2025/26 Jake O'Brien

[davek]

The key to his performance tonight (and I dont think it was that bad, btw) is that Ndiaye took it upon himself to completely ignore his defensive duties.

He's easily the most able out of what we have available in terms of RB options. Just needs his RW to keep switched on.

 

[SJB]

A strange performance from him tonight - seemed well out of sorts, wonder if he's carrying a knock.

 

[Azza]

Can't be doing having Jake O'B playing at right back for any more than these 90 minutes.

 

[SuperKev91]

The key to his performance tonight (and I dont think it was that bad, btw) is that Ndiaye took it upon himself to completely ignore his defensive duties.

He's easily the most able out of what we have available in terms of RB options. Just needs his LW to keep switched on.

Take the point but it really was that bad.

Positionally he was all over the shop even in his 1v1’s.

Did he get booked? If not he really should have, get tighter and sow some doubt in the winger.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

You’ve got 45m of kid sat there on the bench, clearly not ready to start yet.

Telling me you can’t get two quality full backs for 45m?

Their left back tonight cost £25m.

So we go into the season with one striker and no back up wide player. Gotcha.

 

[SuperKev91]

So we go into the season with one striker and no back up wide player. Gotcha.

No we probably just don’t spend £45m on a backup wide player.

We could easily have got two full backs for £45m and tried to bring someone like a Lindstrom in on loan again out wide. Not sure what the striker has to do with it.

 

[davek]

Take the point but it really was that bad.

Positionally he was all over the shop even in his 1v1’s.

Did he get booked? If not he really should have, get tighter and sow some doubt in the winger.

Looked tired in the last 20 minutes, that was what led to his poor 1 on 1s with Summerville and being rooted on one occasion.

Again, that's down to working that flank on his own all night...and this a big pitch.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Take the point but it really was that bad.

Positionally he was all over the shop even in his 1v1’s.

Did he get booked? If not he really should have, get tighter and sow some doubt in the winger.

Lots of “actual” full-backs will get a similar roasting from Summerville and that left back if they have to defend them on their own.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

No we probably just don’t spend £45m on a backup wide player.

We could easily have got two full backs for £45m and tried to bring someone like a Lindstrom in on loan again out wide. Not sure what the striker has to do with it.

We didn’t spend £45m on him.

 

[SuperKev91]

Lots of “actual” full-backs will get a similar roasting from Summerville and that left back if they have to defend them on their own.

100% but it’s also exacerbated when they’re not worried whatsoever about you going past them.

We had nothing on the right keeping them honest.

 

[SuperKev91]

We didn’t spend £45m on him.

Sorry, £42m.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

No we probably just don’t spend £45m on a backup wide player.

We could easily have got two full backs for £45m and tried to bring someone like a Lindstrom in on loan again out wide. Not sure what the striker has to do with it.

Look, I agree we need a better right back. We also need a better left back, better centre halves and a striker. A semi competent striker would improve this team far more than a right back. I also think an athletic centre half would. We couldn’t solve every problem in one window.

 

[SuperKev91]

Look, I agree we need a better right back. We also need a better left back, better centre halves and a striker. A semi competent striker would improve this team far more than a right back. I also think an athletic centre half would. We couldn’t solve every problem in one window.

We need better full backs 100%. I think centre half has been the least of our problems this year.

Striker I’ve got to agree absolutely, but I think the dynamic just looks wrong out wide. We’ve got two wide players who want everything to feet, drawing opponents in and then finding cute passes/dribbling. Imagine if Grealish had their lad at left back tonight behind him.

Imagine prime Coleman behind Ndiaye, their left side wouldn’t have attacked half as much for example.

We just look a bit unbalanced currently I think with what we’ve got available.

I do think Rohl might be a bit of a game changer in CM if he’s willing to run past his forwards.

 

[hallamblue]

No we probably just don’t spend £45m on a backup wide player.

We could easily have got two full backs for £45m and tried to bring someone like a Lindstrom in on loan again out wide. Not sure what the striker has to do with it.

I don't have a problem with us spending £35 million on Dibling. He has a lot of potential. I do have a problem with us having no right full back in the squad though, and seemingly signing a striker who can't play up front on his own.

 

[SuperKev91]

I don't have a problem with us spending £35 million on Dibling. He has a lot of potential. I do have a problem with us having no right full back in the squad though, and seemingly signing a striker who can't play up front on his own.

No neither do I if the two weren’t linked, but knowing our huge issues at right back especially why wasn’t that position a priority?

Appreciate you can’t just go down your shopping list of positions and if you want Dibling you just go get it done but if that was at the cost of us having full backs for a season it’s awful business IMO.