Antony at left wing back

Oscar Bonavena

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I don't think I can take watching another game with Dalot at left wing back.

He's been one of our worst players this season no matter where he's played, but at left wing back he's been a disaster.

He doesn't even try to take on anyone on the outside, all he does is check back and pass it sideways or backwards. It was this what contributed to Bruno's (albeit stupid on his part) 2nd yellow v Wolves. Dalot checks inside and plays a sideways pass to Bruno who's marked. Opponents know he's going to do this so they press Bruno every time.

I know Antony has been a disaster as a winger/wide attacker since he was signed but he couldn't be worse at LWB than Dalot, surely?! He's left footed, can take on his man and he has a good work ethic despite all the other criticisms that can be levelled at him.

The league season is f**ked anyway so might as well try him there?!
 
I thought we’d see it straight away given that we have no actual fit left back. But for some reason two managers now agree that putting Dalot on the left and watching the ensuing car crash is somehow preferable.
 
There is a much simpler option and thats moving him to RWB where he can link up with Amad and move Maz to the LWB role.
 
Worth a try, especially if we are playing Amad at 10. Maz can’t play the wingback role. Doesn’t maintain width or make the right runs. It was fairly obvious vs Wolves and the reason why Dalot received the ball much more often. Meanwhile Dalot can’t use his left foot. We’re actually giving up on both sides by having Dalot on the left and Mazraoui at RWB.

The balanced options are probably Dalot at RWB and Antony at LWB, or Amad at RWB and Dalot/Malacia at LWB (pick your poison if you want dodgy as hell defending with Malacia and very little attacking output, or half decent defending and wasteful in attack with Dalot).
 
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2 man midfield said:
I thought we’d see it straight away given that we have no actual fit left back. But for some reason two managers now agree that putting Dalot on the left and watching watching the ensuing car crash is somehow preferable.
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Same here, I'd expected Antony at LWB would have been an easy possible fix to try out. I trust Amorim is a bright enough fella to have thought it through however. Perhaps he was tried there in training and was equally useless as anywhere else?

God knows. Either way we need to strengthen there in January, no excuses. Sell Shaw or Malacia off if we can find any takers and are worried about FFP, or just say feck it like Forest did and take a deduction. I'd wager a good LWB & Striker in this team would make up for a 3-6 point fine..
 
UnitedRepublic said:
There is a much simpler option and thats moving him to RWB where he can link up with Amad and move Maz to the LWB role.
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Maz is the worst of the wingbacks IMO. Sure Dalot is wasteful, especially on the left, but he does half the job by actually covering the whole wing, creating space with good runs, and stretching the width of the field. Maz kept tucking in over and over and bothered the hell out of me. He was practically pushing Amad out wide and ending up in the #10 himself. Or he was dropping and staying too close too the CBs (maybe instructions?).

Maz should be at RCB or no where else imo. Dalot is playing on the left because Malacia has been terrible there, but it might be worth trying out Antony.
 
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I mean why not try it? We cannot look any worse than we have since with moved to Maz/Dalot as our wide players.
 
Not sure why we haven't give that a go already. I understand it for wingers or full-backs, but I don't really like opposite foot as wing-backs. We are already playing with two 10s in the half-spaces, so it doesn't really make sense for our wing-backs to cut inside into a space that is already occupied by our players.
 
Squeaky_Bum_Time said:
Maz is the worst of the wingbacks IMO. Sure Dalot is wasteful, especially on the left, but he does half the job by actually covering the whole wing, creating space with good runs, and stretching the width of the field. Maz kept tucking in over and over and bothered the hell out of me. He was practically pushing Amad out wide and ending up in the #10 himself. Or he was dropping and staying too close too the CBs (maybe instructions?).

Maz should be at RCB or no one else imo. Dalot is playing on the left because Malacia has been terrible there, but it might be worth trying out Antony.
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Probably instructions and he still got way better qualities than Dalot.
 
I'm surprised we haven't seen it yet. Even on the other side I think it's only happened once or twice. Obviously he's unlikely to become any kind of world beater but his attributes seem more suited to it than some of the other players we've tried at wing back.
 
It drives me mad because it seems like an obvious solution, but every time he is brought on he goes to right wingback and Dalot is forced to the left again. And its not like his linkup with Amad on the right has been amazing...
 
Sea-Cow said:
It drives me mad because it seems like an obvious solution, but every time he is brought on he goes to right wingback and Dalot is forced to the left again. And its not like his linkup with Amad on the right has been amazing...
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They’ve probably tried it in training and it’s even more disastrous than Dalot out there.
 
I really doubt it's a good idea to try a player low on confidence, out of form, and under intense scrutiny in a completely unfamiliar position.

From what I know he's always played out on the right, so whilst being left footed, industrious and attacking abilities are qualities we need in a left wing back, I don't think he has the pace for the role. Best trying him in the ten positions.
 
I'm not sure playing a massively underwhelming player who struggles in his actual position is suddenly going to be an "obvious" solution playing a more demanding role on the other side?
 
I would assume part of the problem has to be that Martinez has been in such poor form and so putting an attacking player into an unfamiliar LWB role in front of him could amplify that problem. I still think it is worth an attempt but I do see the potential for it to be a disaster.
 
Really scraping the barrel here.

Just sell him !
 
Transfermarkt has him down as having played 2 games at LB to my surprise. So I think its worth a try
 
I'm sure I postulated this during the dying embers of ETH reign. And I got poo pooed.
 
This who thing is an issue because of Amorim’s ridiculous system.
Play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 and we could use actual players suitable to play as backs and we would have people to play on wings or as wide midfielder like amad and garnacho

This system suits so few of our players, it needs to be changed
 
UnitedRepublic said:
There is a much simpler option and thats moving him to RWB where he can link up with Amad and move Maz to the LWB role.
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My thoughts exactly especially given Amorim's love for wingbacks playing on the "wrong" side
 
Left wing back is so much different than right winger. Don't think he has the brains for it.
 
Squeaky_Bum_Time said:
Maz is the worst of the wingbacks IMO. Sure Dalot is wasteful, especially on the left, but he does half the job by actually covering the whole wing, creating space with good runs, and stretching the width of the field. Maz kept tucking in over and over and bothered the hell out of me. He was practically pushing Amad out wide and ending up in the #10 himself. Or he was dropping and staying too close too the CBs (maybe instructions?).

Maz should be at RCB or no one else imo. Dalot is playing on the left because Malacia has been terrible there, but it might be worth trying out Antony.
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I think he could do a good job next to Ugarte. He has the athleticism, strength, tenacity and passing ability to play there.
 
thanks, @IrishRedDevil . any other dead threads you’ve found that should really have their content posted elsewhere?
 
isn't he gone? Real Betis on loan.

I remember one of the Sporting fans on here said Amorim also doesn't want a left footer at LWB and vice versa for the right, I guess he likes them to be able to cut inside? So Antony at RWB is the only WB role he would play.
 
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