2024/25 Jake O'Brien


My line of thinking is once McNeil gets back, who is going to be able to contain O'Brien, Branners, Tarks/Keane on set pieces? Not only does he look a good offensive player on the ground, I think he will make us even more of a nuisance in the air. His inclusion makes sense. We can make up for our lack of fullback talent with him in the side allowing the man in front to push up.
 

bluestevon said:
Big difference he made, when we had the ball he's so comfortable defending in space that it allowed Lindstrom to go forwards without having to worry about behind him if we lost possession.

We have in actuality the perfect CBs to play three at the back, Branthwaite is superb defending in space also and both those wider CBs have great pace about them, mirrored by the fact in Ndiaye and Lindstrom we have two players whose best spot is kinda a wide forward or winger cutting in

Ultimately we suit some version of 3-4-3 system best.
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I said before the game today that at least we have brought Lindstrom and this lad in.

Both are fast, Lindstrom is nearly 6 ft too and this lad is massive.

I look at the team midweek, and honestly in a lot of games and I think it's just been too small and too slow. Wednesday we had Young, Mykolenko, Mangala, Gueye and Harrison. All slow and small. Doucoure, Tarkowski are slow and tall, Ndiaye fast and small.

Anyway I don't think when we are in the position we are, we can't have half the team who are small and slow. It means you can't break quickly, can't defend higher (see the goal) and aren't a threat off set plays.

Lindstrom and particularly O'Brien help that a lot. It was a no brainer. Absolutely no idea why he wasn't used earlier, but fair play to Moyes for getting him in.
 
Today's team performance shone a light on the inhibitions of Dyche as a manager

None more so than our right side. Thought JOB was excellent. Aggressive without over committing, positionally astute and his passing is immaculate.

Ofc Dyche didn't like him. Modern centre half who doesn't slide tackle and who wants to play the ball on the ground?
 
He's not a natural wide player. The performance today was tidy and he was up against some good players. But Lindstrom put a massive shift in ahead of O'Brien. Also, O'Brien moved fairly conservatively when he had the ball going forward and looking for the safe pass.

Nothing wrong with that, we needed steady. But he's a CB. That's his position. He cant do the attacking side of the game apart from set pieces.

He'll slot in with Tarkowski when Brathwaite leaves this summer.
 
davek said:
He's not a natural wide player. The performance today was tidy and he was up against some good players. But Lindstrom put a massive shift in ahead of O'Brien. Also, O'Brien moved fairly conservatively when he had the ball going forward and looking for the safe pass.

Nothing wrong with that, we needed steady. But he's a CB. That's his position. He cant do the attacking side of the game apart from set pieces.

He'll slot in with Tarkowski when Brathwaite leaves this summer.
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Where is Branthwaite going?
 

No way they’ll let Branthwaite walk. If we were able to retain him and not sell after all we’ve been through, I have no doubt with financial security and threat of PSR gone, he’ll be a blue for a while.
 

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