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Vinnyjag
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As a professional footballer you should be able to do more with your weaker foot than just stand on it. Regardless of that, what happens when our left centre back gets suspended? Do we need to bring in an emergency loan as our only cover is right footed?

 

That's not what anyone's suggesting. Being more comfortable on one foot than the other is not the same as only being able to stand on your weaker foot. And no one is saying that it's completely unthinkable that a right footer can play at left centre back, just that it would be preferable to have a natural left footer there

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Even looking back at us a couple of years ago, Seaborne and Lindsay was our partnership for a good portion of the season. Both left footers, and it wasn't really an issue at any point.

 

Yes it most definitely was. Seaborne couldn't play at right centreback We were lucky to a degree that Big Liam was capable of switching but there can be no argument that he's far better playing on his natural side.

I concur with DP. You can't compare Bayern and the Madrid sides with our level. Take our own Maxie. He played SPL for a good while before before joining us. Can you imagine him playing right of centre at any level?

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To play devil's advocate, if a left-sided centre back plays on the left and a right-sided centre back plays on the right, anyone taking the ball between them can only be tackled with the wrong foot, i.e. the further away leg that is slower to get across (because the whole body has to turn) and is more likely to cause a foul - twice as much chance of conceding a foul in a dangerous area!

 

At the other end of the park, we have had long periods of only left-footed attacking players. (That may have led to the predictability of our attacking players being nullified, and kept our scoring down, though.)

 

IMHO, any professional footballer nowadays should be capable of kicking and tackling using either foot: that should be part of the job. Players that favour one side too much are easier to predict and nullify, and yes, that includes Erskine and Lawless. Notably, it doesn't include Doolan, who has worked on that, as on so much else, in his game.

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We're not at the sport's top level, though.

 

And related to this point is some players, though preferring one foot are fine with using their other foot. It is a bit ridiculous but still commonly seen that many professional football players either can't use their weaker foot of have a mental block about using it. As LIB mentioned we have had players who were OK either side and others who could only play one side. Oddly enough given this discussion Lindsay played on the right quite a few times when paired with Seabourne.

Edited by Mr Bunny
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We're not at the sport's top level, though.

 

It's all relative, though. There are all kinds of examples I could quote at our level where both CBs are right-footed. I chose to use the top level as an example because those are the teams more than anyone else who could get the best player of whatever foot preference they wanted - but they don't. Because it's not as much of a necessity as is being made out.

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Yes it most definitely was. Seaborne couldn't play at right centreback We were lucky to a degree that Big Liam was capable of switching but there can be no argument that he's far better playing on his natural side.

I concur with DP. You can't compare Bayern and the Madrid sides with our level. Take our own Maxie. He played SPL for a good while before before joining us. Can you imagine him playing right of centre at any level?

 

Seaborne couldn't, but Lindsay could. Where's the issue? Ideally Lindsay is a left-sided CB, but it's not a necessity that he plays on that side, which is the point I'm trying to make. I don't seem to recall an instance when Lindsay played with Seaborne where his foot preference affected his game in any way. In the case of Maxwell, like with Seaborne, you're quite right that he'd have been out of place on the right side of a defence, but that's an individual problem the two of them had in their respective games in that they're very rigid players. Simple solution; sign a defender who is flexible and able to play either side comfortably. Possibly ironically, we already have - if Niall Keown is our LCB next season, I'm sure he'd be fine in that role. Probably more so than the majority of left-footed CBs who are a realistic target for us.

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If John Terry said he's always had a soft spot for Thistle and wanted to sign for £500 a week, do you think Archie would have turned him away because he's predominately right footed? "Sorry big man, its a left centre were after"

 

When it comes to international football I'm firmly in the "ABE" camp, but John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard: truly brilliant players over these last couple of decades.

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If John Terry said he's always had a soft spot for Thistle and wanted to sign for £500 a week, do you think Archie would have turned him away because he's predominately right footed? "Sorry big man, its a left centre were after"

 

I'd hope he'd turn him down because he's a racist, horrible ****. But in any case, it's clear that if Archie is choosing between two players of comparable quality then he'd rather the one that can play on the left more comfortably.

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I think we are getting confused between a "Left Footed" and "Left sided" central defender. What we are looking foris a player whos is comfortable in playing on the left of a two, or thee man defence. What foot he prefers to kick with is not relevant, it is being comfortable in that position that is. As has been mentioned, there have been some excellent right footed left sided defenders and some excellent defenders who are uncomfortable when playing on the wrong side of the line.

 

We all agree that we have a specific requirement and we need to trust Archie to find the right player for what he wants to fit that requirement.

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But in any case, it's clear that if Archie is choosing between two players of comparable quality then he'd rather the one that can play on the left more comfortably.

 

Exactly.

 

Btw I never want to hear the expression "he's comfortable playing anywhere across the back". Dick Campbell turned that into the euphemism "he isnae capable of haudin' onto any one position in the Juniors". :)

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It's all relative, though. There are all kinds of examples I could quote at our level where both CBs are right-footed. I chose to use the top level as an example because those are the teams more than anyone else who could get the best player of whatever foot preference they wanted - but they don't. Because it's not as much of a necessity as is being made out.

 

Because these guys are the very, very best. Supremely comfortable with either foot.

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All Be it a friendly 0-0 against League 1 standard is a decent result..Defence will never be a struggle for us as we have two of the best coaching them day in day out and we have always been solid under Archie..So can we please as i am sure we are concentrate on getting the right attacking player in who's going to assist Dools in the goal scoring department wether that be a midfielder/winger/striker..This is absolutely our priority not a left sided centre back although one of these are welcome also

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