Ameen Al-Dakhil

[JarrowClaret]

Interestingly if we sign Beyer and THB for next season we would have 5 CHs who have all done exceptionally well at this level, what a dilemma.

[mdd2]

And there is McNally who has been outstanding at Coventry

[Newcastleclaret93]

Why would we put a centre half (our best one) in midfield when we can just buy an actual defensive midfielder in the summer? How many examples are there of centre halves going and playing successfully in midfield? The last few times I can think of it at Burnley are Bikey and Edgar, both were utterly woeful.

I know it’s not the same level but I watched a breakdown of Peps team the other day where stones was playing as a DM. He was excellent in that role.

[taio]

I know it’s not the same level but I watched a breakdown of Peps team the other day where stones was playing as a DM. He was excellent in that role.

Stones played centre half against Arsenal

[summitclaret]

Why would we put a centre half (our best one) in midfield when we can just buy an actual defensive midfielder in the summer? How many examples are there of centre halves going and playing successfully in midfield? The last few times I can think of it at Burnley are Bikey and Edgar, both were utterly woeful.

What has 10 year's ago and what 2 inferior players did then got to do with now?

I see 4 excellent young cbs and want to keep them all. If they progress as I think they will they make us a fortune one day.

[Newcastleclaret93]

Stones played centre half against Arsenal

Yep he’s rotated

[IanMcL]

Yep he’s rotated

Sounds like a chicken!

[Rileybobs]

What has 10 year's ago and what 2 inferior players did then got to do with now?

I see 4 excellent young cbs and want to keep them all. If they progress as I think they will they make us a fortune one day.

Even so, it would be completely nonsensical to sign Beyer, our best centre back, with a view to playing him out of position against vastly superior opposition to what he’s faced this season. Particularly when we could use the same funds to buy an actual midfielder.

[Kuriosoranj]

Agree with the Al Dhakil love in. Hope it's not just a honeymoon period and he can step up to the prem!

Very calm bringing the ball down with strikers breathing down his neck, assured on the ball, can tackle, has reasonable pace for a CB, looks aggressive at times too.. The only thing he lacks is maybe a little physicality, which may come. Also, not being a tank of a man means hes quicker. Probably not as good in the opposition box as the other defenders, but these are very minor criticisms....

Kompany has a really good problem in deciding his starting defenders next season, should THB and Beyer return! Let's also not rule out other options becoming available.

As things stand currently, Beyer is my number 1, been excellent and consistent all season. Strong defensively and going forward.

Love Ekdals passing and think he could be good on corners at both ends, pace slightly lacking.

I really like THB - never been salivating over him and crowning him as a future England captain like some, but equally i'm not writing him off after a few wobbles since his return. Solid passer, great mentality, looks a leader.

Then there's Taylor. Kompany clearly still rates him and seems to have used him more in recent weeks to reinforce us at the back towards the end of games. Usually a solid safe pair of hands (Cruyff turn in the box at Ewood aside )
- but still statistically one of the better passers in that game. Will Kompany keep him as a squad player, given hes lilely to be one of the higher paid players?

The CBs in our current team will always look exposed (like BC's goal yesterday) and make more mistakes than the brick wall we used to put up under Dyche. It's a team that takes risks.

[Darnhill Claret]

Well Pep is happy to play 4 full backs, so there may be a time when more than two of our 'centre backs' start games.

[StayingDown4Ever]

What happened here then?

[BurnleyFC]

Confidence has been shot to pieces ever since he was bizarrely played at right full back and had a shocker.

[jedi_master]

Cracking player when he has belief but the lad has lost all confidence. Like a child out there yesterday. O’Shea hardly a great partner for any centre back at this level though.

[Swizzlestick]

Young player, missing a consistent defensive partner, playing top level football, sometimes out of position, in a struggling team.

[expoultryboy]

Needs Beyer alongside him . O' shea is not ready yet at this level.

[bobinho]

What happened here then?

Well, what’s happened (as I’m sure you are aware) is that we haven’t had a great start, and Al Dakhil has struggled in more than a few games in what is a makeshift back four. I’d normally expect that question to be asked by one of our friends down the road….

So what do we do?

Do we invoke the “Dunkirk spirit” and get ourselves firmly behind the lads, support them in what they are doing in the hope that we can help them display the characteristics shown at Tobruk and El Alamein and turn it around, or we can do what Connor MacGregor does when the going gets tough, and simply “tap out”.

We all know what you’re doing, so this is really a rallying cry for those that haven’t yet thrown in the towel.

[jrgbfc]

Young lads need a bit of experience alongside them to guide them through it. Hopefully we can get Beyer and Ekdal fit soon and take Al Dakhil out of the firing line for a few weeks.

[KRBFC]

Clearly a top young talent but in the space of less than a year he’s gone from a rotational player in one of the worst Belgian sides to starting games in the PL in a side going through an identity crisis. Hell of a quick jump

[Darnhill Claret]

Not sure how many games we will get out of Beyer unless he receives some instruction/coaching in how to tackle cleanly, without injuring himself as often as he does.

[Colburn_Claret]

He needs somebody steady alongside him. He would have learnt so much from Ben Mee.
The loss of Beyer and Ekdal and Muric, and especially the constant fiddling with the defence doesn't help either.

[warksclaret]

Sounds like a chicken!

Thats why we're being basted each week