left back

Dear NTV,

If you go back to last season, then the Cup Final win against Dundee United was scant consolation for throwing away the league.

This season, in terms of the league - really the only domestic competition that counts - the debacle at Broadwood will be overlooked. That is not to excuse it. We got a real humping. The conditions were not good - always a hazard when it is hard and frosty - but WGS must realise that we could have got a doing in the first half at Tynecastle.

Thankfully, he has done something to rectify the defensive frailties by signing Mark Wilson. The manager must realise, however, that Ross Wallace is far too small to be a left back in flat back four. He can get away with playing wingback with three hammer-throwers behind him. Wallace has ability and gives 100% - but he is never a left-back . Note the goal at home to Hibs - corner - no left back on the near post - goal ! Inverness - disaster after 1 minute from the left back position . Dreadful goal at home to Killie from the left back position.

Natural attackers rarely convert to being defenders. They are not instinctive ball winners and have no notion of offside - check out the tapes of recent games and this will be confirmed.

We have struggled at the back, and that includes young McManus, who is far too rash. Again, note the Killie penalty. His heart is in the right place, but he cannot be allowed to make basic errors that cost us goals.

During all the press exposure regarding our dodgy defence, WGS has left Agathe and Varga out in the cold. Why ? If he doesn't like Martin O'Neill's men and wants his own, this will take time, but he must take on board the views of the vast majority of the fans who have been far from happy since the start of the season with the fullbacks and centre-backs. The jitters sometimes have affected an otherwise good 'keeper.

So, wake up, boss-man, and build from the back with proven defenders.

SHUGGIE
Coatbridge.
by e-mail

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fear and loathing in cumbernauld

Dear NTV,

It was bad enough the result against Clyde in the Scottish Cup, but for me the most nauseating aspect of the whole shambles was the elevation to instant cult hero status among the hacks of Graham Roberts who has overnight become a shining example of what a coach can do with a bunch of willing youngsters and some self-belief.

Not to underscore the humiliation of the result - and everything to do with minimising the tactical genius of Graham Roberts - but in my opinion it had a lot to do with an unlikely combination of circumstances that would never happen again were the game to be played another hundred times. That's cup football for you.

But while Roberts was gracelessly accepting the plaudits of the press I was reminded of an article that appeared in an English paper a couple of years ago. Is this the same Graham Roberts whose chairman while he was the manager of Carshalton Athletic, Steve Friend, appeared in the Non-League Paper in September 2003 accusing Roberts, among other things of: pocketing fines he had taken from players for poor performances; denying ten players their final wage packets; paying ghost players who didn't exist and spending £40,000 over his budget in season 2002-03?

Friend is quoted in the papers as saying, 'We achieved promotion at a price and at the demise and sacking of Graham Roberts for misappropriation of club monies. He duped the club by keeping thousands of pounds for himself and left us to pick up the pieces.'

Roberts was in Spain when these allegations were made and was making noises about paying all the money back. I never did find out what the upshot of it all was though. Maybe one of readers could enlighten me.

Yours,
TIM BURTON
by e-mail

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drink concern

Dear NTV,

While I was naturally concerned at the statistics recently published in an article in the Evening Times (below) concerning the growing instance of cirrhotic livers amongst hard-drinking Scotsmen, I was even more concerned that the chap in the picture cheerfully sinking what looks like a pint of Stella bears what you yourselves might call a remarkable resemblance to big John Hartson.

Yours etc.
B. GILMARTIN
by e-mail

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were you at the game caller?

Dear NTV,

Reading through issue 139 I noticed one of your correspondents was raging at the Daily Record's Keith Jacksie awarding Aiden McGeady and Shunsuke Nakamura 5 marks out of ten for their heroic performances against TFOD in the League Cup 3:0 victory.

I shudder to think what he might make of Kenny MacDonald's summation of Shunsuke's performance against Kilmarnock in a game where he - quite rightly - won the Man of the Match.

'Anonymous for 87 minutes'?? And he still managed to award Naka 6 marks out of ten!

Yours in Bewilderment,
J DOHERTY
by e-mail

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