The Left Back Situation

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

A lot of talk recently about the left back situation on different threads so it needs its own thread.

Lowe is out for a couple of months and then there is the possibility of him going back to Sheffield United in January.

So who should step in at left back for the time being? Bong, Colback (although suspended for WBA), Drager, Richardson, push Spence over to the left, recall Ioannou in January if it's possible, hope Tutu comes back and somehow manages to stay fit?

A lot of options to be fair but not sure about the quality of the options.

Looking back it seems like it was a mistake to let Ioannou go out on loan and perhaps even a bigger mistake to allow Jack Robinson to leave the club.

Just for the record I would play Bong for now, recall Ioannou in January if we can and sign Buchanan from the Sheep although I know he's currently injured.

[Squarered]

I think it would surprise if Bong doesn't play Friday, it would mean pulling somebody into the team who hasn't featured much if at all. I think we will go to a back 3 and wingbacks. Lolley who HAS been playing is definitely an option as LWB for one game if not Bong.
I suspect Colback will be the short term option at LB or LWB until January, hence Garner and Ojeda playing on Tuesday, they are vying to partner Yates in the centre. It'll be a shame to lose Colback from midfield and also for Fornah as he will really want to be playing after his loan and may be looking to leave.
We must have been confident of LB additions in the summer. Lowe was quite last minute and Buchanan alone would have left us short even if we were confident of landing him.
I'm not convinced Ioannou is the answer but he is 'ours' and as such is an option IF he has a recall clause, as Lowe and Spence appear to have - Did we insert that?
I was a big fan of Ribeiro, he would have made a great wingback and thrived under Cooper in this system in my opinion.

[wassy04]

I think it would surprise if Bong doesn't play Friday, it would mean pulling somebody into the team who hasn't featured much if at all. I think we will go to a back 3 and wingbacks. Lolley who HAS been playing is definitely an option as LWB for one game if not Bong.
I suspect Colback will be the short term option at LB or LWB until January, hence Garner and Ojeda playing on Tuesday, they are vying to partner Yates in the centre. It'll be a shame to lose Colback from midfield and also for Fornah as he will really want to be playing after his loan and may be looking to leave.
We must have been confident of LB additions in the summer. Lowe was quite last minute and Buchanan alone would have left us short even if we were confident of landing him.
I'm not convinced Ioannou is the answer but he is 'ours' and as such is an option IF he has a recall clause, as Lowe and Spence appear to have - Did we insert that?
I was a big fan of Ribeiro, he would have made a great wingback and thrived under Cooper in this system in my opinion.

Whilst I don't think Colback looks great at LB/LWB and is a waste of how well he's been playing in the centre, it would allow the perk of Ojeda/Garner getting more game time. Ojeda looked good on Tuesday, I wouldn't complain if he got greater game time.

I would prefer Lolley or Mighten as a LWB personally (although obviously if that's been tested and failed in training its a no go). Alternatively, Spence with Drager at RWB should also be tested.

[Username]

There were a couple of occasions on Tuesday where Lolley was struggling to get back and cover, I’m not convinced he has the legs for it personally.

[Squarered]

I was suggesting just for WBA till Colback is back. I share your concerns. Not convinced Bong or Lolley can last the whole game or have the legs for it!

[Strawberry Avenger]

There were a couple of occasions on Tuesday where Lolley was struggling to get back and cover, I’m not convinced he has the legs for it personally.

No.  And neither has Colback.

I think the signings of Lowe and Spence have shown just how athletic the requirements of the modern fullback are.

I used to 'coo' over Jim Brennan(?)'s pace at LB but it's pretty standard now that fullbacks have to, yes, defend but also attack with pace for the 'overload' in the system Cooper wants to implement.

And when one part of that is injured...just how unbalanced Forest seem...and how that affects even the likes of Brennan J who is well marshalled without that overload.

It's Cooper's and Forest's recruitment team's headache to solve.

They may as well put young Richardson in there and have Lolley play 'more' defensively to cover him.  I don't think he did so bad at all when he was tried out in the cup.  And there's young Fin who has the 'legs' on him and could probably play anywhere on the park if you asked him to.

The Academy lads have the legs, probably.  I would have thought one of them could do a job.  But it's that marriage of 'legs' and experience.  The judgement of when to go and when to stay.  Bong in his 20s would have been just fine.  But when you lose that yard of space, you have to let your brain do the talking.  And in the fullback position, that's perhaps not enough.

Even Thor lost to old lady time.

To be honest. A bit of composure at LB is what is needed. Perhaps Oj should have played there instead of Colback, having thought about it. Oj seemed to eat up the yards, (seemed to have loads of time and space on the ball, I just watched and admired...) could hold onto the ball and pick out a pass. More over, it looks like an Error to have put the masterful Colback at LB when you had younger, ball playing legs for the LB position. Colback at LB should be a ghost laid to rest. And the last match proved it.

There are options. It's up to Cooper, what he sees in training to see if any of them can work.

Additionally, some teams do play with four narrow CHs (when urgency requires...) and Forest could do that and go 4-3-3.

Finally. I remember watching Ajax years ago and the commentator saying that the players in their academy/system don't have a 'position' any player can play anywhere. So all these years later we still have players who are one footed and can't hold down another position.

SA.

[Strawberry Avenger]

I think it would surprise if Bong doesn't play Friday, it would mean pulling somebody into the team who hasn't featured much if at all. I think we will go to a back 3 and wingbacks. Lolley who HAS been playing is definitely an option as LWB for one game if not Bong.
I suspect Colback will be the short term option at LB or LWB until January, hence Garner and Ojeda playing on Tuesday, they are vying to partner Yates in the centre. It'll be a shame to lose Colback from midfield and also for Fornah as he will really want to be playing after his loan and may be looking to leave.
We must have been confident of LB additions in the summer. Lowe was quite last minute and Buchanan alone would have left us short even if we were confident of landing him.
I'm not convinced Ioannou is the answer but he is 'ours' and as such is an option IF he has a recall clause, as Lowe and Spence appear to have - Did we insert that?
I was a big fan of Ribeiro, he would have made a great wingback and thrived under Cooper in this system in my opinion.

I don't think Colback looks great at LB/LWB and is a waste of how well he's been playing in the centre, 

Yep.

SA.

[Squarered]

Agree with both above comments but Richardson and Drager don't seem anywhere near the squad. Will be interesting how Cooper deals with this

[wassy04]

There were a couple of occasions on Tuesday where Lolley was struggling to get back and cover, I’m not convinced he has the legs for it personally.

Yeah I noticed this too, then he immediately got subbed. I thought it was more he got too far forward and got carried away. Hopefully less of an issue with 11 men but I definitely get the reservations

[Paplane]

I think Lolley's fitness is being managed. He never plays over 70 minutes.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

There were a couple of occasions on Tuesday where Lolley was struggling to get back and cover, I’m not convinced he has the legs for it personally.

Agreed. I said on another thread before the Luton game that he would be knackered after 30 minutes. In my opinion full/wing back is a 'specialist' position, you can't just drop anyone in there. That is why I would play Bong not because he's special far from it but because he's a natural.

[zicorice]

I think Lolley's fitness is being managed. He never plays over 70 minutes.

100% agree. He's been fairly good too, though a goal would do him the world of good