Life is about balance...

...so, on balance, if we're going to play with wingbacks, I think we'd be better served by having Manquillo and Dummett there.

Murphy is a barely adequate winger-much as I like his effort and attitude-and gets caught out defending (not his fault) whereas Manquillo, whilst he's awful at LB, is actually ok at rb and can actually be productive going forward.

Ritchie, likewise, is a barely adequate winger but also one whose legs have gone and has proved he's canny shit at defending too, being directly responsible for at least 3 goals this season. Not the best candidate, then, for a position that, above all, requires a decent motor to cover the amount of ground required. Whilst Dummett doesn't offer as much going forward (although how often do Ritchie's crosses actually find their target?), as a defender it's the difference between night and day when you compare the two.

So, when you balance out their relative strengths and weaknesses, I think those two would give us more defensively which is clearly what we need at the moment.

Oh, and it's still a case of square pegs in round holes but maybe the holes are a bit bigger and more accomodating.

Thoughts?

Quote from Albert Einstein "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

Basically agreed Zip.

I like Ritchie but he's not what Bruce is trying to make him.

My thoughts are that we shouldn’t be playing 5-3-2. Our squad is already sub standard so why play players out of position?