Basham or O'Connell?

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Superbladesman7

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Now both are presumably fit and available, who deserves to start at the back?
Personally I favour O'Connell as he was starting to look better and better with each game and it gives us that balance across the back line. Also it was looking rock solid of late.
However I must admit I've not been to watch the last 2 games where Basham has started there and it sounds like he's been very good and just about claimed the goal at Bradford.

So who do we go with for MK?
Still think J'OC edges it for me if fit and firing.
 

I like Basham but it has to be OConnel for me. Before last week he had be as good as Ebanks. But I think Wilder will pick Basham because he seems to really rate him.
 
Basham did play really well in the last two games.
However, Jake Wright moved to the left of the three and I think he's more comfortable in the centre!

Think CW will keep the same team and is demonstrating to the squad play well and you keep your place. Basham would not have started imo at Shrewbury if Jack hadn't been ill. Unfortunate for Jack as I agree he'd been doing v well recently.

Healthy position for club and real competition at last in many, if not all places.
 
For me O'Connell has to start over Basham at centre back.
But Basham needs to start in midfield, I would leave Coutts out. I just think Basham adds a bit of steel and height into our side which we lack with Coutts and Fleck.
It's a tough one Coutts has done well and is a better passer than Basham, but I just feel Basham is the better all round player.
It might be worth considering playing Coutts at home when teams are more likely to come and park the bus.Then play Basham in away matches.
 
O'Connell - He allows for better balance in the defence
 
O'Connell's a natural centre half.

He only dropped out due to illness in the the first place.

We need him in the side for his physicality and the balance he provides. Playing Basham at RCB means EEL and Wright aren't in their best positions.

You can't simply 'stick with a winning team' regardless of circumstances. We didn't win at Bradford anyway.

But I would play Basham, at right wing back. Freeman could do with a rest.
 
alcoblade said:
Stick with the team that won the last match, when you're in such form.

It's what he's been doing so far, and it's working.

UTB
Click to expand...

That certainly seems to be the policy that Wilder takes, earn your right to play, once you win the shirt, its yours to lose and those waiting have to take their chances when they come. Basham was lucky that O'Connell was ill before Shrewsbury, to then walk back into the side.

I think later in the season we may see players getting time out for a rest/ freshen things up, but for now, it seems that Wilder is sticking with his best 11 from the last game
 
O'Connell for me, I tend to agree with the policy of the shirt is yours to lose, however that should apply to round pegs round holes for me.

I llike Basham, but he's a midfielder (even CW has stated this) sticking him at the back should only be for emergencies only, it's not that he's not capable it just upsets the balance with EEl and Wright.

I'm curious what the result at Bradford would've been had O'Connell played instead of Bash.
 
It's good to see that Mr "Utility man " Basham seems to be causing the manager a selection problem.

Agree with most of the comments.
I would probably have O'Connell back in defence and use Basham as cover for centre back, right back and defensive midfield which puts pressure on the main players and gives them a rest when needed.

Although I don't rate Basham (although I appreciate his workrate and effort) he is proving that he's important and will play a big part in the squad.
 
Joc for me.
He was very unlucky to loose his place because of illness. However Wilder is proving once in and playing well it's yours to loose.
On a slightly contradictory slant I'm a bit surprised he is playing a square peg in a round hole.
No doubt bash is playing well and I like him but he is a midfielder.
 

I really like Basham, but I think that O'Connell gives better balance to a three man defence.

I wonder if Wilder would consider playing Basham instead of Wright, or maybe Coutts. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but I just have a feeling that he will be in the team.
 
My suggestion would be to play them both. O'Connel in defence & Basham at right wing back instead of Freeman.. This adds height and strength to the middle of the park, defence and up front when needed.
 
It's fine on principle to keep a player in the team when he does well and leaving another out but round pegs in round holes and horses for courses have to come into it, as well as the circumstances in which the replaced player initially missed out - suspension, no excuses, longer term injury, fair enough, but a short term illness? When he's been a key player? Nah, he has to go back in. Unless the team's looked stronger in his area of the pitch without him, which we definitely haven't. Maybe some managers stick to rigid principles to make it easier for themselves, but I think Wilder's got more sense than that. I expect to see O'Connell start tomorrow.

The round peg in round hole consideration is not only about one player in this instance, but the entire back 3, as I referred to previously.

As for horses for courses, O'Connell would've been ideal at Bradford, where it's always a difficult battle. In fact both he and Basham should have played if possible. Onto the MK Dons game, it's simply a hard game against a side with good players, so you want your best players on the pitch. O'Connell's possibly our best defender, and Basham also fits into the important player bracket - he's a key player in certain games, so again I'd play both of them.

About changing a winning team generally, I think that should be swapped for 'well performing team'. You can win without playing well. So it is more about actual performance. Even then it has to be broken down into different elements. Your midfield and attack might have been great but your defence might have been poor. You might win 4-2 and it goes down as a good performance, but you should consider making defensive changes. It can't always be black and white, but it isn't difficult.
 
How nice is it having a discussion who should play centre back. The past 2 or 3 years we've been putting square pegs in round holes and playing all sorts of shite. Shows how far we've come in a short space of time.

As to the op, it has to be JOC for me. A natural centre back and a natural leader. That is no slight on Basham though, who is playing very well.
 
I can't see why anyone would disturb the midfield to shoehorn Bash in. Fleck, Coutts and Duffy are as good a unit as we've had for years.
 
Go back to the defence that had started to keep clean sheets.... so it would be a return to the team for O'Connell for me. We conceded 3 against a Bradford side that struggled to draw with Southend the game before (although I recognise that the Shrimpers shafted us for 3!).

Nowt against Bashambauer - he's done well in recent games.... but let's get back to keeping clean sheets. Think he and Freeman could interchange as our right wing back..... But overall, it's a great problem to have and I trust Chris Wilder 100% to make the right choices. UTB!
 
This is not one to cause sleepless nights.

The suggestion that Basham is a better player than Coutts is utter nonsense, not worth discussing so leave Basham out.

To think that someone could consider JOC a lesser player than Basham is one of those peculiarities that we'll leave alone. Basham does a job, sometimes effectively, but we have balance in our defence, JOC is part of that chemistry, Basham isn't, period.

The overwhelming consensus seems to agree with this, so put Bash on the bench and let JOC take his rightful place in defence.
 

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