Says a lot, too much in fact, that we look a much, much poorer side when we aren't playing a 34 year old right back who is best known for just being hard as nails.

Lowtons done a great job for us over his time here, but his confidence is shot and he looks a shadow of his former self. I think almost every clarets fan realises how much we need a right back. We have a wealth of options for left-back!

If that performance doesn’t make us go out and buy a right back then I’m not sure what will.

Completely finished at this level. Some atrocious performances this season as well as last season.

Our refusal to sign players is really going to kill us soon. Our right back position is currently staffed by someone nowhere near good enough, and a 34 year old winding down and out of contract in the summer. I only hope this lad Cooney we have out on loan at Morcambe is decent.

Lowton is having a torrid time right now and, for me, Bardsley is currently by far the best choice for right back.

Feel for ML, at his best he was making the difference for us. Needs to get his confidence back up.

It's a weird decline. At one point he was actually a very important cog in our attacking play. His delivery was improving and both he/ward were excellent at supporting midfield and keep the back 4 solid.

I might be alone in this but I'd say keep him in the side. Taking him straight out again will just crush him further. A bit of backing might lift him, and the bottom line is ability wise he's a better player than bardsley. It's not as if we're rock solid without him in the defence.

He really dosent look like he can be arsed...

He's a good championship player,so we better keep him .

Very sad to watch Lowton and the team in general simply withering away. We got out of jail last season but that only papered over the cracks. Heads buried in the sand now just waiting for the inevitable to happen. Even UTC is suffering from the same symptoms.

Sadly he was dreadful yesterday.
Looked like a little boy lost at times.
I thought the team started well for the first 25 mins but after that challenge on Willian for the penalty his confidence was shot and he just didn't seem to have a grasp of his own positioning.
Felt sorry for him by the end

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:18 pm

Lowton is having a torrid time right now and, for me, Bardsley is currently by far the best choice for right back.

While I 100% agree with you Bardsley isn’t good enough either. We need urgently to go and buy a first choice right back. We won’t though.

Lowton's best football for us came when we passed the ball more and played with more vitality

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:18 pm

Lowton is having a torrid time right now and, for me, Bardsley is currently by far the best choice for right back.

Agreed,

Can Koiki play at right back, even though he is predominantly left sided where he has played so far? And what is our U23 like at right back?

willsclarets wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:26 pm

It's a weird decline. At one point he was actually a very important cog in our attacking play. His delivery was improving and both he/ward were excellent at supporting midfield and keep the back 4 solid.

I might be alone in this but I'd say keep him in the side. Taking him straight out again will just crush him further. A bit of backing might lift him, and the bottom line is ability wise he's a better player than bardsley. It's not as if we're rock solid without him in the defence.

The reality is though the club cannot simply pamper to him & his lack of confidence as some of experiment, the need to get 11 onto the field in a maximum strength unit is more desperate than ever, simply cannot afford to carry passengers any longer.

Lowton is devoid of confidence at the moment. Consequently he is permanently a yard off the pace, can’t pass and his decision-making is awful. Doesn’t help when you are Coming into a team that is also bang out of form. I don’t think he is a bad player, just playing badly at present.

Personally think Bardsley is very underrated and has decent quality on the ball. He’s never going to be belting down the touch line whipping in crosses, especially at his age, but he does a fairly solid job in a back four. Sure, we could do with an upgrade, but I think centre midfield is more of a priority at present.

Should absolutely NEVER have gone to ground in that situation and most 8 year olds playing the game for their local team would have known better, but he pulled out and Willian cheated. Never a pen imo. However, Lowts has sadly become rubbish and needs to go.

ClaretAL wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:05 pm

Agreed,

Can Koiki play at right back, even though he is predominantly left sided where he has played so far? And what is our U23 like at right back?

U23 right backs have both gone out on loan

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:25 pm

U23 right backs have both gone out on loan

Could at least one be recalled ?

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:21 pm

Should absolutely NEVER have gone to ground in that situation and most 8 year olds playing the game for their local team would have known better, but he pulled out and Willian cheated. Never a pen imo. However, Lowts has sadly become rubbish and needs to go.

Agree with you first point, however, it was a pen all day long, admittedly Willian did what they all do but when you go to ground like that with the forward moving at speed it leaves the ref little choice.

The unfortunate upshot of this is that Bardsley will end up getting another contract. Him and Pieters on the other flank - total football.

beddie wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:30 pm

Agree with you first point, however, it was a pen all day long, admittedly Willian did what they all do but when you go to ground like that with the forward moving at speed it leaves the ref little choice.

I agree it's hard for the ref and on first viewing "live" only a clown would have said it wasn't stonewall, but when you see it close up it definitely "appeared" that Willian had seen Lowton sliding about on his ass like a pub player up Towneley and threw his foot against his on purpose.

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:21 pm

Should absolutely NEVER have gone to ground in that situation and most 8 year olds playing the game for their local team would have known better, but he pulled out and Willian cheated. Never a pen imo. However, Lowts has sadly become rubbish and needs to go.

100% correct.

bfcjg wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:29 pm

Could at least one be recalled ?

No. Loans are window to window.

He’s never been that good but his defending has become suspect all of a sudden, loss of confidence maybe, we need a young right back and quick.

Is Bardsley injured as he should be in front of him anyway

Why can't either Gibson or long fill in they are defenders by trade , should be able to play anywhere across the back four

Safron wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 5:33 pm

Why can't either Gibson or long fill in they are defenders by trade , should be able to play anywhere across the back four

Or up front!!!

Why didn't Bardsley play yesterday.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:27 pm

He really dosent look like he can be arsed...

I thought exactly the same yesterday watching his lame performance.
I’d play anybody there except him he’s become a liability and if Dyche doesn’t see that then he’s become a liability too

Been concerned about his attitude for a while. In the reverse fixture he was more concerned about mouthing off to Willian than chasing back to prevent what ended up being a Chelsea goal. He mucks around at half time when he’s a substitute and then had a total lack of discipline and at times desire yesterday.

Edit - wasn’t he also found to be the player leaking the lineup the day before our games?

Kev Long can play rb

Lowton is sadly not up to it anymore. this position needs strengthening urgently but for me a central midfielder is more important now then RB in the summer if not now . Garlick probably won’t bother with either.

beddie wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:30 pm

Agree with you first point, however, it was a pen all day long, admittedly Willian did what they all do but when you go to ground like that with the forward moving at speed it leaves the ref little choice.

It was dishonest, but it will carry on until they start suspending players.

ClaretAL wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 4:05 pm

Agreed,

Can Koiki play at right back, even though he is predominantly left sided where he has played so far? And what is our U23 like at right back?

Don't know about Koiki playing RB but two of our U-23 right backs are now out on loan. Good time to move to 3 centre backs with a winger as a wing-back?

Just putting it out there!

Or we could, you know, sign a new one?

Stayingup wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:29 pm

Why didn't Bardsley play yesterday.

Bardsley and Jay had been ill all week and not trained.

willsclarets wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 11, 2020 11:26 pm

It's a weird decline. At one point he was actually a very important cog in our attacking play. His delivery was improving and both he/ward were excellent at supporting midfield and keep the back 4 solid.

I might be alone in this but I'd say keep him in the side. Taking him straight out again will just crush him further. A bit of backing might lift him, and the bottom line is ability wise he's a better player than bardsley. It's not as if we're rock solid without him in the defence.

You're not alone, I too would keep him in the side. Having paid more attention to him in the last couple of games, I'm not surprised he's looking a bit pi $$ed off.
I would be too if I'm in a great position, in space on the right waving my arms and no one makes the pass. Instead the ball is played short sideways then back to Mee or Taylor, I'm not talking about a one off here either. We are then pressed and end up under pressure where panic leads to either an individual mistake and / or playing poor balls and passes. Having made the run, not get anything out of it, then find you're out of position, there's only so many times that this can happen before you begin to lose heart.
There's an unhealthy emphasis on constantly trying to play down the left flank, despite the fact that this has been sussed by the opposition long ago.

Right is the new Left.

The obvious option is to go three at the back.

Gibson Mee Tarks

The reality is it will remain predictable and flat back 4.

cricketfieldclarets wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:12 pm

The obvious option is to go three at the back.

Gibson Mee Tarks

The reality is it will remain predictable and flat back 4.

Not sure it would work with the way Dyche sets up but I agree with a 3-4-3 formation (3-5-2 if you play Jay alongside Wood and give McNeil a free role in the middle)

Tarks-Mee-Gibson
Hendrick-Westwood-Cork-Taylor
Jay-Wood-McNeil