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Central defence question.


marinello

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This is the biggie as the other parts of the team will I'm sure sort themselves out by March or we will have adequate cover.

Methinks for all his failings Mc Kenna will get the nod for left central defence------ tho according to Darren Jackson in a Q and A last night he feels Clarke will select Tierney.

As for right central defence. Based not on my preference  but on Clarke's comments and inferences I feel it's between Cooper who he seems to like or Hanley due to his experience. 

In the continued absence of Souttar my preference remains Mulgrew albeit his skills are waning with age. Beyond him I would plump for Gallagher for his composure, heading ability and distribution. Closely followed by Findlay who I feel would keep things simple by playing to his strengths.

Hanley is a no no as he gives me the fear when on the ball and when tackling. Cooper meantime just doesn't seem to even have the support of his club fans.

Would be great if we could arrest the ageing process and bring back a Dave Narey or even more recently a Colin Calderwood🤔

 

 

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Guest ElChris04
14 minutes ago, marinello said:

This is the biggie as the other parts of the team will I'm sure sort themselves out by March or we will have adequate cover.

Methinks for all his failings Mc Kenna will get the nod for left central defence------ tho according to Darren Jackson in a Q and A last night he feels Clarke will select Tierney.

As for right central defence. Based not on my preference  but on Clarke's comments and inferences I feel it's between Cooper who he seems to like or Hanley due to his experience. 

In the continued absence of Souttar my preference remains Mulgrew albeit his skills are waning with age. Beyond him I would plump for Gallagher for his composure, heading ability and distribution. Closely followed by Findlay who I feel would keep things simple by playing to his strengths.

Hanley is a no no as he gives me the fear when on the ball and when tackling. Cooper meantime just doesn't seem to even have the support of his club fans.

Would be great if we could arrest the ageing process and bring back a Dave Narey or even more recently a Colin Calderwood🤔

 

 

 

 not sure where you got that information from? This is just one of many tweets praising how good he has been this season and a real leader on and off the park. Easily our best defender along with Souttar. 

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Was actually just about to start a similar thread. Just before the Nations League started there was a lot of talk about how many promising centre backs we had coming through. The likes of Souttar, McKenna, Hendry, Bates, Lindsay even Porteous and McCrorie. Now for one reason or another be it injuries or form most of these guys progression seems to have stalled of late. I am seriously not sure who our best centre halves are, I honestly don't have a clue. It is worrying that not even one of these guys has progressed to where we thought they would be right now none of them have managed to become the man at centre half yet. What one do we reckon will eventually become the number 1 choice centre half

Edited by bazmidd
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55 minutes ago, ElChris04 said:

 

 not sure where you got that information from? This is just one of many tweets praising how good he has been this season and a real leader on and off the park. Easily our best defender along with Souttar. 

Apologies if I've dismissed Cooper but I seem to recollect that many Leeds fans felt he was very prone to costly mistakes not least in the play off match against Derby last season. 

Would be delighted if this was no longer the case.

Certainly Clarke appears to rate him. 

 

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Guest ElChris04
2 hours ago, marinello said:

Apologies if I've dismissed Cooper but I seem to recollect that many Leeds fans felt he was very prone to costly mistakes not least in the play off match against Derby last season. 

Would be delighted if this was no longer the case.

Certainly Clarke appears to rate him. 

 

He did indeed crack under pressure and was probably his only mistake all season (unfortunately the mistake ended up costing Leeds) but he’s a terrific defender. Feel his first app had Hindered against  A terrible defence partner in Mulgrew and SOD, aswell as Robertson looking shaky, I fully believe with Clarke having better grips of the team he will be pivotal in us getting anywhere. Best CB in the championship bar none. 

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I have obvious club bias, but I thought Declan Gallagher her put in two very good performances, admittedly against fairly limited opposition.

On form for club and country he shits all over McKenna who was a bit of a calamity across the 2 games.

Perhaps come March Mckenna will have rediscovered the form that lead to stories of £5million for him?

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2 minutes ago, sbcmfc said:

I have obvious club bias, but I thought Declan Gallagher her put in two very good performances, admittedly against fairly limited opposition.

On form for club and country he shits all over McKenna who was a bit of a calamity across the 2 games.

Perhaps come March Mckenna will have rediscovered the form that lead to stories of £5million for him?

Winter break disnae gie him much games tae dae that. 

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I personally just have the feeling that every one of our centre halves are currently the same standard apart from Cooper who appears to be slightly above McKenna and Gallagher as he is by all accounts the best performing centre back in the English Championship. As a player though Tierney is then another level above Cooper, and could probably slot in to centre half quite easily as he has proved before. I just get the feeling that although Gallagher and McKenna played ok against Cyprus and the Kazakhs we are now moving up another level again in the play offs and I'm not sure Gallagher and McKenna can step up another level. 

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Just now, hannibal smith said:

Certainly a far better defender than Halkett and sadly now Berra. 

Supposedly back in January after yet another setback. 

That is surprising as Halkett seems to have been held up in very high regard by a lot on here that he is actually Hearts best defender. Do you think Souttar can cut it at a higher level then? 

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12 minutes ago, bazmidd said:

That is surprising as Halkett seems to have been held up in very high regard by a lot on here that he is actually Hearts best defender. Do you think Souttar can cut it at a higher level then? 

I do rate Souttar highly, has come on massively since he first arrived, there were a lot of clubs looking at him in the summer and if it wasn't for injuries he would be been sold already. 

To be fair Halkett has only played around 10 games for Hearts and has had to play alongside Smith, Dikamona, Berra, Souttar and Hickey at centre half because of our ridiculous injury list. However, from what i have seen so far, he reminds me of Souttar a couple of years ago in as much as he takes risks and tries to play football in areas where he shouldn't be which has cost us. Looking forward to seeing a hearts back 4 of Smith, Souttar, Halkett and Hickey if we can ever get them all fit at the same time.

If Souttar can get fit and have a good second half to the season i reckon both him and Hickey will be off down south in the summer for decent money. 

 

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