1) MDG is not a right back 2) Farrugua is not a left back 3) Shepherd is not a right sided Centre Back
But no doubt Shepherd will be on the right on Saturday. It's taking a chance on experience, but Barrat/Shepherd is a more confident pairing than Shepherd/Earl.
Its like torture watching our defence...every game we rely on cooper to make saves. Shepherd should be OK next to a experienced cb. Like how solbauer improved mads. Please never play mdg again. First half yesterday Rotherham destroyed our fullbacks...
I think conor will know that players were asked to do a job last night outside of their natural positions, very much a case of needs must to enable us to rest a few, no big deal it wouldn't have been disastrous had we not got the result. Pretty sure they'll be a couple of bodies to come in and add a bit of depth and balance, be nice to have them in for a big game on Saturday but wouldn't be suprised either if it was the last knockings Monday
The problem is Earl & MDG are absolutely pants. Sheperd is decent but needs to form a partnership with someone if he’s playing in a back 4. We need to spend some money on a proven league 1 or 2 defender!
Shepherd has been worse than Earl all season but Earl is this years punching bag. Shepherd has struggled not only stepping up a level but into a back 4 imho.
I really don't like criticising the team but I don't think any of the above are up to the job. And due to lack of pace, Roberts only just scrapes through.
Unless something alters before Saturday player wise, I'm expecting Alfie May and Huddersfield to rip us another arse hole, our defence was shocking last season and no matter how much the ones in charge paper over it, it still is. It's only a matter of time that we get a right tonking, in my opinion Its too much of an ask to keep expecting our keeper to be the saviour, game in game out, our luck is about to evaporate we ride it that many times durring a game.
Can't see us spending money we don't have on a CB, happy to be proven wrong but think it will be a loan deal. We more than likely missed out on targets in that period where there was lots of freebies about, through what ever scenario, again I could be miles off but if we were spending money on a CB they'd probably be in the building by now unless we've got the ducks in a row connected to outgoings.
Totally disagree Earl has been poor defensively. He does play slightly better balls forward but way off defending. Shephard was far better last night. MDG isn't a footballer. He tries really hard but enough is enough
The blind defence of Shepherd is baffling. Height and physicality aside I don’t see anything to suggest he will be anything other than a high L2/ low L1 CB. Every pass is sign posted by the way he shapes his body, and is one of the stiffest players I’ve seen in years. I simply don’t buy that he’s towed because he’s 20 yard to his right and even failed to cut out the ball for Wimbledon’s second on Saturday (on the left side fwiw) whilst failing to spot the danger after Earl got arsed out of the way (which for anyone who has played any level of football will understand can happen to anyone) for their first.
Ryan Johnson was great last week against us for Wimbledon...valued £275k.. Part of the clean sheet machine from last season...named in team of the week ...surely he would come to Barnsley
The thing to recognise is that whilst I think Shepherd has been poor, I think his rise is remarkable & I've not got much doubt that he'll be a great player. Reminds me of Roberts when we first signed him - folk forget he got dropped for Kevin Long, came back in & then flew.
So that's what they're not, do we have any ideas yet as to what they actually are? Asking for a friend.
Nah, f*** that. He should be the finished article already. Regards Robbo and Long - people forget that Pinnock didn’t immediately shine. Nor Andersen.
Don't recall a massive amount of the players who have gone on to have the best careers after being sold by us being brilliant to begin with. I think he's doing pretty well considering he's had 3 or 4 different partners in the first month in a new system in a new league. Can't be easy - but same can be said for Early & MDG. What's nice is none of them hide - I think that's a pretty good sign.