Full Backs

[DapperDan]

I think that if we got these sorted a lot of our issues would disappear. A Louis-Jean and Brennan would be the answer to all our problems, quick overlapping full backs providing us with the width we desperately need, and providing our midfielders more room to operate.

We currently have:

Right Backs
Hutchinson - Good on the ball and very good defensively, but being a centre back by trade, going forward is not his strength. Bar his goal at Charlton I cannot remember him once going past the midfield, I have been willing him forward on a couple of occasions but his instinct wont let him and he just sits back.
Halford - Decent on the ball but doesnt have the athleticism to get up and down, this also lets him down against the nippier wingers too.
Moloney - Probably our best option going forward despite not being as good with the ball at his feet as the other two, is more likely to give us an outlet down the right but defensively I worry about him. I would describe him as being average at everything.

Left Backs
Harding - Not great with the ball at his feet, or when being ran at by a winger. At least he does try to give us a little width, but its rarely attacking width, cant remember him ever getting to the by line or bombing past the midfield to give an option.
Halford - As right back except with the added disadvantage of having to cut inside all the time.


If we play with all these central midfielders then we simply have to have width in the attacking half provided to us by full backs., without that threat the opposition just clog the middle and suffocate us. We miss Gunter in this regard.

 

[trickytrees]

Moloney was poor going forward on Sunday, misplaced passes and easy floated balls into the box. He always looks awkward at this level, particularly defensively. I'd stick with Halford at right-back, pre-season he was getting forward well and playing some intelligent balls and crosses. Plus playing full-back is ideal to use his throw more often. Hutchinson can compete with Ayala at centre half.

Not sure about Harding at all, he just doesn't seem very good technically or with decision making. Cohen's our only other natural option, although he does struggle there, but I'd rather he be in the team in any position than not.

 

[PynchonForest]

Good post.

I think a pacey fullback on each side would really stretch defences, and open up channels thru the middle of the park. Ash Cole is only being offered a one year deal apparently........

Hard to say where we can get two good fullbacks from, but I'd look outside the UK. I mentionned in another post that the Scandanavian nations seem to produce good fullbacks, and they aren't overly expensive, and they adjust to the English game easily.

Have heard good things about Oldhams young boy Carl Winchester.

 

[Ravi]

I agree with your main point Dan. I do think Hutch is good enough to be the right back we need though.

 

[StanTheMan]

Really good point on the full backs. If we are going to play the narrow system we are doing we need the attacking full backs but i don't think we have the players at our disposable. There was talk of Robbie Brady coming in on loan which would help the left hand side. Not sure if that was just rumours or not, but its that sort of attacking full back we need. Personally i think Harding fits the mould, but he's really struggled so far. Maybe he'll come good with time.

Without the added width we become really predictable, and it seems since the Birmingham game we've been sussed out a bit.

 

[Strummer]

Lascelles did pretty good at Right Back during his loan spell away last season.

Might be worth a run out there?

 

[DapperDan]

Lascelles did pretty good at Right Back during his loan spell away last season.

Might be worth a run out there?

I never saw any of him there, was he an attacking outlet?

 

[Strummer]

Got forward quite well apparently.

Decent cross on him too.

 

[HelloThor]

don't think it's anything to do with their pace to be honest. tactically we're playing very narrow which means the opposition fullbacks are not pushed back, and the opposition wingers can stay higher up the pitch. Derby did that particularly well in the second half on sunday. to get our fullbacks into the game we need to force teams to play deeper than we are doing.

 

[nffc13]

I never saw any of him there, was he an attacking outlet?

He hardly ever got forward from what I saw of him. You could tell he was a centre half playing at right back.

 

[StanTheMan]

I never saw any of him there, was he an attacking outlet?

Saw him a few times on the tele, and from what i saw not really. They play pretty high tempo kick and rush sort of stuff so the full backs dont tend to get that involved in an attacking sense as much. The games i saw were all against Sheffield Utd though so they were probably more defensively minded anyway.

I think he did grab a goal with them though. Possibly off a set piece though rather than a surging run forwards!

 

[trickytrees]

He hardly ever got forward from what I saw of him. You could tell he was a centre half playing at right back.

This. He only stood out because he was playing at a lower level.

 

[StanTheMan]

This. He only stood out because he was playing at a lower level.

To be fair the standards not all that different from upper league one to lower championship. He did quite often get caught out positionally though, but that will always happen until he plays some games. In a normal 442 you wouldnt mind blooding him at full back then moving him across with experinece, but the way we are set up the full backs have much more to do than just defend.

Personally, I think Hutchinson will come good once hes up to full fitness. Failing that i'd stick Moloney at right back, although i'm still not convinced hes up to championship standard.

 

[DapperDan]

I think Hutchinson is very good, outstanding even ,if we weren’t relying on him to be a semi-winger that is. But the way we set up in midfield that unfortunately is what we need from our full backs, and as good as he is, a centre back (which is he proper position) will never really want to go overlapping repeatedly down the wing like a natural full back will.

 

[StanTheMan]

I think Hutchinson is very good, outstanding even ,if we weren’t relying on him to be a semi-winger that is. But the way we set up in midfield that unfortunately is what we need from our full backs, and as good as he is, a centre back (which is he proper position) will never really want to go overlapping repeatedly down the wing like a natural full back will.

Yea i'd agree with that. He has shown that he can do it though. The run and goal against Charlton was superb. He needs to get the decision making trained into him so he knows when best to do it.

Problem then is why would we be training someone who isn't our player to play in a position, to then lose him at the end of the season. Which i guess is why Moloney might be the better at the moment.

 

[Baxter]

Maybe assembling a side with about 8 players all vying for the attacking central midfield role, and no wingers or decent full backs, is the sign of a manager out his depth?

 

[Tutts]

I read somewhere once that the World Cup was always won in recent years by the team who had the best full backs.

 

[Strummer]

I read somewhere once that the World Cup was always won in recent years by the team who had the best full backs.

It's been going that way since the great Brazilian sides who popularised the modern full-back.

Germany had great wing-backs when they won it; France were pretty well supplied in those areas too.

 

[porks]

Maybe assembling a side with about 8 players all vying for the attacking central midfield role, and no wingers or decent full backs, is the sign of a manager out his depth?

maybe there aren't as many good full backs and wingers about as there are central midfield players

 

[Ravi]

Maybe assembling a side with about 8 players all vying for the attacking central midfield role, and no wingers or decent full backs, is the sign of a manager out his depth?

Or as most teams don't play with wingers these days it may be the sign of a manager who keeps up with the modern game?

 

[incapable hulk]

I agree with your main point Dan. I do think Hutch is good enough to be the right back we need though.

He definitely is. Its just whether he has the fitness to be the right back we need.

Ive got this horrible feeling hes just going to end up breaking down far too often to be relied upon.

 

[Ravi]

He definitely is. Its just whether he has the fitness to be the right back we need.

Ive got this horrible feeling hes just going to end up breaking down far too often to be relied upon.

Yes it's a worrying start after he was out so long.

 

[Captain Sinister]

Didn't SOD say that Chelsea's medical team were running the treatment and rehabilitation of Hutchinson?
If so, and they refuse to let Hutch play, do Forest still pick up the wage bill?

 

[incapable hulk]

Yes it's a worrying start after he was out so long.

Fully agree, fingers crossed for him.

It would be gutting for him to come back only to lose his career to injury again.

Particuarly when he looks so talented

 

[Red Duster]

Didn't SOD say that Chelsea's medical team were running the treatment and rehabilitation of Hutchinson?
If so, and they refuse to let Hutch play, do Forest still pick up the wage bill?

That would be an amazingly bad deal for Forest. If its true we need the Red Poster Exiled in Lincoln to start a thread in the Boards honour.