are Dawson and Corluka viable ??

[Gareth Keown]

I think yesterday showed everyone watching how vulnerable these 2 can be to pace.

1st half they started as the CB pairing, and everytime we tried to play a highline in order to allow our midfielders to support the strikers, these 2 looked very uneasy - as the 1st 2 Villareal goals amply displayed.

Dawson tho improved last season, is still nevertheless just always a moment away from being skinned when the ball is played behind the Back4.... having the equally inept Corluka (who was disastrous against Sporting Lisbon when played at CB again) adds up to footballing suicide.

there are those who say Corluka is our best RB as he compliments Lennon so well... I actually think its waaaay the other way around, inthat Lennon's dynamism and ability to track back makes Corluka look twice the player he truly is - Arry I think knows this now and will start Kaboul at RB when fit.

we need a new right CB pronto.... soooner Richards, or more feasibly Curtis Davies arrives, the better.

forget the star-striker pipedream Arry and concentrate on getting that vital new RCB before the season starts.

[Biggs]

I don't rate Corluka at CB.. and dawson has shown before in my eyes that hee needs a decent CB along side him for him to play well.

i agree a new CB is needed

[Gareth Keown]

Dawson did do well last season in the games he played.... so I'm not dissing him.

but... to play well he does need a partner with pace - King or Bassong - to shore him up, in the same way the over-rated Terry has been helped over the yrs by Gallas, Carvalho and Alex..

I'm actually glad that the result highlighted our biggest weakness last night, and now I'm even surer that Arry will see the issue as a BIG prority to resolve by 14th August.

or maybe Arry knew this would happen all along, and wanted to demonstrate this to the many Spurs fans that would not have seen the problem otherwise, and generally love the hype of both Corluka and Dawson.

hope Kaboul is fit for RB duties by 14/8.

[ugs]

To be fair Corluka is not a centre back and plays well at right back, I seem to remember a game against Man City I think when he came on in the first half because the right back was being skinned (Sikora, I think). After coming on completely controlled the right half of the pitch with Lennon no probs.
 
Dawson hasn't played since May and as far as I can remember he was along with Bale was our best player last season. Don't be too quick to judge on just one game, Dawson is a quality Centre Back maybe not blessed with ligthning pace but he will lay his body on the line for the team whenever he is asked to do so, and a future club captain .... mark my words !!!
 
I do agree we are desperate for a new quality Centre Back and I would love Micah Richards although he limped off the other night injured, but remember last season we had one of the best home defensive records in the League and away wasn't too bad either.... with Dawson and A N other for most of the season !!!!!!
 
 

[Gareth Keown]

I agree Corluka isnt a CB, tho he started his career there and therefore does have experience playing there.

for me, the match highlighted the danger this year of playing without either King or Bassong, if Dawson is to be considered as the other CB - thanks Vilareal for showing this clearly last night to everyone watching the game.

I agree that we shouldnt take the result to heart, cos their last 2 goals were against the run of play in the 2nd half, and they were v.lucky with the 3rd goal - in off Corluka.

the BALANCE of the side needs to be considered foremost, and not just to include 'bigname' players in a shoe-horned fashion, to appease the fans and take the easy option.

the balance of the team was severely affected after Jenas was injured, and the midfield had no defensive cohesion and offered v.little support to the back4 by covering/tracking  opposing midfielders, leaving them acres to pick out thru'balls into space behind our slow CBs.

[CountPuchi]

Mate you need to remember, Corluka helped us alot and without him we would have no control what so ever on the right back. Sure lennon tracks back but you need to remember if Lennon goes up and lose possession Charlie gets the ball back for us or clear it. In fact to me Lennon did so effing well last season was purely down to Charlie being behind him. Lennon have no worries about tracking back (well he does track back) since Charlie is there.

Imagine it was Hutton there, 1st half against Villareal Hutton was skinned. Dawson and Corluka in CB aint good. Dawson and Bassong would be better~ I think we really should get another CB ready.

[Gareth Keown]

I disagree about RB, as I feel Kaboul is alot better than Corluka.... all the plusses (tall, good on ball, can attack, can tackle) but without the minuses (chronic lack of pace and lack of agility at changing direction fast)..

think Arry will play Kaboul when fit as the 1st choice.

deffo needa new CB option tho, as King is absent alot, and Woody is crocked, games coming thick and fast this season with either CL or Europa League.

[ugs]

I disagree about RB, as I feel Kaboul is alot better than Corluka.... all the plusses (tall, good on ball, can attack, can tackle) but without the minuses (chronic lack of pace and lack of agility at changing direction fast)..

think Arry will play Kaboul when fit as the 1st choice.

deffo needa new CB option tho, as King is absent alot, and Woody is crocked, games coming thick and fast this season with either CL or Europa League.

Both Players are 24 years old Corluka is an inch taller than Kaboul at 6' 4' and 7kg heavier plus Corluka has 25 International caps at right back for Croatia.
 
I think if anything Corluka will start at RB and Kaboul may be partnering Dawson in the middle !!!!!

[Dom07Tottenham]

We definitely need cover for CB, and should not put Hudd, or Charlie at CB out of position, and definitely not Palacios in the FA cup loss to Portsmouth, he dropped back there for a moment and it all went to pieces, this season is huge we can't afford to be messing around not putting our strongest team forward we will get punished like the Villareal game, yes only a pre-season friendly but if the scoreline was the other way we would have taken it very seriously, atleast it gives us an indication at where we are at and there is a lot of hard work to do, to improve before the season opener.

Corluka and Kaboul both were great at RB, we have a plethora of RB options, I don't know why we have kept Hutton, we have 2 right backs better than him and he won't get a game unless they are injured, then we still have Kyle1 and Kyle2,  Naughton and Walker who are admittedly still at the developing stages but both have potential.

[Gareth Keown]

lol, I cannot believe someone is actually extolling Corluka over Kaboul due to his 1 inch height and 7kgs weight advantage (?)..

might as well have Klitschko  in our team at RB in that case.... or maybe Joe Bugner.

agree that we are well catered for at RB, but I think we wwould sell Hutton if anyone bid over 3.5m (which they havent).... I actually see him as a goood understudy to Lennon as a RM - similar pace, can beat players on the outside, good crosser, v.good at attacking the box when point-of-attack from the left..

[ugs]

I disagree about RB, as I feel Kaboul is alot better than Corluka.... all the plusses (tall, good on ball, can attack, can tackle) but without the minuses (chronic lack of pace and lack of agility at changing direction fast)..

Point I was making is there is very little if no difference between the two except one's a CB one's a right back and both can interchange. Ok I'll give you that Kaboul is a marginally better Right back than Corluka is a Centre Back but that's it both do a job if asked to play out of position. You don't win 25 Caps for your country if you are no good especially if your part of the Croatian team, players need to play in position otherwise you'll end up with a complete carve up like the Scousers.
 
 

[Gareth Keown]

I think Corluka's weaknesses at RB have been well camouflaged by having Lennon at RM who tracks back v.well and assists him alot when defending.... Kaboul (and I'm not his agent btw) has more power and pace, especially on the recovery, to both dewfend, attack and then spring back into defence again (something Corluka lacks)..

due to Corluka's weakness, Lennon has been tied down alot on the right flank, and dare not move infield too much, in case Corluka is exposed.

if we play Corluka ahead of Kaboul at RB as 1st choice this season.... after Kaboul played so well there in both defence AND attack rightside, in the last 5-6 games of season.. I shall be very surprised.

[ugs]

I think Corluka's weaknesses at RB have been well camouflaged by having Lennon at RM who tracks back v.well and assists him alot when defending.... Kaboul (and I'm not his agent btw) has more power and pace, especially on the recovery, to both dewfend, attack and then spring back into defence again (something Corluka lacks)..

due to Corluka's weakness, Lennon has been tied down alot on the right flank, and dare not move infield too much, in case Corluka is exposed.

if we play Corluka ahead of Kaboul at RB as 1st choice this season.... after Kaboul played so well there in both defence AND attack rightside, in the last 5-6 games of season.. I shall be very surprised.

Do you support Woolwich Wanderers or something because you seem to have a right downer on most of the side at the moment !!!!

[Gareth Keown]

most of the side ??

Corluka is not THAT good - is that so hard to believe ?

Dawson is good but deffo needs a 'senior partner' with pace at CB alongside him eg. King.

the 25 other members of the squad, I'm quite happy with.

[chops]

i've always thought charlie was pretty solid as a rb and ok as emergency cb. still think we need a quality cb with cl experience tho