Is Kevin Long likely to be Tarkowski's back-up next season?

[Spijed]

I presume that'll be the case unless SD has the intention of signing another central defender.

[claretdom]

99% of posters probably trust Dyche enough to sign a centre half once Keane leaves.

[Spijed]

99% of posters probably trust Dyche enough to sign a centre half once Keane leaves.

Tbh, Kevin Long looks solid enough.

[Sidney1st]

Long is a bench warmer when needed but mainly a squad member, we should all appreciate that he's happy to be mainly a squad member I've seen mention more then once on here and CM.

Having people who're content to pick up a wage and not rock the boat for a first team spot is something to be grateful for....

[Buxtonclaret]

He looked pretty good v W Brom?

[DCWat]

He's been OK in his few PL outings. No way does that mean that we don't need a replacement for Keane though.

It's definitely good to have someone who is apparently prepared to play a bit part, but there is a difference between a bit part and him being required for months, should we suffer injuries.

[Spijed]

No way does that mean that we don't need a replacement for Keane though.

We don't need a replacement for Keane, we've already got a very good player to fill his place.

The question is whether we need a replacement for Tarkowski.

[jlup1980]

I suspect we'll back fill Tarky rather than look to replace Keane. Who was the lad we were interested in at Barnsley? Someone like that in my opinion.

[boyyanno]

Long is 26 now and never proved he was good enough at championship level. One good game against West Brom does not really make up to the rest of his time here. He needs to go and play football and we need either a young CH like the lad at Chesterfield or an old one who adds some quality and experience for a year. I'd let Long leave or send him on loan to the championship for a year and see how he gets on.

[bfc1984]

Jury is out till he gets a good run of matches,but the lad has deserved his chance he obviously has something about him,for me I would keep him 3rd choice and sign another young backup

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

We don't need a replacement for Keane, we've already got a very good player to fill his place.

The question is whether we need a replacement for Tarkowski.

Yes we do. Mee and Tarkowski I'm sure will be our chosen back two. With a decent replacment coming in to replace Tarkowski. Long I'm certain will continue as forth choice.

[KateR]

Yes we do. Mee and Tarkowski I'm sure will be our chosen back two. With a decent replacment coming in to replace Tarkowski. Long I'm certain will continue as forth choice.

always good to know when someone is certain about things they have no control of!! You probably should have finished your statement with "fact" maybe in capitals and bold, then we could all stop speculating since you are the one who knows these things beyond question of us mere mortals

[BleedingClaret]

I like Tarks a lot, he's gifted it's plain to see but he could be apportioned some blame for both W
Brim goals imo
Long didn't put a foot wrong.
Deserves some game time
I'd play him and Tarks for both the remaining games

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

always good to know when someone is certain about things they have no control of!! You probably should have finished your statement with "fact" maybe in capitals and bold, then we could all stop speculating since you are the one who knows these things beyond question of us mere mortals

I think most mere mortals will agree that there is little secret in (if and when Keane goes) who our chosen central defensive two will be.
I also think that there are few people who would argue that Long (even after a decent game against West Brom) is good enough third choice for a full Prem season.

[KateR]

I think most mere mortals will agree that there is little secret in (if and when Keane goes) who our chosen central defensive two will be.
I also think that there are few people who would argue that Long (even after a decent game against West Brom) is good enough third choice for a full Prem season.

most of have opinions and say so, and do not make statements with certain as the foundation for getting their opinions over, the only thing I am certain of is that SD will make the decision, so unless you are him incognito then................................

[DCWat]

We don't need a replacement for Keane, we've already got a very good player to fill his place.

The question is whether we need a replacement for Tarkowski.

Is Tarkowski good enough to be first choice, for the whole of next season? I like what I've seen so far, although he's perhaps a tad naive at times, but that will improve through experience. Whether that is enough remains to be seen.

I'd hope that anyone one we bring in at centre half isn't seen as back up to anyone, more someone that will at worst be pushing for a starting place and ideally better than what we have.

It's a risky position to put ourselves in; relying on a centre back pairing with only a few games together, one of whom only has a handful of top flight games to his name, and only back up to address any issues that may come to light as the pairing develops.

I'd happily start with Tarkowski and Mee as long as there was some real quality brought in as well, but let's not think we shouldn't be looking to improve on our first XI.

This summer perhaps needs to be more about improving the starting XI than it does bolstering the squad (which itself is a consequence of improving the first eleven).

[DCWat]

always good to know when someone is certain about things they have no control of!! You probably should have finished your statement with "fact" maybe in capitals and bold, then we could all stop speculating since you are the one who knows these things beyond question of us mere mortals

Come on - blatantly obvious it was his opinion.

[ClaretTony]

I like Tarks a lot, he's gifted it's plain to see but he could be apportioned some blame for both W
Brim goals imo
Long didn't put a foot wrong.
Deserves some game time
I'd play him and Tarks for both the remaining games

Certainly their second when he lost his man at a set piece. That could be lack of game time but he did the same in the cup tie against Lincoln.

[KateR]

Come on - blatantly obvious it was his opinion.

are you certain, or is that just your opinion, just for clarity

[DCWat]

are you certain, or is that just your opinion, just for clarity

It's a FACT

[KateR]

lol, well thank for that, now I have no need to wonder any longer and will pay heed to everything HMHB says, just like I do to hubby

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

lol, well thank for that, now I have no need to wonder any longer and will pay heed to everything HMHB says, just like I do to hubby

Don't listen to me, I know nothing, I'm certain of that - FACT

[KateR]

am so pleased you can take a joke, so many on here seem incapable of that xx

[GDK]

To be fair to Long we've had some pretty decent centre backs at the club since he arrived, and he's had no luck with injuries. Maybe this is the chance he's been waiting for for 7 years, with perhaps the two remaining fixtures and a full preseason to show us (and, more importantly, SD) whether he is good enough at this level. I don't like the idea of players being happy collecting a wage as bench warmers, and I can't believe SD does either.

[BleedingClaret]

Certainly their second when he lost his man at a set piece. That could be lack of game time but he did the same in the cup tie against Lincoln.

He has obvious qualities, but I used the phrase rough diamond about him and he has quite obvious deficiencies too.
Losing his man, so concentration, as you say.
Going to ground to tackle when it's not on is another.
High hopes but he's certainly needs to learn a few things

[Quicknick]

I like Tarks a lot, he's gifted it's plain to see but he could be apportioned some blame for both W
Brim goals imo
Long didn't put a foot wrong.
Deserves some game time
I'd play him and Tarks for both the remaining games

There are six points to play for and possibly three places in the league which represents 6 million pounds. We need to play our best players.

[wickdkewlclaret]

I feel pretty confident we would have won WBA game if Long wasn't playing, they were poor goals to give away. Had we relied on Long for larger parts of the season, relegation would be a realistic possibility.
We need depth and excellent back up at CB if we are to cement ourselves in the division, and I'm unconvinced Long falls into that category.

[Bacchus]

We'd be weaker without question if we started next season with Mee & Tarkowski. Theres no room for sentiment - if we want to progress we need to find a way of pushing up the pitch a bit and that means signing a higher quality central defender than we'd already have. Not seen much of him this year but Kone from Sunderland is someone who looked the part last year.

[Spijed]

The danger with signing players like Tarkowski, but then buying better if the opportunity arises is that players won't want to come if they know they won't be given a chance.

As for signing better, we have to be very careful that we don't get too many new players as they wouldn't gel in time. 3-4 first team players is the maximum we should be aiming for. Any more could be a disaster.

[Bacchus]

The danger with signing players like Tarkowski, but then buying better if the opportunity arises is that players won't want to come if they know they won't be given a chance.

As for signing better, we have to be very careful that we don't get too many new players as they wouldn't gel in time. 3-4 first team players is the maximum we should be aiming for. Any more could be a disaster.

Agree with all of that in general but selling our best player and only replacing him with a new 3rd / 4th choice is the road to relegation. Tarkowski has been unlucky not to get more of a chance through injury or suspension, but the idea that there should some sort of coronation of him as new first choice due to length of service is flawed.

[claretspice]

I got some stick on a thread over the weekend for commenting that whilst I thought Long did pretty well on Saturday (particularly for someone who hasn't started many games recently), he wasn't flawless (for example whilst he was put in a tough situation for the WBA equaliser, I thought he could have played the situation much better), and I also thought we gave him extra protection, especially in the first half - the full backs and Westwood were, I thought, a lot more careful going forwards, and I suspect the wide midfielders were chosen partly with an eye on allowing the full backs to play narrower.

That's no slight on Long - he did extremely well in the circumstances - but given how little football he's played in his career at Championship level, let alone at Premier League level (or indeed, with barely 100 appearances in the league at age 27, at all) I think its really hard to see how he develops with us into a genuine regular starting option - which is what your third choice/first reserve centre back needs to be. I think we're at the point where he needs to leave, probably on a permanent basis, in order to really find his way.

That places us in the market for another centre back. In my opinion, given we're also in the market for cover in both full back positions, it makes sense to look for at least one player who can compete for both a centre back berth and one or other of the full back slots. Someone like Liam Moore at Reading, for example.

[holdyourfire]

When keano came to us,did he or did he not spend time on the bench,waiting for his chance.He then took it,and now he's an international.Why can't the likes of tarks/long,make the step up if given the chance?

[Hapag Lloyd]

I feel pretty confident we would have won WBA game if Long wasn't playing, they were poor goals to give away. Had we relied on Long for larger parts of the season, relegation would be a realistic possibility.
We need depth and excellent back up at CB if we are to cement ourselves in the division, and I'm unconvinced Long falls into that category.

Long didn't put a foot wrong against WBA whereas Tarkowski was definitely at fault for their second goal and didn't cover himself in glory for their first.
I know it's only 1game, but I thought Long was excellent.

[boatshed bill]

When keano came to us,did he or did he not spend time on the bench,waiting for his chance.He then took it,and now he's an international.Why can't the likes of tarks/long,make the step up if given the chance?

Keane got into the team at a younger age. Long has been a non-playing squad member for too long. But he's obviously considered good enough for back up.

[TopCat]

Long is good cover as our 4th CB, as he is now.
When we sell Keane we need someone capable of fitting straight into the first team.

[ClaretTony]

When keano came to us,did he or did he not spend time on the bench,waiting for his chance.He then took it,and now he's an international.Why can't the likes of tarks/long,make the step up if given the chance?

You can't compare Keane with Tarkoswki or Long, certainly not Long. He's at a different level entirely. He sat on the bench because Duff & Shackell were playing well.

[Burnleyareback2]

Of course we will get a replacement but what a wonderful opportunity for Long going into the last few games to prove himself.

He must be close to our longest serving player now.

[tim_noone]

Im glad SDs managing Burnley. and in him i trust.

[Dressinggown]

We must buy a Keane replacement. It would be madness not to do so.

Mee + a new CB then Tarkoswki could fill a defensive midfield slot if required ?