left back

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left back

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viveasheagle perth 03 Jan 17 6.38am
There seems to be a shortage of good / available left backs available at the moment. I've watched a couple of Man U games of late and Valencia is a right winger who has been converted into a decent right back. I wonder if we could do something similar with Puncheon Sako or Townsend. The modern left back seems to spend a decent amount of time getting forwardin any case. The other option might be to buy in a left winger and convert him into a left back.
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viveasheagle

perth 03 Jan 17 6.38am

There seems to be a shortage of good / available left backs available at the moment. I've watched a couple of Man U games of late and Valencia is a right winger who has been converted into a decent right back. I wonder if we could do something similar with Puncheon Sako or Townsend. The modern left back seems to spend a decent amount of time getting forwardin any case.
The other option might be to buy in a left winger and convert him into a left back.

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baldeagle88 Canterbury, Kent 03 Jan 17 6.45am
Even from his time at Wigan Valencia showed he was good at covering and had a footballing brain about positioning. From what I've seen of our wingers, none of them can be converted. Townsend was covering for Kelly against arsenal as it seemed he didn't want to get involved with any defending but he still did not track runs etc. Sako hates defending and don't think puncheon the right player. He more of a deep playmaker and would be more suited to holding cm role but with a better cam who he can find or wingers that have better positioning. Do agree though there plenty of wingers who could be converted. Ashley young would be suitable.
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baldeagle88

Canterbury, Kent 03 Jan 17 6.45am

Even from his time at Wigan Valencia showed he was good at covering and had a footballing brain about positioning. From what I've seen of our wingers, none of them can be converted. Townsend was covering for Kelly against arsenal as it seemed he didn't want to get involved with any defending but he still did not track runs etc. Sako hates defending and don't think puncheon the right player. He more of a deep playmaker and would be more suited to holding cm role but with a better cam who he can find or wingers that have better positioning.

Do agree though there plenty of wingers who could be converted. Ashley young would be suitable.

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mrstezza Colchester 03 Jan 17 9.04am
Ledley has played LB in the past, but not sure he could do it these days. Sako did about 15mins there earlier this year and didn't disgrace himself but as we were behind in the game wasn't asked to do too much defensively, not a viable option IMO. We have Fryers, but through some shoddy squad planning despite being one of only two specialist LB in the squad, seems to be fourth choice there behind Pap, Ward and Kelly. In essence - no there's noone in this squad that could be converted - JW is the best option at the moment and that's saying something. Signing a winger to convert to a LB? No thanks - Kieron Gibbs or Luke Shaw have both been mentioned - I'd be more than happy with either of those and give us some balance.
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mrstezza

Colchester 03 Jan 17 9.04am

Ledley has played LB in the past, but not sure he could do it these days.
Sako did about 15mins there earlier this year and didn't disgrace himself but as we were behind in the game wasn't asked to do too much defensively, not a viable option IMO.
We have Fryers, but through some shoddy squad planning despite being one of only two specialist LB in the squad, seems to be fourth choice there behind Pap, Ward and Kelly.
In essence - no there's noone in this squad that could be converted - JW is the best option at the moment and that's saying something. Signing a winger to convert to a LB? No thanks - Kieron Gibbs or Luke Shaw have both been mentioned - I'd be more than happy with either of those and give us some balance.

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Willo South coast - west of Brighton. 03 Jan 17 9.12am
Just off the top of my head, when I consider 'Proper' left-backs for our team, names that come to the fore are : Andrew Robertson, Ben Davies, Ben Chilwell, Charlie Taylor (I think currently injured), Kieran Gibbs, Luke Shaw. Obviously some/all might not be attainable for a number of reasons but they were just names I thought of.
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Willo

South coast - west of Brighton. 03 Jan 17 9.12am

Just off the top of my head, when I consider 'Proper' left-backs for our team, names that come to the fore are :

Andrew Robertson, Ben Davies, Ben Chilwell, Charlie Taylor (I think currently injured), Kieran Gibbs, Luke Shaw.

Obviously some/all might not be attainable for a number of reasons but they were just names I thought of.

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Pierre Purley 03 Jan 17 10.07am
Originally posted by viveasheagle There seems to be a shortage of good / available left backs available at the moment. I've watched a couple of Man U games of late and Valencia is a right winger who has been converted into a decent right back. I wonder if we could do something similar with Puncheon Sako or Townsend. The modern left back seems to spend a decent amount of time getting forward in any case. The other option might be to buy in a left winger and convert him into a left back. Modern full backs are now wingbacks or basically wingers who DEFEND and defenders who ATTACK. You need speedy players who can fulfill both roles and also interchange with your wingers (if you have them) or bomb on down the line on their own like Coleman, Baines, Azpilicueta. Tackling, marking and crossing. That rules out Puncheon, Sako and Townsend as SA may be able to sort out some of Palace's problems but a miracle worker he certainly isn't!
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Pierre

Purley 03 Jan 17 10.07am

Originally posted by viveasheagle

There seems to be a shortage of good / available left backs available at the moment. I've watched a couple of Man U games of late and Valencia is a right winger who has been converted into a decent right back. I wonder if we could do something similar with Puncheon Sako or Townsend. The modern left back seems to spend a decent amount of time getting forward in any case.
The other option might be to buy in a left winger and convert him into a left back.

Modern full backs are now wingbacks or basically wingers who DEFEND and defenders who ATTACK. You need speedy players who can fulfill both roles and also interchange with your wingers (if you have them) or bomb on down the line on their own like Coleman, Baines, Azpilicueta. Tackling, marking and crossing.

That rules out Puncheon, Sako and Townsend as SA may be able to sort out some of Palace's problems but a miracle worker he certainly isn't!

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