Better Options at Centre Back?

[Guest DAVIDB69]

Thanks for that, it makes sense now. Caulker's not a bad player but there's no point if he's not keen.

Don't think he is even a regular for qpr

[RandomGuy.]

No Scotland too but he is an utter bombscare.

The list of potential defenders in the Scottish Leagues is hilarious. Not one of them worth over 50k in transfer value.

£50k[emoji38]

[Falcor Roar]

Is Mulgrew shite as a centre back? Have a feeling he's been tried there before and bombed.

Having a decent manager will make the biggest difference. Too often in games both centre backs have moved to the ball and left gaps behind and been caught out. Defending at set pieces is often a bit static. Defending counter attacks is another big weakness - if we are going to get anything from games then we need to be a team who can keep shape, get back behind the ball and mark tightly. In the first Ireland game the players worked their socks off for one another and kept a clean sheet. This year they don't look like they're putting the effort in any more. It should be a Scotland managers top priority to make us difficult to break down but they just don't look organised now.

[No_Problemo]

11 minutes ago, Falcor Roar said:

Is Mulgrew shite as a centre back? Have a feeling he's been tried there before and bombed.

Having a decent manager will make the biggest difference. Too often in games both centre backs have moved to the ball and left gaps behind and been caught out. Defending at set pieces is often a bit static. Defending counter attacks is another big weakness - if we are going to get anything from games then we need to be a team who can keep shape, get back behind the ball and mark tightly. In the first Ireland game the players worked their socks off for one another and kept a clean sheet. This year they don't look like they're putting the effort in any more. It should be a Scotland managers top priority to make us difficult to break down but they just don't look organised now.

The last time I can think of Mulgrew playing centre back for us was against Ireland away. Certainly far better than either Martin or Hanley in there. 

[The Saintee]

I see that Hanley is just 24 as well....so he's there for a few more years.

[Malcolm Malcolm]

10 minutes ago, The Saintee said:

I see that Hanley is just 24 as well....so he's there for a few more years.

That's not even funny.

[Craig McCulloch Burley]

Burgess can play Scotland

 

[7-2]

22 hours ago, SpoonTon said:

Liam Cooper is struggling to get into the Leeds team at the moment. He's just another completely average (at best) defender at that level. 

Gordon McQueen absolutely slaughtered him when he was called into the Scotland squad and cited him as an example of how far Scotland had fallen if even he can get a game. Not the most encouraging of recommendations.

[SpoonTon]

11 hours ago, 7-2 said:

Gordon McQueen absolutely slaughtered him when he was called into the Scotland squad and cited him as an example of how far Scotland had fallen if even he can get a game. Not the most encouraging of recommendations.

I can't ever really remember seeing him play, but it does feel like fans are scrambling for any alternative whatsoever. The impression I get from reading about Cooper is that it might be more likely that he will slip back down a level rather than be ready for stepping up to international football. 

I've never been much of a fan of Hanley. He's the kind of defender that makes a mistake a game. His biggest problem at the moment, though, is his lack of match sharpness - and our biggest problem is that Martin and Berra are the only credible alternatives at this moment in time. 

[Loonytoons]

Burgess can play Scotland

 

He would probably win.

[Rabinho]

The last time I can think of Mulgrew playing centre back for us was against Ireland away. Certainly far better than either Martin or Hanley in there. 

He's always been decent at centre half for us but would need someone with a bit of pace alongside him.
He's also pretty injury prone so I don't know if he'd provide the solution we need.
If Souttar, Anderson or Considine aren't better than Hanley they should consider another career.

[Malcolm Malcolm]

Just now, Rabinho said:

He's always been decent at centre half for us but would need someone with a bit of pace alongside him.
He's also pretty injury prone so I don't know if he'd provide the solution we need.
If Souttar, Anderson or Considine aren't better than Hanley they should consider another career.

Considine is pish.

[Rabinho]

Considine is pish.

He should consider an alternative career then.

[Malcolm Malcolm]

1 minute ago, Rabinho said:

He should consider an alternative career then.

That would probably be wise, he only has about five years or so left in the tank.

In all seriousness, I wasn't impressed with him in the semi-final.

[Rabinho]

That would probably be wise, he only has about five years or so left in the tank.

In all seriousness, I wasn't impressed with him in the semi-final.

I've never thought he was great but I've probably seen him at left back more often than not.

[Malcolm Malcolm]

1 minute ago, Rabinho said:

I've never thought he was great but I've probably seen him at left back more often than not.

He was at left back and he very much looked like a central defender pushed to full back.

[mcfadden78]

At the moment these are pretty much the recognised centre-backs we have

SPFL
Aberdeen Mark Reynolds, Andy Considine
Rangers Danny Wilson
Hearts John Souttar
St Johnstone Steven Anderson
Inverness CT Brad McKay
Kilmarnock Scott Boyd
Partick Thistle Liam Lindsay
Hamilton Accies Michael Devlin
Motherwell Stephen McManus, Richard Tait
Ross County Paul Quinn, Jay McEveley
Championship
Hibernian Paul Hanlon
English Championship
Blackburn Gordon Greer, Charlie Mulgrew
Ipswich Christophe Berra
Leeds Liam Cooper
Newcastle Grant Hanley
Norwich Russell Martin
Rotherham Kirk Broadfoot (injured)
League 1 
MK Dons Jack Hendry
Northampton Zander Diamond
Oldham Cameron Burgess
Scunthorpe United Murray Wallace

This could potentially include Kyle McFadzean of Burton but not sure if he is eligble. 

[Gordopolis]

At the moment these are pretty much the recognised centre-backs we have

SPFL

Aberdeen Mark Reynolds, Andy Considine

Rangers Danny Wilson

Hearts John Souttar

St Johnstone Steven Anderson

Inverness CT Brad McKay

Kilmarnock Scott Boyd

Partick Thistle Liam Lindsay

Hamilton Accies Michael Devlin

Motherwell Stephen McManus, Richard Tait

Ross County Paul Quinn, Jay McEveley

Championship

Hibernian Paul Hanlon

English Championship

Blackburn Gordon Greer, Charlie Mulgrew

Ipswich Christophe Berra

Leeds Liam Cooper

Newcastle Grant Hanley

Norwich Russell Martin

Rotherham Kirk Broadfoot (injured)

League 1 

MK Dons Jack Hendry

Northampton Zander Diamond

Oldham Cameron Burgess

Scunthorpe United Murray Wallace

This could potentially include Kyle McFadzean of Burton but not sure if he is eligble. 

Pretty much pours cold water on the 'there must be someone better than Martin, berra and hanley' argument for me. Up for trying Souttar out, but other than that promise of youth there is nobody leaping out of that list

[eez-eh]

1 hour ago, Gordopolis said:

Pretty much pours cold water on the 'there must be someone better than Martin, berra and hanley' argument for me.

When Hanley is playing regularly that much is probably true, I don't remember him being this bad in the last campaign when he was match fit. However his lack of game time is clearly taking its toll on him and as a result several (Greer, Mulgrew, Berra, Martin) on that list look like more desirable options than Hanley at the moment.

Stephen Kingsley of Swansea can get added to that list and I'm pretty sure McFadzean is eligible.

[Gordopolis]

When Hanley is playing regularly that much is probably true, I don't remember him being this bad in the last campaign when he was match fit. However his lack of game time is clearly taking its toll on him and as a result several (Greer, Mulgrew, Berra, Martin) on that list look like more desirable options than Hanley at the moment.

Stephen Kingsley of Swansea can get added to that list and I'm pretty sure McFadzean is eligible.

Forgot about Kingsley
Yeah Hanley and Martin were much better than this during Strachan's good spell (goes without saying really). Didn't we have a really good run of clean sheets at that point?
The drop in league level from Martin and Norwich's shifting him about from cb to rb isn't helping, nor is Hanley's relegation to the bench at Newcastle. But I do think there is a (fairly modest but workable) international pairing in there.