Topfarrier
UTC Legend
Surely nobody can still doubt that he's not our best option as a left sided wing back.....outstanding tonight.....the attacking threat down the left was like night and day compared to Saturday.
Smithy.....
- Thread starter Topfarrier
- Start date
Garbo
UTC Legend
...an on song Smith is a good asset to JT and so it proved last night in the second half as Bristol City backed off us...
NWCherries98
Fans' Favourite
Had a great game. I think Smith cutting inside is more effective when we have a two man midfield, he almost becomes an extra body in the centre which can help us to dictate the play better. With 3 in midfield it gets far too congested with him doing this though.
cherrycarl2004
First Team
I thought Kelly was brilliant yesterday, and JT has a massive dilemma with him and Rico both excellent at LCB. I have been saying for weeks now that I think Smith is good at LWB and that we shouldn't move Rico there. I sad this because I felt he lacks the pace and intensity for the role. He is far more suited to a restricted role at LCB. What is great is you could have either Kelly or Rico because they both create overloads down the left when we attack.
Don't worry yourself too much over this. We'll probably sell one of them in January!
NWCherries98
Fans' Favourite
Rico has been our best player so far, by far, according to Whoscored's stat aggregation thing, and has also been the 6th best player in the Championship. I think it would be very, very harsh for him to drop to the bench; Kelly had a good game at LCB but his early season form was pretty poor tbh, and I don't think he's done enough to just bench Rico.
DJ
Moderator
Personally I didn’t join the clamour for Rico at left centre back, so made perfect sense to give a run to your first choice back three.
Great balance of Mepham, Cook and Kelly. Three very classy players.
Rico offers good options as back up left centre back, left back or left wing back, so he will get plenty of minutes.
Great balance of Mepham, Cook and Kelly. Three very classy players.
Rico offers good options as back up left centre back, left back or left wing back, so he will get plenty of minutes.
NWCherries98
Fans' Favourite
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Garbo
UTC Legend
...two different types of player tbh Kelly looks to be a better defender but Rico has a better left foot (although we haven't seen it at it's best thus far)
I reckon Kelly will end up being a more natural CB whilst Rico will be more of an attacking wing back.
JT is lucky to have both in his squad though and I glad that Diego has stayed with us.
I also thinkl tnat if we return to the PL next season we will be a stronger unit with the likes of Diego, Lloyd and Arnault in the squad.
I reckon Kelly will end up being a more natural CB whilst Rico will be more of an attacking wing back.
JT is lucky to have both in his squad though and I glad that Diego has stayed with us.
I also thinkl tnat if we return to the PL next season we will be a stronger unit with the likes of Diego, Lloyd and Arnault in the squad.
NWCherries98
Fans' Favourite
I'm sorry but Rico starts over Kelly, for me, whenever he's fit as a LCB. I mean;
- Most successful tackles per game
- Most interceptions per game (and in the league)
- 3rd most Key Passes per game
I don't want to sound like I'm bashing Kelly, because I'm not, but Rico has been better, per game, in practically every meaningful statistic.
- Most successful tackles per game
- Most interceptions per game (and in the league)
- 3rd most Key Passes per game
I don't want to sound like I'm bashing Kelly, because I'm not, but Rico has been better, per game, in practically every meaningful statistic.
wimborne cherries
First Team
Kelly is proving to be brilliant overlapping and as you said, this also helps Smith out a great deal
DJ
Moderator
I’ve only seen three games. He played left centre back in one, left wing back in another and didn’t play the next.
So my opinion is based more on knowing the potential Kelly holds and being happy to play him past any “patchy” spells.
Kelly was excellent against Bristol City and in games last season. At his best Kelly is better than Rico in my view in that role.
Edit - actually I’ve seen 4 games, 2 at left centre back.
Last edited:
DJ
Moderator
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
All we've heard about Kelly is how good he's going to be but I have to say that before yesterday I wasn't really seeing what everyone else was.
He seems to dwell on the ball and take unnecessary risks, so much so that Willow was very harsh on him in two games earlier this season - Willow being harsh!
I do think he has a lot of potential but unlike Kelky Rico hasn't really put a foot wrong at LCB. Anyway, it's not a bad selection dilemma to have I suppose.
I thought it worked a lot better with Kelly next to him as he is more comfortable going forward and making overlapping runs than Rico. That LCB position is a bit of a conundrum, Rico is easily our best defender when played there but Kelly offers more going forward.
Kenya Cherrie
UTC Legend
Rico can't start every week, too many games, so having Kelly to share the games is a good thing. This season is going to be a long one.
Topfarrier
UTC Legend
It's certainly a difficult one because they are both two good to be left out but you can't really judge Kelly on what he did at the end of last season unless we start playing with a back 4.....on what we have seen so far this season it's not even close....Rico has been faultless ...our best player by some way imo......Kelly was very poor against Blackburn ....erratic against Watford and very good last night....although more so in an attacking sense than a defensive one imo....so much so that i'd much rather see him play as a wing back than i would Rico.
Our wing backs are probably going to need rotating more than any other outfield player so it might be time to rest Stacey with Smithy taking his place and Kelly playing that LWB role.....he seems to have all the attributes for it anyway.
Our wing backs are probably going to need rotating more than any other outfield player so it might be time to rest Stacey with Smithy taking his place and Kelly playing that LWB role.....he seems to have all the attributes for it anyway.
ChampagneCherry
First Team
Coming back to the original question, I will start by declaring a bias against Smithy because he disappoints every time he falls over, dives, berates a ref, and generally makes a meal of things. I couldn't be pro manager because I would drop players for that.
Next just because we saw one good second half performance from Smith at LWB I wouldn't make him my preferred choice. He wasn't effective in the first half and was guilty of giving the ball away, as well as receiving the ball in our half with poor body shape which is inclined to takes us backwards not forwards.
He played well 2nd half but their right back let him get by too easily so I can't see him doing that every week. He's played more ineffective games than good imo. As mentioned above, it wasn't until Kelly joined in that we had real balance and threat.
The question shouldn't be is he best option to help us win this league, but if we win it with him, will we have won the league ready for next. For that reason, I would prefer to see Rico/Kelly/Zemura as Smith can't improve to be PL quality LWB. Actually don't think it is fair to him.
What he did show is that he is in good enough form and deserves to play RWB so Jack can sit one out. Resting and competition for places in one. No one was amazing against a resolute Watford, so Rico deserves to come back in on strength of season so far. Challenge is Zemura for me is the option we need to risk developing for next year. That's where the upside is. We need a cushion and cup games to do it.
Overall these are great problems to have. No one is that much better in any one position. We are seeing a tussle between Danjuma and Stanislas, neither one affording a bad patch to risk losing minutes.
So no argument he played well but one good half doesn't get any player a nailed on position. It's going to be a season long battle for places which will help them all succeed.
Next just because we saw one good second half performance from Smith at LWB I wouldn't make him my preferred choice. He wasn't effective in the first half and was guilty of giving the ball away, as well as receiving the ball in our half with poor body shape which is inclined to takes us backwards not forwards.
He played well 2nd half but their right back let him get by too easily so I can't see him doing that every week. He's played more ineffective games than good imo. As mentioned above, it wasn't until Kelly joined in that we had real balance and threat.
The question shouldn't be is he best option to help us win this league, but if we win it with him, will we have won the league ready for next. For that reason, I would prefer to see Rico/Kelly/Zemura as Smith can't improve to be PL quality LWB. Actually don't think it is fair to him.
What he did show is that he is in good enough form and deserves to play RWB so Jack can sit one out. Resting and competition for places in one. No one was amazing against a resolute Watford, so Rico deserves to come back in on strength of season so far. Challenge is Zemura for me is the option we need to risk developing for next year. That's where the upside is. We need a cushion and cup games to do it.
Overall these are great problems to have. No one is that much better in any one position. We are seeing a tussle between Danjuma and Stanislas, neither one affording a bad patch to risk losing minutes.
So no argument he played well but one good half doesn't get any player a nailed on position. It's going to be a season long battle for places which will help them all succeed.
