Left-Hand Side

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robbiez666

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For me, our biggest problem in an attacking sense since the end of lockdown has been the left hand side of the pitch.

In our promotion season and the first half of last season we were so difficult to play against as we had overlaps on both flanks. If we didn't have success down one side, we did down the other. Since lockdown, we have still looked dangerous down the right with Baldock, Bash and Lunny/Berge causing problems but not much has come down the left.

Now, there's obviously a few good reasons for that. The injury to JoC meant that the LCB wasn't getting forward anywhere near as much. Whilst Robinson has a really good left foot I don't think he has the engine or the legs to get up and back as well. Fleck too picked up a few injuries and there's been a noticeable drop-off with his form. Osborn brings much more energy but with it less nouse and creativity. End has dropped off a lot going forward. He seems much less confident or willing to put early balls in.

It's obviously a hug blow losing JoC for so long. I think Chris might have to see if moving Enda inside to the LWB position and starting Lowe helps. He did well against Burnley in the cup and I reckon Enda would be more solid in that role than Robinson.

I do think the fact that most of what we do goes down our right makes us much easier to defend against. Chris is a big fan of balance and I feel that need to be in our play as well of the footedness of those on the field. Whatever happens, there have been some posters complaining about us signing squad players and not a striker. This is why. We've bene relatively lucky with injuries in the last few years.
 

Lowe should be in the team on the left hand side. That said it was a solid game for Enda today.

Enda or Robbo to battle for the LCB spot?
 
JOCs injury has made us noticeably weaker down the left both at both ends of the pitch , although Robinson gives his all he’s nowhere near PL level .. Bamford and Mitrovic lost him on several occasions in the Leeds & Fulham games and there’s a lot better forwards than that in this division , I think Stevens has been sitting deeper & more narrow to cover him and obviously knock on effect is him not pushing on knowing that ordinarily he’d JOC supporting him .
Think Stevens in the left side of the back 3 offers us more security , played there before and has better positional sense than Robinson if not as tall with Lowe at wing back , I was disappointed we didn’t manage bring in a another LCB as I think we need Stevens ability pushing on and familiarity with our system offers more going forward . Didn’t Kongolo end up at Fulham strange that he failed medical at The Lane but passed it there ? Either that and they thought they’d take the risk ?
 
For me it would depend on the opposition, in games like today I'd go for the more defensive option of Robinson or Ampadu with Enda LWB. In the more winnable fixtures I'd play Enda and Lowe.
 

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