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What is his position? Seriously.... I love the man however he definitely isn’t a right back but he doesn’t have enough technical skill to be an attacking midfielder. He was our top goalscorer so what’s your opinions on Paterson’s best position?
The pitch
No 10 (ish)
Do we really really know he isn't a right back?
Not been given much time there and he had literally just come back from a serious knee injury.
More in hole than anything else as if he could be a top class right back it would be quite convenient.
Probably warming the bench next season. I think he is good out wide on the right, not as pacy as NML but good defensively and strong running.
On the bench then on for the last 20 mins in the position he's been playing if he can't play RB
Good points. I don't think no.10 is likely to be his best position. It's a loss to have him not getting in and around the box for sure. But I've seen him play a lot in defence for Hearts and right back did used to seem like his speciality, when he was up against poorer opposition. I reckon right wing back might be his ultimate position, but how often are we likely to play that system?Originally Posted by Rjk
Pre-season will be key to sort this conundrum out finally. If he has the ability to be a right back starter in the PL, then that means our squad has a right back too many. We should go with two in the squad with Coxe as third choice (if he doesn't get a loan)
The guy finished our top goal scorer in an unfamiliar position for him despite missing the start of the season through injury.
If he isn't starting then we better have spent well to replace those goals.
He could be a rather unconventional 10, if we play with a smaller faster Earnie type striker...But currently with haven't one of those
I’d like to see him as a wingback or on the right hand side of a midfield 4. In a similar formation to what Southampton played against the jacks. 3-4-3
^^^This. He cannot be left out of the starting line up IMO.
Spedger
Should be knighted , allowed to chose where wants to play , give away Meghan Markle instead of her dad , as he's a god.
my thoughts exactly.
Box-to-box maybe?
For all his exploits this season on the pitch and personality off it, Unfortunately, I can see him on the bench for much of next season. His versatility was an asset in the Championship, but feel it will hinder him in the Premier. Good lad to have in the dressing room regardless.
I agree with you, I think it's probably true to say that he is not a Warnock type right back though - too attack minded.
He's just an unconventional number 10, as someone else in the thread said. He's not technically gifted but he's a nuisance and always seems to be in the right place at the right time when the ball is going into the box.
Two major things we discovered this season was that despite Zohore improving his game in many areas he could not be taught how to win aerial battles and the second being that, as a knock on effect (pun intended), playing Zohore with Tomlin as a duo would then leave us quite limited in terms of how we could work the ball up the field.
Playing Paterson in the hole was the discovery that made our season and it solved a lot of problems. But as others have said, it isn't likely to be so effective in the top flight across the whole season. I wonder if Neil's quip about Paterson not being able to defend was just a joke (that he repeated in a dozen press conferences), because he was happy for the time being utilising Paterson in the 10?
I think Warnock brought Nathaniel Clyne into the team at Palace. I'm sure there was another attacking type at QPR that I'm now forgetting. He certainly instructed the likes of Bennett to offload quickly and play the channels etc and the manager doesn't seem to like us messing around with the ball in our own half too much. In the championship working the ball up the pitch slowly without top class players in your side just allows the opposition to organise, it will be no different in the PL. I'm not sure Warnock is anti a "modern full back", but maybe what we've seen at Cardiff so far is short term defensive pragmatism as a priority. But one thing I think we must improve on for next season is the right hand side. I think we'll need an overlap possibility from right back otherwise we'll just get pinned back all the time.
For some reason I'm reminded of lex immers all of a sudden
Warnock clearly had some doubts about Bennett when he first arrived but he's managed to win him over and had been really solid and still offers something going forward
I always thought that Warnock's public criticism of Bennett was man management as his playing levels seemed really high at the time. Bennett doesn't come across as the type who lacks confidence and perhaps might be a character a manager can push more and be harsher on. If we can have an answer at right back next season as we do in Bennett, I'll be very happy.
