Matt Clarke

Andy_W said:
Dijksteele's better on the ball, and it's more important when you're meant to be having more of the ball. If we were **** or playing long ball then I'd pick McNair.

McNair may be more solid (albeit Dijksteele catching up on that), but he doesn't have the legs of Dijksteele, which is necessary to get up and support Jones, who is rapid. It also helps for covering other defensive positions, as he's quick getting back and over.

Plus it's better McNair not playing, as he can cover about 5 positions quite well, he'll get a lot of game time, and rightly so, but not in my 1st XI once we have our signings. Dijksteele can only really play there, or maybe RWB, but we have RWB cover.

Same with why Bola was picked ahead of McNair, he can get up and support Giles better and has been good on the ball for a CB. His defending isn't as good, especially not in the air, but in theory that should be less of a problem.

We've conceded a lot of goals, but a lot of them are us being caught out by fouls, or strikes from the edge of the box which shouldn't be going in with such frequency. Attacking we're creating enough, largely as the LCB and RCB have been pushing up, freeing other players and giving other options.
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Dijksteel was as important as Crooks and Jones in our right flank displays last season.

For me McNair would be a utility player too, can stand in for injuries in a few positions.
 
TeaCider said:
In numbers, absolutely.

But we've always got to wait a few months to judge signings, I've been satisfied with plenty of windows that turned out to be duds with hindsight.
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It was a bit tongue in cheek, we should be chuffed but as a group we seem to focus on the negatives more . We’re nearly there in ther transfer front and hopefully our next few results will generate a more positive vibe around the place
 
Middlesbrough123 said:
It was a bit tongue in cheek, we should be chuffed but as a group we seem to focus on the negatives more . We’re nearly there in ther transfer front and hopefully our next few results will generate a more positive vibe around the place
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Agree, a win is what needed and everything will look much better. Look at Manchester United last night, all doom and gloom pre match, Glazers out, why are we spending so much on wages on Casemiro etc teams ***** etc, get the win and a good result and they are now excited for rest of window and to see what Casemiro can add. Footballs a funny old game
 
WilderBall said:
I read this earlier.. found it quite interesting...

bleacherreport.com

Analysing the Importance of a Left Foot-Right Balance in Central Defence

When scouting new central defenders, managers take into account far more than the average fan reading tabloid links does...
bleacherreport.com bleacherreport.com

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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Looking back to Wilder's comments on Saturday about our defenders playing sideways, keep ball on the halfway line rather than getting involved higher up the pitch, it does make sense.
 
Alexander Supertramp said:
I don’t see Dijksteel as better on the ball at all. He gives me a heart attack when he gets it half the time
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He can be a bit ponderous on the ball at times but Djiksteel and Jones both seem to have a good understand with one another regarding when to overlap. Djiksteel, Jones and Crooks are always looking to play those little triangles whenever we have the ball down the right side in the opposition's half.

I feel McNair would add more drive playing in that role. He was involved in a nice bit of interplay with Djiksteel and Jones for the first goal we scored vs Sheff Utd.
 
Decent price for a proven champo CB

He's won player of the year at 3 of his last 4 clubs. I mean you can't be sh*t with those stats 😂

I thought it may have been nearer 4-5 until I read he's in his final year. We've had plenty of Derby fans on twitter saying he's a great signing. I'm confused and untrusting of this though. They never have anything good to say lol.
 
Ironops said:
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.
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As I said, Wilder and Knill believe it is very important and there'll be a reason for that other than their stubbornness.

Maybe it is as simple as balance and consistency.

Last season we relied on our right hand side completely for our attacking.
When that wasn't functioning we were poor.
If Clarke can link with Giles the same way that Dijksteel can with Jones - without compromising our defence - that is when we will appreciate the difference I reckon.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
Decent price for a proven champo CB

He's won player of the year at 3 of his last 4 clubs. I mean you can't be sh*t with those stats 😂

I thought it may have been nearer 4-5 until I read he's in his final year. We've had plenty of Derby fans on twitter saying he's a great signing. I'm confused and untrusting of this though. They never have anything good to say lol.
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Am sure I'd read he'd been player of the year 4 out of the last 5 years. Either way, its a great signing, especially after realising he's relatively young and reading up about him. Great business.
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Mad Dog and Huth both had very short hair but by choice, Davey Wheatear somewhere inbetween. Ugo is also correct.

For true bald angels look no further than our collection of 2000s right backs: Danny Mills, Michael Reiziger and the baldest of the bald, little Alan Wright.
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cup-third-round-jozsef-varga-middlesbrough_3133082.jpg
 
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