Dael Fry

starplayer said:
We do seem to have 1 more RCB than we need. After Friday Lenihan plays CB for me. Fry is RCB and with Lenihan next to him he will only get better. Would prefer a left footed LCB but if we dont get one then Dijk and Paddy can fight it out and cover for the others if injured.
Re Paddy, surely people remember what a dysfunctional midfield we had when Paddy and Howson played together. It wasn’t that long ago. Our forwards struggle enough without cutting off more of the supply line
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i dont think it will be an issue with injuries and suspensions you need at least 1 more good central defender than you can fit in the team for cover. Personally i would have mcnair left lenihan central and fry right as first choice i think fry is defensively superior to dijksteel. Sorry deigo
 
This idea of having left footed players in at least 4 positions, It's a current fad. It implies that an average left footer is better to have than a quality right footed player, given the natural scarcity of lefties, and the premium you should have to pay to get one if all clubs pursued this obsession equally.
 
It'll be an interesting one and I agree with @Left_peg comments that Fry playing left side is the only time he's looked really uncomfortable. Although admittedly that was when he was younger and he may now have more experience and tools to make it work.

I also think Fry in general has always been criminally underrated by a large section of Boro fans. Many seem to have decided he is 'weak' and is frequently 'out muscled' despite there not being huge evidence to support this. I've read a few times on here posters describing him as being 'regularly bullied' but have yet to see this consistently with my own eyes. It seems an easy thing to latch onto because visually he isn't as wide as he is tall. The Chelsea cup game from last year sticks in my mind as one such instance where some repeated this 'bullied' claim and I just didn't see it. It seems to be entirely based on one incident in the game where Drogba got the ball into feet with Fry in behind him and Fry rightly stood him up and didn't dive in. This became Fry being 'held off easily', 'thrown like a rag doll' or 'easily turned' which are some comments I seem to remember reading on here in the aftermath of that game (which is rewriting history for me).

I just think as he's more a classy ball carrying centre back some fans have decided he isn't for them because he isn't sliding on his backside coming through the back of the opposition centre forward or hoofing midfielders into the stand. Boro fans (with the odd exception) have frequently favoured the more agricultural type of player.

A number of managers have praised Fry as a huge asset and he is frequently linked with Premier League interest which let's be honest doesn't happen if you're poor (not sure I've ever heard of Lenihan being linked to as many Premier League moves).

I agree with the comments above that Fry is arguably better if playing alongside an 'organiser'. I haven't seen enough of Lenihan to know if he'll be a regular through the middle and if Fry will be displaced (I take the point above about Lenihan being Wilder's signing). However it's a long season and I think at various points we'll have most of the centre backs playing multiple positions by the end of it. There are a lot of games and we'll need them all.
 
Glover_elbow said:
i dont think it will be an issue with injuries and suspensions you need at least 1 more good central defender than you can fit in the team for cover. Personally i would have mcnair left lenihan central and fry right as first choice i think fry is defensively superior to dijksteel. Sorry deigo
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theredrooster said:
It'll be an interesting one and I agree with @Left_peg comments that Fry playing left side is the only time he's looked really uncomfortable. Although admittedly that was when he was younger and he may now have more experience and tools to make it work.

I also think Fry in general has always been criminally underrated by a large section of Boro fans. Many seem to have decided he is 'weak' and is frequently 'out muscled' despite there not being huge evidence to support this. I've read a few times on here posters describing him as being 'regularly bullied' but have yet to see this consistently with my own eyes. It seems an easy thing to latch onto because visually he isn't as wide as he is tall. The Chelsea cup game from last year sticks in my mind as one such instance where some repeated this 'bullied' claim and I just didn't see it. It seems to be entirely based on one incident in the game where Drogba got the ball into feet with Fry in behind him and Fry rightly stood him up and didn't dive in. This became Fry being 'held off easily', 'thrown like a rag doll' or 'easily turned' which are some comments I seem to remember reading on here in the aftermath of that game (which is rewriting history for me).

I just think as he's more a classy ball carrying centre back some fans have decided he isn't for them because he isn't sliding on his backside coming through the back of the opposition centre forward or hoofing midfielders into the stand. Boro fans (with the odd exception) have frequently favoured the more agricultural type of player.

A number of managers have praised Fry as a huge asset and he is frequently linked with Premier League interest which let's be honest doesn't happen if you're poor (not sure I've ever heard of Lenihan being linked to as many Premier League moves).

I agree with the comments above that Fry is arguably better if playing alongside an 'organiser'. I haven't seen enough of Lenihan to know if he'll be a regular through the middle and if Fry will be displaced (I take the point above about Lenihan being Wilder's signing). However it's a long season and I think at various points we'll have most of the centre backs playing multiple positions by the end of it. There are a lot of games and we'll need them all.
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I’m not saying Fry is poor but I am 100 percent more convinced Lenihan is more suited to the way we are playing currently and it showed against Marseille, think Fry and Lenihan would be a fantastic partnership in a 2 ironically but that won’t be happening.
 
Anton_Berg said:
This idea of having left footed players in at least 4 positions, It's a current fad. It implies that an average left footer is better to have than a quality right footed player, given the natural scarcity of lefties, and the premium you should have to pay to get one if all clubs pursued this obsession equally.
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Overlapping centre-halves is a key component in Wilders' system. I felt McNair did quite well playing LCB last season but I genuinely believe having a right-footed CB playing in that role was a factor as to why we weren't as effective down the left-side as we were down the right. McNair would often want to drift inside and it left us unbalanced and probably a reason why whoever was playing LWB was left isolated at times.

If we can sign a LCB who has the stamina to get up and down the pitch, this could mean we'll be much more effective attacking down the left side this season.

Many times last season you'd see Djiksteel make overlapping runs to get in behind and he'd find himself in a decent position to deliver a ball into the box with his right foot, or he'd take a defender away and it would open up space for Jones (like QPR away). I can't remember McNair doing the same thing very often on the other side, but that wasn't McNairs' fault. It's understandable that being naturally right footed meant he wanted to come inside.
 
parmoboy said:
Overlapping centre-halves is a key component in Wilders' system. I felt McNair did quite well playing LCB last season but I genuinely believe having a right-footed CB playing in that role was a factor as to why we weren't as effective down the left-side as we were down the right. McNair would often want to drift inside and it left us unbalanced and probably a reason why whoever was playing LWB was left isolated at times.

If we can sign a LCB who has the stamina to get up and down the pitch, this could mean we'll be much more effective attacking down the left side this season.

Many times last season you'd see Djiksteel make overlapping runs to get in behind and he'd find himself in a decent position to deliver a ball into the box with his right foot, or he'd take a defender away and it would open up space for Jones (like QPR away). I can't remember McNair doing the same thing very often on the other side, but that wasn't McNairs' fault. It's understandable that being natually right footed meant he wanted to come inside.
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This. Great Anaylsis and fully agree. The need of a left footed centre back smacks you in the face when you are in the ground watching
 
Diego said:
This. Great Anaylsis and fully agree. The need of a left footed centre back smacks you in the face when you are in the ground watching
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I'll be very disappointed if we don't end up signing a LCB, and I'm sure Wilder will be too.
 
Diego said:
I think it’s a guarantee Lenihan starts in the centre on Saturday and at Morecambe Fry was shunted to the left too. Tells its own story for me. Lenihan has looked an improvement so far and whilst he’s in good form plays in that role for me
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I just makes more sense for Fry to go there with no McNair and no new LCB. I don't think he's been "shunted" there
 
parmoboy said:
Overlapping centre-halves is a key component in Wilders' system. I felt McNair did quite well playing LCB last season but I genuinely believe having a right-footed CB playing in that role was a factor as to why we weren't as effective down the left-side as we were down the right. McNair would often want to drift inside and it left us unbalanced and probably a reason why whoever was playing LWB was left isolated at times.

If we can sign a LCB who has the stamina to get up and down the pitch, this could mean we'll be much more effective attacking down the left side this season.

Many times last season you'd see Djiksteel make overlapping runs to get in behind and he'd find himself in a decent position to deliver a ball into the box with his right foot, or he'd take a defender away and it would open up space for Jones (like QPR away). I can't remember McNair doing the same thing very often on the other side, but that wasn't McNairs' fault. It's understandable that being naturally right footed meant he wanted to come inside.
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McNair was actually the player who often bent round the final ball into Jones when we were pushing teams back, so it wasn't all bad new going forward
 
wilkos_perm said:
I just makes more sense for Fry to go there with no McNair and no new LCB. I don't think he's been "shunted" there
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Well yeah, maybe the wrong word. But will be interesting to see if he is still picked when McNair is back. He may well be. Really hope we get a LCB
 
I have watched Lenihan a few times in pre-season and he has all the attributes of a natural leader. My only concern is that he doesn’t look the tallest of Centre backs, which means any striker worth his salt would take the aerial advantage. Possibly nothing in it, but it will be interesting to see how his aerial duels pan out. Fry got done at the York friendly in similar fashion.
 
I'd give Bola a chance there. With Giles and McCree they could create the successful triangle we had on the right last season.

I'd be starting Fry on the bench. McNair is suspended.
 
Beverleyred said:
I have watched Lenihan a few times in pre-season and he has all the attributes of a natural leader. My only concern is that he doesn’t look the tallest of Centre backs, which means any striker worth his salt would take the aerial advantage. Possibly nothing in it, but it will be interesting to see how his aerial duels pan out. Fry got done at the York friendly in similar fashion.
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He's our tallest centre back isn't he at 6-2?

Beat me to it Rofeslag.
 
I wonder if we'll play in a slightly different way this season to how Wilder has played before. Maybe not going with the overlapping centre backs all the time. I can't see him wanting Fry to push forward too much as that just isn't his game.
 
rbmfc1985 said:
I wonder if we'll play in a slightly different way this season to how Wilder has played before. Maybe not going with the overlapping centre backs all the time. I can't see him wanting Fry to push forward too much as that just isn't his game.
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I remember watching Fry play for one of the age group teams for England when they won their world cup (u20s?), it was obvious in that tournament how comfortable on the ball he can be when bringing the ball out of defence. If he plays right (or left) centre back maybe we will be able to see this ball playing centre back at the Boro as it will give him more freedom to move forward.
 
parmoboy said:
If we can sign a LCB who has the stamina to get up and down the pitch, this could mean we'll be much more effective attacking down the left side this season.
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that's why Greaves was highlighted from Hull. He's a left footer and is in the top 80% for CBs making forward runs. If you take into account 4 in every 5 CBs will be right footed, he must be in the top 2 left footed CBs for driving forward with the ball.

Even though he isn't at defending as Fry, he'd be perfect for the system, but Hull rate him at 7m, so that will only happen should we sell someone else first, because most of our money will be spent on forwards.
 
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