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Callum Doyle


Briles said:
Dabo and Hyam better than any of your defenders, Hamer and O'Hare better than your entire midfield and gyokeres makes Stewart look like Heskey. Don't be daft
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O'Hare will be gone by the end of the window. He's the only player you've got capable of playing for a promotion chasing team.
 
Portishead Mackem said:
Great on the ball, physically weak (might come in time given his age) really slow though and this left us exposed so many times.
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He was a bit cumbersome defensively but when he stepped up the pitch carrying the ball he never seemed slow - on the turn or recovering back towards his own goal he was sometimes appallingly slow.

Like you say he was good on the ball (though in league one him and cirkin sometimes overplayed and invited the opposition onto us) but I just don't think he's a natural defender. He is only 18 now though.
 
Perryqhill said:
He was a bit cumbersome defensively but when he stepped up the pitch carrying the ball he never seemed slow - on the turn or recovering back towards his own goal he was sometimes appallingly slow.

Like you say he was good on the ball (though in league one him and cirkin sometimes overplayed and invited the opposition onto us) but I just don't think he's a natural defender. He is only 18 now though.
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I worry for the lad. He clearly has natural ability but you are spot on about his in ability to turn when someone runs at him. It's a big flaw and it's to do with his physique. He's a heavy build and that's at 18. It's not going to get better. He may turn out to be a world beater but equally you have to doubt, based on last year, that he is good enough for the championship. I like the lad but have doubts he will make it certainly to Prem and possibly not Champo. Hope I'm wrong. Neil was spot on dropping him.
 
The lad had a decent start for us but let's be honest - a few months in to the season it became clear that he is (currently) a poor defender. And by that I mean an out-and-out defensive liability.

That's not to say that he can't improve in time, but it surely has to be telling that (i) our defensive frailties ended, and we suddenly started keeping clean sheets/winning consistently, after Xmas when AN came in and dropped Doyle; (ii) Sunderland plainly didn't try to get him back (if we did, he would be here); and (iii) there was also no clamour from our fan base to bring him back.

Good luck to the lad. He's not a player we could accuse of failing to put the effort in (and there have been plenty of those over the years). He's just not anywhere good enough at his day job - defending. The occasional Hollywood pass for the highlights reel doesn't claw back the goals conceded when he gets caught out on the ball, turns like an oil tanker or is miles out of position.
 
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