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Brendo

Centre back partnership for Watford?

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It''s been asked before and I''ll ask it again. Who would you start back two? Today was my first pre season, and was good to see the new faces. Whitbread is injured (I believe), so he''s out of it. My main point is though last time I asked this, many people slated Nelson badly. I would just like to back him up a little, and ask these people if they still feel the same way? I''d be happy to play Nelson next week, I thought he was excellent today (bar his assist [:P]). Won everything in the air, and was just very solid. Not done once by Beckford al game, so for me, people can stop whinging about how slow he is please. Ward and Nelson for me. I admit, I was a little worried about our choices, but I feel we are well equipped in this region. you?

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Nelson and Askou. Ward is still coming back from injury and Askou looked good the other day. I would have those two in, but Ward would soon budge one of them out the way I suspect.Guarantee it will be Ward and Nelson though.

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I think, injuries and pre season minutes under belts considered, Ward and Nelson is our only choice right now.

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[quote user="morty"]I think, injuries and pre season minutes under belts considered, Ward and Nelson is our only choice right now.[/quote]Hmm, I''d like to play Askou but don''t think he''s fit? By fit I mean fitness down, not injured.

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[quote user="Brendo "]It''s been asked before and I''ll ask it again. Who would you start back two?

[/quote]

 

We only have two fit centre backs [:D] but if they were all fit  I won''t play Nelson, think the other 3 are stronger imo

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Agree with Morty, there really is no choice. Whitbread is out and Askou hasn''t played enough games.

My preferred partnership is Whitbread and Ward. IMO they are our best centre halves. On paper they appear to have all the attributes required of a good centre half. Good defensively, good in the air and comfortable on the ball giving them the ability to play it out from the back.

Nelson is actually number 4 for me but having said that he deserves his start against Watford purely for his form in pre season and I have no worries with him being there.

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Nelson looked poor from the SSN highlights today and shold have got on the line quicker to prevent cahill for scoring. But with his form from last season he will start along with WArd imo.

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[quote user="I am a Banana"]Nelson looked poor from the SSN highlights today and shold have got on the line quicker to prevent cahill for scoring. But with his form from last season he will start along with WArd imo.[/quote]I thought that he was actually pretty good. [:)]Had Beckford ''in his back pocket'', so to speak.

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With some players you can say put them in the team because of what they done last season but you have to draw the line somewhere.  Nelson for me is not good enough for the Championship.  Last season he had one or two good games (for me his best was ColU away) but most of the time he was poor IMO.  He is slow, poor distributuion, makes to many mistakes and I just think the Championship is one step ahead of him next season.  Last season people were saying he looked good and is Championship quality but when he was having these so called ''good'' games I still thought he looked a poor footballer.

As Whitbread isn''t fit I would play Ward and Askou, but Askou isn''t match fit so unfortunately it will be Nelson and Ward.

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[quote user="Brendo "][quote user="I am a Banana"]Nelson looked poor from the SSN highlights today and shold have got on the line quicker to prevent cahill for scoring. But with his form from last season he will start along with WArd imo.[/quote]I thought that he was actually pretty good. [:)]

Had Beckford ''in his back pocket'', so to speak.
[/quote]

ill have to take your word for it [:S] as i wasnt at the game.

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Nelson wasn''t by any means poor, in fact he was one of our best players. Nelson was regularly covering the slow and rusty Ward!

 

Askou done alright when he came on!

Ward needs more games and we''ll not play anyone near as good as Everton in the Championship!

 

Nelson has to start cause hes been our best CB in pre season while I''m sure Ward will get the benefit of the doubt! 

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Well at the moment Nelson looks certain to start the season. He defended considerably better than Ward did today and he''s got the captains armband while Holt is out. This for me is an interesting point, last year it was the Doc who would have taken the armband and, at the moment, it looks like Nelson has replaced him. How many of us could honestly say they think Nelson is a better player and defender than the Doc?

As for Ward... he made a huge mistake to gift them a goal, there were signs that he was easily going to get done for pace and he gave away a freekick on the edge of the area for pulling back Beckford. And I didn''t expect that because I''d been led to believe that only Gary Doherty gives away freekicks in dangerous areas, so to see another defender do it really did shock me.

Zak Whitbread seems to have major problems getting fit and hasn''t looked as good as hoped in is brief appearances. Of course it''s far too early to write him off.

Then we have Askou, I wouldn''t have fancied his chances of getting in the team a week or two ago but after seeing Elliott Ward struggle a bit today I think he might be in with a chance.

I think we look a very good team when we''ve got the ball in midfield and upfront and I think the fullbacks are tidy enough as well but the centre of defence and the goalkeeper do not look as convincing as they should do. Moreover, they don''t look as convincing as they did last season.

It''s not a lost cause by any means but it needs to be better by Friday than it is at the moment.

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[quote user="GJP"]

Well at the moment Nelson looks certain to start the season. He defended considerably better than Ward did today and he''s got the captains armband while Holt is out. This for me is an interesting point, last year it was the Doc who would have taken the armband and, at the moment, it looks like Nelson has replaced him. How many of us could honestly say they think Nelson is a better player and defender than the Doc?

As for Ward... he made a huge mistake to gift them a goal, there were signs that he was easily going to get done for pace and he gave away a freekick on the edge of the area for pulling back Beckford. And I didn''t expect that because I''d been led to believe that only Gary Doherty gives away freekicks in dangerous areas, so to see another defender do it really did shock me.

Zak Whitbread seems to have major problems getting fit and hasn''t looked as good as hoped in is brief appearances. Of course it''s far too early to write him off.

Then we have Askou, I wouldn''t have fancied his chances of getting in the team a week or two ago but after seeing Elliott Ward struggle a bit today I think he might be in with a chance.

I think we look a very good team when we''ve got the ball in midfield and upfront and I think the fullbacks are tidy enough as well but the centre of defence and the goalkeeper do not look as convincing as they should do. Moreover, they don''t look as convincing as they did last season.

It''s not a lost cause by any means but it needs to be better by Friday than it is at the moment.

[/quote]

Was going to make the point about ginger pele earlier but then thought better of it. I think what we have to remember is that this was a preseason game vs premiership quality players; cahill has regularly been one of the best midfielders in the league so for him to score a hattrick agaisnt us is not exactly a disaster, yes i had hoped for better but remember ward and nelson have still only played a handful of games together centre back partnerships take time to develop. Yes they both made errors tosday but both will come good, i have faith in this and more importantly i have faith in lambert''s judement on this!!

Also to boyo'' Charlton away? Nelson was an absolute legend that game dealt with just about everything in the air and on the ground, if lambert can get him to play even half as well as that week in week out then he will certainly be championship standard!

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Nelson had the odd mistake yesterday.....but pulled off some excellent tackles and blocks....

Nelson will be in the squad against Malky''s lot....although, who will partner him is the question? Maybe Ward scrapes it over Askou.

I also thought Surman slightly underperformed yesterday, but then I really do think he''s going to be a major man for us this season...

 

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GJP wrote:

Well at the moment Nelson looks certain to start the season. He defended considerably better than Ward did today and he''s got the captains armband while Holt is out. This for me is an interesting point, last year it was the Doc who would have taken the armband and, at the moment, it looks like Nelson has replaced him. How many of us could honestly say they think Nelson is a better player and defender than the Doc?

As for Ward... he made a huge mistake to gift them a goal, there were signs that he was easily going to get done for pace and he gave away a freekick on the edge of the area for pulling back Beckford. And I didn''t expect that because I''d been led to believe that only Gary Doherty gives away freekicks in dangerous areas, so to see another defender do it really did shock me.

Zak Whitbread seems to have major problems getting fit and hasn''t looked as good as hoped in is brief appearances. Of course it''s far too early to write him off.

Then we have Askou, I wouldn''t have fancied his chances of getting in the team a week or two ago but after seeing Elliott Ward struggle a bit today I think he might be in with a chance.

I think we look a very good team when we''ve got the ball in midfield and upfront and I think the fullbacks are tidy enough as well but the centre of defence and the goalkeeper do not look as convincing as they should do. Moreover, they don''t look as convincing as they did last season.

It''s not a lost cause by any means but it needs to be better by Friday than it is at the moment.

I would. Doc had his chance in the championship and this...

Boyo wrote:

With some players you can say put them in the

team because of what they done last season but you have to draw the

line somewhere.  Nelson for me is not good enough for the

Championship.  Last season he had one or two good games (for me his

best was ColU away) but most of the time he was poor IMO.  He is slow,

poor distributuion, makes to many mistakes and I just think the

Championship is one step ahead of him next season.  Last season people

were saying he looked good and is Championship quality but when he was

having these so called ''good'' games I still thought he looked a poor

footballer.

As Whitbread isn''t fit I would play Ward and Askou, but Askou isn''t match fit so unfortunately it will be Nelson and Ward.

...is exactly how i felt about Doc. I know im in the minority here and he did have a good season, but whether it was because of past memories of him in the championship I just could never be confident in him and would cringe everytime he tried to do something ''clever'' with the ball. To be fair most of it came off last season but im glad and relieved not to have that worry anymore - something i never felt watching Nelson - his play is simple and usually effective, get rid of the ball. He seems to be well aware of his weaknesses ie he can''t dribble, take on players or pass particularly far but his positioning is good, never bottles a tackle (to put it mildly!) and is good in the air. If Ward can start performing like he can but unfortunately we havent seen yet then id be happy with him and Nelson starting.

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