Long term centre back partnership?

Pogue Mahone

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Who do you think will be our central defensive partnership when you look ahead at the next 2 or 3 seasons?

Will it involve a new signing?

My money is on Yoro and De Ligt. Bit of a wild guess because I’ve barely seen Yoro play but if he’s rapid (and I think he is?) then he should be the perfect partner for De Ligt. Plus I think he has to play because he sounds as though he’s the real deal.
 
Martínez is only 26 and ETH won't drop him if fit. So I think it'll be De Light and Martinez for the next two years, with Yoro getting some good game time but not as a regular. This will change if ETH gets sacked.
 
Someone said:
Martínez is only 26 and ETH won't drop him if fit. So I think it'll be De Light and Martinez for the next two years, with Yoro getting some good game time but not as a regular. This will change if ETH gets sacked.
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I reckon even if he’s sacked, the vast majority of new managers will go for De Ligt and Martinez. One right footed, one left footed. Both have a good 5 or 6 years in them. If Yoro is third choice he’ll still be playing a lot I’d think: You could easily play something like 55 games this year.
 
NicolaSacco said:
I reckon even if he’s sacked, the vast majority of new managers will go for De Ligt and Martinez. One right footed, one left footed. Both have a good 5 or 6 years in them. If Yoro is third choice he’ll still be playing a lot I’d think: You could easily play something like 55 games this year.
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Yeah Yoro will be third in the pecking order and it’ll be Maguires minutes he is taking until he proves himself otherwise.
 
NicolaSacco said:
I reckon even if he’s sacked, the vast majority of new managers will go for De Ligt and Martinez. One right footed, one left footed. Both have a good 5 or 6 years in them. If Yoro is third choice he’ll still be playing a lot I’d think: You could easily play something like 55 games this year.
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Some managers aren't sold on short CBs so it depends on who's the manager.
 
It doesn't really seem sufficient to have a first choice CB partnership anymore. Not when you're playing 60 games a season at full intensity (that being the aim).

I think Licha is the one who starts whenever possible as it stands. He's very, very good - he just has terrible chemistry (or whatever you want to call it) with Maguire. He does need competition though, so we'll probably have to sign yet another centre half. Ideally, they'd be good enough to make that an either/or.

Yoro and De Ligt goes to form.
 
De Ligt, Martinez and Yoro will all play around the same number of minutes.

Hard to back Yoro to play the most of the three for at least a couple of years, without seeing him against PL defences.
 
Someone said:
Some managers aren't sold on short CBs so it depends on who's the manager.
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I guess so. I feel like Martinez has well and truly put that argument to bed though. The advantages you get with his skill, speed, and quick feet I think quite clearly outweigh the fact that he’s short. Someone like Moyes would almost certainly ship him out to LB though.
 
NicolaSacco said:
I guess so. I feel like Martinez has well and truly put that argument to bed though. The advantages you get with his skill, speed, and quick feet I think quite clearly outweigh the fact that he’s short. Someone like Moyes would almost certainly ship him out to LB though.
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He's hardly got speed though. At best he's got average pace for a centre-back, and honestly it's probably below average.

If Martinez doesn't get back into top form, I expect most managers wouldn't want him in the strongest 11. Even if he does get back into his best form, there's a lot of managers who would ultimately want to replace him even if it's not an immediate concern.
 
It's clearly De Ligt & Martinez for a year or two minimum

Yoro too early to say where he fits in
 
De Ligt and Martinez if everyone is fit and on form. I around 12-18 months I would expect to reassess that depending on how Yoro develops.
 
It's interesting that there's still lots of links to Branthwaite. 4 quality CBs in de Ligt, Martinez, Yoro and Branthwaite sounds amazing, of course, but unrealistic. Unless we hire someone like Amorim or Inzaghi who favour 3 centre backs.

It seems that Yoro is a 'generational' (awful term, sorry) talent and I suspect he'll be ready to start very soon. I worry a bit about Martinez in terms of his rashness and injury history. My sense is that de Ligt and Yoro will be the main 2 under a new manager... plus Martinez or Shaw if with a manager that plays 3 at the back.

I mean, this looks tasty to me -

RCD: Yoro, Louis Jackson/another youth
LCD: Martinez, Shaw
CD: de Ligt, Branthwaite
 
MadDogg said:
He's hardly got speed though. At best he's got average pace for a centre-back, and honestly it's probably below average.

If Martinez doesn't get back into top form, I expect most managers wouldn't want him in the strongest 11. Even if he does get back into his best form, there's a lot of managers who would ultimately want to replace him even if it's not an immediate concern.
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This is my big worry. A big, strong, quick centre back can operate at, say, 70% of his potential and still be effective. All of Martinez’s best qualities (aggressive, proactive, risky passes, skilful under pressure) work to really fine margins. If he’s even a tiny bit off these qualities work against him and he’s making rash tackles, passing the ball to the opposition or being caught in possession. And when that happens the fact he is relatively short and not quick suddenly become much bigger problems than they would be when he’s on top of his game.
 
As soon as he settles into the league; it’ll be Yoro & DeLigt

People will soon come to realise they will be the closest we get to Rio & Vidic

Martinez needs to really ramp his game up if he wants to fight them off
 
It'll be Yoro and de ligt eventually I think. Yoro is young and Martinez is off form, but generally Martinez will be the one who gets replaced as he has real weaknesses to his game that the others don't.
 
I can see Martinez moving to LB and playing that invert role Dalot has been.

Something like;

Onana
Mazaraoui - de Ligt - Yoro - Martinez
Ugarte - Mainoo
Amad - Bruno - Garnacho
Hojlund

Onana
Mazaraoui - de Ligt - Yoro
Ugarte - Martinez
Amad - Bruno - Mainoo - Garnacho
Hojlund​
 
You don’t pay €65m for a top young talent for him to sit on the bench long term. He needs to be developed and we clearly won’t send him on loan. So logic says Yoro will be in, sooner or later
 
Pogue Mahone said:
This is my big worry. A big, strong, quick centre back can operate at, say, 70% of his potential and still be effective. All of Martinez’s best qualities (aggressive, proactive, risky passes, skilful under pressure) work to really fine margins. If he’s even a tiny bit off these qualities work against him and he’s making rash tackles, passing the ball to the opposition or being caught in possession. And when that happens the fact he is relatively short and not quick suddenly become much bigger problems than they would be when he’s on top of his game.
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I strongly suspect the next manager will use him at LB. Before that was a bit of an ask because of his lack of pace for a full back, but now the vogue is to play with 3 (or even 4) centre backs in your back 4 I could really see it bringing out his best qualities and masking his weaknesses.
 
I read another article earlier stating that we’ll be back in for Branthwaite in the summer. I can’t really see why that would be the case, so don’t really believe it - we have other priorities.

In answer to the OP, I think it’ll be Yoro - De Ligt
 
Martinez-de Ligt will be a lock as long as ETH is here but expecting Martinez to be comfortably overtaken by Yoro at some point under a different coach.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Who do you think will be our central defensive partnership when you look ahead at the next 2 or 3 seasons?

Will it involve a new signing?

My money is on Yoro and De Ligt. Bit of a wild guess because I’ve barely seen Yoro play but if he’s rapid (and I think he is?) then he should be the perfect partner for De Ligt. Plus I think he has to play because he sounds as though he’s the real deal.
Click to expand...

De Ligt and Branthwaite.
 
harry-maguire-victor-lindelof-min.jpg
 
MadDogg said:
He's hardly got speed though. At best he's got average pace for a centre-back, and honestly it's probably below average.

If Martinez doesn't get back into top form, I expect most managers wouldn't want him in the strongest 11. Even if he does get back into his best form, there's a lot of managers who would ultimately want to replace him even if it's not an immediate concern.
Click to expand...
Yeah, same here. I like him and his aggression but I don't think, he is an elite defender yet certainly elite on the ball. I am a bit oldschool when it comes to key characteristics in physiology and roles and he doesn't really check those boxes.

That being said, I wonder where that braindead'ness from the last two games comes from - first the potential leg breaker on the weakend and yesterday an absolute idiotic foul in nomans land to get a booking... really hope he gets it together. A bit loco is fine but he should get away from that Rojo trajectory.
Bwuk said:
I can see Martinez moving to LB and playing that invert role Dalot has been.

Something like;

Onana
Mazaraoui - de Ligt - Yoro - Martinez
Ugarte - Mainoo
Amad - Bruno - Garnacho
Hojlund

Onana
Mazaraoui - de Ligt - Yoro
Ugarte - Martinez
Amad - Bruno - Mainoo - Garnacho
Hojlund​
Click to expand...
Hopefully not. Way too slow and undynamic for that. In emergencies, I'd try him out in midfield but thats about it. The further to the sidelines you get him, the worse it is.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Who do you think will be our central defensive partnership when you look ahead at the next 2 or 3 seasons?

Will it involve a new signing?

My money is on Yoro and De Ligt. Bit of a wild guess because I’ve barely seen Yoro play but if he’s rapid (and I think he is?) then he should be the perfect partner for De Ligt. Plus I think he has to play because he sounds as though he’s the real deal.
Click to expand...

Yoro and De Ligt/Branthwaite
 
I wish ETH would at least attempt some variety in tactical formations, etc. and try at 3 back. We have the personnel for it.

Barring that, probably De Ligt and Martinez with Yoro getting minutes here and there for at least the next few years. I don’t see a future for Maguire or Lindelof, unless we again have an abnormal amount of injuries.
 
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