Failure to address right-hand side of attack

B

BlueArmada

Well-Known Member
Clearly there are lots of problems with the squad but I'm wondering if this transfer window will finally see us address the right hand side of our attack?

It's an area that's been completely neglected for years and various managers have seemed happy to rotate any number of different players in this position as if it's not that important. Gerrard managed to successfully rotate Roofe/Hagi/Aribo during 55 but none were actually proper right wingers.

Since then we've had a range of random players there and my question is why? This is an area of the park which is absolutely key to us scoring and creating goals. Imagine if we'd had a proper right-sided forward this season who was even able to knock on 10 goals from that side of the pitch.

We seem to have done ok on the left hand side and even right-footed players like Matondo and Sakala contributed best in that area. Is it just really difficult to find a left-footer equivalent? Have we just had to focus on other positions? Is it because Tav contributes goals from the right so we've felt we didn't need that sort of player?

People understandably focus on the centre forward but as most teams do, we only play with one. We need goals right across that front 3. Don't know if this deserved it's own thread but it's been eating away at me since our season went down the toilets a few weeks ago.
 
Totally agree. We have wasted too much on inadequate centre halves & Central midfielders who are not up to the job.
 
For years it was the left side of midfield we failed to recruit in but now it does seem with inverted wingers the right side of the team has been neglected.

I've been told on here Cortes is a right winger although we used him on the left because Sima was injured so perhaps if he is signed that area is being addressed.
 
I don't think it's that complicated to be fair, Tav has been playing RB during that time and is literally the highest scoring British defender of all time.

People will argue over whether they think he is good or not, but that is clearly the reason why the right side of attack hasn't been a priority. I think (at least I hope) that we will start to see a change from next season and less pressure will be put on our RB to be one of the main goal contributors.
 
Vital part of the game today, see Madrid with Vini Jr and Rodrigo, Liverpools success with Salah and Mane as we see the game change and more goals coming from the wide areas and the out and out CF seemingly becoming a dying breed.

Our recruitment across the board has been pretty shocking and only Sima has really contributed enough goals from wide areas in recent times
 
It's a fair point.

It's probably because of the goal contributions Tav brings from that side of the park that it has been overlooked to a degree. Beale didn't have a clue where folk would play that he was signing.

The left and right wings are key attacking areas that we need to strengthen big time, along with many other positions.
Obviously Cortes may be part of the team next year, time will tell whether that's a good acquisition or not.

Absolutely depressing that we are facing another team rebuild this summer.
Clement needs to clear out the weeds or he will fall on the same sword his predecessors have.
 
Sima, Matondo, Silva, Cortes on the left (or was Cortes on the right??)

McCausland on the right
 
Other than goalkeeper you’d be hard pressed to find any part of our team that hasn’t been addressed properly in multiple windows now.

How many players have we signed over the last two seasons and we still look like we need almost an entirely new side yet again.
 
stefanovitch said:
For years it was the left side of midfield we failed to recruit in but now it does seem with inverted wingers the right side of the team has been neglected.

I've been told on here Cortes is a right winger although we used him on the left because Sima was injured so perhaps if he is signed that area is being addressed.
Click to expand...

All the scouting content at the time said Cortes is equally capable on either wing, just plays different roles on right vs left.
 
Beale had the opportunity to address it; but decided to buy another 10 in Lammers when we already had Cantwell and Lawrence.

Our squads a mess and completely unbalanced, we just need to see what clement does in the summer to sort it, we can't keep going on making the same mistakes every summer.
 
WinkieWATP said:
Why? TAA has similar defensive deficiencies to Tav but Liverpool have Salah on the right hand side.

There is no reason not to have a goal threat from the RWF at all.
Click to expand...
Because we don’t allow our rw to get close to our striker, they are either covering their runners or getting waved out wide by Tav do he can come inside, Obviously this is the coaches instruction and not solely on Tav. But that is what people mean by the system has to change, Yes it’s benefits us by having a high scoring rb but it’s handicapping the team
 
Henry Hill said:
Sima, Matondo, Silva, Cortes on the left (or was Cortes on the right??)

McCausland on the right
Click to expand...
Cortes is predominantly a right winger or a 10. Sima has played most of his career on the right or up front. Injuries kept pushing players onto wrong wings etc and in the case of Sima and Cortes kept them there. Matondo has played his best, most effective football on the left wing. Up until his time in Belgium he played on the right.
 
Blutoe said:
Moving Tav up one and buying a solid right back who defends might work
Click to expand...
When did this nonsense start about ‘moving Tav up’? The guy has been a great buy but he was done a while ago, yesterday’s man, we need to move on and start a younger more mobile team.
Why do people want to hang on like grim death to players who are in sharp decline? It’s why we are the mess we have been the last few years. Give Phil the chance to build his team and move on from the failures
 
I know empire is gonna tell me we were never interested but skov Olsen is exactly the type we should’ve signed.

Quick, direct, good finisher

48 games this season for Brugge, 26 goals and 8 assists, imagine those numbers from our right hand side
 
BlueArmada said:
Clearly there are lots of problems with the squad but I'm wondering if this transfer window will finally see us address the right hand side of our attack?

It's an area that's been completely neglected for years and various managers have seemed happy to rotate any number of different players in this position as if it's not that important. Gerrard managed to successfully rotate Roofe/Hagi/Aribo during 55 but none were actually proper right wingers.

Since then we've had a range of random players there and my question is why? This is an area of the park which is absolutely key to us scoring and creating goals. Imagine if we'd had a proper right-sided forward this season who was even able to knock on 10 goals from that side of the pitch.

We seem to have done ok on the left hand side and even right-footed players like Matondo and Sakala contributed best in that area. Is it just really difficult to find a left-footer equivalent? Have we just had to focus on other positions? Is it because Tav contributes goals from the right so we've felt we didn't need that sort of player?

People understandably focus on the centre forward but as most teams do, we only play with one. We need goals right across that front 3. Don't know if this deserved it's own thread but it's been eating away at me since our season went down the toilets a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...

We’ve failed to address a lot of positions the last few years & the failure to push on after winning 55 (I know we were skint blah blah etc) will be biting us on the arse for a few seasons now I reckon.

Celtic with their £70 million war chest (let’s face it they won’t be paying even half of that out in compo) plus another £50 million champs league cash could seriously bury us for the next decade.

We have to hope their usual hubris bites them on the arse again.
 
It’s mad to think the best combo was away back to Candieas/Tav, they worked well together.
I actually thought McCausland/Tav was starting to look good then Ross got injured.
 
Jim Denny said:
When did this nonsense start about ‘moving Tav up’? The guy has been a great buy but he was done a while ago, yesterday’s man, we need to move on and start a younger more mobile team.
Why do people want to hang on like grim death to players who are in sharp decline? It’s why we are the mess we have been the last few years. Give Phil the chance to build his team and move on from the failures
Click to expand...
He’s 32 not 40 - reducing the defensive responsibilities might give him a new lease of life.
 
Understand folk saying we've failed to properly address a lot of areas and positions but I think we've at least tried to with varying levels of success/failure, whereas we haven't bought anyone since maybe Wright who's definite position was the right side of attack.

In the last few years, on the rare occasion we had a mostly fit squad, you could probably name 10 out of 11 starters. The right hand side has always seemed to be up for grabs with no one in particular standing out as being great there.
 
Captain_Buns said:
We’ve failed to address a lot of positions the last few years & the failure to push on after winning 55 (I know we were skint blah blah etc) will be biting us on the arse for a few seasons now I reckon.

Celtic with their £70 million war chest (let’s face it they won’t be paying even half of that out in compo) plus another £50 million champs league cash could seriously bury us for the next decade.

We have to hope their usual hubris bites them on the arse again.
Click to expand...
Mate, we need to factor in that there is a ceiling for the type of player that will come to play in SPFL. They won't bring in a £20mill player for example, not even a £10mill player will come here these days, there are better options for those guys.
They will be shopping in the £5-£7mill market at the very most.
 
If Sima and Cortes both stayed fit then Sima would probably have played on the right. Hopefully we'll sign a left footer who can cut in and shoot.
 
Blutoe said:
Moving Tav up one and buying a solid right back who defends might work
Click to expand...

How about we buy a reliable RB who can defend first and foremost, address the right side of attack and if that means leaving Tavernier out, do it.

There can be no more excuses or heads in the sands moving forward. It's gone on for too long now and here were are again - watching celtic lift another league title.

Suggesting moving Tavernier out of position or playing with a player in front of him who is sound defensively to make up for our captains defensive frailties is nonsense.
 
A decent left footed player on the right is sadly missing, and has been for 2 seasons now.

If we could get a speedier Aribo / Hagi type then we would be vastly improved.
 
rfcally91 said:
We had diallo and gio didn’t use him lol

We need to sign a left footed right winger in the summer
Click to expand...

The wee guy couldn’t keep fit, similar theme throughout his career. Very much Matondo vibes.

GvB did, did you watch his performance at the piggery, one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Did Man Utd pay £37million for him.

www.skysports.com

Amad Diallo: Manchester United's latest signing profiled

Man Utd reached an agreement with Atalanta for Amad Diallo in the summer transfer window and the club have now confirmed the deal, with the wingers arrival at Old Trafford imminent; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: I believe he is one of the most exciting young prospects in the game
www.skysports.com www.skysports.com

Or what about Tannadice when we blew the title all he had to do was square the ball for an empty net but goes himself and hits the post.
 
Angrybluebear said:
The wee guy couldn’t keep fit, similar theme throughout his career. Very much Matondo vibes.

GvB did, did you watch his performance at the piggery, one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Did Man Utd pay £37million for him.

www.skysports.com

Amad Diallo: Manchester United's latest signing profiled

Man Utd reached an agreement with Atalanta for Amad Diallo in the summer transfer window and the club have now confirmed the deal, with the wingers arrival at Old Trafford imminent; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: I believe he is one of the most exciting young prospects in the game
www.skysports.com www.skysports.com

Or what about Tannadice when we blew the title all he had to do was square the ball for an empty net but goes himself and hits the post.
Click to expand...

Matondo vibes fuuck me he actually had ability for a start.

It’s been said he was late for meetings and attitude sh*te in training but he was clearly a talented player.

He started for Man Utd at the weekend.
 
I can’t believe the % of our support that cling on to Tav as some form of comfort blanket. I don’t want to devalue his input to the club and at hiis best 3-4 years ago he was a great asset.

However, he’s on his last legs and can’t do what he did 3-4 years ago, so we are basically left with an average full-back that no longer gives the attacking threat of old and those goals ghosting in at the back post. This and the insistence that he takes all left side corners, throwing out the balance of the team for minutes, as it takes him forever to return to RB has to end.

Save me the bit about pushing him forward, his final ball is now invariably 1st defender or too long. Thank you for your service Tav, go out on a high at Hampden but we need root and branch change or we will just rinse and repeat every season.
 
rfcally91 said:
Matondo vibes fuuck me he actually had ability for a start.

It’s been said he was late for meetings and attitude sh*te in training but he was clearly a talented player.

He started for Man Utd at the weekend.
Click to expand...

Only because they had no one else

He has been involved in 7 league matches for Man Utd this season

Beat 2-1 away to Forrest
Beat 2-1 at home to Fulham
2-2 draw at Bournemouth
4-2 win at home to Sheffield Utd
1-1 draw at home to Fulham
Beat 4-0 away to Palace
Beat 1-0 home to Arsenal

Tearing it up he is, 1 win bonus in his pocket.

He has some level of talent but will never make it if he can’t get a game in the worst Man Utd side in decades.
 
Our entire recruitment policy has centred around square pegs in round holes.

Nothing epitomises that more than our RW dilemma. It takes a very niche skill set to be able to play as effectively on one wing as on the other side.

Yet we routinely sign players who are effective at LW and expect a solid contribution from them at RW. And it always, always fails.

And watch us do it again in the summer.
 
EK1422 said:
Our entire recruitment policy has centred around square pegs in round holes.

Nothing epitomises that more than our RW dilemma. It takes a very niche skill set to be able to play as effectively on one wing as on the other side.

Yet we routinely sign players who are effective at LW and expect a solid contribution from them at RW. And it always, always fails.

And watch us do it again in the summer.
Click to expand...
Yeah thinking about Matondo, Sakala and even Sima as recent examples of this. All three have been more effective on the left rather than on the right due to being able to cut in on their right foot. For me, with the likes of Matondo, you either play him on the left or not at all, the difference is that stark.

I guess challenging trying to find a left-footed winger good enough to do that job on the other side that's within our budget. With Tav sadly on the wain it's probably time to rethink that whole right-hand side.
 
Blutoe said:
He’d be better than McCausland. I think too many have written him off.
Click to expand...
Tav strengths are running on to the ball with space in front. If you move him up one he’s regularly going to be receiving the ball on the half turn or with his back to goal rather than running on to it. It’s the same issue you see Sterling having in that role. He isn’t a winger.
 
Angrybluebear said:
Only because they had no one else

He has been involved in 7 league matches for Man Utd this season

Beat 2-1 away to Forrest
Beat 2-1 at home to Fulham
2-2 draw at Bournemouth
4-2 win at home to Sheffield Utd
1-1 draw at home to Fulham
Beat 4-0 away to Palace
Beat 1-0 home to Arsenal

Tearing it up he is, 1 win bonus in his pocket.

He has some level of talent but will never make it if he can’t get a game in the worst Man Utd side in decades.
Click to expand...

How’s the wee man getting on tonight mate? lol
 
the ginslinger said:
He was
Click to expand...
BlueArmada said:
Yeah thinking about Matondo, Sakala and even Sima as recent examples of this. All three have been more effective on the left rather than on the right due to being able to cut in on their right foot. For me, with the likes of Matondo, you either play him on the left or not at all, the difference is that stark.

I guess challenging trying to find a left-footed winger good enough to do that job on the other side that's within our budget. With Tav sadly on the wain it's probably time to rethink that whole right-hand side.
Click to expand...
Morelos was great at going out to the right and link up play with tav/arfield and aribo was in and around there.

We have never really liked c at that position since candies because we didn't really need to until last summer.
 
Angrybluebear said:
Only because they had no one else

He has been involved in 7 league matches for Man Utd this season

Beat 2-1 away to Forrest
Beat 2-1 at home to Fulham
2-2 draw at Bournemouth
4-2 win at home to Sheffield Utd
1-1 draw at home to Fulham
Beat 4-0 away to Palace
Beat 1-0 home to Arsenal

Tearing it up he is, 1 win bonus in his pocket.

He has some level of talent but will never make it if he can’t get a game in the worst Man Utd side in decades.
Click to expand...
What do you mean he will never make it?

He will have a career better than most who play professional football, even if he doesn’t get more than a handful of games for Man Utd and moves on to a level below.
 
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