Luke Thomas

[volpeazzurro]

13 hours ago, pmcla26 said:

I agree with what you are saying but just seemed to be what some were implying. 
 

Personally though, I’d still start a fit Castagne and Soyuncu over Thomas and Amartey though, regardless of recent form. 

I think if it's on the left it's a no brained, Castagne can fill in and does his best but Thomas already offers much more and is far more natural. On the right, if fully fit, Castagne still comes a distant second to Ricardo also. 

[sacreblueits442]

On 31/12/2021 at 10:39, Ric Flair said:

I think Castagne has a problem, not Luke. Justin if he returns to form and fitness is likely to move to right back if Castagne continues to be distinctly average.

...Castagne has had a rough ride with  everything that has happened here!!!

  Terrific player that came to us and hit the ground running. He came because he wanted to play in one position and not to be constantly shunted around. As a professional player he has done what was required to aid the team, and he may not be top notch in some positions but he has been good for us. Having your dislocated shoulder constantly being popped back in games and continuing to play makes him for me an assett that we should be monitoring closely and for me a player who is top of my list of players.

 It may just turn out that Ricardo will not get back to his previous best and Castagne deserves a run in one position.

  His versatility is proving to be his downfall it seems, and it shouldn't be!

[Father Ted]

On 31/12/2021 at 11:44, Facecloth said:

Good job you're not manager then 

 

Can you imagine going up to Amartey and saying "Mate, I know you've been a rock at the back in the last month whilst Soyuncu's been out, you haven't put a foot wrong. And I know he's been a bomb scare in the last few matches he's played, giving away penalties, getting sent off, making mistakes. But he's Soyuncu and you're Amartey, so he's back in."

 

Well done you've made half you squad complacent, because they know they are undroppable, and the other half dispirited, because they know they can't win a place in the side, no matter what.

 

The complacent players stop trying, because they know they don't have to player well. The dispirited ones also stop trying, because it's pointless, as you won't pick them anyway.

And do you know what’s funny. That’s exactly what Rodgers will/would do.

[gerblod]

On 31/12/2021 at 10:39, Ric Flair said:

I think Castagne has a problem, not Luke. Justin if he returns to form and fitness is likely to move to right back if Castagne continues to be distinctly average.

What the need is, is to get a settled defensive structure back - where everyone knows the structure and players can slot in automatically. 

 

Luke Thomas has been exemplary since the moment he stepped on the pitch in his first game for the first team.

At this point, if he continues in this fashion, there's no one I'd rather see elected player of the season.  

[gerblod]

On 01/01/2022 at 14:45, sacreblueits442 said:

...Castagne has had a rough ride with  everything that has happened here!!!

  Terrific player that came to us and hit the ground running. He came because he wanted to play in one position and not to be constantly shunted around. As a professional player he has done what was required to aid the team, and he may not be top notch in some positions but he has been good for us. Having your dislocated shoulder constantly being popped back in games and continuing to play makes him for me an assett that we should be monitoring closely and for me a player who is top of my list of players.

 It may just turn out that Ricardo will not get back to his previous best and Castagne deserves a run in one position.

  His versatility is proving to be his downfall it seems, and it shouldn't be!

Reading your comment on his dislocations (on his body and his positions ), he's also had to go through the trauma of a shattered eye socket. Many a player would be wearing a guard - permanently, after such an injury. 

He's been coming in for a lot of misdirected stick lately. No one in defence has had a settled formation to slide into. BR's tardy decision to transition to m-t-m marking agin Liverpool had a terrific positive effect. 

Castagne should come good again - he is hard-working, determined and brave. We've already seen how talented he is - if BR can get the defence into cohesion then apparently under-performing players will have the opportunity to show their true levels of performance.

The key to this is in a settled centre-back formation(s).

 

[TaggertvsWise]

On 31/12/2021 at 11:36, Facecloth said:

Who's said that? Amartey isn't better than Soyuncu, but right now he's playing better. And until one player shows they are playing to standard, they shouldn't just walk back in over the player currently in that position.

 

Amartey and Thomas have played well enough to earn the right to keep their spots, Castagne and Soyuncu need to show enough to displace them. Picking a player based on name doesn't encourage competition in the squad.

Exactly. First clean sheet in god knows how long against Liverpool no less. Why on earth would you change it?

[coolhandfox]

10 minutes ago, TaggertvsWise said:

Exactly. First clean sheet in god knows how long against Liverpool no less. Why on earth would you change it?

Well it will change because Amartey is of to Afcon now.

[TaggertvsWise]

Ah yes, sorry I should have given the comment more thought about the context when I posted.

[gerblod]

On 31/12/2021 at 12:56, pmcla26 said:

 

I get what you’re both saying and agree. I think I just misinterpreted people’s points from reading them back, 100% you’d have to play the likes of Thomas and Amartey off of recent form. 
 

What I should have said is that if they were all fit and at their peak...I would pick both Castagne and Soyuncu over Thomas and Amartey, when Justin and/or Ricardo are back. 
 

Both Thomas and Amartey have stepped up brilliantly at times.

Next time I talk myself into the mire, your words will be my go-to to get me out of it .

Recent form is all-important and trumps every other consideration. 

Thomas has stepped up brilliantly ALL of the time. 

For me he's enlivened the left side spectacularly well. The conundrum for Rodgers shouldn't be Thomas - JJ will have to demonstrate he can justifiably replace Thomas.

As for the right, Castagne is my automatic. Until Ricardo recovers both fitness and form Castagne must have precedence. A few posters here have adopted a quite astonishing downer on him, forgetting just how good he is. At their best Ricardo probably shades it in attack, but I consider Castagne somewhat better defensively.

Rodgers needs to establish his interim centre defence players/formation/tactic as his most urgent priority. Evans, Söyüncü and Wes are the optimum first choices but Evans is no longer physically reliable. N'Didi has to be our principal CDM. Either Vestergaard or Amartey will be second pick, but how that works depends on whether Söyüncü can maintain his focus and confidence when Evans isn't beside him.

[Spudulike]

9 minutes ago, gerblod said:

Next time I talk myself into the mire, your words will be my go-to to get me out of it .

Recent form is all-important and trumps every other consideration. 

Thomas has stepped up brilliantly ALL of the time. 

For me he's enlivened the left side spectacularly well. The conundrum for Rodgers shouldn't be Thomas - JJ will have to demonstrate he can justifiably replace Thomas.

As for the right, Castagne is my automatic. Until Ricardo recovers both fitness and form Castagne must have precedence. A few posters here have adopted a quite astonishing downer on him, forgetting just how good he is. At their best Ricardo probably shades it in attack, but I consider Castagne somewhat better defensively.

Rodgers needs to establish his interim centre defence players/formation/tactic as his most urgent priority. Evans, Söyüncü and Wes are the optimum first choices but Evans is no longer physically reliable. N'Didi has to be our principal CDM. Either Vestergaard or Amartey will be second pick, but how that works depends on whether Söyüncü can maintain his focus and confidence when Evans isn't beside him.

It seems that a major proportion of the transfer budget will have to be spent on central defence. Our optimum first choices may well be much different next season as Cags will going into his final contract year and the club might cash in, Evans at 34 might never be the reliable defensive leader again, and who knows if a too good to turn down offer will be received for Lil' Wes. 

[FoxyLeon]

On 31/12/2021 at 11:36, Facecloth said:

Who's said that? Amartey isn't better than Soyuncu, but right now he's playing better. And until one player shows they are playing to standard, they shouldn't just walk back in over the player currently in that position.

 

Amartey and Thomas have played well enough to earn the right to keep their spots, Castagne and Soyuncu need to show enough to displace them. Picking a player based on name doesn't encourage competition in the squad.

 

I completely agree with that, but would also counter with the fact that we don't know, really, whether Soyuncu is better over Amartey.

Big Dan has never had a proper run at CB alongside Evans, as long as he has been here.

 

I've always thought criticism towards Amartey has been unfair.

He's certainly never had a run of poor performances like Soyuncu has over the last 12 months or so.

[Vardinio'sCat]

On 01/01/2022 at 00:50, volpeazzurro said:

I think if it's on the left it's a no brained, Castagne can fill in and does his best but Thomas already offers much more and is far more natural. On the right, if fully fit, Castagne still comes a distant second to Ricardo also. 

 

Strange discussion really, Castagne has only had a couple of good games on the left and Thomas is unlikely to appear on the right, so when are they going to be fighting over a starting spot?

 

[volpeazzurro]

3 hours ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

Strange discussion really, Castagne has only had a couple of good games on the left and Thomas is unlikely to appear on the right, so when are they going to be fighting over a starting spot?

 

They're not? The post I was replying to was regarding that person's preference for a fit Castagne over Thomas. In which case that would presumably be for the left back position. I was merely stating my preference for Thomas and why. I also mentioned however that on the right, if both fit, I preferred Ricardo to Castagne also. 

[HesNotGudjonsonn2]

Surely when Justin is back then he will be the first choice left back once/if he gets back to his standard?

[st albans fox]

6 minutes ago, HesNotGudjonsonn2 said:

Surely when Justin is back then he will be the first choice left back once/if he gets back to his standard?

Could take a while

and Brendan may prefer to use him at CB ?

[RumbleFox]

John Thomas more like amirite lads? 

[tom27111]

1 hour ago, HesNotGudjonsonn2 said:

Surely when Justin is back then he will be the first choice left back once/if he gets back to his standard?

I can see Justin on the right and Thomas on the left.

 

Ricardo hasn't been the same player since his ACL and has another set-back with his broken leg.

 

Castagne...yeah, I can see rotation between them all to be honest.

 

The way this season is panning out, I'd love to see Luke regularly and watch his game develop. Not that we have much of a choice! 

[HesNotGudjonsonn2]

I just think the issue with Ricardo is similar to the one with Evans, when they start a game they never complete it. In my mind I think they just aren’t actually permitted the time to fully recuperate because other injuries force them back early.

[elvisfmcfly]

Anyone know the unspecified reason that he’s also not available now? 

[Nod.E]

2 hours ago, HesNotGudjonsonn2 said:

I just think the issue with Ricardo is similar to the one with Evans, when they start a game they never complete it. In my mind I think they just aren’t actually permitted the time to fully recuperate because other injuries force them back early.

Doesn't help when a Scouse rat two foots you at knee height with a 20 yard run up mind.

 

He's just been unlucky after the initial issues you'd expect after returning from an ACL.

[volpeazzurro]

7 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Could take a while

and Brendan may prefer to use him at CB ?

You're very probably right. If he can get back to where he was I think we've got an incredible young player on our hands and one of very few that are really capable of playing anywhere along the back line.

 

There are no guarantees and fitness wise it's going to take some time I suppose. The psychological tentativeness and confidence may also be  very understandable issues. I just really hope people are patient and there's none of the 'he's not what he was' comments after a couple of games. It will take time but he's such an exciting prospect. 

 

He really was on the brink of an England call up I think. Would be great stuff seeing him and Thomas eventually vying for a place with Chilwell who I personally still like to see doing well.

[alanf0x]

5 hours ago, elvisfmcfly said:

Anyone know the unspecified reason that he’s also not available now? 

Was he at the darts?

[Lcfcwigstonblue]

54 minutes ago, alanf0x said:

Was he at the darts?

He certainly was 

[st albans fox]

58 minutes ago, alanf0x said:

Was he at the darts?

 

3 minutes ago, Lcfcwigstonblue said:

He certainly was 

He’s becoming a pro darts player ??  

[Ric Flair]

12 hours ago, HesNotGudjonsonn2 said:

Surely when Justin is back then he will be the first choice left back once/if he gets back to his standard?

I think if Justin gets back to where he was before and Castagne remains as distinctly average as he has been this season and Ricardo made of glass then Thomas will continue at left back and Justin at right back.