07-08-2022, 10:06 AM
(07-08-2022, 07:59 AM)DJC link Wrote:We have gone into every game this season with seven or eight defenders, until the Saints game.
Cottrell, O'Brien and Newnes are wingers who work from end to end and often help out in defence. They are not defenders in the mould of Williams, Docherty, Saad, McGovern, Stocker, Plowman, Kemp, Parks, Boyd, Weitering, Marchbank, Young and McDonald. With the exception of Young and Weitering, our defenders spend time on the interchange bench. If we don't have a seventh or eighth defender, one opposition forward will have an advantage.
We saw that against the Saints where players like Higgins and Butler were unmarked in their forward 50. Our defensive cohesion, which has been a strength all season, broke down because we had wingers trying to play as defenders. Ryan and Rioli will be relishing the prospect of being picked up by Cottrell, O'Brien or Newnes :
OK, so you identified a problem, sure. What was the solution though?
Going into last week, i think there was a full 18 players unavailable. Many of them defenders.
Who would you want coming in?
Setterfield has been the sub, is he good enough? Or is he another midfielder?
Stocker has been injured and for whatever reason hasn't really impressed.
So who else?
Unfortunately, the cupboard is bare.
So blame the match committee if you want, but they can only pick who is available.