Left Back, 5"9 1 goal in 81 games , just saying like, not writing the lad off

Rob McKinnon was the best left back I have seen in a Pools shirt, his goals per game was probably about 1 in 81! Loads of the best full backs have been small.

And loads haven't , particularly the ones who play for us. This is Non League, all 4 defenders should be no less than 6ft in my book. Anyway Hugh Robertson was better than Rob Mc, which sorts of contradicts myself .

Jesus fooking wept Horden, you seem a decent bloke and all that but people like you are the reason English football is shite and all about physicality. All defenders should be above 6 foot....bollocks. Franco Baresi was 5 foot 9 he wouldn't have made it in England because we would have said he was too small. One of best centre halfs of all time (Cannavaro also by the way). If you are going to counter this by saying they weren't playing non league you need to justify that by proving they couldn't have hacked it in non league (those high class international players)

Well now we know who is to blame for the demise of English Football, ME!

I am not on about physicality , I'm on about height. The players you quote under 6ft probably made up for their lack of height through physicality. Of course at the top players under 6ft can flourish, but in lower leagues you generally need players with height, particularly defenders, that is why most of teams in league 2 last season were taller and stronger than us, yet who got promoted ? the tall team or the small team?. Who got relegated? the tall team or the small team?

Some of my favourite defenders were under 6ft, one of them Baresi, others Puyol, Carlos, Lahm, Irwin, but they were good footballers , I'm talking about Pools in the Vanarama League here, totally different ball game

Are you being serious by saying Hugh was better than McKinnon btw?

Speaking to Lincoln fans, they had a good mix of players which got them out of the division. Teams like Barrow tried having a big side and it failed. I think we are still on the short side on average though, the mix is unbalanced.

This.

Roberto Ayala (5' 9"), probable the best centre half I've had the pleasure to watch. 115 caps for Argentina, 7 goals.

This height thing doesn't work for me. Its all about workrate, positioning and ability amongst other attributes. I've seen little lads outjump 6 footers for headers. keep the ball on the deck, fluid passing movements and make the Big Fatties run, they will soon get tired.

As an aside some people said Mike Tyson wasn't tall enough to be a heavyweight boxer!!!!

[quote="horden"]Well now we know who is to blame for the demise of English Football, ME!

Yeah you're right it is all your fault, you and your mate Corbyn wanting a one size fits all society and back line in the Vannarama league

Paul Parker 5ft 7" was immense as a centre half for QPR!!!!
Kenny Sansom 5ft 8" one of the best English left backs FACT!!!!

Spot on.

According to Sky Sports, the best 5 left backs in the Prem last season were:

Daniels - 5'9"
Cresswell - 5'6"
Monreal - 5'8"
Fuchs - 6'1"
Rose - 5'7"

Do you really want me to provide you with a list of thousands of good players/defenders who were over 6ft?

Its no good quoting players who played at the highest level, they were exceptionally gifted players, I'm talking about the bread and butter of the lower leagues. Why is it then, nearly every team that we play, the opposition generally dwarf us? have they got it all wrong? strange if they have, seeing as it is us who is starting the season in the Vanarama. Our central midfield hardly won a header last season, and unless Bates was playing neither did the defence. I wonder why there aren't many 5ft 9in keepers these days?

Lets see how our team of midgets do then shall we.

I can live with a left back who is 5'9" if he can get up and down the pitch,has energy and can defend. I'd be more concerned if we signed a centre back at that height but full backs don't have to be giants.
Micky Barron played a fair bit at centre back especially in his early days and he was only 5'11" . If you're good enough you're tall enough and all that

I'm 6ft 3 and a fucking unreal defender.

Don't disagree with you in general terms but I was referring specifically to left backs. At all levels, full backs tend to be smaller than central defenders and I think it would be difficult to find many (if any) teams whose back four are all over 6'0".

I'm 6ft 2 and some lad said to me in lloyds the other week he hated playing against me he said I was like Gareth bale running down the wing.

True story


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Bates headers loving it. He won more in the last two games.

It's a trade off. The taller the player, the less agile and mobile they tend to be. Not good when dealing with flying wingers like Nathan Thomas.

However a smaller player who is more adept to nullifying those threats are weaker in the air with crosses coming in from the opposite wing.

For me, stopping the cross before it comes into the box is more important so I wouldn't be overly fussed about the size of the full backs...so long as they can defend

I'm 5ft 6 and shite so he might be onto something here!


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I'm 6ft 1 1/4, yet had the speed of a Ferrari and the height of a Giraffe, and was 2 footed. Strangely never played in the Conference?

a 6 ft 1 giraffe??

When I jumped I was the height of a Giraffe, probably!

The amount of takeaway food you get through I'd be amazed if your feet got off the ground.

One was talking in past tense!!!! One is older and slightly (by a long way) less athletic from ones younger days. Also takeaway food is nice, err healthyish, err full of natural oily/greasey goodness, and errr tasty!

Looking for iconic short Pools defenders? Look no further than Watty Moore.

I'm
Not going again until Blair adams is 6ft n joe macs playing full back


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I knew Joe Mac was an unreal defender, but when he puts his 7xl away shirt on, then he will be real. So I'm not going til then!!!!

I'm just about 6' and Yubep will tell you that I'm one of the best central defenders in the history of the game. As will Chip.

The rule is proven then


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it is because I said it was.

I'm not going again until Craig Harrison transfer raids Willie Wonkers factory for 11 Oompah Loompah's who take the Vannarama by storm and prove that small players can succeed

Live footage of horden deciding whether to let players past for a trial.

You can`t play in heels though silly!