James Turley

[jackal2]

If a full back can't or won't stop crosses, what good are they? Most of the time it doesn't even look like they are trying to stop the ball going in the box, but instead just run alongside the winger about two feet away. ****ing clatter him!

Well, quite!

I don't usually like praising Red Dogs, but I wish we had a couple of full-backs in the Stuart Pearce tradition. These days, the obsession with "wing-backs" seems to have left us with an entire generation of supposed defenders who cannot actually defend, or simply can't be bothered to do so. If they bother to track back at all, they just position themselves in no man's lands with their hands behind their backs, watching play rather than affecting it.

[durhampie]

I would have both Turley and Ward any day over Duffy and Brisley. What we need is 2 decent fullbacks who can stay with their man and stop crosses coming into the area. In every game we tend to give their wide men too much space which allows them to get crosses in at will.

[navypie]

Ok, I read it as sarcasm. Apologies - thanks for correcting that.

Anyway, on another point, can anyone explain why Toots got a yellow card. Certainly wasn't time wasting, possibly encroachment (which will all know he tries to get away with every game). If it was, can anyone explain why the ref was not consistent and did not book their players for doing the same in the second half. They clearly were doing it as the ref made them take the thrown from the correct place. So, if they were guilty as acknowledged by the ref, why didn't he issue the same penalty ? Was Tootle guilty of another offence, dissent perhaps ?

I am in no way blaming the ref for result, just trying to understand the inconsistency.

Sarcasm?????????? I give in. Tootle was booked for time wasting and deserved to be. Turley was doing his laces and Toots delayed taking the throw despite the ref warning him. You only stop a game for a player to do their laces in kids matches.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I would have both Turley and Ward any day over Duffy and Brisley. What we need is 2 decent fullbacks who can stay with their man and stop crosses coming into the area. In every game we tend to give their wide men too much space which allows them to get crosses in at will.

I wholeheartedly agree and t’s clear and good to know that many of us fans on here can see that we have an issue with stopping crosses getting into the box.

What I don’t understand is how and why our right and left backs give the opposing attackers too much space and time to work? Why are we not forcing them back, or pressuring them and getting tighter to them to stop them getting the cross in. Likewise a good old tackle and kicking the ball into row Z. The opposition get a throw in but you’ve stopped the cross.

Once the ball has been crossed and it ends up in the box it’s 50/50 then as to what happens. Either a defender needs to get a head on it or bring it down and control it, or the keeper needs to pluck it out of the air. Failing that the opposition plants their head on it and scores a goal, or has a chance or they bring it down and fire a shot at goal.

It’s the basics we are failing at when it comes to defending from the wings in my opinion and is one of the reasons in my view why teams have so many chances and why we have conceded the most goals of any side in league two.

It’s one area that requires urgent treatment because it’s holding us back as we can score goals and would be much higher in the table if we defended better. If you keep a clean sheet you get at least a point.

[navypie]

I think you both have your wires crossed....Magic mate, Navy is saying Turley had a TERRIFIC game today......read the first post again....then post 5?.....Navy is saying (I think,) despite the own goal, and the dodgy peno....he saved us today.

Because of your "I think " comment Tarks I feel I need to explain further. There were also no wires crossed on my part . His card at Mk didn't needed to be overturned for us all to know that it wasn't a penalty and he didn't deserved to be sent off. He scored an unfortunate own goal against Swindon but it came from a poor pass from that useless tw@t we signed from that lot from across the river. Yesterday he was immense and all that was missing was a blood splattered bandage! I wish we had 10 more Turley's in our team . Still can't believe the lad was on the scapheap when we picked him up.

[nw6pie]

I would have both Turley and Ward any day over Duffy and Brisley. What we need is 2 decent fullbacks who can stay with their man and stop crosses coming into the area. In every game we tend to give their wide men too much space which allows them to get crosses in at will.

I know full backs are told to stay on their feet and not dive into tackles nowadays, but Tootle and Evina are failing to do the most basic part of their job - stopping crosses coming in.

I would definitely bring Jones in for Evina on Tuesday (the latter whips a good cross in when he hits it first time, but is hopeless with what you’d think would be the easier skill of crossing a ball when he’s controlled it, frequently misplaces simple passes and has zero physical presence), but who can play in place of Tootle? Oxlade-Chamberlain looks too lightweight and we know Hewitt can’t play there.

Anyway, I suspect the only change will be Stead for Dennis (assuming Steady is fit).

[LaxtonLad]

Ok, I read it as sarcasm. Apologies - thanks for correcting that.

Anyway, on another point, can anyone explain why Toots got a yellow card. Certainly wasn't time wasting, possibly encroachment (which will all know he tries to get away with every game). If it was, can anyone explain why the ref was not consistent and did not book their players for doing the same in the second half. They clearly were doing it as the ref made them take the thrown from the correct place. So, if they were guilty as acknowledged by the ref, why didn't he issue the same penalty ? Was Tootle guilty of another offence, dissent perhaps ?

I am in no way blaming the ref for result, just trying to understand the inconsistency.

Perhaps you should write to the FA, I don't think the referee told any Notts Madders.

[LaxtonLad]

I know full backs are told to stay on their feet and not dive into tackles nowadays, but Tootle and Evina are failing to do the most basic part of their job - stopping crosses coming in.

I would definitely bring Jones in for Evina on Tuesday (the latter whips a good cross in when he hits it first time, but is hopeless with what you’d think would be the easier skill of crossing a ball when he’s controlled it, frequently misplaces simple passes and has zero physical presence), but who can play in place of Tootle? Oxlade-Chamberlain looks too lightweight and we know Hewitt can’t play there.

Anyway, I suspect the only change will be Stead for Dennis (assuming Steady is fit).

I think Tootle has certain health problems (I'm trying to be sensitive here) and it could be hindering his confidence to the extent of over-caution and hesitation in quick decision making - do I tackle now or not?. He has my sympathy. He is, however, our best choice for the R/B position. Can HK do anything with him? Or will he be replaced in January?

[Bohinen]

but who can play in place of Tootle? Oxlade-Chamberlain looks too lightweight and we know Hewitt can’t play there.

Don't know the answer to that, it's a bit like the post asking for the decent lads we have in midfield to be given a chance. If only there were any. I guess that the likes of 'Toots' getting player of the year awards is a sign of just how bad we've become, and how accepting of that some of our fanbase are.

Well I've seen Brindley, Pedro, Benjamin, Short, Hendon and Thompson play at right back for us and Toots' is not fit to lace their boots. It's asking too much for another Pedro, but surely we could find a Bill Brindley standard honest right back who gets stuck in. Geoff Ball standard, even.

[tarquinbeech]

Because of your "I think " comment Tarks I feel I need to explain further. There were also no wires crossed on my part . His card at Mk didn't needed to be overturned for us all to know that it wasn't a penalty and he didn't deserved to be sent off. He scored an unfortunate own goal against Swindon but it came from a poor pass from that useless tw@t we signed from that lot from across the river. Yesterday he was immense and all that was missing was a blood splattered bandage! I wish we had 10 more Turley's in our team . Still can't believe the lad was on the scapheap when we picked him up.

I think a few more players with Turley's attitude would not go amiss....agreed