Bradford vs Middlesbrough 0-2 (Latte Lath, Rogers)

[TeaCider24 21,192 25.6k]

Strong team though 👍

[Beep 299 321]

Fry skipper, nice one. 

[Adam P 635 2k]

2 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

 

That's a really bad sign for his faith in Engel.

Not even risking him against League Two opposition.

I think he's probably wanting to just strengthen O'briens grasp of the position and what he wants from him tbh. Doesn't bode well for Engel though who is now realistically 3rd choice LB. 

[Denzel Zanzibar 9,073 16.8k]

That's a really strong team!

[Hammy legend 1,356 1.4k]

Latte Lath and Silvera 2-1

[Changing Times 17,679 24.5k]

6 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

 

That's a really bad sign for his faith in Engel.

Not even risking him against League Two opposition.

Carrick still making dumb decisions unfortunately 🤷‍♂️

[Brunners 9,604 25.8k]

6 minutes ago, LBP said:

Dont mind that team 

First appearance of the away kit this season? 

Sure is!

[Changing Times 17,679 24.5k]

4 minutes ago, Adam P said:

I think he's probably wanting to just strengthen O'briens grasp of the position and what he wants from him tbh. Doesn't bode well for Engel though who is now realistically 3rd choice LB. 

I'd rather we strengthened O'Briens grasp on how to play in midfield for us, and pick one of the three senior left backs we have at the club, or even try a younger one out.  O'Brien isn't a left back, he wasn't particularly good on the weekend, and it concerns me that we're still messing around like this.

[Aphex_Boro 2,100 7k]

Doesn't really say much for Gilbert either

Can't have impressed in training so far

[TeaCider24 21,192 25.6k]

7 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

Carrick still making dumb decisions unfortunately 🤷‍♂️

Makes no sense to me either.

[Adam P 635 2k]

2 minutes ago, Changing Times said:

I'd rather we strengthened O'Briens grasp on how to play in midfield for us, and pick one of the three senior left backs we have at the club, or even try a younger one out.  O'Brien isn't a left back, he wasn't particularly good on the weekend, and it concerns me that we're still messing around like this.

Yeah id much rather him in midfield but with Bangura injured, Engel is probably devoid of any confidence/fans will grumble if he plays and get on his back and Coulson seemingly not fancied at all,  O'brien playing there is looking like it might be used moving forward. 

Whilst I agree he wasn't great at the weekend, he also wasn't particularly bad and we've had some shocking performances from the other candidates recently so O'brien is probably the best of a bad situation. 

[wilsoncgp 10,349 20.1k]

24 minutes ago, TeaCider24 said:

 

That's a really bad sign for his faith in Engel.

Not even risking him against League Two opposition.

We just won a game with O'Brien playing left-back and he was, barring possibly VDB at Wednesday, arguably the best fit player available who has played in that position so far this season. Perhaps that's where Carrick sees us getting the best players on the pitch right now. Perhaps he'd rather sacrifice O'Brien playing in his best position in order that the team doesn't have as big a weakness at left-back as it would if O'Brien was playing elsewhere.

It is our 6th player to try and play there this season after Coulson, McGree, Engel, Bangura and Van den Berg. Clearly nobody has outright impressed there and Engel got his *** handed to him against Sheffield Wednesday in the first half in his last game.

I'd still have picked him, personally, if it was my decision to make. I think O'Brien is a much better player than Howson and Engel has got to get to grips with this team somehow. But I don't get the furore over it, it's hardly a diabolical decision. There is some sense in trying to see if O'Brien can be the solution to a clear problem in this team right now.

[Aphex_Boro 2,100 7k]

To be fair I think the main reason O'Brien has played LW and now LB is that Carrick just isn't going to break up Howson/Hackney unless he has to, and knows O'Brien is too good a player not to play (obviously rotating for the cup is different)

[TeaCider24 21,192 25.6k]

3 minutes ago, wilsoncgp said:

We just won a game with O'Brien playing left-back and he was, barring possibly VDB at Wednesday, arguably the best fit player available who has played in that position so far this season. Perhaps that's where Carrick sees us getting the best players on the pitch right now. Perhaps he'd rather sacrifice O'Brien playing in his best position in order that the team doesn't have as big a weakness at left-back as it would if O'Brien was playing elsewhere.

It is our 6th player to try and play there this season after Coulson, McGree, Engel, Bangura and Van den Berg. Clearly nobody has outright impressed there and Engel got his *** handed to him against Sheffield Wednesday in the first half in his last game.

I'd still have picked him, personally, if it was my decision to make. I think O'Brien is a much better player than Howson and Engel has got to get to grips with this team somehow. But I don't get the furore over it, it's hardly a diabolical decision. There is some sense in trying to see if O'Brien can be the solution to a clear problem in this team right now.

It's an early round League Cup match against League Two opposition.

If you're not giving Engel a chance to improve against them, then what was the point in signing him?

We did not sign O'Brien on loan to play at left back, and this would have been a perfect opportunity to play him in the midfield where he belongs (the one position Carrick hasn't actually let him play yet).

It's a really daft decision.

[Changing Times 17,679 24.5k]

13 minutes ago, Adam P said:

Yeah id much rather him in midfield but with Bangura injured, Engel is probably devoid of any confidence/fans will grumble if he plays and get on his back and Coulson seemingly not fancied at all,  O'brien playing there is looking like it might be used moving forward. 

Whilst I agree he wasn't great at the weekend, he also wasn't particularly bad and we've had some shocking performances from the other candidates recently so O'brien is probably the best of a bad situation. 

I think the only shocking performances we've had at left back have been from Engel, and it hasn't been in every game the lad has played to be fair.  He had a nightmare first half against Sheff Wed, but then on the weekend O'Brien could barely win a tackle, and whenever they targeted him directly they went past him.  I was surprised when I came home and read how well people thought he'd played there unless it was just a comparison to Engel against Sheff Wed?  Even then he didn't really do that much of a better job at stopping Southampton.  If we're looking at him as the 'long term' left back, well for this season anyway, that would be disappointing to me.