Independent Leyton Orient Forum

I liked the two of them together. Worked well. Maybe the right pairing at the back.

Ekpiteta at right back. I thought he did really well. Defends as well as Ling, much better in the tackle, better in the air and adds a little creativity going forward. Pace too. I won’t be disappointed if he keeps that position.

I haven`t been a fan of Coulson, but he did ok today.

My preferred choice is Happe/Ekpiteta. Maybe next season.

Happe Ekpiteta will happen in time but understand not going with them just yet.

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:43 pm I liked the two of them together. Worked well. Maybe the right pairing at the back.

Ekpiteta at right back. I thought he did really well. Defends as well as Ling, much better in the tackle, better in the air and adds a little creativity going forward. Pace too. I won’t be disappointed if he keeps that position.

Interesting thought .

RedDwarf 1881 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:08 pm

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:43 pm I liked the two of them together. Worked well. Maybe the right pairing at the back.

Ekpiteta at right back. I thought he did really well. Defends as well as Ling, much better in the tackle, better in the air and adds a little creativity going forward. Pace too. I won’t be disappointed if he keeps that position.

Interesting thought .

''Ekpiteta at right back''
Someone on this forum put that idea forward a week or so back, it did not get a very enthusiastic reception at the time but perhaps he had a good idea after all. I find people in general on this forum are very against anyone who puts forward ideas that are ''outside the box'' when it comes to suggestions about playing people in a different position to their normal one. Sometimes a change of position can be the making of a player.

That’s very true, countless players have carved out great careers after positional changes.
Can’t think of his name, was it tommy burns?, who Brian clough signed from a Scottish side where he was the leagues leading goal scorer and converted him into a European championship winning centre half.

Marvin did well today and he'll probably need to keep doing it in view of Ling, Judd and Turkey all crocked to some degree .

Redcard wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:47 pm That’s very true, countless players have carved out great careers after positional changes.
Can’t think of his name, was it burns?, who Brian clough signed from a Scottish side where he was the leagues leading goal scorer and converted him into a European championship winning centre half.

The player you are thinking of is Kenny Burns, remember him well. His first club was Birmingham city where he was converted from a defender to a ( if I remember right, a centre forward ) Now quote part of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Burns

''After joining Nottingham Forest for £150,000 in 1977, he was converted back into a central defender by Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. He was one of three signings Forest made along with Archie Gemmill and Peter Shilton to add to the promotion-winning squad of the previous season.[6] Burns was both FWA Footballer of the Year and Forest's player of the year in 1977–78 in his defensive role as Forest won the First Division title that season, in their first year after returning to the top flight.[7] They also won that season's Football League Cup with a 1–0 replay victory over Liverpool; Burns collected the trophy as captain deputising for the injured John McGovern.[8] He was an influential figure in the side's European Cup campaigns over the next three seasons, his defensive partnership with Larry Lloyd instrumental to Forest's victory in the 1979 and 1980 tournaments.[citation needed] He also scored in the second leg of the 1979 UEFA Super Cup final victory against Barcelona.[9] At one time he was renowned for his 'wild man' image[6] and while maintaining an aggressive nature, he also possessed a shrewd football brain and was always likely to score vital goals.

Thanks Sid. I knew he was Scottish and I mistakenly thought that he played in Scotland whereas he played for Scotland .

Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

Constantine wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:25 pm Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

You are righ of course. He had nothing to do all game so hard to judge. Could have sat in a deck chair for 85 minutes.

Constantine wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:25 pm Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

Exactly. Also, people tend to overrate players when they play out of position and overlook certain things because of being in a different position. And because it's covering a teammate, sample sizes tend to be unreliably low.

Think we need to be less facile about these things.

Constantine wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:25 pm Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

Give the fella a break - he was great yesterday.

Disoriented wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:33 am

Constantine wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:25 pm Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

Give the fella a break - he was great yesterday.

Nobody is arguing he wasn't...but that doesn't necessarily mean he could be relied upon as a more regular option there.

Smendrick Feaselberg wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:35 am

Disoriented wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:33 am

Constantine wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:25 pm Northampton spent most of the game lumping long balls into our box. Which suited all three centre backs we had on the pitch.

Ekpiteta didn't have a winger run at him all game, today wasn't proof he can play right back.

Give the fella a break - he was great yesterday.

Nobody is arguing he wasn't...but that doesn't necessarily mean he could be relied upon as a more regular option there.

But worth another look methinks.

We ALL know it was one game. We ALL know you can’t judge on one game. Grandmother sucking eggs springs to mind.

However, players have successfully changed positions and despite being dropped in it after 5 minutes the guy did well and looked comfortable. And he handled whatever was thrown at him.

I thought he looked far more comfortable than I’ve seen him in a number of games this season. Not only that, if I wanted someone to make a life saving tackle and the choice was Ling of Marv, I know who I’d choose.

Maybe he won’t make a RB because we have three already able to play in that role. But if none of them are available Marv works for me.

I can’t think of one single reason that I would pick Ling over Marvin at right back. Even though it’s not his normal position, Marv is a better bet there.

I’ve thought of a single reason. The Samlings long throw.

Redcard wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:47 pm That’s very true, countless players have carved out great careers after positional changes.
Can’t think of his name, was it tommy burns?, who Brian clough signed from a Scottish side where he was the leagues leading goal scorer and converted him into a European championship winning centre half.

Kenny Burns, signed him from Birmingham where he played up front as Trevor Francis' minder.
There have been others as well. I remember Oldham & Sheffield Wednesday Centre Half Paul Warhurst become a useful Centre Forward

I'm as pleased as anyone about the result yesterday, but maybe we're getting a bit carried away because of the clean sheet. I don't see any reason to change my mind right now, because of one good result. Our defence is still a problem.

Our defending is a problem.

That’s not to say it’s the three/four/five players at the back.

O my gawd wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:08 am

Redcard wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:47 pm That’s very true, countless players have carved out great careers after positional changes.
Can’t think of his name, was it tommy burns?, who Brian clough signed from a Scottish side where he was the leagues leading goal scorer and converted him into a European championship winning centre half.

Kenny Burns, signed him from Birmingham where he played up front as Trevor Francis' minder.
There have been others as well. I remember Oldham & Sheffield Wednesday Centre Half Paul Warhurst become a useful Centre Forward

Useful? I seem to remember he was a mini sensation at the time. Granted, the goalscoring didn't last too long.

RedO wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:13 am Our defending is a problem.

That’s not to say it’s the three/four/five players at the back.

That is a great point.

We have some decent defenders who haven’t suddenly become crap, despite the step up. It’s just they don’t seem to be working as a team.

There is a difference between poor defenders and poor defending.

RedO wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:51 am I’ve thought of a single reason. The Samlings long throw.

Interestingly listening to Ross and James Brophy post match interviews, Ekpiteta looking a natural at RB was mentioned. Seems it wasn’t only me that felt that too.

Coulson, Happe and Ekpiteta are all good players and part of the reason I suspect we have played 532 was to accommodate all three.

Well Coulson and Happe in the middle and Ekpiteta at RB solves that problem.