So our best defender is...

[a1canary 0]

Holt!

Ok, that''s a bit tongue in cheek and i don''t know the precise stats but it seems we can''t keep a clean sheet without him on the pitch. When he is there the ball stays up the pitch and means our midfield and defence can defend more effectively. Without him, we have to try and play through the midfield which needs us to be playing at the very top of our game. Or we just play like he is still there when he isn''t and find that others, least of all Kane, can do the job he does. We also don''t get the same number of free kicks with Holt off the pitch which is a key source of goals for us.

Perhaps now, those who keep complaining about his lack of goals this season and questioning his role in the side will understand how important he is to this team now.

[barclay_boy111 0]

I have been arguing that jolts role is now not just banging them in, I realise begging part of your post was tongue in cheek but he does get back in to the midfield and even the defensive lines and helps out, he is also one of the only players that gets in the face of the opposition and wins the ball back! Morison can only dream of being that much of a complete player

[barclay_boy111 0]

Holts not jolts*

[a1canary 0]

Tongue in cheek but i wonder what the stats are like - have we kept a clean sheet when he hasn''t been in the side? I''m not sure we have. He makes the midfield work more effectively which in turn allows the defence to work more effectively. With anyone else up there they are really only waiting for a chance to come their way - of which there precious are few - whereas Holt is receiving and keeping the ball all the time, often high up the pitch and kick starting our offensive moves or winning free kicks.

I''d put money on us not losing our next game if he is back for it.

[ZLF 275]

You are right in that we have not kept a clean sheet in the PL without Holt starting and I am sure he makes a difference.   

 

However in the  8 PL games since ruddy was injured we have conceeded 15 goals,  with no clean sheets,  while the 8 PL games before we had 4 clean sheets conceeding 11 (9 in the liverpool and chelsea games).   Holt played in most of these matches - so I suggest the real influence is John Ruddy and the confidence he was giving.

[The Judge 0]

I agree with a lot of what you say here A1. With Holt in the side we defend from the front pushing the opposing teams defenders back, meaning our midfield can push up, followed by our defence. It takes so much pressure off our defence when he is in the side. Hoolahan is excellent at this as well.

This is the main reason when Morrison is in the side we don''t look as effective or threatening. It is vital if we continue to play one up front that that striker runs his socks off - which is what Holt does every time he plays and others don''t.

[a1canary 0]

Precisely Judge - Hoolahan completes the picture at the top of the pitch, feeding off Holt and also helping to maintain posession and momentum. All of which suggests to me we should only really have 1 priority for transfers and that is a Holt replacement/back up. Easier said than done i guess.

Zipper, can''t argue with the point on Ruddy - Bunn has done well but as i''ve said on here before, the simple fact is he is our number 2 keeper so it stands to reason he isn''t as good as Ruddy and so it is inevitable he will concede goals that Ruddy wouldn''t. Losing Ruddy at one end of the pitch and Holt at the other is probably the worst two absentees we could imagine, resulting in more conceded and fewer scored. When you think about it it''s a wonder we''ve managed to keep all the games we''ve lost recently close affairs.

Having looked in to your Holt stats though, I would say you have to remember Hughton was still working out our side in those early games where we got stuffed. Holt didn''t even start against Liverpool at home early in the season and the team against Chelsea included E Bennett, Howson and Barnett, none of whom featured in the eventual side settled on for our unbeaten run. Holt has become the fulcram of the midfield and without him it just doesn''t function as effectively. Another one for you, how many have our midfield scored with Holt out of the team?

I think while he has been out of the side, rather than try and replace him with Morison or Kane, we should have abandoned a formation that just doesn''t work very well without him. Instead we could have tried something that played to the strenghs of our other strikers - Jackson in a 4-4-2 with Morison perhaps. Not sure though, that would have been for the manager to work out! Easy to say in hindsight of course...

[percy varco 202]

Duncan Forbes. Always was and always will be.

[john in exile in leeds 4]

Holt our best defender - and Russell Martin our best forward now !