Virgil van Dijk

[nmc]

Stones does the difficult things well and the easy things badly. Concentration issues. I still believe he will be ok.

Stones has a lot of attributes but he really needs to cut out the sloppy mistakes. Far too many errors in his game.

 

[Joe Hart's Dandruff]

Stones does the difficult things well and the easy things badly. Concentration issues. I still believe he will be ok.

That's exactly why I worry. It is a problem he has always had, and doesn't seem to have improved. Hopefully this season proves me wrong, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

That's exactly why I worry. It is a problem he has always had, and doesn't seem to have improved. Hopefully this season proves me wrong, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

The solution to this sort of issue seems to be to play a back three with the weak defender in the middle - worked a charm for Chelsea (Luiz is clueless on defense but played very well in a back 3) and now seems to be working for us. The occasional fuck-up in the middle of a back 3 is much less likely to lead to a huge problem for the defense - as opposed to the screw-up for a central defender in a back 4 - which is almost always going to lead to a scoring opportunity for the opposition.

 

[taconinja]

The solution to this sort of issue seems to be to play a back three with the weak defender in the middle - worked a charm for Chelsea (Luiz is clueless on defense but played very well in a back 3) and now seems to be working for us. The occasional fuck-up in the middle of a back 3 is much less likely to lead to a huge problem for the defense - as opposed to the screw-up for a central defender in a back 4 - which is almost always going to lead to a scoring opportunity for the opposition.

I agree, which is why I'm a bit wary of the call a lot seem to have for us to revert to a Back 4 against lesser teams. With how far up our fullbacks and wingers push up, we'll be very vulnerable to the counter again, no matter how fast our new fullbacks are.

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

I agree, which is why I'm a bit wary of the call a lot seem to have for us to revert to a Back 4 against lesser teams. With how far up our fullbacks and wingers push up, we'll be very vulnerable to the counter again, no matter how fast our new fullbacks are.

Good point - I'm not at all in favor of a back 3 against sides like Brighton - but you're right. By playing a back 3 against weak sides we can use Stones - and if the defense somehow screws up, it's much less likely that the opposition will score against a back 3.

 

[Joe Hart's Dandruff]

The solution to this sort of issue seems to be to play a back three with the weak defender in the middle - worked a charm for Chelsea (Luiz is clueless on defense but played very well in a back 3) and now seems to be working for us. The occasional fuck-up in the middle of a back 3 is much less likely to lead to a huge problem for the defense - as opposed to the screw-up for a central defender in a back 4 - which is almost always going to lead to a scoring opportunity for the opposition.

My only worry about having Kompany covering so much space if he is not the middle defender, is that he has apparently lost a yard of pace since being out.

 

[J_MCFC21]

Also says - Krueger: "It's the principle, path & statement we need to make to get to a new space as a club. We're adamant about carrying this through"

 

[@BluePhil8]

Also says - Krueger: "It's the principle, path & statement we need to make to get to a new space as a club. We're adamant about carrying this through"

Good on them. Otamendi, Stones and Kompany are all quality we just need an extra competent body for when Kompany is injured.

 

[Blue Llama]

I don't get the comments on this thread about Stones. OK he wasn't perfect but for me he had an OK game. Made a couple of mistakes but which player didn't? Certainly, so far this season friendlies and Brighton we have not had any episodes of Keystone Kops defending. I am more concerned about the lack of space the wide players are operating in. Very much like last season a wide player receives the ball and takes one or two touches and passes it backwards. We are still taking too long to progress forwards and players are too concerned about giving the ball away and consequently not taking on their marker.

 

[MCFC_4Heatons]

Stones has a lot of attributes but he really needs to cut out the sloppy mistakes. Far too many errors in his game.

Both are very good on the ball but suffer from making defensive mistakes. Otamendi spends far too much time on his arse for my liking.