Squad situation: left back and goalkeepers

[Coco]

Lee Wallace is right out of form. And has no competition for the position in the left back area in the first team squad.

 

Why didn't Laszlo make it a priority to bring in a left back in the transfer window, when it became clear that Goncalves was away for the season?

 

After the Banks affair he expressed his view that when he came in he only had one goalkeeper and no goalie coach. So needed to fill the positions. Now I am impressed with Kello so far - but with Banks, Basso, MacDonald and the guy from the Highlands who sat on the bench a couple of times last season was this really more of a priority than competition for left back? And was an extra goalie coach more of a priority than competition for left back? We now have Kello, Balogh, Banks, Basso, MacDonald, the young Highlands goalie and presumably some other young goalies who could fill a spot on the bench if required. Actually Lee Wallace might be better in goal too than he has been at left back recently!

[Le Chat]

I think that Csaba may have had Kello forced on him by you-know-who and was desperate to bring his own guy in at all costs.

 

Hence why we didn't get another left back or striker.

 

Kello has pleasantly surprised a few people I think.

[StAndrewsHMFC]

Actually Lee Wallace might be better in goal too than he has been at left back recently!

 

Wasn't too impressed with him for Caley's winner when he went in nets last year

[Charlie-Brown]

Maybe Neilson can do a Maybury and get shunted over to that side when he's fit again - maybe that is how he can win back his starting place?

 

We do have other players that can play at left back albeit youngsters or someone playing there as a make-shift option.

 

Csaba targeted Obua and a striker (Tullberg) and a goalkeeper and goalie coach as his priorities he also said he'd like cover for Wallace and Thomson but these were lesser priorities for him.

[Dazo]

Maybe Neilson can do a Maybury and get shunted over to that side when he's fit again - maybe that is how he can win back his starting place?

 

We do have other players that can play at left back albeit youngsters or someone playing there as a make-shift option.

 

Csaba targeted Obua and a striker (Tullberg) and a goalkeeper and goalie coach as his priorities he also said he'd like cover for Wallace and Thomson but these were lesser priorities for him.

 

He also said he wanted a centre half. So the guy wants 2 full backs and a centre half signs Obua and Tullberg.

 

While we have looked bad up front I think it is clear our real problems have been in defence. We don't look like keeping a clean sheet so we are always going to struggle.

[Coco]

We do have other players that can play at left back albeit youngsters or someone playing there as a make-shift option.

 

Csaba targeted Obua and a striker (Tullberg) and a goalkeeper and goalie coach as his priorities he also said he'd like cover for Wallace and Thomson but these were lesser priorities for him.

 

So having 6 goalkeepers and an extra goalkeeper coach were higher priorities than having more than 1 senior squad left back? What does that say about Laszlo?

[IMA MAROON]

Lee Wallace has been cut a lt of slack because he came from Riccarton and not Kaunas but this will not last forever and he really needs to show a lot more passion, determination and concentrate and what he is doing for the 90 minutes because he has got good ability.

[Charlie-Brown]

He also said he wanted a centre half. So the guy wants 2 full backs and a centre half signs Obua and Tullberg.

 

While we have looked bad up front I think it is clear our real problems have been in defence. We don't look like keeping a clean sheet so we are always going to struggle.

 

He expressed these wish-list signings AFTER Tullberg & Obua had already been signed.

[Dazo]

He expressed these wish-list signings AFTER Tullberg & Obua had already been signed.

 

Does it matter ? we still needed them and we haven't got them. We needed the defenders more than we needed a goalkeeper or Obua.

[Charlie-Brown]

Does it matter ? we still needed them and we haven't got them. We needed the defenders more than we needed a goalkeeper or Obua.

 

Resources are limited and Csaba's priorities were different to yours.

[Dazo]

Resources are limited and Csaba's priorities were different to yours.

 

Our goals against column suggests different. It seems his priorities are different to what the team needs.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Maybe Neilson can do a Maybury and get shunted over to that side when he's fit again - maybe that is how he can win back his starting place?

 

 

 

You are kidding?

[IMA MAROON]

Lee Wallace is right out of form. And has no competition for the position in the left back area in the first team squad.

 

Why didn't Laszlo make it a priority to bring in a left back in the transfer window, when it became clear that Goncalves was away for the season?

 

Obua can play left back.

[Coco]

Obua can play left back.

 

Not judging by the St Mirren game he can't.

[Charlie-Brown]

Last season prior to christmas the defence / team conceded lots of goals that were the direct result of individual or collective mistakes - some of them shockingly basic and these were costing us a lot of dropped points & defeats, in the 2nd half of the season with the same set of players Frail really tightened up the goals against column and we started to gain more points and wins as a result.

 

Csaba needs to sort out the defensive errors and stop the defence defending so deeply which also invites greater trouble if we are not tight enough - do that and we won't concede as many or drop points as a result.

[IMA MAROON]

Not judging by the St Mirren game he can't.

 

True, but he was brought to the club because he can play anywhere on the left or behind the main striker.

[Charlie-Brown]

You are kidding?

 

It was a wee bit tongue in cheek but that is how Neilson got his place in the team by Maybury being shifted over due to the lack of decent left-back options.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

It was a wee bit tongue in cheek but that is how Neilson got his place in the team by Maybury being shifted over due to the lack of decent left-back options.

 

I can picture it now, all the contortions he'd have to do to get the ball onto his trusty right foot.

 

On a positive note he'd slice the ball into the middle of the pitch rather than up into the stand.

 

Any of the youngsters worth a shot at left back?

 

Delands or Rapnik maybe

[Johanes de Silentio]

Have never seen Rapnik or the lad Brown, (I don't think?) but surely either would be worth a punt or two, given Spudgun Wallace's current form?

 

Or...Mroviec can play both full-back positions can't he?

 

OR...I'll see your Eggert Jonsson at RB...and I'll raise you...Ruben at LB?

 

Maybe even Kari or Eggert at LB.

[siegementality]

Have never seen Rapnik or the lad Brown, (I don't think?) but surely either would be worth a punt or two, given Spudgun Wallace's current form?

 

Or...Mroviec can play both full-back positions can't he?

 

OR...I'll see your Eggert Jonsson at RB...and I'll raise you...Ruben at LB?

 

Maybe even Kari or Eggert at LB.

 

Our lack of strength in depth means, as your post makes quite clear, means we are now left with playing players out of position, or converting a midfielder into a right back perhaps due to need rather than choice.

 

On the plus side we can afford a loss of form to Kello, an injury to Basso and still have plenty of cover in the goalkeeping position. I wonder if we could convert Jamie Mac into a goalscoring striker?

[Johanes de Silentio]

an injury to Basso

 

Is 'e still 'ere, then?

 

Yup - I'm not a fan of playing people out of position - yet it seems to be working wi' Eggert!

[Ray Winstone]

Playing Rapnik at left back would be the same as playing Berra at left back - which is not their positions!

 

I think its time to face it that Wallace has that position to himself, at least until January!

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Playing Rapnik at left back would be the same as playing Berra at left back - which is not their positions!

 

I think its time to face it that Wallace has that position to himself, at least until January!

 

Playing Eggert at right back is the same but he is young and is adapting well, Rapnik looks like he can play a bit and he is left footed so why not give him a try in reserves to see how he gets on?

[Father Tiresias]

Last season prior to christmas the defence / team conceded lots of goals that were the direct result of individual or collective mistakes - some of them shockingly basic and these were costing us a lot of dropped points & defeats, in the 2nd half of the season with the same set of players Frail really tightened up the goals against column and we started to gain more points and wins as a result.

 

Csaba needs to sort out the defensive errors and stop the defence defending so deeply which also invites greater trouble if we are not tight enough - do that and we won't concede as many or drop points as a result.

 

 

I don't believe the defence will ever be 'tight' enough with the 2 central defenders we are currently using.

 

Was is a coincidence that when Zaliukas was dropped last season the results improved?

 

Csaba, there's your answer.

[Cade]

Can't Obua play at left-back if needed to?

[N User]

At the start of the season, Lee Wallace was assumed to be a competant left back. Ok so that's now not the case- hardly Csaba's fault.

 

Basso whilst still officially a Hearts player- is completely out of the picture.

 

Zaliukas being dropped last season was not the reason we got (a little) better. Cerenkov, Korobochka and Vlad stopped picking the team. It just so happened that Frail preferred Karipidis- who is probably our best defender.

Zaliukas has looked decent this season so far, in fact he's looked better than Berra.

[The People's Chimp]

Obua can play left back.

 

I'd place quite a significant bet on obua costing us more goals at left back than wallace ever will.

[Heartbeat]

looked in specifically to see if there was a thread about lee Wallace.

Too gutted last night.

 

Lee is not a defender and anyone who has watched him since he comes in should know that. He looks good going forward but inept at defending. IIRC he was to blame or at least had a hand in both bairns goals. Skinned in three mins for the first and his miscontrol halfway in our half in the 89th minute handed thenm the ball back when we should have cleared our lines.

 

He was not first choice when Concalves was here and that doesnt say much cos jose was an accident waiting to happen too.

 

For some considerable time now have required both a goalscorer and two full backs. It was highlighted by many pre season and here we are still in the same situation. Notwithstanding Tullberg who nobody knows about yet we still dont have a goalscorer although thought the game changed with Nade and shammy coming on and looked like it could work.

 

We are however still losing too many goals and many are coming from wide positions. It has to be priority and in particular Left back as IMO LW will not do.

 

Is it just me but does anyone else hate Falkirk with a passion? bunch o greeting wee girls screaming like someone stole their last sweetie for everything.

[jamboinglasgow]

Lee Wallace is right out of form. And has no competition for the position in the left back area in the first team squad.

 

Why didn't Laszlo make it a priority to bring in a left back in the transfer window, when it became clear that Goncalves was away for the season?

 

After the Banks affair he expressed his view that when he came in he only had one goalkeeper and no goalie coach. So needed to fill the positions. Now I am impressed with Kello so far - but with Banks, Basso, MacDonald and the guy from the Highlands who sat on the bench a couple of times last season was this really more of a priority than competition for left back? And was an extra goalie coach more of a priority than competition for left back? We now have Kello, Balogh, Banks, Basso, MacDonald, the young Highlands goalie and presumably some other young goalies who could fill a spot on the bench if required. Actually Lee Wallace might be better in goal too than he has been at left back recently!

 

I dont see your point about goalies. In my mind we have 3 goalies in contention for first team places, Kello, Balogh and MacDonald. In reserve team we have Harry (I am pretty certain unless he was put out on loan.) The Highland lad you say is Ridgers and he is the U19 goalkeeper. At U17 level we have Falzone. Banks is youth goalkeeping coach, a posistion Csaba identified that needed to be sorted and as such is no longer a player. Basso I think is being shunned as we did not want him here and he did not go anywhere else. Yes it is a bit wasteful to have 4 first team goalies but we are stuck in that posistion as obviously Csaba doesn't rate Basso.

 

I do think we need to sort out the left back posistion. Csaba says he sees something in Wallace and I think he likes wallaces forward runs but needs to work on the defending aspect.