Caff - "Not up to it"

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

We have already approached a seasoned defender.  :004:

[RiG]

How about Caff on the right and Rossco move inside?

I think Tokely could adjust to that but I don't think Caff is good as a right back (or right midfielder for that matter!).

[CaleyD]

If we can't bring in another CB perhaps we could use Hastings physical presence in the middle

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No

Moving Hastings in to the middle would be an absolute catastrophe for the left side of the park.  Every single move we make down that side of the pitch involves him and when he has someone other than McBain playing in front of him the link up play is immense.

[Bridge_Ender]

Hastings physical presence?!

Caff surely has more of a presence than Hastings!

t

Tokely has struggled so much recently we should be looking a new right back, never mind trying to accommodate him in a position where his mistakes would be even more obvious and taken advantage of.....

[+Tree]

Caff did get the opportunity to play SPL in our first season till he was suspended. In this time we leaked silly goals and only when Dods came in did we stabilise.

In the games in which Caff has played he has tended to struggle against the taller front players and this means that as first choice we need to look elsewhere.

That said, as a back-up to have on the bench his overall ability and flexibility is a useful asset. Moving Tokely inside is not an option I would like to see us go with either.

In terms of Tokely's play this year he has struggled since missing the majority of the pre-season and has never really caught up with the rest of the squad fitness wise. Some of the off-field issues have also probably not helped either.

[caley100]

So, the bottom line is that we need an experienced Centre back and right back.

[big man]

although I wasn't at the game when Caff played at Hearts for us he was solid mom so I was solid.

[Action Man]

Thanks RiG, I couldn't remeber the Hearts player at tynecastle a few seasons ago. It was indeed Ricardo Fuller, terrorising every defence in that season, Caff had him in his pocket the whole game, one of the best defensive performances I have ever witnessed.

[Kingsmills]

In my opinion the main problem with Caff is lack of recent consistent experience of the pace at SPL level.

If Dods, as seems likely, has committed himself to Dundee United by then, Caff should be given an extended run in the team beside Munro from the split onwards assuming that relegation is no longer an issue.

Even if he does prove himself between now and the end of the season we will still need to sign another experienced central defender before the start of the season whether that person is used as cover or in preference to Caff will depend on how they each shape up pre season.

[Mee]

In our first SPL season, to begin with, almost every goal we conceded was due to a mistake by Caff. The very instant he was sent off at Killie our performance improved, we drew that game and started winning games subsequently. For the last 3 seasons Ive watched Caff play in the reserves and that's about the right level for him. He would do a great job for Peterhead though!

[Guest MIDGE55]

better player than dodds, just needs a decent run of games

[Johnboy]

If Dods, as seems likely, has committed himself to Dundee United by then, Caff should be given an extended run in the team beside Munro from the split onwards assuming that relegation is no longer an issue.

There's still a top six place to play for.... At the start of the season lots were calling for Dods to be dropped as he had made it clear he wanted to move on by the end of this season....  IMO he's made quite a few eat their words with the comittment he has given us....

[nogbad the bad]

I too have often thought about and mentioned on here over the last few years the possibillities for Ross to move inside to centre half after 8 years at right back. You dont have many 6' 3'' 14 stone fullbacks playing pro football at this level and when they do they are usually centre halfs in waiting , learning the game from a different perspective. I know he is

a bit slow ( so was Bobby) and can be cumbersome with the odd penalty inducing tackle, but he is strong, dominant in the air, reads the game well and can play football and distribute as well as any of our defenders.  Maybe the management could give him a run out

in the reserves against a decent reserve side like Rangers or Celtic and see how he shows up. Having said all that, I cant believe that our various managers over the years havent

considered this option, so maybe its already been decided long ago that he just wouldn't cut

it in central defence. As for Richard Hastings moving inside, for Gawds sake, leave it out.....

.... there was a time a few years back when Richard's ego got the better of him and he started to believe he was one of the best footballers in Britain, who could play for anyone , anywhere up to international standard.....he wa wrong! He is now back in his natural and by

far best position playing to a high standard, in fact at present he is probably one of the best left backs in the Spl ( despite what Sponge says).......leave him there.

[CaleyD]

In our first SPL season, to begin with, almost every goal we conceded was due to a mistake by Caff. The very instant he was sent off at Killie our performance improved, we drew that game and started winning games subsequently. For the last 3 seasons Ive watched Caff play in the reserves and that's about the right level for him. He would do a great job for Peterhead though!

The whole team got off to a poor start in our first SPL season, and I think it's just a convenient "get out" to blame it on Caff.  We won our next 2 games (home to Livingston and Dundee) and never had another win for 7 games.  Hardly conclusive proof of an immediate/permanent turn around following Caff's sending off.

Also, out of interest - Caff made 9 appearances (8 Starts and 1 Sub appearance) for ICT last season and of those 9 games we only lost 1 of them (2-1 away to Celtic).

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

If we can't bring in another CB perhaps we could use Hastings physical presence in the middle

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No

Moving Hastings in to the middle would be an absolute catastrophe for the left side of the park.  Every single move we make down that side of the pitch involves him and when he has someone other than McBain playing in front of him the link up play is immense.

If you're not sure CD think about it and get back to me eh? :004:

Hastings physical presence?!

Caff surely has more of a presence than Hastings!

t

Tokely has struggled so much recently we should be looking a new right back, never mind trying to accommodate him in a position where his mistakes would be even more obvious and taken advantage of.....

Hastings has a much bigger physique than Caff, is far more powerful and much quicker. He may even be taller but even so, presence is much more than height.

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

If we can't bring in another CB perhaps we could use Hastings physical presence in the middle

No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No

Moving Hastings in to the middle would be an absolute catastrophe for the left side of the park.  Every single move we make down that side of the pitch involves him and when he has someone other than McBain playing in front of him the link up play is immense.

If you're not sure CD think about it and get back to me eh? :004:

Hastings physical presence?!

Caff surely has more of a presence than Hastings!

t

Tokely has struggled so much recently we should be looking a new right back, never mind trying to accommodate him in a position where his mistakes would be even more obvious and taken advantage of.....

Hastings has a much bigger physique than Caff, is far more powerful and much quicker. He may even be taller but even so, presence is much more than height.

[The Mantis]

Actually **** had a great game at centre half when we beat the tims first time in 2000. An old codger whose word I respect had him as MoM that night.

[Guest Suspicious Mind]

At last!

Someone who knows something about football. Just like me :016:

[Mee]

Also, out of interest - Caff made 9 appearances (8 Starts and 1 Sub appearance) for ICT last season and of those 9 games we only lost 1 of them (2-1 away to Celtic).

And every single one I was at I had to sit on my hands otherwise my nails would have been bitten to the knuckle.  :017:

[Guest Get_off_the_park_Wyness!]

"Actually **** had a great game at centre half when we beat the tims first time in 2000. An old codger whose word I respect had him as MoM that night."

He was at fault for Burchill's goal. Jimmy Calder was the man that night.

[CaleyD]

If you're not sure CD think about it and get back to me eh? :004:

:015:

Actually, Hastings used to play the sweeper role not to bad in the dark and distant past if my memory isn't failing me, but he has so much more to offer playing on the left it would be a waste to move him.

[Guest burt1985]

Caff played almost every game when we won promotion to the SPL and was one of our most consistent players up until he lost his place in the team due to a "soft" sending off!

Him and Bobby Mann kept Grant out of the team and we have seen what sort of a player he is since getting a run in the SPL!

You dont become a bad player overnight, he is the best "footballing" defender at the club and everyone should be giving him their full support.

Also, is Caff is not out of contract at the end of the season too?! Potentially leaving us with only one recognised centre half?!

[+jagster]

What about us taking Lee Wilkie from the arabs? About time we reversed the trend with that lot!

He may always be injured but if he can overcome that  he was good enough to play for Scotland so surely good enough too play for us, and of course he has also played for our feeder club Dross County :015: :015:

[Caley Stan]

When it looked like Dodds was going to leave last summer, Charlie considered moving to a back three and even went so far as to speak to Bobby Mann about coming back. This suggests that he feels, like many others, that a partnership of Munro and Caff is simply not strong enough for the SPL.

I think we need to spend the money we got for Brown on a big, strong,  no-nonsense, centre half. 

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Dundee United are asking McCracken to leg it from Tannadice at the earliest opportunity - I hope Dods is not being lined up with the grocer's money.