CORT CANT DEFEND

[madeleystokie]

Smite the barsteward!!

[banburypotter]

yes he can!!!

[Dingdangdoo]

Ceejays

I take it your last post was a bit of baiting??? Wolves?

[woolster]

I've got one word to describe you Ceejays - 'Clueless'

Enough said

[Godo]

The Pulis way is that we defend as a unit so I don't think it is fair to single out individual players when at times - Tuesday, Cardiff etc etc - we sit too deep second half, have a lack of communication throughout the team, a keeper who doesn't inspire confidence in the air and wide men/full backs sometimes tucked in too narrow to properly block crosses - so the centre backs do have to absorb a lot of pressure.

I don't think Leon is the best tackler I've ever seen but at least he doesn't dive in and give stupid free kicks away and at times he does let the ball bounce rather than attacking it positively but I also remember all of the occasions when he has thrown himself in front of the ball to block goal bound shots etc. On balance a good addition to the squad but obviously not the leader/dominant figure we could do with.

[woolster]

if you come out with utter garbage like that - how can you seriously not expect some form of criticism!! dear oh dear

[anarchicalan]

Have to disagree with you CJ - we were panicking against Southampton, but Cort, whilst not having one of his better nights, was easily the pick of our defence.

As for Pugh being too small for a full back, does anyone recall Mick Pejic? I also thought Mikkel Hansen was a fantastic player and not that tall. Griff isn't a giant either!

It's not about height, it's about application. I thought Pugh was left stranded 2 on 1 several times and it caught him out and made him look worse than he was. He didn't play well 2nd half, it's true, but no one exactly covered themselves in glory!

[ParaPsych]

I do think we've become so used to having the best defence in the league under Pulis that we tend to say things like a player "can't defend" when in actual fact they can, but maybe not as good as say, Gerry Taggart.

I don't think the Cort/Shawcross partnership is fantastic, but our defence has only conceded 3 more goals than Watford. It's really not THAT bad.

And the goals Shawcross and Cort get, and the confusion they cause in the opposition box makes me think they are far more of a benefit to the team than a hindrance.

[mermaidsal]

The other thing is that we've been spoilt, we've had a series of outstanding defensive leaders like Sergei, Gerry and Higgy. Doobs wasn't the worst either.

I don't have a big problem with Leon but something always makes me worry about a central defender who isn't a clogger at heart. Certainly something's wrong in our defence though. But maybe Leon's going to be a bit like Mama, fantastic team player, good footballer but on paper not that good in his designated role?

[pottersrule]

Actually Griff was at fault for the second,he was to close to John and got turned.Had a great game though.

[TheWiseMaster]

The argument falls to pieces with the first bit of evidence against Cort

Every man and his dog could see that it was Shawcross challenging John for the first and crucial goal. Shawcross made a very bad error for a defended by turning his back as John feigned to shoot. John took advantage by lifting the ball past him and scored with a nice half volley. Totally down to Shawcross who has been struggling lately - though that doesn't make him a bad defender either!

[PONTAFCE]

pugh is too small?

I thought he was 6 ft!

I wish people would stop this bollax about being to small and shit its like saying sidibe is to tall.

[lordb]

Pugh has been very poor @ dfending crosses from the other flank + he tries to make early interceptions a la Hoefkens (when he first came) & often doesnt get there thus leaving big gaps behind him.

Dicko is muchbetter defensivly than Pugh.

Pugh should be on the bench or in CM imho.

[PONTAFCE]

I would like to see him in the midfield again but he would have to fight for his place there at the minute like.

[YarnfieldStokie]

Ceejay please accept a smiting for either a poor attempt at a wind up or knowin f**k all about defending.
Any idiot can pick one half of football to highlight mistakes. Look at all season and make a rational assesment.
Cort and Shawcross are not the finished article. We have paid for potential as well as talent

[ceejays]

think alzheimers setting in.
last match at victoria ground was versus WBA

MY TICKET
ROW 2 SEAT 21 PRICE £7

4TH MAY 1997 - SUNDAY
ENTER BY TURNSTILE 31/32 - SECRETARY - M J POTTS

I took my mum as it was her 79th birthday.
She wanted to go the last match as she had stood on the old stoke end as a young girl .
think we won 3-0 ??
cant remember that bit but we always beat wba

[YarnfieldStokie]

Pretty sure it was 2-1.
hazy on the scorers but Kav and Gerry McMahon spring to mind

[PotteringThrough]

Yeah 2-1, Gerry got the winner I'm sure!

As for Cort, he's not as good as Higgy defensively but I think he can defend.

We play differently now than what we did last year and are more attacking but we do tend to sit back still and this is when Cort is so useful. He wins a very high percentage of headers and also makes countless blocks.

He does need to be more vocal, but I think that can be said for Simmo and probably Shawcross as well.

Cort and Shawcross are going to keep getting better though in my own opinion.

[jay1610]

I think it's harsh to say he can't defend, some of his blocking is tremendous and he is good and making a player play the ball on their weaker foot, however he does need to be a bit more aggresive. A couple of times he has been found out strength wise e.g. against Coventry at home for their 3rd/4th goal when Adebola muscled him off it to score. In fairness Adebola knocked back the whole of Blackburn's defence in the FA cup ;D

[smirny72]

I thought he played well. Blocked several goalbound balls. Close contender for MOM I thought. Each to their own opinion i spose

[MadridStokie]

We need to tighten up our defence but not at the expense of the power of our attacking play. We have not really had a settled central spine of the team recently and this does not help. Simmo/Shawcross/Cort have been the mainstays of the spine but the central midfield partnership has changed and Sidibe was at ACON, Fuller did not start against Wolves etc. Having this spine settled is key to the defensive action from front to back IMO.

Once we can get CM settled (Diao at full fitness or Delap and Whelan truly settled into the team) I think we will see a difference.

[potterandproud]

cort cant defend?
I have to disagree with you big time