Bassey’ best position?

LB or CH?

  • LB

    Votes: 137 60.1%

  • CH

    Votes: 91 39.9%
  • Total voters
    228
AriseSirWalter

AriseSirWalter

Well-Known Member
Official Ticketer
He says he prefers LB but wonder if that’s changed any given his recent performances at CB.

He’s big, powerful, comfortable on the ball with a great engine. More powerful than your typical LB, more mobile than your typical centre half.

Do you prefer him as a powerful LB or a ball playing centre half?

He’s still raw and has to become commanding in the air but I prefer him at centre half. Needs an experienced Goldson type beside him just now but has got a potential to be our CH for years to come.
 
He’s been fantastic for us at CB, it’s hard to say, excellent potential wherever we play the big fella
 
I think the big man could be the find of the season as CH. his positional sense has improved so much since he’s first game in there Vrs Sparta Away & his distribution has improved a lot the last 3/4 games.

I love how he’s on the front foot & steps out with the ball. He deserves his spot in the team with the string of clean sheets recently.
 
AdiCR2 said:
I think left of a back 3 he would excel but we will never go with that.

He has played better in 4 weeks at CB than he has since he signed with us IMO
Click to expand...
I agree but we would suffer from having to fit him in there as we don’t require to play that formation.
 
Last edited:
Michael Mols said:
I like him at left back because of his ability to run with the ball. If we can improve his crossing I think he’d be a perfect replacement for Borna.
Click to expand...
Agree with you mate, it is a bit of a waste of an energetic player.

Add to that his heading isn't the strongest, he can learn it of course.
 
ATM we've helander who I prefer there, and need him to challenge Borna.
So LB for me, but every confidence in him covering at CB
 
He has done well at CB recently, with the exception of the Hearts game, but his future will be at LWB.
 
He’s still very raw in the CH position. I think for now LB is still best for him but could easily see him developing into a proper CH in a season or two
 
The boy is clearly a centre half now, and that will be where Gio seems him. Suspect we will sign a left back to replace Simpson when he leaves and Bassey will then only play LB in a real emergency.
 
Egt said:
The boy is clearly a centre half now, and that will be where Gio seems him. Suspect we will sign a left back to replace Simpson when he leaves and Bassey will then only play LB in a real emergency.
Click to expand...
Yes these few games he's played there, due to injuries, have proven that beyond doubt..
 
I feel like the big man is going to be one of those guys that plays 4 or 5 positions for us. Like a modern Craig Moore.
 
BlueSevenTwo said:
Left back
Has done well covering CB but still doesnt have enough presence in the air.
Click to expand...
Agree with this.
He is a unit and playing well but don't think he is our long term solution at CH.
Personally don't think he is tall enough to give that presence in the air.
Still has done a good job though.
 
LB, he still looks a little lost at times playing CB but ask again in a year and it could be a very different response.

Hard to believe that come February he could be struggling to get a game in either position.
 
The fact the poll is so close speaks volumes for how well he has filled in at cb. I voted cb but think he's equally effective in both tbh. Reminded me of Amo and Bougherra the other night, bombing forwards with the ball at their feet if nothing else was on.
 
I think he's our best left back right now in the formation Gio wants to play, with one full back staying back whilst the other attacks. He's better defensively than Borna, and has a great engine and pace too.

I love the guy, but if we had to sell a key player from the last few seasons in order to strengthen in January (and potentially free up funds to renew Goldson's contract), it'd be Barisic for me since we already have his ready made replacement.
 
Hes done a decent job at CB all things considered, especially his lack of experience there and in the first team generally.

However you can see for all his natural ability on and off the ball his does not read the game broadly well enough, not even close. That may well come in time of course but its a risk to have him playing there and obvs if Rangers had their other CBs fit he wouldnt be.

You have to give Goldson a lot of credit for helping him through these games and maybe if he wasnt there Bassey might not have settled so well.

As an emergency option hes been ok but theres no way hes going to play CB for Rangers once all are present and correct. Besides his pace and power seem far more potent playing wider and attacking the flank both defensively and going forward.
 
Left back allows him to use his energy more . However I'm absolutely delighted with I'm at centre back . The odd mistake apart , he is doing great . Plenty of energy as well . Positive energy that needs to play .
 
I don’t think he’s ready to be a centre half .he is still too raw .he’s heading needs to improve greatly , in time he might be a centre half .but not now
 
How about centre forward.

Big powerful and so quick. Could be a new Hateley.

Tav as right winger can fire in great crosses for him.

Good cover for central role but prefer Bassey as wingback.
 
He's improving at CB but positionally still a bit inexperienced. Goldson has covered him brilliantly these last games. McGregor also bailed us a few times
 
Left back all day long.

He's a good central defender, but compared to our 3 natural central defenders, he's very weak in the air.

He will become an absolute top drawer left back.
 
Great as his performances at CB have been - he still looks like a player out of position to me

His limitations in the air - not just heading but covering balls in the air & the timing of his jumps - could be exploited by many opponents- but thankfully most teams in the SPL haven't tested him - yet

To give him his due - he's fast & strong enough to deal with most of his mistakes - but it would be better not to make errors in the first place

He's constantly learning & improving so he may well resolve all of the above issues in the near future - but right this minute - I wouldn't see him as 1st choice CB when Helander is available, fit & on form

This must sound pretty negative but it's a big positive to have a young player capable of providing competition to more than one position & who is getting better all the time
 
AriseSirWalter said:
He says he prefers LB but wonder if that’s changed any given his recent performances at CB.

He’s big, powerful, comfortable on the ball with a great engine. More powerful than your typical LB, more mobile than your typical centre half.

Do you prefer him as a powerful LB or a ball playing centre half?

He’s still raw and has to become commanding in the air but I prefer him at centre half. Needs an experienced Goldson type beside him just now but has got a potential to be our CH for years to come.
Click to expand...
Whatever role he plays he’s still learning it.
He has the right attributes and profile to play either position however mistakes at CB can often be more harshly punished.
We need to accept he will make a few- and he has- but we have to be pleased with how he is developing
 
Don't want to be too critical as I like him.

At CB, he has done well as cover & he has improved but think he's an accident waiting to happen. Big weakness positionally which means he is v open to folk running off the back of him. Also weak in the air.

More solid at LB but defensive positioning is his achilles heel. Wouldn't have said there was a place for him in Gerrard's system due to his crossing ability but feels like he's a better fit in Gios.

Still v young as well so plenty improvement still to be had
 
AdiCR2 said:
I think left of a back 3 he would excel but we will never go with that.

He has played better in 4 weeks at CB than he has since he signed with us IMO
Click to expand...
If we were to go to a 3 as a way to get Patterson and Tav in the team together playing a system like Scotland for Tierney/ Robertson, Bassey would be a great choice for the left side as a ball carrying, attacking defender.

In a 2 he's okay in games we dominate for the same reason if he gets to play on the front feet breaking up attacks on the high press and countering.

However, he gets exposed by decent sides. He doesn't deal with movement so he loses runners from midfield and there's also an issue with strikers running behind, but he also loses his guy constantly at set-pieces which is a worry wherever he is in the team. And lastly he seems to get himself "planted" facing cross balls so he can't move his feet quickly enough to deal with low, hard crosses - which has led to a couple of own goal adventures in the last few games.

I think the last issue is coachable but the awareness of what is happening around him isn't easy to teach. Some players have it instinctively and some learn it over time but Ibrox isn't an environment for developing on the job over a few years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top