Harry Darling and Luke Williams

[jonboyswan]

Only way he gets in to the premier league is in a team that get's promoted and that is based on watching him week in week out.

No I agree with that but to say he's just an "average" championship centre half is just nonsense. What are people basing this on?

 

[Smurph]

No I agree with that but to say he's just an "average" championship centre half is just nonsense. What are people basing this on?

Watching him play week in week out.

 

[Swanjaxs]

No I agree with that but to say he's just an "average" championship centre half is just nonsense. What are people basing this on?

An average championship centre half playing for an average championship side, nothing more, nothing less...

 

[jonboyswan]

Watching him play week in week out.

An average championship centre half playing for an average championship side, nothing more, nothing

If he standing out within an average championship team and gets good reviews from fans from clubs like WBA then logic would say he's better than average. I'm not sure what the guy has to do week in week out to become a better than average centre half.

 

[Swanjaxs]

If he standing out within an average championship team and gets good reviews from fans from clubs like WBA then logic would say he's better than average. I'm not sure what the guy has to do week in week out to become a better than average centre half.

Be more consistent perhaps?

 

[JackSomething]

Darling was great yesterday when players were running at him centrally. He put in some great challenges and blocks, without him we'd surely have lost the game. Credit where it's due.

Where he terrifies me is when the ball is out wide in open play. He never seems to know who to cover and as a result is often stood in the penalty area with no opposition player anywhere near him. Watch the Leeds game for a prime example of that. It's possible that this is a system issue and he genuinely doesn't know where the manager wants him, but you think they'd have worked that out between them over the last 12 months.

 

[jonboyswan]

Be more consistent perhaps?

Huh? We barely conceded a goal first 3 months of the season and since leaking he's generally been one of our better players week in week out with committed performances, chippings with goals and assists and even playing when unwell.

 

[Smurph]

If he standing out within an average championship team and gets good reviews from fans from clubs like WBA then logic would say he's better than average. I'm not sure what the guy has to do week in week out to become a better than average centre half.

Organise the back four would be a start. We're all over the place a lot of the time. A decent central defender is a leader at the back and can sniff out the danger and has good positional sense for himself and others around him.

Telling Grimes to fuck off in to midfield and let him take free kicks on the edge of own box would also help.

Also it's not hard to stand out ( I don't personally see him standing out) when you've got a back four consisting of Tymon, Key and Cabango.

Ashley Williams was head and shoulders above this lad at a similar age, now that's a decent central defender at this level.

We can hardly judge a players potential based on the opinion of opposing fans.

 

[Swanjaxs]

Huh? We barely conceded a goal first 3 months of the season and since leaking he's generally been one of our better players week in week out with committed performances, chippings with goals and assists and even playing when unwell.

He was dire at Portsmouth the game before

 

[jonboyswan]

Darling was great yesterday when players were running at him centrally. He put in some great challenges and blocks, without him we'd surely have lost the game. Credit where it's due.

Where he terrifies me is when the ball is out wide in open play. He never seems to know who to cover and as a result is often stood in the penalty area with no opposition player anywhere near him. Watch the Leeds game for a prime example of that. It's possible that this is a system issue and he genuinely doesn't know where the manager wants him, but you think they'd have worked that out between them over the last 12 months.

Most teams play one up top and so if cabango is given the man marking task then darling is always going to be the free defender who's job it is to cover his partner and try and track a late runner into the box. You have to remember not many right footed centre halfs like playing on the left side so the fact he does this pretty seamlessly again adds to my point that he's better than average

 

[Smurph]

He was dire at Portsmouth the game before

He wasn't great at Hull, either.

 

[jonboyswan]

Organise the back four would be a start. We're all over the place a lot of the time. A decent central defender is a leader at the back and can sniff out the danger and has good positional sense for himself and others around him.

Telling Grimes to fuck off in to midfield and let him take free kicks on the edge of own box would also help.

Also it's not hard to stand out ( I don't personally see him standing out) when you've got a back four consisting of Tymon, Key and Cabango.

Ashley Williams was head and shoulders above this lad at a similar age, now that's a decent central defender at this level.

We can hardly judge a players potential based on the opinion of opposing fans.

Organise the back four would be a start. We're all over the place a lot of the time. A decent central defender is a leader at the back and can sniff out the danger and has good positional sense for himself and others around him.

Telling Grimes to fuck off in to midfield and let him take free kicks on the edge of own box would also help.

Also it's not hard to stand out ( I don't personally see him standing out) when you've got a back four consisting of Tymon, Key and Cabango.

Ashley Williams was head and shoulders above this lad at a similar age, now that's a decent central defender at this level.

We can hardly judge a players potential based on the opinion of opposing fans.

Ashley williams joined us as a 24yr old in league 1....

 

[Smurph]

Ashley williams joined us as a 24yr old in league 1....

Like I said, he was a cut above Darling at similar ages.

 

[jonboyswan]

Like I said, he was a cut above Darling at similar ages.

But playing at a lower level jeez guys these replys are powder puff at best

 

[JackSomething]

Most teams play one up top and so if cabango is given the man marking task then darling is always going to be the free defender who's job it is to cover his partner and try and track a late runner into the box. You have to remember not many right footed centre halfs like playing on the left side so the fact he does this pretty seamlessly again adds to my point that he's better than average

Then the manager may want to look at changing their responsibilities, because Darling is terrible at it. Like I said, watch the Leeds goals, he's marking thin air, playing people onside, etc.

He's the best we've got and I'd be delighted for him to sign a new contract on a reasonable wage, but it is absolutely not worth breaking the bank for to avoid losing him. That kind of thinking over the last decade is why Grimes is still here (on a no doubt very decent wage) and such a prominent voice in the dressing room.