Back 3

[Guest DoesJackHunt]

11 hours ago, Fablon Dunlop said:

If you're not picking Hutch, you're not watching the games. 

 

 

He has been excellent! 

I put Gibson in for balance and youth but I’m equally happy for Hutch to play,

I was asked to pick 3 and now I feel bad for leaving Hutch out because you’re right, he does deserve to be one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment. 
 

Would love us to sign Storey, Dean and Gibson should we get promoted though.
The quality and depth we have in the back 3 position at the moment is ridiculous for a league one club. 

[Dutch McLovin]

Storey Hutchinson Gibson

 

Really like Dean too.

[Tamworthowl]

I’m not one for arguing left footers on the left, right footers on the right, but it’s been as clear as night and day that Gibson brings the best out of Johnson. (Even right footed Palmer has a better left than Hutchinson, so presents a better balance going forward.) Hutchinson should be nowhere near the left centre back role when Gibson is available.

If we were going for Hutch for his versatility along the back three, we might as well go for Palmer instead, as he covers wing back as well.

 

Dean is the best centre mid we have. He has the dominance of Dunkley and Iorfa, but is much more controlled and measured, although slower too. And Storey is best on the right. Storey is beginning to show willingness to overlap with Hunt. Gibson already showed that in spades linking well with Johnson.

 

If / when fit, it’s got to be Storey, Dean, Gibson.  The three best players in each position, not the three best players shoehorned into a back three.
Harsh on Hutchinson, but harsh on Brennan who didn’t do anything wrong when called upon, but doesn’t even make the first six cbs. 

[steelerian]

It shoes how far we have come in this dept when most people arent even considering playing Iorfa.

 

Iorfa would have been my 1st name on the sheet at the start of the season.

[Dylan93]

In my opinion.

Storey Hutch Dean

 

Dunkley is to slow, poor positional sense, leaves opposition on side, gives away stupid free kicks and his distrubution is left to be desired. Decent in the air though.

Iorfa is just a better version of Reda Johnson. First touch and distrubution isn’t great, take his pace away and he’s a league one defender. Gibson hasn’t played enough for me to make an opinion

[davetherivelinowl]

I still hark back to the days in the Championship when Premiership clubs were looking at Iorfa. His pace and power marked him out as a player who might step up to that level - a magnificent athlete, not unlike Tyrone Mings. Perhaps they noticed that his footballing quality didn't match his physical attributes ie his touch, technique and distribution leave much to be desired. Even so, that pace is a mighty weapon, especially against higher quality opposition - it might have come in very handy yesterday against a very lively Alfie May.

 

It's ages since we saw Iorfa replicate the form he showed a couple of years ago but then it's also ages since he's had a run in the team. If we want him to return to being the player he once was, we'll need to give him games.

 

Likewise Dunkley was almost superhuman at times in his last run of games. Nobody else is so dominant in the air and that should be useful against 'chuck it in the mixer' sides like Gillingham and Stanley. We've been really fragile against set-pieces lately. Is that a problem Dunkley could fix? The downside is that he looks so awkward with the ball at his feet.

 

At this level, where we have the opportunity to play front-foot football against 'lesser' sides it might make sense to pick the best 'footballers' - in which case its 4 from Hutch, Storey, Dean and Gibson as they will make the best contribution to our forward play. But let's not dismiss the qualities that Dunk and Iorfa can offer.

 

 

[Emerson Thome]

Storey's form has tailed off a little recently. If Gibson does turn out to be as good as we hope he is, I wouldn't be averse to trying Hutchinson-Dean-Gibson. Gibson would give us balance as a left-footer, and you have to think that well as Hutchinson has done at LCB on occasions he would be even better as RCB.

[Holmowl]

I think you could pick 3 balls out of a hat and you wouldn’t go far wrong. We are awash with very good CB options.

 

I’d definitely go Gibson if fit. I’m now convinced he gives us the best balance and ensures more ball gets to the ever-dangerous Johnson.

 

Dean looks superb. I also think he’s the sort of scary beast that will frighten a few opposing forwards.

[Pulcinella]

Motor’s done really well assembling the defence for the second half of the season.

 

He has more recruitment successes than failures and it’s been some time since a manager has done that for us.

[WorrallOwl17]

If anyone is picking Gibson over Hutch, it's solely because he kicks better with his left foot than Hutchinson. Hutchinson is 10x the defender Gibson is, and i never thought i'd see the day that Hutch is less injury prone than someone else but i think he might be less injury prone than Gibson. Anyway, Hutchinson's left foot is absolutely fine, he's our best ball playing centre back out of the 6 options. Storey, Dean and Hutchinson for me. Hopefully we see some consistency with the team selection now and no silly changes are made to ruin the rhythm 

[WhiteOwl91]

22 hours ago, Tamworthowl said:

I’m not one for arguing left footers on the left, right footers on the right, but it’s been as clear as night and day that Gibson brings the best out of Johnson. (Even right footed Palmer has a better left than Hutchinson, so presents a better balance going forward.) Hutchinson should be nowhere near the left centre back role when Gibson is available.

If we were going for Hutch for his versatility along the back three, we might as well go for Palmer instead, as he covers wing back as well.

 

Dean is the best centre mid we have. He has the dominance of Dunkley and Iorfa, but is much more controlled and measured, although slower too. And Storey is best on the right. Storey is beginning to show willingness to overlap with Hunt. Gibson already showed that in spades linking well with Johnson.

 

If / when fit, it’s got to be Storey, Dean, Gibson.  The three best players in each position, not the three best players shoehorned into a back three.
Harsh on Hutchinson, but harsh on Brennan who didn’t do anything wrong when called upon, but doesn’t even make the first six cbs. 

Relating 'Harsh on Hutchinson' to 'but harsh on Brennan' is ridiculous. Brennan did alright but he's miles off the other CBs in terms of ability for here and now. 

 

Also Hutchinson is not shoehorned into a back 3 at LCB. Plenty of teams have a right footer there and look just fine.

 

With us having 7 games left and then maybe the playoffs, i think it'd be a bonkers call to select a guy whos played 5 games this season (i think started 2), whos out injured again, over Hutchinson. 

[Baytan Blue]

Storey

Dean

Gibson/Hutch

Great back up with

Iorfa,Dunks,Palmer.

 

Hutch probably shades it for his enthusiasm and attitude,but Gibson

Looks like he is going to be a really good player and adds great balance behind Johnson.

Nice to have these choices .

Well done to the recruitment team.

[Tamworthowl]

3 hours ago, WhiteOwl91 said:

Relating 'Harsh on Hutchinson' to 'but harsh on Brennan' is ridiculous. Brennan did alright but he's miles off the other CBs in terms of ability for here and now. 

 

Also Hutchinson is not shoehorned into a back 3 at LCB. Plenty of teams have a right footer there and look just fine.

 

With us having 7 games left and then maybe the playoffs, i think it'd be a bonkers call to select a guy whos played 5 games this season (i think started 2), whos out injured again, over Hutchinson. 

 

I think you need to read the opening post, which asked…

“Who would you pick when everyone is available?”

So your last paragraph is irrelevant to the discussion. 
Fair point re-Brennan, though I’d argue against him being “miles off”.

 

A fit Gibson is streets ahead of Hutchinson on the left, regardless of whether or not he’s available now. Hutchinson is playing on the left only because Gibson (and possibly Palmer) is unavailable, and because Storey and Dean (on the evidence of a few minutes) are poor there.
Hutchinson is the best of what’s available now, but he’s a square peg doing a decent job in a round hole. He’s not the best that we have when they’re all available.

 

 

[Teddy Nickelarse]

If all fit;

- One of Dean  or Dunkley for starters. Its been clear in recent weeks that we need someone who is genuinely dominant in the air.

 

- Gibson on the left.  Only natural left sided CB in the squad.

 

- Hutch on the right.

 

Storey has been excellent on the whole and has strong credentials but I think that Hutch is a better footballer and Storey isn't strong enough in the air to do the job that Dean or Dunkley can.

 

Square pegs in square  holes.

 

 

 

[WhiteOwl91]

1 hour ago, Tamworthowl said:

 

I think you need to read the opening post, which asked…

“Who would you pick when everyone is available?”

So your last paragraph is irrelevant to the discussion. 
Fair point re-Brennan, though I’d argue against him being “miles off”.

 

A fit Gibson is streets ahead of Hutchinson on the left, regardless of whether or not he’s available now. Hutchinson is playing on the left only because Gibson (and possibly Palmer) is unavailable, and because Storey and Dean (on the evidence of a few minutes) are poor there.
Hutchinson is the best of what’s available now, but he’s a square peg doing a decent job in a round hole. He’s not the best that we have when they’re all available.

 

 

 

I don't need to read the opening post again. Clearly it depends on your interpretation of it. 

 

“Who would you pick when everyone is available?”

 

The only possible scenario that occurs is within the next 7 league games and potentially playoffs. Beyond that, probably wont even have half of them on the books.