As per the thread title.

It's time we changed things at RB

Struggling to see what Roberts offers.

Seems Roberts is the new scapegoat isn’t he. At least Muric isn’t feeling the heat anymore after some stunning performances.

Roberts poor for the goal but his one on one defending was decent tonight against a tricky winger.

Roberts is such a curates egg. He had a couple of better games recently, but looked really poor tonight. We heard that he was some sort of world beater at this level off Swansea fans (granted, playing a different role to this), yet he looks like a weak link.

We have alternatives and they deserve a chance, for me.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:07 pm

Seems Roberts is the new scapegoat isn’t he. At least Muric isn’t feeling the heat anymore after some stunning performances.

Roberts poor for the goal but his one on one defending was decent tonight against a tricky winger.

So whenever a player is criticised, he’s a scapegoat? No. I genuinely don’t get what he offers.

Murger wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:05 pm

Struggling to see what Roberts offers.

A long throw-in apparently

Yet to see it used affectively

Both full backs were very poor.
Is Lowton injured? Not on the bench.
Missed Cork after he went off, needed Westwood at the end.

He is showing far too much aggression. Not passion, just aggression.

Got to agree. I expected him to be much better this season but I've yet to see this awesome player we've been told he is

Next game needs Vitinho back to left back.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:07 pm

Seems Roberts is the new scapegoat isn’t he. At least Muric isn’t feeling the heat anymore after some stunning performances.

Roberts poor for the goal but his one on one defending was decent tonight against a tricky winger.

Classic message board rubbish.

He's being rightly criticised tonight for constantly giving the ball away, and then being rank on the goal.

BabylonClaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:10 pm

Got to agree. I expected him to be much better this season but I've yet to see this awesome player we've been told he is

To be fair at Swansea and Wales he plays as a RWB in a back 5 type system. He’s being played in an entirely different and new role at the moment.

ksrclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:10 pm

Classic message board rubbish.

He's being rightly criticised tonight for constantly giving the ball away, and then being rank on the goal.

People have been at him all season without fully understanding his role in this system.

He wasn’t great tonight but Maatsen was a lot worse.

Vitinho was awful tonight as well.. let's be fair

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:12 pm

To be fair at Swansea and Wales he plays as a RWB in a back 5 type system. He’s being played in an entirely different and new role at the moment.

He’s almost playing as a centre back who at times goes to right back - a bit like the lad we just signed from Monchengladbach. I reckon he will be taking that shirt off Connor, and he’s 6’2 which will help us on set pieces.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:12 pm

People have been at him all season without fully understanding his role in this system.

He wasn’t great tonight but Maatsen was a lot worse.

I understand his role just fine.

He's not been good enough at it. We need to try one of our two alternatives in that role.

Roberts has been poor since he joined

He is far too casual, gives the ball away cheaply, isn’t overly quick and can’t stay tight to a man.

Don’t want him to start again

ksrclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:10 pm

Classic message board rubbish.

He's being rightly criticised tonight for constantly giving the ball away, and then being rank on the goal.

I’d argue he’s actually been given a bloody good crack of the whip. He’s been consistently poor since we bought him.

I don’t know much about the lad we were after from Swansea but if we thought he was what we needed, I’d have been throwing Roberts into the deal to get it over the line!

Ipreferaflan wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:12 pm

Vitinho was awful tonight as well.. let's be fair

Played out of position

Roberts isn’t the scapegoat…he’s just not very good. How he managed 100 minutes without being dragged off I don’t know. Time for a change

I’d prefer Lowton in the role that Roberts is playing to be honest. He’s a better defender.

Both full backs were poor tonight. I like Roberts but tonight not good. Some really bad passes and mistake for goal. For me Charlie is the best LB in the squad and he needs to start there

The thing is Roberts role is a bit hybrid between right sided centre half and full back/wing back with a bit of interchanging between both roles with his experience with swansea and wales vk sees him as more appropriate to the role than a out and out right back like lowton eventually one of the other players egan riley could fill the roll but given its early days

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:15 pm

Played out of position

Irrelevant - Kompany chose to play him there. He was just as poor when he moved to left back.. Roberts was obviously poor tonight but most players were to be fair. Cork is another one who couldn't keep the ball all night

warksclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:18 pm

Both full backs were poor tonight. I like Roberts but tonight not good. Some really bad passes and mistake for goal. For me Charlie is the best LB in the squad and he needs to start there

Not a criticism, it’s all about different opinions, but what is it that you like about Roberts? I’ve seen very little so far to have a positive opinion about him.

The only positive I see so far is that his shitty long throw seems to have been consigned to the bin.

He’s a headless chicken, unless he’s in a Wales shirt.

Ipreferaflan wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:19 pm

Irrelevant - Kompany chose to play him there. He was just as poor when he moved to left back.. Roberts was obviously poor tonight but most players were to be fair. Cork is another one who couldn't keep the ball all night

Looked less shaky down the left when Maatsen went off but yeah couldn’t get a foothold on the game, midfield went

Cork needed taking off earlier.
Maatsen was brain dead defensively and sloppy in possession .
As a team overall we were sloppy and just not good enough.
I have to say that Roberts has frustrated me massively with how much he gives the ball away and gives away stupid fouls. Couple that with some strange attempts at clearances , I don’t know what goes through his head sometimes. Hopefully he shakes this off

Got to agree. Lowton should be in for me.

I thought Roberts was good against Millwall, but he was really poor tonight.

I also thought Cork was really, really good against Millwall, but also dreadful tonight.

Ipreferaflan wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:19 pm

Irrelevant - Kompany chose to play him there. He was just as poor when he moved to left back.. Roberts was obviously poor tonight but most players were to be fair. Cork is another one who couldn't keep the ball all night

He really wasn’t poor at left back tonight

Roberts is looking a bit glum these days. I can't remember if he's always been like this, but there's something almost self-destructive about his displays. Daft confrontations and such. The comment above about aggression without passion is absolutely spot on. I know it's terrible to speculate on a person's mindset at the the best of times, and especially so when that person is someone you don't know, but I've seen people who feel like total $hit be blown about by the winds of their own distress, impelled to behaviours they don't even realise they're engaging in which ultimately happen in search of a destructive act which justifies the belief they are unhappy. We need happy Roberts back.

I think sometimes Roberts puts the right boot on the left foot and the left boot on the right foot. He doesn't seem a happy chap unless he's playing for Wales

DCWat wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:21 pm

Not a criticism, it’s all about different opinions, but what is it that you like about Roberts? I’ve seen very little so far to have a positive opinion about him.

The only positive I see so far is that his shitty long throw seems to have been consigned to the bin.

He’s a headless chicken, unless he’s in a Wales shirt.

I like his passion, makes some very good defensive tackles and clearances and his possession distribution is generally good, but this season have seen he can leave us exposed and can give the ball away when an easy pass is on. Disappointed me today, like Maatsen did, but I have seen enough of him for us and Wales to appreciate his contribution

I like roberts, and Im sure his game will improve.
Tonight though he was seemingly unaware where their players were in the first half.
Not close enough to west brom lads who were unmarked behind him. we got lucky that the ball did not drop kindly for them to make use of it.

warksclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:04 pm

I like his passion, makes some very good defensive tackles and clearances and his possession distribution is generally good, but this season have seen he can leave us exposed and can give the ball away when an easy pass is on. Disappointed me today, like Maatsen did, but I have seen enough of him for us and Wales to appreciate his contribution

Fair enough Warksclaret.

I respectfully remain to be convinced. I hope I’m proved wrong of course!!

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:12 pm

People have been at him all season without fully understanding his role in this system.

This myth needs to die. People do understand they just don't think he does it well, because currently he isn't. Lowton could and has done it better. Egan-Riley is presumably the natural longterm for the role.
You're rich to talk about scapegoats when every game you criticise Vitinho, even when he scores or assists it's like you're through gritted teeth. And as for the role I think a change of role to put Vitinho at RB would benefit us more than Roberts currently.

I really want to like the guy. I do. Against Southampton last season he was great. But he's never looked up to it besides then whatever role he's given. Far better for Wales than he's been for Burnley and I don't see how Lowton isn't worthy of a go after tonight's display.

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:32 pm

I thought Roberts was good against Millwall, but he was really poor tonight.

I also thought Cork was really, really good against Millwall, but also dreadful tonight.

I must be ****** then cork was brilliant I thought tonight

Roberts wasn’t great tonight but he was certainly better than Maatsan on the left.

It was not a good idea for him to put the ball into the box with thirty seconds to go. I was beside myself with anger.

Roberts had a poor game tonight, finished off by the unfortunate deflection, but some did loads of others. Cork was shite tonight for example, after a MoTM performance last time out. It’s a one off and next week we’ll be fine.

I do wonder how Matt Lowton can’t get a game though. I don’t know about CJ as I haven’t seen him play.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:12 pm

People have been at him all season without fully understanding his role in this system.

He wasn’t great tonight but Maatsen was a lot worse.

People understand his role, it's the fact that he's not as well suited for the role as Lowton is that's annoying.

If you want a right back that tucks in and adds to the defensive line with good distribution then Lowton seems the better option.

But, Dyche, Jackson and now Kompany have selected Roberts so I guess there's something we're missing.

Not read any posts, Maatsen? Keep Vitinho at LB.

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:24 pm

Roberts wasn’t great tonight but he was certainly better than Maatsan on the left.

I’m more than willing to accept poor performances, they happen. The difference here is that Maatsen, Cork and others have been pretty damn good in most games before tonight.

I’m not wanting 8’s, 9’s and 10’s from Roberts. I’d be happy with a good run of 7’s. His decent performances, and there have been a couple, are being hidden hidden by too many that are well below average.

Spiral wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:57 pm

Roberts is looking a bit glum these days. I can't remember if he's always been like this, but there's something almost self-destructive about his displays. Daft confrontations and such. The comment above about aggression without passion is absolutely spot on. I know it's terrible to speculate on a person's mindset at the the best of times, and especially so when that person is someone you don't know, but I've seen people who feel like total $hit be blown about by the winds of their own distress, impelled to behaviours they don't even realise they're engaging in which ultimately happen in search of a destructive act which justifies the belief they are unhappy. We need happy Roberts back.

He's married now.....what do you expect?

aggi wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:38 pm

People understand his role, it's the fact that he's not as well suited for the role as Lowton is that's annoying.

If you want a right back that tucks in and adds to the defensive line with good distribution then Lowton seems the better option.

But, Dyche, Jackson and now Kompany have selected Roberts so I guess there's something we're missing.

Yep probably because Lowton has never ever played in a team that plays in out of the back while Roberts has spent his whole career doing so.

He was really sloppy in this match but so were several others. Cork and Maatsen gave the ball away just as much, haven’t checked the stats yet. Before tonight he’s been largely fine though (excellent second half v Millwall for example) and part of a team 2nd in a the league as we speak.

might be better if we offer him some support

Ipreferaflan wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:19 pm

Irrelevant - Kompany chose to play him there. He was just as poor when he moved to left back.. Roberts was obviously poor tonight but most players were to be fair. Cork is another one who couldn't keep the ball all night

I sometimes wonder if we are all watching the same game. He wasn't outstanding, but he wasn't poor. Didn't do too bad in the first half and was far better than Maatsen at LB, made plenty of blocks and tackles in that game. Towards the end he was obviously knackered as were many of the team.

DCWat wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:47 pm

I’m more than willing to accept poor performances, they happen. The difference here is that Maatsen, Cork and others have been pretty damn good in most games before tonight.

I’m not wanting 8’s, 9’s and 10’s from Roberts. I’d be happy with a good run of 7’s. His decent performances, and there have been a couple, are being hidden hidden by too many that are well below average.

He’s been part of a team that has lost 1 game in 8. As above Kompany and the coaches are obviously happy with the job he’s doing.

RVclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 03, 2022 5:57 am

Yep probably because Lowton has never ever played in a team that plays in out of the back while Roberts has spent his whole career doing so.

He was really sloppy in this match but so were several others. Cork and Maatsen gave the ball away just as much, haven’t checked the stats yet. Before tonight he’s been largely fine though (excellent second half v Millwall for example) and part of a team 2nd in a the league as we speak.

But he was playing a very different role as a wing back then. I'd say he's looked less comfortable with his current role than the majority of the team.

Lowton is a player who is comfortable on the ball and a better, and much more experienced, defensive player than Roberts. I think he'd be fine playing that role.

Whilst poor last night not sure Roberts should be hung out to dry. Looks committed to me. Should certainly consider other options there but I’m not convinced Lowton will suit this system even though he did well at Shrewsbury. How much football has Egan -Riley played at RB? Maybe could look at Vitinho there if not at LB.