Even Phil Jones was much better at RB whenever SAF played him there. As a matter of fact, we should put him back on RB duty and forget about Jones as a CB.The problem is you are showing clips that dont show where he was when we lose the ball. For example in the first clip he's been up the pitch somewhere, we dont know where. But since he covers the entire right side as we rarely play with an actual right winger, he's probably been on the right side of attack and is making his way back from there. Its completely unreasonable to expect someone to be on the right wing in attack, then when the ball breaks down, rapidly get back to right back.
If thats what you want we need to hire a marathon runner not a footballer. And if theres a player that can do that for us then we could just play him right wing and never need a rightback.
In fact our most powerful runner for years was Valencia and half of Smalling's job was to come to the right side to cover him when moves broke down in attack and he didnt get back
29
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Excellent post.
So his positioning and stamina need fixing ASAP. The first question is are those fixable and to what extent?
And the second question is if you are able to see this on a few highlight videos, then obviously our coaching staff must be fully aware, so why haven’t they done anything to improve the situation. This has been an ongoing problem and if anything it is getting worse.
None of our coaching staff was a defender, I doubt they were fully aware.
People are being too harsh. He was superb defensively last season and has started this one with a really rough game.
When this guy was bought, Palace dug their heels to get 50 millions out of us as they knew they could rinse us, considering how poor we have been at negotiations, identifying alternatives and moving on from unattainable targets. We think we are paying for premium English talents, whereas, in truth, they are ample english/non-english alternatives who are at least at the same level if not better. Case in point, Maguire, now Sancho. It's just the same. The club never changes.
I agree that you have be cautious of overpaying for English players and it should be an exception rather than the rule. But sometimes it does make sense - everyone mocked Sterling's 50 million price tag. Absolutely worth it. Usually I do think.one should consider cheaper alternatives from abroad but the likes of Sancho and Sterling will pay you back over time
NahPep also signed Mangala who didnt even have the pace part. Defenders and perhaps especially fullbacks are where hes wasted the most money whilst its still their weakness
Bellerin is also just pace, he'd be at Barcelona if he became any good.
Yeah I have seen these a lot. He was ball watching and lack of sense of danger, that includes for the two goals that we conceded in Sevilla game.
Often he was marking the wrong players as well. I spotted similar incident for the first time when we drew to Liverpool last year where I believed he should have mark or close down Robertson. People in here argued that Robertson wasn't supposed to be his man, that's non-sense because we played 352, he was the wingback but he was marking who Lindelof supposed to mark. Robertson were given so many spaces to cross the ball and eventually got it in. Since then, he keeps doing the same kind of mistakes. Ole & the coaches need to coach him the basic here, otherwise he can say good bye to his spot to Williams.
If AWB had a good impact on the attack, maybe the gamble of him leaving space behind him would be worth it but like you said, he was woeful at both ends
Nah, it's not that simple when it's the last minute and the opposition have centre backs in your own six yard box.
He marked the correct man and he did the same in the move just prior when DDG saved. Bruno was supposed to cover the left back but failed to.
That said, his positioning in general throughout the game was terrible. But generally speaking (as in most of last season) it was very good.
edit:
this is the goal, he has to mark Maupay here otherwise he's free on the penalty spot.
Bailly is tracking the 4, Maguire has someone, and I guess its Lindelof? at the front there marking no one? Furthermore, Fernandes is covering the runner so he should be able to trust his teammate to stick to his man, as the only other option is gamble and leave Maupay free.
As an aside, look at the space the guy has on the edge of the box there too. Rashford just standing there ball watching.
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This thread just goes to show the same old thing, posters dont know anything about defending and the player doing the right thing gets blamed due to their lack of comprehension. Used to see it all the time in the Smalling thread, now its this one
Aye I’m sure you know more than Vidic.
I swear you’d happily see AWB and Smalling in the same side.
He has a fetish for United defenders who have no technical ability at all. Has been going on for years with Smalling, and obviously, when Smalling left, his new favorite player had to be AWB.
If AWB leaves, I predict Williams to be his chosen one.
It's a major worry that we have to already look at this position, even though we supposedly sorted it out last season. I've changed my mind on AWB, as I liked him a lot when he initially came, but he has gradually regressed in performances and form into his current state now. I would happily upgrade on this position if we have the chance, or at least drop him for somebody else who can challenge him.
The fact he's got zero competition doesn't help us or him.
From that still he has to pull in there. You mark inside out.Nah, it's not that simple when it's the last minute and the opposition have centre backs in your own six yard box.
He marked the correct man and he did the same in the move just prior when DDG saved. Bruno was supposed to cover the left back but failed to.
That said, his positioning in general throughout the game was terrible. But generally speaking (as in most of last season) it was very good.
edit:
this is the goal, he has to mark Maupay here otherwise he's free on the penalty spot.
Bailly is tracking the 4, Maguire has someone, and I guess its Lindelof? at the front there marking no one? Furthermore, Fernandes is covering the runner so he should be able to trust his teammate to stick to his man, as the only other option is gamble and leave Maupay free.
As an aside, look at the space the guy has on the edge of the box there too. Rashford just standing there ball watching.
From the live video i swore he double marked maupay leaving the man at the back free.
Edit thats not then the cross comes in though is it?
I don't think coaching can fully solve his positioning as a lot will be innate from playing as a defender at a young age but I do think it's a part of football that can be greatly improved by coaching for it not be a major concern.
His ability on the ball will natually get better over time but ultimately it will always be an issue that can't be fixed.
Tried saying last season that we should've bought Meunier and promoted Laird as back up, instead of buying AWB. Its all fair and well if he's great at defending but that's not going to suit our system if he offers nothing in attack.
We'll continue to stagnate as a team as long as we have players that don't suit the system.
We'll continue to stagnate as a team as long as we have players that don't suit the system.
I thought He double marked leaving the man at the back free a few times.
Aswell as Criticism he’s getting for not tracking back or caring or not sensing danger (I agree with all 3), his lack of effort when closing a shot down in the box is startling, he let a few shots get passed him yesterday by seemingly not caring to close them down or doing so lazily.
He didn't come here the finished article. He's basically a right winger that was on his way out of CP and more luck than judgement, it became evident he could potentially be a RB. AWB like Ole is learning on the job and that comes with the need for patience if you believe they will come good. I think both their jobs would be a lot easier if they had a true right winger.....
He was one of our most consistent and best players last season. He’s still very inexperienced and lacking match sharpness! Chill everyone!
I turned of in disgust but seeing that replay awb def has to pull in there. Bailly had two men.
Bruno is actually at fault for not dropping in and helping out.
Bailly goes with the CB who is up in attack #4 as I already detailed earlier.
Maupay is completely free so AWB is focused on watching him.
The CB being up in attack at the end of the game means there arent enough numbers to defend normally. Thats why Bruno Fernandes, playing DM at this point with DVB on the pitch has come to the right back spot to make up the extra man. Its Bruno who doesnt follow his man and stop the header
This is not a normal phase of play, this is Brighton throwing extra men forward so we need extra men back to help defend. We had them, Bruno just switched off
It was Bruno at fault for the goal, but our defensive unit as a whole isn't working. Most are ball watching, no communication, one player doesn't know what the other or the GK is doing. We play like we are together for a week to play a friendly game. Same thing against Sevilla for the goals. We have multiple players sleeping on goals that could have done better.
Tired of it
Tired of it
This was clear as day throughout the match, it should have been spotted right away and fixed but it wasn't!
Fantastic post. His awareness and positioning are dreadful and he doesn’t even put in the effort to make up for it. And this is meant to be the strong part of his game. Less said about his ability to pass and move the better.
Ever since January when we began to actually attempt to play football he’s been absolutely awful. He was lucky the first few months we played so defensively he always had people to cover so he could amble around just throwing in slide tackles like he’s great.
Its amazing how many people have just straight up forgotten that Valencia was never in his rightback position, Smalling had to come over to the right and cover him constantly and any time Smalling was then beaten or didnt win the ball 100% he would get slaughtered on here. But unlike with Valencia, now its the right back AWB's fault and not the CB who should be covering him
It’s amazing how 5 years on and you still believe your Smalling one man back line bullshit and pretend he’s the greatest CB ever.Its amazing how many people have just straight up forgotten that Valencia was never in his rightback position, Smalling had to come over to the right and cover him constantly and any time Smalling was then beaten or didnt win the ball 100% he would get slaughtered on here. But unlike with Valencia, now its the right back AWB's fault and not the CB who should be covering him
Awesome, so 5 years of saying he's the best CB ever you'll be able to destroy me with your reply to this
If I ever said he's the greatest CB ever, quote me or stfu you gaslighting lying pos
It's nothing to do with his fitness but those clips are a little unfair to him. Examples 2 and 3 he is attacking and has been replaced in his defensive duties by defenders moving out and midfielders slotting in to cover. It's not his job to be defending there, even if he could look a little more urgent in getting back.
Examples 1 and 4 however yes, you are right. He doesn't react when players get away from him and it happens a lot. Vidic says he either doesn't see or doesn't care, i think it's that he doesn't see. Yesterday when Brighton hit the post twice, he was definitely trying his best to make up the ground but his long legged running style makes it tough to tell when he's running hard. However, he was so far away both times because he had no idea the Brighton players were there in the first place. He was looking in the other direction the whole time. For the actual goal Bruno should not have let the Brighton player go but AWB never once looked over, he had no idea either of them were there.
Thankfully, these are relatively easy fixes. He just needs to be taught to look over his shoulder more.
Yep, quite damning.
The lack of intensity can be kicked out (hopefully), it is his defensive awareness that is more worrying. That last bit with Sterling being prime example. He didn't even noticed him running by.
Was never even close to the finished article and unfortunately when you team defensively is struggling as a unit including the goalkeeper, the weakness part of it is going to be exposed. Development of young players is a process that also comes with experience and coaching. Sadly we do not have the leadership in the CB positions to help his development. What we don't have either is a experienced right sided forward that can other him support going forward or cover coming back. It's a painful process but we need to be patient if we believe he can learn from his mistakes.
Vidic didnt need to appear on our right wing when we attacked. If he did he wouldnt have been getting back to defend that much either. Like he had the fitness and pace to cover 80% of the pitch when the opponents break on us
I'm not saying its a good tactic, but it is our tactic. Its been our tactic since David Moyes and Mata has played inside with Valencia becoming our right winger in attack. I dont know why we're persisting with something that never worked for us. But 4 managers later we are. And so thats AWB's job in our tactics, get forward on the right even if he isnt the best attacker because Greenwood needs someone occupying the right side (LB or LM), so he can find space inside. If Greenwood doesnt have that supporting player outside him there will be no space in the areas hes actually good at.
Poor game and sadly I think the opposition got their tactics spot on by targeting him. Needed an RCB brought in to help him out and it was still not enough to stop the leaks.
Vidic didnt need to appear on our right wing when we attacked. If he did he wouldnt have been getting back to defend that much either. Like he had the fitness and pace to cover 80% of the pitch when the opponents break on us
I'm not saying its a good tactic, but it is our tactic. Its been our tactic since David Moyes and Mata has played inside with Valencia becoming our right winger in attack. I dont know why we're persisting with something that never worked for us. But 4 managers later we are. And so thats AWB's job in our tactics, get forward on the right even if he isnt the best attacker because Greenwood needs someone occupying the right side (LB or LM), so he can find space inside. If Greenwood doesnt have that supporting player outside him there will be no space in the areas hes actually good at.
When he gets forward he has players tasked with covering him. What's the excuse when he isn't forward and is instead standing in his own penalty box looking the wrong way?
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You mean when he's marking the striker and main goalscorer Maupay when Bailly has the big CB ?
His value has nothing to do with his talent. Lamptey is a better right back than AWB and that will be his position long term even if he is playing as wing back now
Pep starting AWB
City concede 5 at home for the first time in 17 years, and we have posters here saying AWB wouldnt play for City
Still doesn't excuse the fact he didn't know what was there. A defender should be checking.
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