by OLLIE KEARNS »
14 May 2016 13:03
RoyalJones Top Flight Ian Royal
Obita is at least up for the fight. He's just not great defensively (better than Gunter in attack). The weakness in defence and tendency to commit silly fouls is a product of being a young winger converted to full back IMO. I think he'd make a good wing back with slightly fewer defensive duties and a back three to keep him out of trouble.
If we had two Jordan Obitas. A cloned copy of the original Jordan. 1 to play left back and the other to play left midfield, we would be pretty strong down the left hand side both defensively and offensively.
Offensively I agree because of the quality of his crosses (sometimes) and we've seen flashes of his ability to get past a player this season which we haven't really seen him do that in the first team before. However, defensively I think he still looks vulnerable but that will improve in the future with training and practice and he'll become a solid left back.
I'd love to see two Andy Griffin type full backs brought to the club to form a back four that first and foremost defends. I have some sympathy with Jordan Obita in that he spent years learning to be a winger and then finds himself at full back where, unfortunately, he all too often defends like a winger. I'd get a proper left back and put him back to left side of midfield.
One of our biggest defensive issues is that we don't stop crosses coming into the box from either side. Not only that be we actually allows crosses to be delivered into the most dangerous area just outside the 6 yard box time after time. It's very difficult for centre backs when that keeps happening week after week.