Winter Improvement Thread (aka Winter Squad Weakening Thread and TWF Suicide Watch)

[Johnny75]

Isn't Coady a bit short to be a CB?

6'1" is a pretty decent height for a CB. As said Marriappa is 5'11", Cannavaro was 5'10" and Daley Blind is 5'9".

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Whatever Coady lacks in the height stakes, he makes up for in the "not being Ethan Ebanks-Landell or Matt Doherty" stakes.

 

[Papper]

Whatever Coady lacks in the height stakes, he makes up for in the "not being Ethan Ebanks-Landell or Matt Doherty" stakes.

So that leaves Iorfa which would worry me slightly ... he's running out of options.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

It can't continue as it is and there is no new face to put in.

Coady has played CH before and will add bite. Organisation and I think leadership. Yes it may be agricultural but who cares as long as we can keep a clean sheet. As for Iorfa, he is a fit lad, quick, can pass it short and can tackle - just tell him to keep an eye on the line just in front of the CH's and just follow play, win the ball and knock it to Price or Mac who can hopefully get in amongst the attack play.

How is putting people out of position going to aide organisation?

It's nothing but nonsense, if you're using those players why not put Iorfa in at centre half to put some pace next to Batth, seen as he's spent most of his youth career at centre half, and then use Coady to screen in front of them, you've still changed things from the current mess without making it looking like a selection by tombola.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

So that leaves Iorfa which would worry me slightly ... he's running out of options.

You've got to leave Iorfa at RB as Doherty is an absolute disaster zone.

 

[YoungWolf]

I just find playing Iorfa in a position he has never played in utterly bizarre, as DW says, Coady is probably a better option at centre back right now purely based on the lack of options so I have not as much issue with that. I wouldn't think Regan Upton is too far off at the moment either.

Ikeme

Iorfa
Coady
Batth
Golbourne/Deslandes

Price
McDonald
Wallace

Byrne
Afobe
Graham

 

[MARKakaJIM]

6'1" is a pretty decent height for a CB. As said Marriappa is 5'11", Cannavaro was 5'10" and Daley Blind is 5'9".

No way Blind is shorter than Cannavaro, Fabio was tiny for a centre half and Blind isn't that small.

 

[Kenny]

You've got to leave Iorfa at RB as Doherty is an absolute disaster zone.

Put Edwards at RB. Had a decent game there once.....

 

[Papper]

How is putting people out of position going to aide organisation?

It's nothing but nonsense, if you're using those players why not put Iorfa in at centre half to put some pace next to Batth, seen as he's spent most of his youth career at centre half, and then use Coady to screen in front of them, you've still changed things from the current mess without making it looking like a selection by tombola.

I see what you are saying and I wouldn't be averse to that but I would prefer Iorfa's mobility slightly further forward and Coady's aggression and (leadership) slightly further back. We are shit at defending crosses and I believe Coady would be better at attacking and clearing them.

 

[Johnny75]

No way Blind is shorter than Cannavaro, Fabio was tiny for a centre half and Blind isn't that small.

You are correct on Cannavaro he's only 5'8" but Blind is 5'9".

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I see what you are saying and I wouldn't be averse to that but I would prefer Iorfa's mobility slightly further forward and Coady's aggression and (leadership) slightly further back. We are shit at defending crosses and I believe Coady would be better at attacking and clearing them.

What leadership has Coady displayed since his arrival? Surely positioning is going to be more important than mobility in that screening midfield position? Look at how Flamini put the shackles on Silva the other night whilst the much more mobile yet erratic Ramsey often let people run off him, you don't have to be great at covering the ground if you're putting yourself in a good starting position, Barry another good example at Everton the last few years.

 

[Papper]

I just find playing Iorfa in a position he has never played in utterly bizarre, as DW says, Coady is probably a better option at centre back right now purely based on the lack of options so I have not as much issue with that. I wouldn't think Regan Upton is too far off at the moment either.

Ikeme

Iorfa
Coady
Batth
Golbourne/Deslandes

Price
McDonald
Wallace

Byrne
Afobe
Graham

I'd like to see Wallace have a go at some point but I'd be more inclined to free up one of Price or Mac to get further forward and link play - preferably Price. Would also still favour ALF in alongside Afobe. I'm seeing Iorfa as a more advanced CH with a free(ish) role and a licence to charge forward.


Doherty ------ Baath --- Coady ---------Golbourne

------------------------Iorfa---------------------------

-------------Mac -------------------Price-------------

--------ALF------------Afobe--------------Graham-------------

 

[Nando]

Good grief.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

You are correct on Cannavaro he's only 5'8" but Blind is 5'9".

I remain sceptical, I'd have Blind closer to 6 foot than that/

 

[Papper]

What leadership has Coady displayed since his arrival? Surely positioning is going to be more important than mobility in that screening midfield position? Look at how Flamini put the shackles on Silva the other night whilst the much more mobile yet erratic Ramsey often let people run off him, you don't have to be great at covering the ground if you're putting yourself in a good starting position, Barry another good example at Everton the last few years.

He'll lead by example. He'll roll his sleeves up and get stuck in and hopefully (as he's played there before) give us a bit more organisation. He's the best of a bad bunch for me but perhaps we need to recruit a couple of centre halves. Nothing we didn't already know ...

 

[MARKakaJIM]

He'll lead by example. He'll roll his sleeves up and get stuck in and hopefully (as he's played there before) give us a bit more organisation. He's the best of a bad bunch for me but perhaps we need to recruit a couple of centre halves. Nothing we didn't already know ...

Lot of hope on the back of very little evidence. I feel he'd be much more Otamendi than Kompany in a back four, he might have a good go and win his personal battles but he'd offer very little support to team mates and end up leaving a lot of gaps, wouldn't be alarmed as a stop gap measure but bizarre to put him in the backline and then stick a natural defender in his preferred position.

 

[Papper]

Lot of hope on the back of very little evidence. I feel he'd be much more Otamendi than Kompany in a back four, he might have a good go and win his personal battles but he'd offer very little support to team mates and end up leaving a lot of gaps, wouldn't be alarmed as a stop gap measure but bizarre to put him in the backline and then stick a natural defender in his preferred position.

We could do with a Paul McGrath or a Dean Richards. All I know is something has to change and we just don't have the players. I'm not unduly against Coady playing in front of Baath - EEL/Iorfa/Hause but we've sort of done that and it wasn't actually that productive even allowing for players in their rightful positions. Bit of adventure never hurt anybody ..

 

[slink]

I'd like to see Wallace have a go at some point but I'd be more inclined to free up one of Price or Mac to get further forward and link play - preferably Price. Would also still favour ALF in alongside Afobe. I'm seeing Iorfa as a more advanced CH with a free(ish) role and a licence to charge forward.


Doherty ------ Baath --- Coady ---------Golbourne

------------------------Iorfa---------------------------

-------------Mac -------------------Price-------------

--------ALF------------Afobe--------------Graham-------------

Wow just wow. Never mind we can't defend crosses we wouldn't be able to defend at all with this. Doherty can't defend and will have little to no protection with ALF playing on the right of a front 3, Coady is a midfielder playing next to a centre half that struggles with positioning and one who will be left exposed when the full back next to him goes missing. Iorfa is a full back and whatever he makes up for physically will be outclassed and like a fish out of water playing in front of the back four, he also isn't good enough technically to play there. Kmac and Price aren't exactly known for their attacking and having those 2 as your attacking players centrally from deep would lead to absolutely nothing apart from a midfield that is left wide open.

Apart from that this might work. I don't want to be a condescending prick but this gives an example of why clubs ignore fans a lot of the time because they come up with crazy things like this.

 

[Johnny75]

I remain sceptical, I'd have Blind closer to 6 foot than that/

I'll take the registered heights (on a few places) to your eyesight tbh. But they could all be wrong and you could be right...

On a side note, I've missed Papper and his mental team selections.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I'll take the registered heights (on a few places) to your eyesight tbh. But they could all be wrong and you could be right...

On a side note, I've missed Papper and his mental team selections.

Grab your tape measure Johnny, we're off to Carrington!

What official sources are there for players heights? I had a quick Google just now and the ever reliable Wikipedia has him at 5'11" and a few random football sites have him at 1.80m.