Liam Scales

I think we get nothing up front parly because of how slow the distribution of Scales alone is.

Palma is high and wide 1 on 1 all the time and Scales cannot pass a ball to him.

 

Takes far too many touches. Then by the time he gets round to passing it, the opposition are back in their shape. The 3-0 agains the huns was a great example of centre halfs moving it quickly to our wingers and it left them one v one against the full back. Starfelt was great at it and has been a huge miss this season. Defending our box, Starfelt was better than CCV as well in my opinion and we are also suffering massively from him not being there when it comes to this.

 

He’s not the problem, by far.

 

He is part of it. He has done well, but he is a squad player who is having to start games week in week out.

 

Listen mate, forget it. He is the best we have at LCB. Not his fault by any stretch.

 

He shouldn’t be the best we have, that’s the point. He does take far too many touches on the ball though.

 

He can be painfully slow to release the ball sometimes when the pass is there for him but he's still the least of our problems

 

Thats NOT what your post said at all!!!

 

My post said he takes too many touches. Which he does. I also said we are badly missing Starfelt, which we are. What do you disagree with?

 

I actually feel like he is the main problem of how bad we are going forward.

Palma is the main source of balls into the box and he is in good areas so often when Scales recieves the ball but Scales doesn't even think or look towards him, takes a touch stands, walks about or just passes it back to Welsh and then looks around so when Welsh passes it back he knows where Taylor or Bernabei is.

It's like he's an old slow computer that needs updated.

Starfelt would be passing to Palma first time like 10-20 times more per game and getting us straight up the park with no arsing about isolating Palma 1 on 1 with one guy to beat.

Instead Scales * up and slows down that much play Palma comes deeper and deeper or only gets the ball from Taylor/Bernabei and its the same move every single time.

I'd love to see Nawrocki, Welsh or even Lagerbielke playing on the left so we can get passing longer range forward faster.

Scales can't do it as he is left footed and he doesn't accept the ball on the half turn to open himself up.

You can't fault his defending or anything and he's not letting the team down, his touch on the ball is fine, his passing is safe but he's not adding a basic thing which would help the team quite a bit. He's probably as limited as like Turnbull.

I feel like if you are watching him, say Ralston has the ball at right back, if he passes in to Welsh who then passes it to Scales, at this point Scales could recieve the ball on the turn and ping it up to Palma who is probably 40-50 yards ahead up the wing. But whenever this move is on, when Scales gets it from Welsh, he faces Welsh, passes it back to Welsh and then jogs backwards knowing Welsh is going to pass it back and then he will pass it to Taylor say 10 yards in front, he always repeats that same move and is oblivious to the left winger being up the park available.

9/10 times when he passes to Palma it's because Taylor passed it back to Scales and Scales is facing the left having just got the ball from there and when he passes to Palma it's when Palma is facing him and usually has a player behind him. It's mostly always in the situation where Taylor has been forced back and Palma drops back to give Scales someone to pass to. It's never Scales being pro active and thinking im getting the ball forward to him, it's too basic.

 

Who is to blame for our defence being so weak?

Games end with praise for Scales and Welsh, but every game the opposition are creating too many clear chances from a limited amount of attacks.

If they are defending well why are they bypassed so easily and so often?

Our defence scares me. I have zero confidence that they will keep a clean sheet. We look like conceding goals far too often. I think that is part of the reason the fear passes through our players.

 

Too slow/safe/conservative, call it whatever you want, when he's on the ball.

Simailr to Taylor in that hes too scared of fans getting on his back if he tries to play a more progressive or 1st time pass that's slightly more risky or outwith his comfort zone so happy to just play safe and keep himself ticking over but not actually benefiting the team.

He's done well defensively but there's no way he should ever be a starter for us

 

He's great when were on the backfoot and trying to defend a lead with back to the wall.

In a possession based side like we are? He's not it. Far too slow on the ball, not quick enough in his decision making, passes aren't quick enough.

He's 100% taken his chance and I appreciate that but he can't possibly be starter if we want to go up a level

 

It's down to the Manager and his * tactics and constant play out from the back with no variation.

This was brutal the last time too. Teams used to target Boyata, put them under pressure because they knew we would continue to do it.

The same things said about our defence today are the same said about Gordon, lustig, Boyata, Jozo etc.

 

I wouldn’t say he’s the main problem of how we go forward…but he’s a huge problem for sure.

Takes far too long pretty much every time he’s on the ball. Picks the wrong option regularly or just can’t find a teammate.

He had one at the weekend where he actually did well to skip past a player, got about 35/40 yards from their goal, tried to play it wide left and lost the ball. Left acres of space behind him for Killie to attack.

He’s just an entirely ordinary player. Fair play to him for nailing down a place this season, but it has to be a one season and done thing, before he returns to being a back up. Anything else and it’s a major issue.

Again, giving him a 5 year deal would be insane.

 

Average player made good, 2 year deal - max.

 

This is something that does my * in because it’s him taking responsibility to try and make something happen and push the game forward. If the ball to Palma is covered, nobody is moving to collect it. It’s so static there’s no passes to hit, for 20 minutes start of the game against Killie we hit more than I’ve seen all year through Kyogo sprinting into space screaming for the ball trying to force it. Welsh and Scales hit him a lot when that was on.

It was notable the difference. Then it stopped, Kyogo was tracked, Idah was covered, and the easy ball to the other CB or full back and occasionally the winger was the norm again. After BR changed the formation back to the one that’s been shocking all season in the 433 it got worse and worse.

Him and Palma, statistically this season, are far and away ahead in passes that goes by 2+ players they’re up against. O’Riley nearer than others after that as well. Then * all after that.

And that’s so similar to Rodgers team just before he left first time, see when you see midfielders high up the pitch, back to goal, static. It happens constantly.

Bernardo coming in end of December, it stopped and it was proper movement MOR and him, McGregor, wingers finding guys breaking the lines, defence moving it forward quickly.

And it’s reverted again to static and backs to goal, safe play, no movement.

looking at the passing stats just now, Calmacs getting further and further out the game. And when he’s Part of it he’s deeper and deeper to collect, and further away from his other midfielders.

We’re not playing towards strengths at all. Or cohesively.

 

welsh ,he is * brutal .he could have got his head to the ball in the build up to the goal but as usual he has no awareness of whats going on around him ,i honestly cant believe people are questioning the length of contract scales should be getting after the one welsh (who has done * all to date) got

 

Maybe because every time Palma gets it he loses it. I couldnt about 7 times in the first 35 minutes on Saturday.