Askou...Nelson...Doc...Discuss

[Drazen Muzinic 1,301]

Plenty has been said on this board about the lazarus-like improvement from Michael Nelson this season.

Yes, he''s looked slow and one-dimensional at times but very, very effective at others alongside the Doc.

He made Askou the forgotten man for the second half of the season but yesterday I saw glimpses of why Askou and the Doc looked so good together.

Askou wasn''t at his best but he was playing his first full game for ages.

So, if you were in charge, who would be your centre back pairing next season?

Is the Doc a certainty?

Who plays best alongside him?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[I am a Banana 0]

i think we are still yet to see the best of whitbread. the doc with ''a'' another.

[The gut 0]

I reckon that Doherty and Whitbread are probably the best two out of what we got, I would like us to bring in someone better than all of them.

[big dick sanchez 0]

Doc and Nelson to start next season for me with Whitbread taking the shirt and keeping it when one of these two get injured.

I am new to being a prophet so time will tell if I am correct.

[I am a Banana 0]

The doc is our best central defender.

Drury will be our left abck,

im still unsure about russell martin and another cb!

[GJP 73]

Has to be Doc and Nelson at the moment, given how well they''ve defended since Nelson came into the team.

Even yesterday you could see that we missed Nelson at the back. Although you have to cut Askou a bit of slack because he''s been out injured for quite a while.

Askou and Whitbread will have to come up with something pretty special to replace either of those two.

[I am a Banana 0]

did askou only play to get a winners medal?

[RichT - The Biscuit 0]

I personally wouldn''t be suprised if we started with Askou ans Whitbread next season!

Askou was consistent and solid before getting injured and Whitbread has a bit of quality about him.

Yes Askou wasn''t at his best yesterday but he got exposed badly for the first yesterday and was left with a forward running at him and one making a run beside who had left the Doc in his wake ie 2 on 1 at pace which is never easy to defend.

And no not necessarily blaming the Doc but just suggesting that I''m not really sure what else Askou could do in that situation, we got exposed as a defence and paid the price!

[I am a Banana 0]

the doc is gon''a start he has been the core of our defence this season.

[GJP 73]

[quote user="RichT - The Biscuit"]I personally wouldn''t be suprised if we started with Askou ans Whitbread next season! [/quote]

I''d be very surprised by that.

Whitbread has barely played in the last year. Askou has only played a few minutes this side of Christmas.

And you''d have to then drop the 2 defenders who have played together for over half the season and played a big part in us winning the league. Plus one of them is vice captain.

I think one of them being dropped is unlikely but both of them.... really can''t see that happening at all.

 

[Nigel Worthless 0]

Simple - none of them are good enough. Doherty is the best centre half at the club, but he has already proved he is not good enough for championship football.

Centre back is a key position, along with right back and centre mid, where we need to strengthen next season.

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="GJP"]

[quote user="RichT - The Biscuit"]I personally wouldn''t be suprised if we started with Askou ans Whitbread next season! [/quote]

I''d be very surprised by that.

Whitbread has barely played in the last year. Askou has only played a few minutes this side of Christmas.

And you''d have to then drop the 2 defenders who have played together for over half the season and played a big part in us winning the league. Plus one of them is vice captain.

I think one of them being dropped is unlikely but both of them.... really can''t see that happening at all.

 

[/quote]

[Y]

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Our backline yesterday was worse of through no Nelson and Askou looking shaky due to not playing much which also seemed to unsettle the Doc!

 

I doubt we''d of been 2-0 had Nelson been around cause I think he could of prevented the 1st goal when Askou allowed the attackers far to much room and time to do their business, something Nelson wouldn''t of let happen.

 

Askou was good up until his injury, but its concerning that his injury problems have taken a long time to clear up which is the same for Whitbread. I don''t get all this Whitbreads far superior to the Doc and Nelson talk cause if he was that good he''d have played more part this season.

 

All in all the Doc and Nelson have been very impressive, probably the best CB pairing in the Division. Askou and Whitbread are very decent as back up CB''s. With also Spillane, Martin and Drury who can also play CB I''d say we''re very well catered for in this position,

 

The Doc and Nelson should start as the CB pairing next season, though I''m hoping Whitbread improves and him and Askou provide stiff competition.

[AndyCanary 0]

Askou looked poor yesterday. I kinda get the ''he hasn''t played for a while argument'' but come on.. it''s not like they lock him in a room with no windows or doors whilst he recovers. Once he regains fitness he''s in training and has been playing in reserve games.Nelson has looked really quality this year (2010) and I''d pick him before anything that I''ve seen of Askou and Whitbread.

[Clean Shirt 0]

How the fuck did you forget whitbread Fucking benny!

[morty 0]

[quote user="AndyCanary"]Askou looked poor yesterday. I kinda get the ''he hasn''t played for a while argument'' but come on.. it''s not like they lock him in a room with no windows or doors whilst he recovers. Once he regains fitness he''s in training and has been playing in reserve games.Nelson has looked really quality this year (2010) and I''d pick him before anything that I''ve seen of Askou and Whitbread.[/quote]Agree.If Whitbread can actually find the form that he is allegedly capable of then he is the obvious replacement should either of them struggle next season.

[AndyCanary 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="AndyCanary"]Askou looked poor yesterday. I kinda get the ''he hasn''t played for a while argument'' but come on.. it''s not like they lock him in a room with no windows or doors whilst he recovers. Once he regains fitness he''s in training and has been playing in reserve games.Nelson has looked really quality this year (2010) and I''d pick him before anything that I''ve seen of Askou and Whitbread.[/quote]Agree.If Whitbread can actually find the form that he is allegedly capable of then he is the obvious replacement should either of them struggle next season. [/quote]If he finds the form he is capable of then he''ll be on the plane to play against us in the group stages of the World Cup.

[AndyCanary 0]

Edit: ''APPARENTLY'' capable of.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

We missed Nelson yesterday and our defence looked weaker than ihave seen it in quite a while. I accept Askou was rusty and probably not fit which explains why he had such a bad game

[Buncey 1]

Both goals were unfortunate. I don''t think the first one was much of anyones fault. Just one of those where the ball bounces the wrong way and the other team were more ready for it than we were.The second one seemed like a case of: we have a serious lack of height and they were trying to do a bit of zonal marking. Just got caught out by a quick ball, in the perfect spot.After that I thought the centre backs did ok considering the pace and size of the front two for Carlisle today. Askou obvious looked very rusty and not quite there, probably due to injury and the docs legs have tired after all those games, to be expect one would think. I''m personally quite happy that we have an obvious rotation of four defenders who all have shown they are more than capable to excel at this level. As for who will start; surely it will be the Doc alongside one of Askou or Nelson. I guess it''s up to Lambert when training starts again in the summer.

[TheGoogler 284]

I thought Askou got far better as the game settled. By the end, I thought he was the more composed of the two. Despite what others think, I think we''re more than adequately covered in the back four with Askou, Nelson, Doc, Whitbread and Spillane. I think that five is good enough for the Championship. It''s the full backs I''d be looking to improve upon. I think we need a right and a left back.

[Beauseant 0]

I think yesterday showed just how important Nelson has become in the last couple of months. Askou looked very ordinary positionally  and we looked much more vulnerable at the back than we have for some time. I hope Whitbread turns out to be the player that we think he is, but I have serious reservations as to whether Askou will be good enough in the Championship, where centre backs are expected to be able to carry the ball out of defence and set up attacks, which is obviously an area where the Admiral also struggles.

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

Spillane is also a centre back that plays right back. This better position is CB in my opinion

[Houston Canary 0]

Askou looked poor yesterday. I kinda get the ''he hasn''t played for a while argument'' but come on.. it''s not like they lock him in a room with no windows or doors whilst he recovers. Once he regains fitness he''s in training and has been playing in reserve games. Nelson has looked really quality this year (2010) and I''d pick him before anything that I''ve seen of Askou and Whitbread.

If Whitbread can actually find the form that he is allegedly capable of then he is the obvious replacement should either of them struggle next season.

If he finds the form he is capable of then he''ll be on the plane to play against us in the group stages of the World Cup.

No chance he would play for the US this summer if he played as well as his potential indicates. That still would not be enough to crack our line up.

[the stump 0]

i thought askou was awful yesterday maybe due to lack of games after injury

[Norwich or die tryin! 0]

Its pretty much impossible to tell now, only after a full pre season and a few games next year will we get a clear picture of who can cut it and who can''t and which two are first choice. Obviously Doc and Nelson would be first choice if it was the Playoff final tomorrow beacuse they have had a good run of games and have a good partnership at the back. Both Askou and Whitbraed didnt have the best games against Carlisle and Stokport respectively but both are short of match pratice and havent played many games with Doherty. Assuming Doc gets a new contract and no new CB''s are signed during the summer and all 4 have a decent pre season and stay fit it will be interesting to see who Lambert picks on the first day of the Championship season

[Lambo 0]

I still maintain Whitbred, fit and healthy is the best CB we have at the club, The blokes a beast.

Doc''s been a rock this season as has Nelson during the run in however, they both deserve the shirt going into next season.

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="Lambo"]

I still maintain Whitbred, fit and healthy is the best CB we have at the club, The blokes a beast.

Doc''s been a rock this season as has Nelson during the run in however, they both deserve the shirt going into next season.

[/quote]

Agree with you 100%. Many Liverpool fans felt that if Whitbread had stayed it was only a matter of time before he broke into their first team. We are still to see anything like his best, but Doc and the Admiral have been key to our title, as we saw yesterday with the latter out.

[Lambo 0]

Definatly mate. Nelson and Doc have both been absoloutly immense at the back but also chipped in with some vital goals at vital times.

People are questioning Whitbred''s ability because he''s not dislodged either two, however you don''t tinker with a team that''s getting results, along with Zak''s fitness issues it''s been impossible for him to try and break his way in. Give him a pre-season to get himself up to scratch and those that have their doubts will soon find them gone.

[GJP 73]

It is worth remembering though that Gary Doherty was a first team player at Spurs. Something Zak Whitbread never really was at Liverpool. And infact Doherty was doing pretty well for Spurs until he suffered a broken leg.

Now, that''s not to say I don''t think Whitbread is a good player but let''s not underestimate the ability the Doc has got.

I''ve seen Whitbread play before he joined us and I like him as a player but to say he''s the best defender at the club....no. There''s a long way to go before anyone can say that with any certainty.