Lavery and Ekpiteta

Brett&Murphs. said:
I think we can do better than both tbh. Lavery alright of bench and Ekpieteta has gone backwards, last season and this season he’s been poor.
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Don't think Ekpiteta has gone backwards at all, think he's been woefully underused to be honest, far and away our best out and out defender, Critchleys tippy Tappy football at the back is what caused his loss of confidence, big loss if he goes, and Lavery too will be a big miss, in my opinion of course.
 
We are scoring plenty of goals but we've leaked too many this season and in my opinion Ekpiteta is the best pure defender we have. If we are going to put together a run to get into the play offs it will most likely involve Marv defending like a man possessed, like he does. He's probably better in a four, but our back three has conceded too many goals when he hasn't been in it. Our other CBs are all ok but none have the presence and the pace of Marv. He had a good game at Bristol so hopefully he is adapting to the system and is set for a run in the side. He's out of contract in the summer and his next contract will be very important for him so he has much to play for.
 
I actually think Ekpiteta has done alright since being back in the team. He still definitely doesn’t look as comfortable as he did in a back 4 and I think we need to consider if we’re going to stick with this formation in the long term, whether we can get someone more suited to replace him. I personally think we’re also missing a leader at the back as none of Ekpiteta, Husband, Casey, Pennington or Connolly fill that role.

Lavery I’m torn on. If fit I’d definitely be saying he deserves a new contract but he’s just never really had that run of fitness to prove what he can do when regularly starting
 
My only concerns are Lavery’s hamstrings but both do a decent job in league one so I’d say keep as don’t think we’re off anywhere soon.
 
Brett&Murphs. said:
I think we can do better than both tbh. Lavery alright of bench and Ekpieteta has gone backwards, last season and this season he’s been poor.
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In a back three Marv ain't that good, however, he's very good in a back 4.
Lavery starting or coming OFF the bench is an asset in this division.
As I think we'll still be in league 1 next season both should be offered 1+1 deals
 
bfc1993 said:
I actually think Ekpiteta has done alright since being back in the team. He still definitely doesn’t look as comfortable as he did in a back 4 and I think we need to consider if we’re going to stick with this formation in the long term, whether we can get someone more suited to replace him. I personally think we’re also missing a leader at the back as none of Ekpiteta, Husband, Casey, Pennington or Connolly fill that role.

Lavery I’m torn on. If fit I’d definitely be saying he deserves a new contract but he’s just never really had that run of fitness to prove what he can do when regularly starting
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I am not sure I totally agree with the lack of a leader, as Pennington seems to lead by example.
 
Ekpiteta our best defender so he'd be in any team i picked. Lavery bit torn on. I'd probably say he's an average L1 striker so yep if we have ambitions we could do with better. He works hard but is he some-one who can get upwards of 15 league goals a season. Not sure, Worth a place in the squad but regular starter i have doubts about.
 
We must be watching a different player cos Ekpieteta has been woeful this season. I was his biggest fan first two seasons. Very good at recovering/last ditch stuff but is very shakey on the ball. Hopefully just a confidence/formation thing.

Lavery is ok. But he’s not a Yates or Rhodes. He’s miles off.

Both ok for league one but if we went up again I wouldn’t want either starting tbh.
 
basilexile said:
I am not sure I totally agree with the lack of a leader, as Pennington seems to lead by example.
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I think I’d agree with that but still feel there’s a difference between a Pennington type player who leads by example and a Keogh/Michael Jackson type who is going to organise the back line and demand the best from everyone
 
Ekpiteta remains our best defender certainly in terms of pace and recovery tackles. He's always had an issue when given time on the ball.
Lavery has pace and helps a pressing game. On the downside he's far from clinical and prone to hamstring injuries.
Unless Pool have identified better than they should try to keep them.
 
20togo said:
Ekpiteta our best defender so he'd be in any team i picked. Lavery bit torn on. I'd probably say he's an average L1 striker so yep if we have ambitions we could do with better. He works hard but is he some-one who can get upwards of 15 league goals a season. Not sure, Worth a place in the squad but regular starter i have doubts about.
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Played right, The Wasp will score goals- he's a finisher.

Epo I can't work out. He's a great defender when he gets things right. Sometimes he's made to look a bit silly with what the manager asks of him. Elements of Peter Clarke about him also (not a compliment).

The big question is do you build a team around players to get out of L1 or do you build a team to stay in the cship? Do the former and this will be a conversation in 2/3 seasons.
 
As good as Eki is, in a back 3 he's prone to making mistakes when the ball is at his feet but in a back 4 he's the best CH in the league.
 
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They are both decent players and we should try and keep them . . . IMO Marv is our best traditional centre defender but doesn't look comfortable at all trying to pass it out from the back.

Lavery certainly has the ability . . . he just needs to stay injury free and get on a scoring run. I'd be happy if we rotated between Rhodes, Joseph & Lavery.
 
I love Marv he didn't beat Bowler as player of the season for no reason.
He doesn't look good in a back 3 and you can't change tactics unless their a Bowler to suit one player.

Lavery is he any better than Rhodes,Morgan,Simms?
And that's just using the loan market.

I'd move on the pair of them at a push would like Marv to stay but not until we go to a back four.
Maybe next season.
 
Seasidetyler said:
Don't think Ekpiteta has gone backwards at all, think he's been woefully underused to be honest, far and away our best out and out defender, Critchleys tippy Tappy football at the back is what caused his loss of confidence, big loss if he goes, and Lavery too will be a big miss, in my opinion of course.
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Agree. Lavery has had injury to come back from this season but he is a nightmare for opposition and in my opinion, if played regular will be one of our most important players in this half of the season for our push. Ekpiteta again if he gets used properly, will be as reliable as any. Both top players in this league especially.
 
Brett&Murphs. said:
We must be watching a different player cos Ekpieteta has been woeful this season. I was his biggest fan first two seasons. Very good at recovering/last ditch stuff but is very shakey on the ball. Hopefully just a confidence/formation thing.

Lavery is ok. But he’s not a Yates or Rhodes. He’s miles off.

Both ok for league one but if we went up again I wouldn’t want either starting tbh.
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Marv is a victim of Critchley's shite system and is by far our best actual defender, yet CJ who again doesn't fit the system plays every game even when he is so bad it's comedic and gets a new deal to boot.
The sooner the system is dropped the better and we can see the best of these two players.
 
Would we really play this system in the Championship if we went up ? I think we’d be relegated before Xmas ?? You would need someone like Eki in our 18 yard box to keep that ball out of our net .Back 4 for me and swap and change the midfield and attack as per requirements .I’d keep Lavery too he can play in 3 up top or 2 up top with his pace he’s very good
 
Seasideforever said:
Would we really play this system in the Championship if we went up ? I think we’d be relegated before Xmas ?? You would need someone like Eki in our 18 yard box to keep that ball out of our net .Back 4 for me and swap and change the midfield and attack as per requirements .I’d keep Lavery too he can play in 3 up top or 2 up top with his pace he’s very good
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The system isn't the problem it's the personal in the system

Half of the Championship play a back 3
 
Well if we don’t go up the system is the ‘problem’ at this level as our squad should be top 2,spent far too much time worrying about other teams in this division,worry about teams in the championship like he did last time and kept us up not against some of the shite in this division !
 
Seasideforever said:
Well if we don’t go up the system is the ‘problem’ at this level as our squad should be top 2,spent far too much time worrying about other teams in this division,worry about teams in the championship like he did last time and kept us up not against some of the shite in this division !
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Its not the system it's the players he's using in the said system

I do agree that this squad should be top 3 and the ambition for this season has to be promotion

We are under performing
 
Eki is a great last ditch defender and a presence. But he is dodgy in possession and not a leader or organiser. Playing back four does not mean you don't need defenders who can pass the ball. So the system is a red herring in this debate.
 
I’d only be comfortable moving Marv & Shane on if we recruited better. As our model seems to be supposedly bringing in young hopefuls & developing them this would take time. So we really need to keep them. Unless we buy a few ready made better replacement’s.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
The system isn't the problem it's the personal in the system

Half of the Championship play a back 3
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Agreed Phil and it's also how he has to fit his love child in there and also tried him at W/B when there are/were better players for each position.
Unless we sign a ball-playing CH/player then the system is flawed with the current personnel.
 
Depends on which division we are in and in Lavery's case, proving his fitness. They're more than good enough for top end of League 1 when fully fit.
 
Greennutmegsmoore said:
Eki is a great last ditch defender and a presence. But he is dodgy in possession and not a leader or organiser. Playing back four does not mean you don't need defenders who can pass the ball. So the system is a red herring in this debate.
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don't really agree. In a three you are always likely to get more time on the ball than if you are in a two because there's an extra man there and two is easier to close down than three.. And it's that that causes Marv problems as well as Grimshaws lack of awareness. Grimshaw looks up to see what's on, sees there's nothing so gives it to Marv. As the centre man in a three he's always likely to have more possession of the ball than the other two so he'll be under more pressure. And as the central one you're always in more danger than the two wider ones of the three. So yep, it's not a red herring at all, it's very much central to the debate when it comes to Marv.
 
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20togo said:
Why doesn't he want to stay though? Would you go as far to say Critchley is forcing him out because of the system and lack of game time?.
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No I don't think so on this occasion

I'm led to believe we have tried to offer him a new deal but we can't reach his wage demands, he wants Championship wages

I do think that his lack of game time is linked to the fact that the manager knows he won't be staying
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
No I don't think so on this occasion

I'm led to believe we have tried to offer him a new deal but we can't reach his wage demands, he wants Championship wages

I do think that his lack of game time is linked to the fact that the manager knows he won't be staying
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He must be confident of a championship move then.
Suspect this lad from Crewe will be his replacement.
 
Marv is the best defender in our division at actually defending. Problem is he is not so good at tippy tappy football that Critchley wants us playing.

Ditch the tippy tappy and play Marv every game
 
Brett&Murphs. said:
I think we can do better than both tbh. Lavery alright of bench and Ekpieteta has gone backwards, last season and this season he’s been poor.
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If we're still in League One I'd say get them signed up but I think last season taught us the frailties of our squad and what you need in the Championship
 
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