Left back rumour thread

[rhroyal]

Even if Harte had a stinker with his set pieces on Saturday, we've all seen enough over his career and last season to know that he will normally be better and have a reliable delivery. He may get slower in his old age, but the ability to take set pieces doesn't evaporate (unless you're Stephen Hunt from January onwards in 08/09).

[LWJ]

If we get rid of Harte we lose about 10 goals a season. McAnuff/Hunt may get one or two from fk's but IMO Harte is essential.

Harte's fk's were fcuking immense on Saturday IMO. Didn't beat the wall/first man once.

Well had a few and obviously he isn't going to score every one...

He is in for his set pieces.. I expect atleast a ball an attacker can attack, along with most people i think.

[urz13]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

[Ian Royal]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

Would that be the Griffin that was involved in the build up to both our goals?

[Stranded]

Thomas Cruise - available on a free after leaving Arsenal. Can play LB, CB or midfield.

[Friday's Legacy]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

Would that be the Griffin that was involved in the build up to both our goals?

griffin's defending left a lot to be desired on saturday. his defending was awful in the p/o final as well. no pace and when one on one he is beaten far too easily. both wing backs are very experienced and can read the game well but when presented with pace they're ripped apart with ease.

[Ian Royal]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

Would that be the Griffin that was involved in the build up to both our goals?

griffin's defending left a lot to be desired on saturday. his defending was awful in the p/o final as well. no pace and when one on one he is beaten far too easily. both wing backs are very experienced and can read the game well but when presented with pace they're ripped apart with ease.

Not disagreeing with any of that. The point is Harte's defending was equally as poor, if not significantly worse, but he scores goals from set pieces so it's ok. Except his set pieces were (to borrow a phrase from AP or Floyd) mince on saturday.

[brendywendy]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

and great in the air, and decent in reading the game and positioning.
pretty much teh only thing he doesnt have is pace

[brendywendy]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

Would that be the Griffin that was involved in the build up to both our goals?

griffin's defending left a lot to be desired on saturday. his defending was awful in the p/o final as well. no pace and when one on one he is beaten far too easily. both wing backs are very experienced and can read the game well but when presented with pace they're ripped apart with ease.

tbf hes been inujured and had one preseason game.

[M-U-R-T-Y]

I just honestly can't believe McD hasn't signed a quicker left back - surely he noticed that Harte got rinsed in the play off final by Sinclair more than once, and we were so susceptible to the counter attack on Saturday on both sides - it's a blindingly obvious weak link that the entire country witnessed in May and as long as Harte plays teams will try and take advantage of that.

Pearce and Khumalo are not quick either, but that's passable if you have full backs quick enough. I was cringing at times on Saturday at how Millwall were moving past our defence.

Looking forward to seeing Cummings back, who would've thought I would be saying this time last year?

[Wycombe Royal]

I just honestly can't believe McD hasn't signed a quicker left back - surely he noticed that Harte got rinsed in the play off final by Sinclair more than once,

Ummm, I believe it was Dyer. Sinclair was up against Griffin.

[M-U-R-T-Y]

I apologise.

[Hoop Blah]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

and great in the air, and decent in reading the game and positioning.
pretty much teh only thing he doesnt have is pace

Sorry brendy but that's a little over egging his qualities!

He's never been that good a defender but I'll give him the benefit of doubt for Saturdays horror show as all players have off games.

Harte's highlights from Saturday
- left his man to have a free header in the six yard box for the first
- gave Henry far too much space as he played the 1-2 with Trotter for their second (that's both poor position, marking and reading of the game all thrown into one)
- got skinned plenty of times in the first half as Henry took him part
- failed with pretty much every deadball situation he stood over (usually that's his saving grace and justifies, to an extent, keeping him in the team despite his defensive frailties)

He is good in the air though, although if you just leave your man unmarked to score with a header because you switch off it doesn't really matter how good you are.

Snowball made a decent point after the game, that Harte looked a bit lethargic and disinterested like he did around the time that McDermott dropped him last season. His performance was as bad as I've seen from him unfortunately. Hopefully it was a one off though.

[brendywendy]

He gets more balls in in open play than griffin and Cummings. Add to that the (usual) quality of his set pieces and he is very valuable to the team. He's a magician with both feet.

and great in the air, and decent in reading the game and positioning.
pretty much teh only thing he doesnt have is pace

Sorry brendy but that's a little over egging his qualities!

He's never been that good a defender but I'll give him the benefit of doubt for Saturdays horror show as all players have off games.

Harte's highlights from Saturday
- left his man to have a free header in the six yard box for the first
- gave Henry far too much space as he played the 1-2 with Trotter for their second (that's both poor position, marking and reading of the game all thrown into one)
- got skinned plenty of times in the first half as Henry took him part
- failed with pretty much every deadball situation he stood over (usually that's his saving grace and justifies, to an extent, keeping him in the team despite his defensive frailties)

He is good in the air though, although if you just leave your man unmarked to score with a header because you switch off it doesn't really matter how good you are.

Snowball made a decent point after the game, that Harte looked a bit lethargic and disinterested like he did around the time that McDermott dropped him last season. His performance was as bad as I've seen from him unfortunately. Hopefully it was a one off though.

i was looking at his abilities in terms of tick boxes, and quantity. heading-tick, free kicks-tick etc
i made no real calculation based on the quality within each ticked box.

[brendywendy]

Harte's highlights from Saturday
- left his man to have a free header in the six yard box for the first- gave Henry far too much space as he played the 1-2 with Trotter for their second (that's both poor position, marking and reading of the game all thrown into one)
- got skinned plenty of times in the first half as Henry took him part

i still say that a ball looping slowly to four yards out from goal is the keepers ball all day,every day.

lol- didnt really notice henry in the first half, except one where he passed the ball 2 yards into touch.he certainly didnt look to me like someone i was gutted we sold.
took him apart is a touch strong.
imo

[Hoop Blah]

Really? I thought Harte didn't get near him and that pass out of play was about the only time he didn't retain possession or doing something creative with it.

I agree Federici should've claimed the ball into the box which Henderson scored from but as a defender, let alone an experienced one who's decent in the air, you really shouldn't just leave your man to run past you from 12 yards out to have a free header at goal.

Not sure what you're tick box system is then, but if it involves crediting Harte with having strengths in positioning and reading the game then I'd question it's merits.

[brendywendy]

no, i believe his positioning, heading free kicks to be strengths,
and you took some examples from the first game of the season which "prove" to you he doesnt possess them.
they do not prove it to me.

[Ian Royal]

Harte's highlights from Saturday
- left his man to have a free header in the six yard box for the first- gave Henry far too much space as he played the 1-2 with Trotter for their second (that's both poor position, marking and reading of the game all thrown into one)
- got skinned plenty of times in the first half as Henry took him part

i still say that a ball looping slowly to four yards out from goal is the keepers ball all day,every day.

lol- didnt really notice henry in the first half, except one where he passed the ball 2 yards into touch.he certainly didnt look to me like someone i was gutted we sold.
took him apart is a touch strong.
imo

You are right, the ball was Federici's but that doesn't absolve Harte of his defensive responsibilities.
He certainly did get done by Henry plenty of times. Henry looked very good, albeit made plenty of mistakes. He didn't look better than Kebe though.

[TBM]

Harte's highlights from Saturday
- left his man to have a free header in the six yard box for the first- gave Henry far too much space as he played the 1-2 with Trotter for their second (that's both poor position, marking and reading of the game all thrown into one)

Totally - i would also blame Pearce for the 2 goals too

[Ian Royal]

Blame game goes: Harte = Federici > Pearce, but all take some blame. Griffin gets a slice for the second too.