time for roberts to go?

[Big Dave]

Having Brayford on the other side will make anyone look bad...

Roberts has been one of the most consistent perfomers over the last 2 seasons and has made a lot less mistakes than 90% of the resty of the players...

Blaming him for the goal on saturday shows a profound misunderstanding of football...

If anything, Roberts has been the better player from defending crosses, alot more goals have come from crosses from Brayfords side than they have from Roberts side.

[Asanovic]

Roberts is old and quite slow, so it's easy, probably fashionable, to blame him for most things that go wrong.

But (putting my tin hat on), he's been a more consistently strong performer in the last 18 months than John Brayford IMO.

We do need a new LB, but his poor performances aren't the reason. It's lack of decent competition in that area.

[cheron85]

Roberts is old and quite slow, so it's easy, probably fashionable, to blame him for most things that go wrong.

But (putting my tin hat on), he's been a more consistently strong performer in the last 18 months than John Brayford IMO.

We do need a new LB, but his poor performances aren't the reason. It's lack of decent competition in that area.

Agreed... but I think he has the experience most of the time to deal with players that are quicker than him... I think a lot of the time he gets caught out by having to cover 2 players on his side when the opposition full backs come forwards AND provides a fair amount of cover for our inexperienced CB (whichever it happens to be at the time)...

Also, I don;t know why everyone complains about his attacking role... He gets foward pretty well to support the attack... He may not beat players or cross the ball but he provides plenty of support to the players on the left who do...

I hate it when the players who don't play glamorous football but do their jobs well get criticised...

Anyone here remember Jacob Laursen by the way? An absolutely incredible defender over 4 years for us... You barely noticed he was on the pitch for 90 mins and it wasn't until you left the ground that you realised their centre forward hadn't touched the ball all game...

[ChaddesdenRam]

Roberts has been a very average mid table, consistent championship left back. There isnt much more you can ask of Roberts he gives 100% and doesn't make many mistakes.

However if we are to make the playoffs we need a better left back that can support Ward or any left midfielder that plays going forward.

Imagine having the same presence that Coutts and Brayford have on the right on the left as well.

[Dambuster]

well surprise surprise roberts at fault again for red dogs goal how many more times because of his height, slowness and positioning is he going to be responsible for us conceding get freeman in we are safe now lets build for next season get a defensive unit together who can play every week and get to know each other.

Utter tosh - If an attacker decides to cross early there is little a defender can do about it.

[ripleyram88]

Instead of all this, "lets get a better left back who can defend" rubbish, how about lets get a left sided midfielder who can track back and help out. Too often Roberts has been left exposed by Jacobs, who is dire defensively, and on Saturday, Ward. The right side of our team is solid and consistent but Roberts is often left exposed.

This is also why he offers nothing going forward because he can't leave his left back position because no one will cover.

[dcfc88888]

Instead of all this, "lets get a better left back who can defend" rubbish, how about lets get a left sided midfielder who can track back and help out. Too often Roberts has been left exposed by Jacobs, who is dire defensively, and on Saturday, Ward. The right side of our team is solid and consistent but Roberts is often left exposed.

This is also why he offers nothing going forward because he can't leave his left back position because no one will cover.

Then we won't have any left back, we'll just have a left winger.

[ripleyram88]

Roberts has been a very average mid table, consistent championship left back. There isnt much more you can ask of Roberts he gives 100% and doesn't make many mistakes.

However if we are to make the playoffs we need a better left back that can support Ward or any left midfielder that plays going forward.

Imagine having the same presence that Coutts and Brayford have on the right on the left as well.

We don't need a "better left back who can support ward" we need someone to support Roberts in defensive duties, he always ends up with 2 men running at him and this is why he cant go forward.

If you look at the right hand side Coutts is always back there defending straight away. Unlike Ward on Saturday who a number of times lost the ball, then puffed out a Bananas of frustration, then decided to go help defend.

Once we sign someone who plays on the left who can actually defend a little bit then it will be much easier for the left back to attack, because hes got a defensive partner.

This might sound strange but playing Hoganson and Freeman down the left would work out well because they can both play LB or LM and both understand the roles. It would be better defensively and better attackingly. They may not be as good as some other players we have that can play down that side, but positionally they would be better, and they would work better together.

[ChaddesdenRam]

We don't need a "better left back who can support ward" we need someone to support Roberts in defensive duties, he always ends up with 2 men running at him and this is why he cant go forward.

If you look at the right hand side Coutts is always back there defending straight away. Unlike Ward on Saturday who a number of times lost the ball, then puffed out a Bananas of frustration, then decided to go help defend.

Once we sign someone who plays on the left who can actually defend a little bit then it will be much easier for the left back to attack, because hes got a defensive partner.

This might sound strange but playing Hoganson and Freeman down the left would work out well because they can both play LB or LM and both understand the roles. It would be better defensively and better attackingly. They may not be as good as some other players we have that can play down that side, but positionally they would be better, and they would work better together.

So your saying Roberts is exploited because of Ward not being defensive, fair enough i see your point.

It is difficult to find that balance of both being able to defend and attack Coutts and Bray have it down to a T. Whereas on the left roberts can defend and Ward can attack.

So do you sign a left back that can attack and be more of a threat overall or do you play a left midfielder that can defend like Hoganson Freeman or Ben Davies as you say. I think most Derby fans would say get a left back that can defend just as well as roberts but can attack too.

[ripleyram88]

Then we won't have any left back, we'll just have a left winger.

I play right back, and I know that I can't go forward and support the attack because the guy in front of me who plays Right midfield doesn't track back. He loses the ball and just huffs and puffs.

Besides, Derby do not play with a left winger, they play will a left sided midfield player. If we played wingers we wouldn't need the defense to overlap! Our midfield is so narrow its unreal.

[ripleyram88]

So your saying Roberts is exploited because of Ward not being defensive, fair enough i see your point.

It is difficult to find that balance of both being able to defend and attack Coutts and Bray have it down to a T. Whereas on the left roberts can defend and Ward can attack.

So do you sign a left back that can attack and be more of a threat overall or do you play a left midfielder that can defend like Hoganson Freeman or Ben Davies as you say. I think most Derby fans would say get a left back that can defend just as well as roberts but can attack too.

You could have Leighton Baines at left back but if the left midfielder is not going to defend, then he couldnt go forward ans support the attack as the left side would always be exposed. Id rather have 2 average players on the left side, who can both attack and defend to an average standard. Then the sum would outweigh the means. It would be far more consistent.

[dcfc88888]

You could have Leighton Baines at left back but if the left midfielder is not going to defend, then he couldnt go forward ans support the attack as the left side would always be exposed. Id rather have 2 average players on the left side, who can both attack and defend to an average standard. Then the sum would outweigh the means. It would be far more consistent.

I don't think we can afford Leighton Baines's'sses wages.

[ChaddesdenRam]

You could have Leighton Baines at left back but if the left midfielder is not going to defend, then he couldnt go forward ans support the attack as the left side would always be exposed. Id rather have 2 average players on the left side, who can both attack and defend to an average standard. Then the sum would outweigh the means. It would be far more consistent.

Most of the time when Baines goes forward Piennar goes with him and hardly supports defensively. Usually at Everton it is Osman or Neville who hang back to cover.

Maybe our problem is that we dont leave a CM back a bit when Roberts does get forward?

I don't think we can afford Leighton Baines's'sses wages.

I reckon he would take a pay cut to 8k a week

[RIMBAUD]

can't believe we're signing Baines.

[ripleyram88]

I don't think we can afford Leighton Baines's'sses wages.

It was an example, he was the best Left Back I could think of.

Most of the time when Baines goes forward Piennar goes with him and hardly supports defensively. Usually at Everton it is Osman or Neville who hang back to cover.

Maybe our problem is that we dont leave a CM back a bit when Roberts does get forward?

I agree, although I think maybe this is why Everton are in the Prem and we are not, because they do these things.

[Rambling]

Roberts has been a very average mid table, consistent championship left back. There isnt much more you can ask of Roberts he gives 100% and doesn't make many mistakes.

However if we are to make the playoffs we need a better left back that can support Ward or any left midfielder that plays going forward.

Imagine having the same presence that Coutts and Brayford have on the right on the left as well.

Spot on

[Big Dave]

Most of the time when Baines goes forward Piennar goes with him and hardly supports defensively. Usually at Everton it is Osman or Neville who hang back to cover.

Maybe our problem is that we dont leave a CM back a bit when Roberts does get forward?

I reckon he would take a pay cut to 8k a week

Piennar usually covers, MOTD did clips of him covering Baines and they were saying he is a good team player etc. Therefore Roberts needs help from the LM but whe ward plays up fromt it should be ok.

[needles]

Roberts has been a steady servant and a good signing. Experience vital given the make up of the rest of the squad. I can only think of him and Davies over 30.

All the same, he isn't going to get any better, and I'd imagine LB is on Nigels radar for the summer.

Never his fault on Saturday.

[dcfc88888]

Roberts has been a steady servant and a good signing. Experience vital given the make up of the rest of the squad. I can only think of him and Davies over 30.

All the same, he isn't going to get any better, and I'd imagine LB is on Nigels radar for the summer.

Never his fault on Saturday.

Agreed that he's been good in the past, I just think this season he's not as good as he was, he was an average solid LB in the first place so now he's below average?

Question is will Nigel be given the money because if not its going to be a LB from the SPL or some league 1 player who's a free in the summer. Or all 3?

Of course he may carry on. Or has he actually said he's retiring?

[needles]

Agreed that he's been good in the past, I just think this season he's not as good as he was, he was an average solid LB in the first place so now he's below average?

Question is will Nigel be given the money because if not its going to be a LB from the SPL or some league 1 player who's a free in the summer. Or all 3?

Of course he may carry on. Or has he actually said he's retiring?

I've not heard he's retiring, but I haven't seen enough yet that Hoggy, Freeman or any of the others are ready to play 30 odd games next season and there comes a point where if we're going to progress LB has to be a priority. Not knocking Robbo, just think we've evolved now to the point where he's offering less than many of the squad.

We certainly won't be buying from our rivals first teams, and we won't be buying Prem cast offs, so I'd guess SPL or League 1 is about where we're looking. Worked ok with Brayford, Bryson etc.