this business of a shortage of defenders reminds me of......

I don't think he did..

He didn't seem to have a clue where he was playing. I suspect he was told that he was playing wing-back, which was what Shuker was trying to do, but he was stood in a position that was more left back than left midfield, which made it look like 4-4-2. It took a talk from Kell and Austin about 2 minutes into the half to clear up exactly what he should be doing, and that he was too deep.

So I think it looked like he was left-back, when really he was supposed to be combining the two roles as a wing-back.

 

He definately stood as left back to start the 2nd half....

anyway the funniest point was he then went and stood up front when we were defending a corner. It then took him 2 minutes to get back to a position that couldn't be described as either left back or left wing back!!</p>

It makes no difference what the position is called. Hayes is not a LB, Wingback and we definately need some cover or bring back Rob Atkinson from Scarborough who has had good reports on Scarboroughs website. At least he can give us cover without having to play Flinders there.</p>

 

The incident I remember was...

Reid going up for a corner and leaving just Hayes and Austin back, 2 on 2. Couldn't figure out for the life of me why Reid had gone forward and Hayes had stayed back, bearing in mind the situation of the game.

 

RE: The incident I remember was...

Not difficult to work that one out. Reid can head a ball.

 

RE: Defenders - Austin and possibly Tonge

I think that you will find that more are available than that. However, I notice that there is no left back in your list. My point is that we need to find a long term solution to the left back problem because our weakness is there match after match. The centre back problem can be left until the summer when there will be more players to chose from and prices will be lower. However, if a bargain were to come along then I agree that we should go for it.

 

I think you'll find there isn't

Well, none with any first team experience and Tonge isn't looking likely as he's having a scan on his knee tomorrow.

Carbon - injured
Kay - injured
Vaughan - injured
Williams - injured
Hassel - injured
Tonge - probably injured
Reid - suspended

 

RE: I think you'll find there isn't

Where is Rob Atkinson he has made the the first team before?

 

On loan at Scarborough

 

RE: On loan at Scarborough

Recall needed. He can`t be any worse than Robbie has been.

 

RE: I think you'll find there isn't

Look, I do not want to get into a pointless debate about who will be fit on Saturday. Rik Holden has already said that some players will be asked to turn out even though they are injured if necessary. In that case I see Dale Tonge playing with an injection for the pain and Carbon playing with Austin at Centre Back. Left back seems to be a problem as Williams is definately out so we need a left back - square 1 I think.

 

He's the captain and defender

So he should stay back in that situation.

Oh, and Hayes has scored more headers than Reid this season.

Reid has none, so there isn't much threat to Hayes there, like.

 

RE: I think you'll find there isn't

As Austin has played left back for much of the season and was only covering in the middle, I'd say we're without a centre half or two. In fact, I'd say we're going to be struggling throughout the entire defence. However, as that wouldn't fit in with your argument and as you seem to resolutely deny we need a centre half to the point of nmaking out players are fit when they're injured and moving left backs to centre half then yes, you're right. The centre half situation is perfectly fine, it's only at left back we have a problem. I don't know why I didn't see it all along.

 

maybe its a good idea for your captain to be in the box when you're attacking a corner

You know, so that he can shout to the other players and organise them rather than being stood 50 yards away.

Most teams send their centre backs up for corners because they are generally the best headers of the ball and so it makes sense for them to try and win them.

Paul hayes might be a striker but that doesnt make him any better at heading a ball than paul reid. Hayes might head it 5 times in a match and they can go anywhere, Reid as a centre back will head it a lot more times and he has to be able to direct his headers to make sure they dont go to a striker who can then shoot.

 

So you think it makes sense...

to leave Gillinghams two strikers on halfway, against Austin, and a makeshift left back whose actually a striker?

Aye, leaving them 2 on 2 is perfectly normal for a start, but for one of the defenders to be a centre-forward..God, how had we not thought of doing this before?

If you honestly think that was a good idea, you sir, are an idiot. They caught us on the break with it and if it hadn't been for Kell managing to get back and hold up the breaking player, we'd have been stuffed.

But yeah, Reid organising the front-men at a corner in that situation is much more important than him making sure we don't concede a goal.

Maybe we should just play 2 at the back on Saturday, and see if the Football league will let us put Reid on the touchline near the strikers to "organise them"?

 

RE: I think you're the only one to notice our lack of central defenders

imho we need BOTH a central defender and left back to maintain adequate cover. This lack of cover at centre half nearly bit us a few weeks ago, but we managed to get Watt on a short-term loan (why did he sign for Swansea before Barnsley? - money, ambition?).

The lack of cover is about to bite us again, with Ritchie trying to get someone in before Saturday.

 

Was the rest of the team suffering from broken legs?

You do realise that as a person who makes a pretty damn good living as a professional football player then Paul Hayes is more than capable of standing next to a bloke and tackling. It doesnt take a centre back to do that.

If Hayes was so **** at doing it then why did he constantly track back and make better challenges and tackles than robbie williams has ever managed?

 

I'd love to know..

where I said that Hayes was doing a bad job at the defensive side of his game. I gave him MotM in the vote FFS.

But since people are complaining about the defence, and saying that we were lucky to escape on Tuesday night, I was making the point that Reid would have been more use staying back and defending than going up for corners and leaving Hayes back.

I'm not blaming anyone for it, I'm not questioning whose idea it was for Reid to go forward, I'm saying it would have made more sense for our top goalscorer to be in the box and our best defender to be defending, than the other way around. I don't think the logic is that difficult to see.

However, I don't think I've seen you agree with anything ever posted on here that wasn't a negative dig at the players, so I don't know why I'm wasting my time.

 

you know that last sentance of yours

made you look like a right prize pillock that did didnt it. I mean considering you was the one complaining about the players and I was defending them.

 

All this Chaos boils down to one thing........

we aint got any reserve centre halves !!!!
(furious)

 

Ugh...

I wasn't criticising either player, FFS. I gave them 1st and 2nd on Tuesday for best players. But lets face it, unless you're having a go at Gordon Shepherd for something, or the players, you're not a happy chappy.

But yeah, a simple remark about one incident turns into an argument. I guess we'll let our strikers defend and our defenders play upfront all the time then. Since you think it makes sense.