Kasper Lopata

[Booker4]

Those saying Lopata should start next to Egan, is he left footed as that tends to be the way that a LCB is left footed.

 

[Silent Blade]

Those saying Lopata should start next to Egan, is he left footed as that tends to be the way that a LCB is left footed.

Lopata is right footed

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

Lopata, as with all professional footballers, should be competent using either foot.

 

[adamawdhali]

Does the foot matter in a 4 back? I don’t think it does

 

[Balham]

Does the foot matter in a 4 back? I don’t think it does

No. Maguire normally plays on the left of a pair and he's very right footed.

Who played on the left side on Tuesday? Lopata or Gordon?

 

[Pedro Verde]

Who played on the left side on Tuesday? Lopata or Gordon?

Gordon

 

[Balham]

Gordon

Thanks. Wonder if Gordon would work with Egan in a pair: he's quick enough to cover for Egan and that would let us play a left back at LB (RND or Robinson).

 

[Bergen Blade]

Does the foot matter in a 4 back? I don’t think it does

It's an advantage, especially when advancing and playing out from the back. Opposition players closing centre halves down will most often try to prevent a central pass, meaning there is more space and better angles if you have a good left foot playing LCB.

There are centre halves that are comfortable playing on the "wrong" side, Maguire as mentioned is one.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

No. Maguire normally plays on the left of a pair and he's very right footed.

Who played on the left side on Tuesday? Lopata or Gordon?

It’s a role you do have to play and get used to though. It’s not the same as playing on the side of your stronger foot. Maguire has played there for many years but I remember England having a problem when covering John Terry when he was out because while right footed he trained into that position. Big ask to throw a kid in and expect him to just pick it up, especially against one of the better sides.

 

[cooperblade]

It's an advantage, especially when advancing and playing out from the back. Opposition players closing centre halves down will most often try to prevent a central pass, meaning there is more space and better angles if you have a good left foot playing LCB.

There are centre halves that are comfortable playing on the "wrong" side, Maguire as mentioned is one.

There was a good article on The Athletic about how Maguire nearly always controls the ball with the outside of his right foot. It meant he rarely passed it to Luke Shaw during the Euros as he was unwilling to let the ball run across him onto his left. I think they might have used our goal v Man U as an example of when it caused him an issue

 

[Davalon]

Lopata, as with all professional footballers, should be competent using either foot.

Careful mate, a few on here are known to get very upset if you suggest a professional footballer should be willing to use his wrong foot

 

[LondonBlade89]

Polish friend tells me his last name means ‘shovel’. Great name for a centre back to be fair would probably start him now.

 

[Weasel]

Shovels up the shit thrown at us at the back.

Got to give the kid a chance at some point with a name like that.

 

[S64 Blade]

Polish friend tells me his last name means ‘shovel’. Great name for a centre back to be fair would probably start him now.

Yeah, I mentioned his name to my other half who is Polish and she said the same. Noticed he’d said on Twitter that you say his name with an L sound, which goes totally against how it’s spelt with the Ł (W sound). Maybe he just got tired correcting English people?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Lopata, as with all professional footballers, should be competent using either foot.

Veron did ok without being able to do so.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Does the foot matter in a 4 back? I don’t think it does

Can you head it? Can you boot it? Do you love a challenge? Are you tall?

Get to centre back son

 

[Caseh]

Lopata, as with all professional footballers, should be competent using either foot.

There’s competent, and then there’s being able to use it while under pressure from another professional footballer.

He’s probably better with his weak foot than anyone on this forum is with their strong foot.

 

[Berlin Blade]

We are going to be playing out from the back and trying to beat the press, so a left footed LCB in a 2 is preferable.

The reason for this is remarkably simple. If the left footed LCB plays a ball to the LB with his left foot, the ball will arc towards the opponents goal so the LB can run onto it and the ball isnt behind him. He can take it in his stride.

This means with his first touch he's already looking for the pass, it enables a much faster break and for us to move forward. If it's played with a right foot, unless it's with the outside of the boot every time (which if the LCB is being pressed it's pretty difficult to do so) the LB is going to have to get the ball under control, move forwards, THEN look up and play a pass.

It might sound tedious and miniscule but those milliseconds really count when you're trying to beat the press and move the ball forwards, It's in that half second you can find a gap in their press and exploit it.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Wopata, bring out the shovel

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=shovel+in+polish&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari

 

[Scarebus]

chuckles