He's not a top flight level right back. He's a very good centre back. It's totally unsustainable to play him out of position long term.
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He's a backs-to-the-wall right back, much like Mykolenko on the other side.
We need progressive fullback options - particularly for home games.
I don't disagree at all, I've been banging the drum about needing a right back for a lot longer than most. My point isn't that we should keep him there, it's that Moyes is happy with him there. There's been a lot of talk as if the recruitment team are failing to provide him with options but I just don't believe it's the case, I think he's just relatively happy with O'Brien there, and that explains why the only real right back link in the summer was Tete who would have just been cheap cover/an alternative option rather than someone to come in and make the position their own. Whether we should be happy with that is a different question entirely.
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
I don't necessarily think that's Moyes's thinking long term.
He has made a point of saying that he likes O'Brien but he's defended like a "young" defender at times and he thinks a good way to get him up to speed is by playing him at full back.
I do get his logic here - it's helped JOB get a lot more first team football in the past 12 months than he would otherwise have had here and that'll be a help in the long run.
If we were signing a right back, he needs to be significantly better than playing JOB at right back - I personally think we lose a lot in open play by having a natural CB playing RB, but the logical consequence of signing a right back is that JOB drops to the bench, so Moyes only wants to consider that if the right back we get is a major upgrade.
It's frustrating, but I understand the logic. Doué is mentioned there and he'd be an interesting summer target if that plays out.
Moyes is basically looking for a similar profile to O’Brien. So well over 6ft and physically strong, technically ability unfortunately is an after thought. Holm was 6ft 3 I believe. There was a tentative link to Ben white. So you can see the way Moyes is going. Our wide players are going to struggle while Moyes is here imo
Yeah i'm not saying he wants to play him there forever, I'm just saying I think it's simplistic to think that we haven't been able to identify any right backs at all who could have come in and done a decent job and it's actually a lot more to do with Moyes being content with O'Brien there at the moment. Obviously I don't know this for a fact, but I think everything we've seen and heard over the last 12 months supports it.
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
I think I understand the logic though - the league is shifting towards a more physical, set piece-orientated, fast-paced style.
All the right backs we've been linked with are fairly big lads who can play a bit - Doue, Holm and Norton-Cuffy all fit the mould here.
Personally I want to see full backs who can contribute in both defensive and attacking phases and not be a liability in one of those areas, but in light of the stylistic shift in the league, you need to make sure you've got enough height and physical prowess in the team to compete - Arsenal have scored from TWENTY corners this season, and that trend will just filter out through the league - you can't be bullied anymore or you'll stand out as vulnerable (and that's a large part of the reason we aren't seeing Aznou I would think).
No issue at all with Moyes believing that height and physicality are something we currently need in our full backs, but it can't be at the expense of what they give us with the ball and I'd guess the number of players who tick both boxes isn't huge.
Then why has Moyes bought Aznou ?
Just to be clear I prefer the Baines / Coleman fullback style rather than big grocks who can only defend.
ToffeeScot
Player Valuation: £25m
Arsenal and Newcastle are two of the most physical teams in the league and have been the trendsetters with where the league is going but their first choice fullbacks aren't necessarily known due to their height and physicality, rather their technical attributes.
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
Not sure I'd agree on Newcastle
Arsenal - yes, absolutely and last night they played with two converted centre backs at full back, in fact their 4 main full backs are:
Timber - converted CB
White - converted CB
Hincapie - converted CB
Calafiori - proper full back who is 6ft 2
Toffeelover
Player Valuation: £80m
Moyes wasted all summer and now January not giving the full back problem full attention above all else.
Well maybe he didn’t buy him, I think while Moyes has a big say in transfers, I also believe TFG/kinnear have made it clear to him they also want to buy youth. I doubt Asnou plays much under Moyes if he’s still here in 2 yrs. if Moyes buys a left back in the summer, then he will be his left back for the duration of the time he’s here.
I will add, if Moyes had bought Asnou and actually scouted him, I think he’d have played more than he has
toffeeblue9
Player Valuation: £35m
My little prediction - Moyes brings (or at least tries to get) Nathan Ake in this summer, primarily as a left back but he'll let Keane go and bring in a younger CB as he'll see Ake as being able to play both roles and a younger CB won't be expecting as much game time.
Yes looking more and more as a transfer committee pick for the future.
RichCee123
Player Valuation: £2.5m
Moyes approving the purchase of a promising youngster on a 4 year deal isn’t the same as Moyes approving KDH or JG signings for instance.
The club buys the players, with a remit to think ahead.
The manager has a short term deal and probably won’t benefit from a number of these youngsters.
