I am probably on my own with this but I don’t buy into this view that O’Malley is suddenly incapable of being a left back.
Pre Hill most of us thought he was great going forward but a little naive defensively particularly his positioning.
Despite a management team of ex defenders he has not improved his positioning in fact has probably got worse. I think this is down to a consistent Hill tactic of insisting his full backs are narrow with the centre backs when the team does not have the ball.
For me that can work in a 4-4-2 when there is wide cover to stop the easy balls out to wide men but when used with Hill’s favoured 4-3-3 it simply leaves the opposition with easy out balls to wide men with the nearest defender 30 yards away.
Some have suggested opposition have targeted O’Malley. They actually target the wide free spaces on both sides of the pitch.
When a wide man gets the ball and you are 30 yards away all the options are with him. He has time to control the ball if the pass is not perfect, has time for the early diagonal cross without challenge or can take the late arriving full back on at speed.
Full backs are on a hiding to nothing with these tactics. I think they come from a lack of trust in centre backs. Let the full backs drop to cover the wide men and limit the supply and the centre backs have a much better chance to cope with a lower number of crosses with most of the ones that do get through delivered under challenge.
Hill was a tactical buffoon. Played 4-3-3 because it works for Liverpool and Man City. They have world class defenders that can play out from back and goalkeepers that could play as outfielders. We have centre backs with boots on the wrong feet to quote Nigel.
Get playing 4-4-2. Let the full backs mark their men. Give the defenders forward ball options. Wide midfielders for the measured out ball and 2 front men for when it has to be hoofed.
The final point is are we sure Daniel is better. Early days and am not writing him off but his goal against Yeovil aside he is looking to me like the classic utility player. Can play 3 positions but not actually very good at any of them.
