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There are always those who will hang onto old prejudices.
There are frequently supporters who will rarely give credit to a player that they have already pre-decided is a dud – even when he has given a 7+ out of ten performance.3 users thanked author for this post.
Played much better in 2 of the 3 friendlies. Looked shaky against Rochdale when paired with Rowe. I think he is a guy that needs a dominant CB partner to get the best out of him. Certainly good enough if he can be bothered.
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He played OK against Sheffield United and Peterborough u21s, didn’t go to the Rochdale game so I haven’t seen the goals, I don’t think criticism helps anybody before the season starts, so give players a break until we start playing league games they aren’t fully fit yet.
Absolute liability. Rowe twice the player.
Not at CB he isn’t. Taft is quality if at his best.
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I really like Rowe. He works his socks off, has bit of ability and genuinely seems to care.
His weakness is he needs a second or two to decide what to do. Not uncommon with young players. He has not enough experience yet to play by instinct which is what good experienced footballers do.
At centre back you don’t get the second or two to make your mind up which is why it is unusual to see young centre backs. Hesitation often leads to a goal chance. The rare exceptions are either very talented or extremely confident or a bit of both.
For me Rowe needs a full season or two at first choice right back. He is the best at that position currently at the club and probably at least as good as anyone we will find in the bargain bin. At full back you can get away with the odd defensive lapse and often get a chance to make a recovery tackle or block. This will boost his confidence and allows him to become an experienced defender. Then move him to centre back when he is ready.
Having a full back that is decent in the air is very useful at set pieces as well. What we save on bringing in a right back we use to bring in a decent centre back as cover for Boyce and Taft. Young is not (yet) the answer to that for the same reasons as above.
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I have yet to see Taft have a dominant display. I still have nightmares over his performance at Harrogate when we got thrashed. His lack of pace is clear to see. The latest disaster being the Rochdale game. His positional sense is poor and he gets caught in possession. He is a good header of the ball. To be of any use this campaign he needs to sharpen up, but IMO he is just a liability.
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I am surprised that there aren’t more attempts to convert CBs into CFs.
It is pretty rare these days but a good few attempts were made across the leagues in the 60s and 70s – some more successful than others, of course.1 user thanked author for this post.
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