Richards, Stearman, Burns, Garbutt

[copthornemike]

A welcome clean sheet away from home against a decent side.

So have we found our best defensive line up for the next few games?

[J.Perkins]

A welcome clean sheet away from home against a decent side.

So have we found our best defensive line up for the next few games?

Ream will go straight back in the team.

[grandad]

I think Burn should play when there is an aerial threat & Ream when faced with teams playing with quicker forwards.

[filham]

I think Burn should play when there is an aerial threat & Ream when faced with teams playing with quicker forwards.

Most teams have a mixture of both but we do seem to suffer a lot from aerial attacks and Burn certainly seems to cut out this threat.

I like young Burn and think he is gradually developing into a good Championship defender.

[Wimbledon_White]

Burn really splits opinion.

Some people really don't rate him, say he is useless.

Some swear by him.

I'd like to see him stake a place in the side long term. Perhaps he and Ream are the main rivals, Stearman perhaps more settled and sure thing starter?

I dunno. Basically be it Ream or Dunk with Stearman I would be happy.

And what about Shaun Hutchinson?!

[Brawn]

As Alan Sugar used in midweek, it's a synergy. The reason Hangeland and Hughes worked so well is because you had one tall, lanky one who dealt with the head but was useless on the ground, and one who couldn't head the ball at all but a very good ground player.

Seeing as God has not yet created a creature who can do both, we're better off with Burn and Stearman - indeed, the statistics suggest they are our strongest defenders.

[copthornemike]

Many valid points regarding Stearman and Ream as a starting combination - but they had played together in a team which conceded 5 goals in the previous two games (albeit down to 10 men for much of the Wolves match).

However it would appear that although Kit had set up the team to be more defensive minded nevertheless Stearman + Burns were in the defensive unit which gained a rare clean sheet.

This is a result business after all so there must be a strong rationale to start Stearman & Burns together for the Leeds match. One advantage in not starting Ream is that he is an unusually versatile defender so offers a lot if another defender is injured or having a bad game.

Have Stearman + Burns started in any other match this season?

[hovewhite]

I'd like to see the back 4 stay as they are for the Leeds game as they've learnt the chance!

[Scrumpy]

I believe I read on Tiff that Burn has not lost any of the games he's started.

His passing let's him down, but as others have said you need a good mix in defence and I think his aerial ability edges it for me.

Maybe Ream at left back?

[davew]

Not seen the 90 minutes against Boro, but did Garbutt impress that much that he is now considered an automatic choice for our defence? He looked awfully average/sub average in the match before, though 1 must allow for the time off with his injury and all that time at the hairdressers, I will shake my head and shoulders if my first impressions are wrong.

[Whitesideup]

Ream definitely has pace but not a lot of height. Burn definitely has height and not a lot of pace. Maybe Grandad has a point.

[cmg]

I wonder if we don't show enough patience/realism when it comes to centre-backs.
No position on the field, except goalkeeper, is so exposed when it comes to errors.

Looking at some of the world's (not the championship's!) best CBs I was struck by two things.
Firstly how many of them, despite their stellar talents, have 'distinguished' themselves with major errors even in the recent past. Koscielny, Chiellini, Kompany, Pique, Terry have all made headline errors or displayed considerable inconsistency in recent seasons. Who will ever forget, an admittedly ageing, Cannavaro being laid to waste by Bobby Zamora?
The other thing is that it is rarely a youngster's position. Remember Boateng at Manchester City? Miranda, Benatia and Godin all took quite a time to establish themselves. Even Hummels was sold by Bayern.

We've now got a full hand of CBs of various types. All of them are at least quite good, despite scathing criticisms on these pages. We seem to be forever shuffling the pack to find the right combination.

[RaySmith]

Agree cmg -It's important to get a good partnership going, and then stick to it- but you have to give players time playing together, and not get on their backs.

[MJG]

I'd stick with same back four on Wednesday. I always think its important to reward players when they do well by keeping them in the team. No player...and I dont care who it is...should just walk back in if the replacement has done well.

[nose]

I'd stick with same back four on Wednesday. I always think its important to reward players when they do well by keeping them in the team. No player...and I dont care who it is...should just walk back in if the replacement has done well.

completey agree....  i actually think we have two better full backs but these ones got a clean sheet V boro, the team did well and MUST be left to start the next game otherwise it says to squad players, whatever you do, you are not valued.

[FPT]

I'm desperate to see us use a back five at some point. Whether it be once in the league, whether a FA Cup game... I really like the potential balance in a central defence three with Stearman and Ream either side of Dan Burn which should cover his lack of pace. This also allows Jazz Richards or Ryan Fredericks down the right, and Luke Garbutt or James Husband down the left the ability to gamble forward a bit more than they would do in a normal full back position. With Ben Pringle ineffective in recent games, we can go to three central midfielders in Jamie O'Hara, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Lasse Vigen Christensen - which would hopefully bring the best out of Lasse as he can return to a less restrictive central midfield role and he can really break the opposition lines. We also retain the two strikers we want to use. I think this could make us more attacking, with pretty much 7 players in forward positions - the width of the pitch can be used with the wing backs creating room in the middle for the likes McCormack, O'Hara and Christensen.

But anyway, I wouldn't mind seeing the same back four - heck, the same team on Wednesday. We went to (arguably) the best side in the division and were professional in clinching a point and a clean sheet - that deserves another start for the side.