Ralls set pieces

Ralls is what Whitts needs to be but he can't because he is not a cm he is a winger for me and its pleasing that Ralls is great with set pieces as well.

This did make my laugh, how can Whittingham be classed as a winger? He has the pace of a rocking horse and the heart of a mouse. Left sided midfield palyer at a push but never a winger. If he is to be played as a left sided midfield player, the left back, Fabio or Malone need to be consistently over lapping to provide width further up the field. A particularly difficult job away from home.

Personally, I don't think has has played well enough to be in the team since half-way through our promotion season. He is one paced, pedestrian, lacking strength and half hearted in the tackle. Opposition teams know if you press him quickly when he has the ball, he is completely ineffective.

Ralls is a much better player, with real potential, our side should be built around that ability.

Absolutely correct but Whittingham did start out as a winger with Villa and its his best position but hes too old and slow to carry it off now.

Yes.

He was never a traditional winger even in his early days at Aston Villa, he palyed wide left as a midfield palyer in the mound of Graeme Rix or Liam Brady at Arsenal. He was never quick and he struggled to go past defenders like a true winger. People like Jimmy Johnstone, Ryan Giggs, Andre Kanchelskis, Willie Morgan and our own Wilie Anderson or Paul Parry would smile at Whittingham being classified as a winger.

But he scored a shitload of goals when he was there under DJ.

You do realise how long ago that single season of goal scoring success was? Did he ever repeat it?

No and that's what i said he is getting old and not playing in that role anymore and season by season he is declining.

DJ played him on the right of a very free role, because we had real CM's

Malky was never a disciple of 442 and played him in a free role but in a 5. Ole was the first to play him as a genuine CM and to be honest the jury has always been out.

Slade is playing a rigid, defensive, static centre partnership with Whitts and Diki almost playing a modern double pivot but without the quick mobile skilful AM's the system requires.

Anyway back to Ralls, Pilkington came with a dead ball specialist reputation, so in training his accuracy must be sky high.