One thing that never fails to surprise me is the amount of people on here wanting to move Riordan up front through the middle.
Riordan has said on umpteen occasions it's his preferred position. Even at Celtic it was one of the reasons he fell out with Strachan as he wanted him to play up front and Deeks didn't. If anyone had seen him play up front they'd agree with Deeks that the left was his best position.
When he plays up front he looks lost. He's not got the pace to play on the shoulder of a defender. He's not good in the air, his hold up play his poor. He's not any good at playing as a 2nd striker either
All his success at Hibs has come from the advanced left sided position and it plays to his strengths.He needs space when he plays. If you look at most of his goals for Hibs they have either come from distance or coming in unmarked at the back post.
I get the impression that people think moving him there would improve his goal count. That'd be like saying it be a good idea to stick Frank Lampard up front. IMO it's more likely to make it worse. He'd be easier to mark and and end up with his back to goal most of the time trying to do things he's not good at
View Poll Results: Deeks best position
- Voters
- 91. You may not vote on this poll
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On the left
25 27.47% -
Up front
66 72.53%
Results 1 to 30 of 31
Thread: Riordan on the left
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22-01-2010 06:53 PM #1
Riordan on the left
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22-01-2010 06:58 PM #2This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
When has Deek ever said he prefers playing on the left?
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22-01-2010 07:06 PM #4Elephant StoneLeft by mutual consent!
Up front for me! He hasn't got the pace to be a winger, or at least he doesn't use his pace on the wing. I want a winger running fast at the full backs, you rarely see Riordan doing that. I think he'd be so much more effective up front.
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22-01-2010 07:12 PM #5
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First time round he was mainly a left sided forward but was given the choice to roam around a bit more and get into goal scoring positions. As a left sided midfielder he can't do that.
Get him up front and let him score goals!
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22-01-2010 07:49 PM #6
Since he's come back he's been played constantly on the left hand side of midfield and has gone through the two worst runs of form, goalscoring-wise, in his whole time as a Hibs player.
Last season he went nine SPL games without scoring and he has currently failed to score in his last six league matches. When he was here the first time, the longest he went without scoring was always around three or four games.
I don't know if that tells you anything with regards to the position that he used to play as opposed to the position that he plays now but that's the stat.
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22-01-2010 08:21 PM #7
i would love to see deek given a free role like zemmama had the other week. A 4-4-1 if you like with deek being told to go and do whatever he wants.
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22-01-2010 08:51 PM #8hfc rdLeft by mutual consent!
Definately would put Deeks up front beside Stokesy rather than on the left wing.
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22-01-2010 09:06 PM #9This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
the guy has something like 77 goals for us and we are wasting his talents.
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22-01-2010 10:53 PM #11This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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22-01-2010 11:24 PM #13This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
No way - Deeks couldn't tackle a fish supper.
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23-01-2010 07:54 AM #14This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
100% agree with everything you've said.
His most successful period at Hibs was playing on the left side of a front three with O'Connor was leading the line and that was under Mowbray. Even then he was rarely used from the start in games against the Old Firm if at all and the majority of his goals came against the opposition from the lower end of the table. Very clever player with an eye for a goal but he is not a centre forward.
I did notice someone saying that he gets goals from the edge of the box and he wouldn't want anyone else there, I agree with the sentiment but a big part of the reason he was there unmarked in the first place is that he's not played as a striker and has drifted there from a wide position.
He might feel that up front is his best position, I think it's my best position too and I am equally deluded.
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23-01-2010 09:26 AM #15
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If I were Yogi, when the line-up is named and the formation set, he should have Riordan symmetrical with Stokes.......and then tell him to do whatever the ****** he likes, go wherever he wants and do as much damage as he can.
Riordan's an intelligent footballer, he's got great positional sense and as his goals show, he can score from any angle. So for that reason, I wouldn't have him at left midfield, I wouldn't have him as a left-winger and I wouldn't have him as a striker up top with Stokes.
Let's face it, he is a luxury. Yes he's worked harder at his game this season but he's still a luxury. So let that luxury roam and put enough trust in him and his nous to sniff out a goal or an area of the pitch where he feels he can do the damage.
Today, I'd have Miller and McBride in the centre, Galbraith out left, Wotherspoon on the right, Stokes up front and apply the above to Riordan; i.e don't stray too far away from Stokes whereby he's isolated, but go on the hunt for the ball and do as much damage as you can from it.
Having Derek Riordan further than 35 yards from goal is pointless; he can't dribble past players, he's not blessed with blistering pace, he's not brilliant at tracking back and he couldn't tackle a fish supper.
But put him within a 35 yard radius of the net and he's a threat.....let the laddie off the leash, Yogi, and let him run riot."Play for the name on the front of the jersey and the supporters will remember the name on the back"
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23-01-2010 10:35 AM #16This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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23-01-2010 10:42 AM #17This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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23-01-2010 10:51 AM #18
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I think he's at his best on the left but is wasted by being told to stay there by different managers.
We must be the only club in the world to have a fellah that can rattle a ball just as naturally and effectively with both feet yet we leave him in the same flank week in, week out.
even O'Brien got a few runouts down the right side.
Yogi,
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23-01-2010 11:01 AM #19
I couldn't give a toss where R01rdan plays are long as he get his finger out and puts in a shift.
All this nonsense about that's the reason for his his poor off late is because he's played out of position what a load of cr@p.
If he doesn't try to win the ball back when he loses it what's that to do with him being played out of position.Last edited by hibiedude; 23-01-2010 at 11:04 AM.
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23-01-2010 11:08 AM #20
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The downside is he might be prone to taking tougher challenges from opposition defenders but again give him a run and let him prove he`s capable.
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23-01-2010 11:12 AM #21
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To me, he's a long-distance Kris Boyd, i.e Boyd offers nowt outside the box and only gives you goals essentially.
Riordan is the exact same, albeit from a longer distance."Play for the name on the front of the jersey and the supporters will remember the name on the back"
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23-01-2010 12:51 PM #22This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
I don't know what Derek Riordan you've been watching but the one I see bangs in a bucket load of crosses with either foot every game
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23-01-2010 01:07 PM #23This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
sometimes the half empty brigade leave me shaking my head
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23-01-2010 01:27 PM #24This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
Last edited by Winston Ingram; 24-01-2010 at 09:57 AM.
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23-01-2010 08:59 PM #25
He played on the left today, scored a bit of a poachers goal and a free kick. His willingness to be involved got him his goals today and had nothing to do with his starting position.
This doesn't even deserve the debate anymore!
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24-01-2010 09:58 AM #26This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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24-01-2010 10:02 AM #27This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
mon buster, admit it, most of the support would like to see him in a more central position rather than scratching his arse as a left midfielder/winger.
Don't think your poll has had more than 25% of hibs net happy at him out wide.
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24-01-2010 10:53 AM #28This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
If he is to be successful with us then we have to set the team up to get the best from him, the tactics and formation we played yesterday allowed that, I only hope that when Zemmama is fit again we don't leave out the players that gave us our balance back. For me the addition of Nish and McBride gave us that and Zemmama for either of those players takes it away again.
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24-01-2010 10:56 AM #29This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
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24-01-2010 11:01 AM #30
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To be honest, I think Riordans preference says it all.
He should play where he wants to play.
In most cases, you get the best return from players who are playing in their preferred position.
A happy employee is a good employee and all that.
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