Matt Clarke

McNair was indeed OK at LCB.
But Wilder and Knill obviously see a left footed player in that position as a key part of their tactics.

Obviously they don't just want a left footed player, they want a left footed player who will be an improvement on McNair (or Bola) in that position. Which has limited the options.

If we're not going to back that basic part of their vision why appoint them in the first place?
they mentioned on the MUN-LIV match last night that Dutch managers ALWAYS want a left footed CB as part of their tactics, that it's really important and has been for a long time, for building from the back for Dutch teams. People always complained in this country about us not being technical or tactical as some european teams such as the Dutch and Spanish. Now we take on board some of their central philosophies and people still complain.
 
McNair was indeed OK at LCB.
But Wilder and Knill obviously see a left footed player in that position as a key part of their tactics.

Obviously they don't just want a left footed player, they want a left footed player who will be an improvement on McNair (or Bola) in that position. Which has limited the options.

If we're not going to back that basic part of their vision why appoint them in the first place?
It hardly seems the most pressing matter though - last season we were joint 8th for goals against and joint 10th for goals scored. Nobody who finished above us scored fewer goals. Luton conceded more but finished 5 points better off.

We seem to have ripped up what was a solid defensive unit on a point of principle, and its hard to see how a left CB will add many more goals. I find it difficult to believe that just adding a bloke who is left footed will make us better at the back and going forward.
 
“Always backs his managers”
Eight signings made. He made another four in January gone. That’s after backing Warnock with a dozen or so players last summer and another five in the previous window to that. The club have sanctioned around 30 incomings in the past four windows.

Just because few, some, none - whatever your opinion is - of those signings didn’t produce doesn’t mean the chairman hasn’t backed his manager.

I’d rather he kept the money in the bank than be dictated to by short-sighted managers who then pish away millions on Gestede, Guedioura, Assombalonga, Saville, Flint et al.

The money is there if the deal is right. We shouldn’t be overpaying for players any more. It’s unsustainable.
 
Great signing for £2.25m if it's true, but I still don't get this "left footed centre back" thing...

Last season Matt Clarke played in the middle of the back three 12 times, and the right side of a back five 10 times.... In nearly all of those games they had a right footed centre back playing on the left...

It doesn't seem to matter for West Brom, or most other teams who play three at the back. Why does it matter so much for us?

He only played LCB in the back three once last season
 
Great signing for £2.25m if it's true, but I still don't get this "left footed centre back" thing...

Last season Matt Clarke played in the middle of the back three 12 times, and the right side of a back five 10 times.... In nearly all of those games they had a right footed centre back playing on the left...

It doesn't seem to matter for West Brom, or most other teams who play three at the back. Why does it matter so much for us?

He only played LCB in the back three once last season

I think Wilder likes his centre backs to be more involved in attacks than either Valerian or Bruce.

Matters less when you just want your defenders to defend.
 
Great signing for £2.25m if it's true, but I still don't get this "left footed centre back" thing...

Last season Matt Clarke played in the middle of the back three 12 times, and the right side of a back five 10 times.... In nearly all of those games they had a right footed centre back playing on the left...

It doesn't seem to matter for West Brom, or most other teams who play three at the back. Why does it matter so much for us?

He only played LCB in the back three once last season

I read this earlier.. found it quite interesting...


With the importance of Wilder's centre backs bringing the ball out, overlapping and being involved in overloads down each flank, it really does help if their natural foot is the one of the side they're playing down.
 
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