LB for years to come, we do need to sign a LB in the summer but he'll do fine until then and then he can be a decent squad player. I see little difference between Hamalainen and Kakay, both squad players imo.

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LEFT BACK on 12:28 - Jan 21 with 1310 views

paulparker

LEFT BACK on 12:04 - Jan 21 by MedwayR
I don't quite get the fascination some fans have with Hamalainen. He's a young player with average ability who will be perfectly adequate cover at LB for years to come, we do need to sign a LB in the summer but he'll do fine until then and then he can be a decent squad player. I see little difference between Hamalainen and Kakay, both squad players imo.

He is coming up 24 now so not a youngster ( not in football terms anyway) from what I’ve seen bar probably Derby away he has been poor , when you get your chance you have to take it as a footballer and I’m afraid he hasn’t , I don’t think he would make it in league two if I’m being honest
Agreed on Wallace though he is ready for the knackers yard

And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles Brian Moore

LEFT BACK on 12:33 - Jan 21 with 1290 views

gigiisourgod

LEFT BACK on 12:28 - Jan 21 by paulparker
He is coming up 24 now so not a youngster ( not in football terms anyway) from what I’ve seen bar probably Derby away he has been poor , when you get your chance you have to take it as a footballer and I’m afraid he hasn’t , I don’t think he would make it in league two if I’m being honest Agreed on Wallace though he is ready for the knackers yard

LB should be the priority IMO, but with Jan being notoriously tricky to get the right players in, I would not be against giving Niko a run of games until the end of the season (with Wallace as back up) if he is really struggling and try and get the right player in the summer. Obviously if the right player is available now then great or if Niko steps it up a notch we may revalue it again in the summer.

LEFT BACK on 12:33 - Jan 21 with 1287 views

simmo

LEFT BACK on 12:04 - Jan 21 by MedwayR
I don't quite get the fascination some fans have with Hamalainen. He's a young player with average ability who will be perfectly adequate cover at LB for years to come, we do need to sign a LB in the summer but he'll do fine until then and then he can be a decent squad player. I see little difference between Hamalainen and Kakay, both squad players imo.

I generally agree, although I rate Kakay a little higher as he has a few base elements to build around - especially his confidence and aggression. I'd like Niko to start asserting himself a bit more and contribute, he looks athletic enough, but I can't remember him overlapping or providing width going forwards. He's just there atm...

He's also got 4 years with us, so unless we think someone will sign him, we may need to stick with him for the season and hope another 20 or so games will develop him into a legit first teamer.

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LEFT BACK on 12:35 - Jan 21 with 1266 views

BrianMcCarthy

LEFT BACK on 12:04 - Jan 21 by MedwayR
I don't quite get the fascination some fans have with Hamalainen. He's a young player with average ability who will be perfectly adequate cover at LB for years to come, we do need to sign a LB in the summer but he'll do fine until then and then he can be a decent squad player. I see little difference between Hamalainen and Kakay, both squad players imo.

I agree. How many goals have come through Niko as opposed to our right-hand side? I would say fewer.

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LEFT BACK on 12:37 - Jan 21 with 1250 views

Hunterhoop

I though Niko was a clear weak spot yesterday. Gave the ball away a lot in the first half and compare how few crosses he tried to put in with Kane.

I’d rather him than Wallace for his mobility. But neither is Championship standard at present, imo.

Compare him to Kakay. Kakay has so much more drive and energy in how plays. He’s more physical too and better in the tackle.

Personally I’d have Kakay over Kane, but Kakay is certainly one is up to the standard, is improving and could be a starter for many years.

I’m not sure on Niko. He’s getting a decent run. The bar wasn’t set high by Wallace. But I’m not sure he’s showing enough yet.

I’d love to see him improve and develop though. But at 24, it’s not unreasonable to question if he will.

LEFT BACK on 12:42 - Jan 21 with 1219 views

DWQPR

For me the first priority for any defender is to learn how to defend as opposed to overlap or attack. For Niko's greatest weakness is his tackling. He needs to take a leaf out of Kakay's book and be a lot stronger in the tackle and make his opposite number know that he was there. It was very much a trait of Ian Gillard who would always ensure that he left his calling card on the right winger. Obviously the game is different now but he needs to add this to his game otherwise he will continue to be targeted.

As for Kakay, I like him, yes he had gone off the boil a bit during the season, but quite frankly most of the rest of the team didn't cover themselves in glory either. He's a solid player, but, he has the ability to take players on and get a cross in and he is happy to get stuck in.

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LEFT BACK on 12:43 - Jan 21 with 1210 views

daveB

He is 24 but he's not had many games at this level so needs a bit of time. I'm not sure if he's going to be good enough but he's been OK in most games so far, makes the odd mistake but not many clangers so far. He does need to get his crosses in a lot earlier, he goes safety first all the time and ends up being closed down

LEFT BACK on 12:51 - Jan 21 with 1165 views

gazza1

Niko was pretty average last night, hence this post. No better than Wallace, in fact, I know he is older and more experienced and Niko may get a little better, I would pick the Captain of Rangers (as Norf says it).

We need a LB for sure if we want an attacking threat down both sides of the park....that is what Full Backs need to be nowadays. If Niko was at the tender age of 19 I would, perhaps, look at it differently - he is 24 years old!!!

[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 12:53]

LEFT BACK on 13:35 - Jan 21 with 1047 views

Dixie_CT

Whilst not hailing Niko as the next Roberto Carlos, the last two games he has played in have been an away win and clean sheet at Cardiff v Harry Wilson and an away draw at Norwich v the highly rated and much sought after Buendia. I don’t recall either of those name players causing us above average trouble. Surely some credit is due there?

Wallace is slow, cumbersome and a liability (two pens anyone?).he must be on 4x the salary of Niko and serves little to no use the team now or in the future. What is he going to being that Niko doesn’t?

Todd Kane’s amount of crosses as a comparison of success is interesting. I think he mainly hit the first defender with the majority of them but did hit the second defender later on. Marginal gains lad, marginal gains. At the same time, I was impressed with his energy levels, closing the oppositions at pace well into the late stages of the game.

Great to see Kakay come on. Think that is a perfect learning scenario for him. Three defenders behind him that can compete in the air (aerial ability is a weakness of Ozzy) and with the instruction of run around and destroy tired opponents. More of that please and hopefully he develops himself on the ball.

[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 13:38]

LEFT BACK on 13:46 - Jan 21 with 1001 views

PhilmyRs

LEFT BACK on 12:37 - Jan 21 by Hunterhoop

Could Kakay do a job at left back?

I look at a number of teams - the kid at Leicester (Justin?) is a good example - of a right footed player doing a decent job down the left side. I wonder whether Kakay could be converted to play there? Whilst it does reduce your attacking threat a bit with overlaps etc you gain a bit more solidity. It's probably more appropriate as a left back option as opposed to the new wing back system we're using but a decent bit of work on the training pitch and he could add a bit of value there.

Perhaps Kakay down the left say's more about the quality of our options and a loan move is the better option but I'd certainly take a look at it in training.

LEFT BACK on 14:48 - Jan 21 with 924 views

LazyFan

Niko sometimes went into the wrong positions when we had the ball against Cardiff. He also lost the ball in the final third too much.

However, we need to remember he has not even played 50 games at pro-level ye, let alone the 100 we often need to see a youth player come through and cope regardless of how long it has taken them to break through.

We do need another LB as clearly Wallace is past it in terms of stamina and also pace. Added he gets injured a lot and for the money, he's not doing it for us.

We cannot complain we do not get money for our assets if we do not develop them. We need to play Niko and develop him. Also, remember the entire defence has to cope with Cameron not being mobile despite is great positioning sense.

Niko needs games and time and lots of them. Then we can see.

zzzzzzzzzz

LEFT BACK on 14:58 - Jan 21 with 897 views

bosh67

Niko definitely needs the games under his belt and I feel he will improve. That said a fully fledged left wingback type with pace and another playmaker for the middle with Carroll's absence seem to be the priorities.

I would however say that we do have Albert and Willock who can play a number of central and wide positions if needed. Thomas hasn't even really had a chance to show what he can do either so I am not massively concerned about central midfield. A left sided player who can cross with their left foot is perhaps more essential.

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LEFT BACK on 21:29 - Jan 21 with 745 views

Dorse

I thought that left back was a real problem for us last season too. Manning, for all his good points, was always targeted by opposition teams. His attacking instinct was a positive quality and a huge benefit to the team but he left space in behind and the inside-out run from the ten slot always put us in trouble when we (inevitably) lost possession.

This isn't as much of an issue for Niko as he seems less confident in attack but he still gets himself isolated with no out ball. This is something that can be fixed by ensuring that the midfield look to cover his run but that is going to need careful balance in-game.

What? I don't just do dick jokes, you know.

[Post edited 21 Jan 2021 21:32]

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