Korey Smith - Permanent RB

[Robin101]

Could this be an option? Appeared to do very well there this season when asked to. 

And look to strengthen midfield, or hope Pack/Hegeler suffice in that defensive position. 

[Super]

Not for me. We need a proper RB.

[Simon79]

Fairly sure that LJ has raised this with Korey before. Telling him he might go further in the game at right back type of thing. But Korey sees himself as a midfielder. So unless the player buys into it, it's only ever going to be a stop gap position for him. COYR

[Offside]

He can do a job at right back, but that would mean we'd miss his presence in midfield and he's a key player there in my view.

[RedM]

Difficult. To put Korey there you would have to find a better midfielder than him or it would be pointless making him move, and Korey when fit is pretty high up the midfielder rankings I think. I too think we should go out and get a proper LB, don't know how Moore has been but he has been playing there as mentioned, if not it's a position we need to fill properly not patch up.

What is it with managers and midfielders, and midfielders not wanting to be defenders. Now Korey, we previously tried it with Joe. The only one we got right was Orr, we want to find another Bradley somewhere. I don't think we've ever replaced him.

[Major Isewater]

2 minutes ago, RedM said:

Difficult. To put Korey there you would have to find a better midfielder than him or it would be pointless making him move, and Korey when fit is pretty high up the midfielder rankings I think. I too think we should go out and get a proper LB, don't know how Moore has been but he has been playing there as mentioned, if not it's a position we need to fill properly not patch up.

What is it with managers and midfielders, and midfielders not wanting to be defenders. Now Korey, we previously tried it with Joe. The only one we got right was Orr, we want to find another Bradley somewhere. I don't think we've ever replaced him.

What ? A wholehearted but limited player who got by on energy and attitude ? 

We have just let that replacement go .

[phantom]

Would say a no for me

Started off ok there - but at Blackburn for example when switching back there struggled badly

He's no Bradley Orr (switching from CM to RB)

[bakes]

Korey is not a right back got exposed big time at Brentford away.

Done well as a stop gap for one game at home.

Central midfield is his position was back to somewhere near his best at the end of season.

[And Its Smith]

Move our best midfielder into a less important position? No thanks

[Spoons]

No from me! 

Dont need square pegs in round holes! 

Proper old school right back needed. 

[RedM]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

What ? A wholehearted but limited player who got by on energy and attitude ? 

We have just let that replacement go .

Not from me we didn't. Fair enough Orr's success and appeal was helped by his attitude towards the fans and his relationship he had with us, more similar to Flinty than Little I think. Little never developed that side of himself. He also unfortunately was blighted by injuries, long term stuff usually not the little niggles that make players miss a match or two. Too big a risk to keep him and make him our main RB

Wasnt part of Tomlin signing here because he was best mates with Little, wonder if that changes anything for him now?

[Super]

1 hour ago, Spoons said:

No from me! 

Dont need square pegs in round holes! 

Proper old school right back needed. 

And left back.

[Monkeh]

1 hour ago, bakes said:

Korey is not a right back got exposed big time at Brentford away.

Done well as a stop gap for one game at home.

Central midfield is his position was back to somewhere near his best at the end of season.

as did wright and flint and pack and cotts, just about every player that day because they were all shit

[The_Don]

1 hour ago, bakes said:

Korey is not a right back got exposed big time at Brentford away.

Done well as a stop gap for one game at homh

Central midfield is his position was back to somewhere near his best at the end of season.

Did very well away at Wigan also but we need a RB.

[REDOXO]

6 minutes ago, RedM said:

Not from me we didn't. Fair enough Orr's success and appeal was helped by his attitude towards the fans and his relationship he had with us, more similar to Flinty than Little I think. Little never developed that side of himself. He also unfortunately was blighted by injuries, long term stuff usually not the little niggles that make players miss a match or two. Too big a risk to keep him and make him our main RB

Wasnt part of Tomlin signing here because he was best mates with Little, wonder if that changes anything for him now?

Yes it crossed my mind ref Tomlin. 

On Smith, who is easier to replace a RB or the role Smith will vacate in the middle if he plays there?

im hoping there will be a few break throughs next season from the Academy u23 next season that is the plan right. 

[BobBobSuperBob]

About time we addressed the full back positions properly with hard and decent £££££

Full backs have become pivotal in the modern game and are rightly IMHO priority positions for a lot of sides

sides with two good full backs tend to be ..... good sides

[Leveller]

4 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

About time we addressed the full back positions properly with hard and decent £££££

Full backs have become pivotal in the modern game and are rightly IMHO priority positions for a lot of sides

sides with two good full backs tend to be ..... good sides

Interesting that Golbourne seems to have dropped out of the debate.

i thought he was going to be the sound defensive left back we needed - as an alternative to an attack minded player like JB.

However, I think he's been a disappointment, principally because his instincts are SO cautious that his first touch almost always stifles any forward momentum as he turns to face the keeper. In contrast my first thoughts on Hegeler (moving away from the full back discussion) were that he always seemed to control the ball & look to move forward with the same first touch. I think he'll come good again.

[BRISTOL86]

Two proper full backs should be priority one. Not makeshift 'can do a job there'. 

Its one of the most important positions in modern football and you have to be blind to not see that having no good full backs has cost us tens of goals this season. 

[ScottishRed]

29 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

About time we addressed the full back positions properly with hard and decent £££££

Full backs have become pivotal in the modern game and are rightly IMHO priority positions for a lot of sides

sides with two good full backs tend to be ..... good sides

Could not agree more. The modern game tends to require FB's that can be part of a 4, can also be wing backs  / centre back if you switch to a 3 AND also provide the width if you play a 3 in midfield.

So, need to be versatile and very mobile = hard to find AND expensive. 

[RedM]

Ive said it for a while that I don't think we are physically tough enough, especially in some areas. RB & LB is one of those areas. Team know they can pressure us in those positions and too many times it was exploited and they found their way through.

So we need to attack more when we have the ball from all areas, and defend like their lives depend on it when under pressure. Quality in these positions are a must, build from the back instead of worrying about the defence collapsing. This will free up the midfield to be more creative as more often than not they have to help out with defending too much, and when you have players like Tomlin who doesn't do his fair whack everybody is under pressure.

[David Brent]

I'd rather we kept our 2 best central midfielders together, and signed an actual right back.

Definitely look to invest in both full back positions as a priority 

[WECANDO]

Give me Pack over Smith every time. He moves the ball quicker and more often forwards rather than sideways and back and is more mobile. Pack also has a far superior long range passing ability. Add Packs undoubted superior heading ability and you have the better player in that defensive midfield position. 

[Spoons]

1 hour ago, Super said:

And left back.

Martin Scott! Now that's a left back.

[shelts]

We've been poor on both flanks for a while . Smith was dreadful at Brentford as was Flint and Wright who were statues. 

[Lanterne Rouge]

2 hours ago, Spoons said:

Martin Scott! Now that's a left back.

Loved old Scotty especially when he had Mark Walters in his pocket at Anfield.

My favourite though has to be Darren Barnard, what a player he was.

[BobBobSuperBob]

2 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

Loved old Scotty especially when he had Mark Walters in his pocket at Anfield.

My favourite though has to be Darren Barnard, what a player he was.

Though Scotty was the best all round left back we've had - defensively and offensively - Was good enough defensively to play as a Centre Back if needed 

Barnard , Brennan , Bell , Bailey all top quality too mind 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Just now, BobBobSuperBob said:

Though Scotty was the best all round left back we've had - defensively and offensively - Was good enough defensively to play as a Centre Back if needed 

Barnard , Brennan , Bell , Bailey all top quality too mind 

We have been blessed in that position down the years haven`t we?

[BobBobSuperBob]

Just now, Red Right Hand said:

We have been blessed in that position down the years haven`t we?

Havnt we ever - our strongest position over the years ?

Some clubs always seem to have good keepers , or right wingers or whatever 

Our stellar position has to be left back I reckon 

[Floatn Over]

4 hours ago, BRISTOL86 said:

Two proper full backs should be priority one. Not makeshift 'can do a job there'. 

Its one of the most important positions in modern football and you have to be blind to not see that having no good full backs has cost us tens of goals this season. 

Completely agree. Two solid "masters of their trade" full backs has to be a priority displaying the following.  (1) Positional accuracy (not getting caught out by an average Joe wide opposition player) (2) Cut out the through passes or tackle and win the ball then distribute to the play makers of the team.  Job done until they come again.

Korey is a great lad but not the answer at RB going forward.

[chinapig]

9 hours ago, RedM said:

Difficult. To put Korey there you would have to find a better midfielder than him or it would be pointless making him move, and Korey when fit is pretty high up the midfielder rankings I think. I too think we should go out and get a proper LB, don't know how Moore has been but he has been playing there as mentioned, if not it's a position we need to fill properly not patch up.

What is it with managers and midfielders, and midfielders not wanting to be defenders. Now Korey, we previously tried it with Joe. The only one we got right was Orr, we want to find another Bradley somewhere. I don't think we've ever replaced him.

Alan Dicks converted Gerry Sweeney from midfield to full back, Clive Whitehead from right wing to full back (later centre back) and Donnie Gillies from striker to full back, to considerable effect.

Later on Keith Curle moved from winger to full back then to centre back, to even greater effect.

So it can be done.