Do we need a new LB?.

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Possibly so mate, the question then comes - do we accept that results will suffer giving players who arent quite there yet - and maybe need a full season of games - by playing them or do we try ease them in / loan them to get that experience over a longer period.

So great question. Here's mine. No one wants to say our expectation is top four. Publicly anyway. So where is this pressure to act like Chelsea that under no circumstance can a young player be given a chance because the risk is too great? I mean if you think Connolly or anyone else is completely out of their league then they shouldn't be here.

I've said it before I'll say it again. You don't know about a player until he gets a run of games. This double standard that it's ok for a senior player to have a bad performance once in a while or make a bad play, but if a young one does it you're risking relegation is nonsense. It's worse when a more senior player dies it because they are supposed to be in there for "experience".

So my answer is yes. I'm willing to accept the odd mistake if the long game is they are growing into solid prem players. Otherwise we're wasting money on an academy. Bin it and let other clubs do the hard work.
 
We just bought the lad from Newcastle who is supposed to be the bees knees. Won't be ready right away, but you know the hope is he is the long term answer.

Possibly so mate, the question then comes - do we accept that results will suffer giving players who arent quite there yet - and maybe need a full season of games - by playing them or do we try ease them in / loan them to get that experience over a longer period.

Gibson is 16 so you'd think he would be 2 years away before being on the bench at least. Sessegnon is a year older and has 30 games in the championship already so could perhaps jump a season.

I think results wont knock us off 7th spot and we need to give the youngsters a season for experience. Next season with games behind 6+ kids we look a lot stronger.
 
Gibson is 16 so you'd think he would be 2 years away before being on the bench at least. Sessegnon is a year older and has 30 games in the championship already so could perhaps jump a season.

I think results wont knock us off 7th spot and we need to give the youngsters a season for experience. Next season with games behind 6+ kids we look a lot stronger.

Connolly could be a safety net or stopgap. Let's see how Galloway does at Sunderland as well.
 
If we buy a new left back he needs to be 24-28 and first team ready otherwise I would just stick with Baines and bring Connolly thru. I don't want a 2nd choice LB of Martina ability! If we do get player 1st team ready split duties between new player and Baines keeping them both fresh as qualifying for EL group stages will mean we have a minimum of 50 games this season.
 

I just realised..

LB = Left Back
LB = Leighton Baines

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Time of post: 4.20. Think I know what you are doing
 
So far and i know it's only pre season, but Connolly reminds me of Galloway when he played left back for us, good up until the box then doesn't seem to know what to do with himself mate
Connolly is nothing like what you describe, and is far superior to Galloway when it comes to getting in the box and knowing what to do . His goal scoring record for England youth , Everton teams and his spell at Wigan show that when he's in the box he knows how to find the net, for me he's the most likely of our young defenders to score a goal. Watch him closely next time and the way he finds space in the box, what he can't do is drive into the box at pace the way that Seamus and Baines can . He's not ready to replace Baines yet, but so far he's shown he could do a job as cover at LB.
 

No, and we've got that 16 year old starlet from Newcastle earmarked as a long-term replacement... in the meantime we're still paying Luke "I wannabee on Loan" Garbo..
 
Connolly is nothing like what you describe, and is far superior to Galloway when it comes to getting in the box and knowing what to do . His goal scoring record for England youth , Everton teams and his spell at Wigan show that when he's in the box he knows how to find the net, for me he's the most likely of our young defenders to score a goal. Watch him closely next time and the way he finds space in the box, what he can't do is drive into the box at pace the way that Seamus and Baines can . He's not ready to replace Baines yet, but so far he's shown he could do a job as cover at LB.

I'm just going off what i see of him in the first team mate, what he has done at Junior levels in terms of scoring etc is largely by the by when dealing with a much higher level - in the league if you don't drive into the box at pace as a fullback, you don't honestly tend to get any goals mate.

To me anyway he looks a decent prospect - but not someone if we had to rely on him for a period of games that would not see a huge drop off over Baines
 
Think the problem we would have getting players of the calibre of Bertrand in dave is, they wouldn't be guaranteed a starting slot (which I would think they would want) whilst Baines is still here.
If Bertrand came in the massive discrepancy in talent between them would force Baines onto the bench.

It's criminal Baines is anywhere near our team. To have him as the only option is even worse. It's an appalling situation.
 

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