I like Leandro Bacuna.
He’s a decent player, who gets forward quite nicely at times and can bang a decent cross in.
But I’m not convinced he’s a winger, as he doesn’t really go past the man in the traditional sense.
I’m not even convinced he’s a wingback, because he doesn’t defend well enough and is too often caught well out of position.
And for me, he certainly isn’t an out and out defensive right back.
So what exactly is he then?
Well, Tim Sherwood seems to think he’s a right back, given that he’s intimated that Bacuna has done ok and will improve there.
Which I find slightly odd, because I think Cissokho is a decent defensive left back, who’s not so good going forward (basically the opposite of Bacuna), yet he’s been deemed surplus to requirements?
Of course, the manager has proven at first glance to be correct in replacing Cissokho with Amavi, who looks excellent going forward and has enough pace to make up for when he’s caught out somewhat, defensively.
No doubt that’s why Sherwood has turned out to be a Premier league manager and I just comment about things.
Back to Bacuna then and I suppose he can do a job at RB and may well improve, as the manager thinks, although I believe Hutton is actually the better defender.
Then of course, we need to add in the Traore factor.
This is where I think Bacuna comes into Sherwood’s way of thinking.
Traore looks (on a video, I hasten to add) frighteningly good at attacking defenders.
The thought of him dragging two left sided defenders all over the place and Bacuna having an acre of the resulting space in the final third of the right flank to run into for the return pass, has me practically drooling.
Couple this with Amavi and say, Grealish both on fire on the left and it all begins to sound very exciting.
IF it works.
And there’s my problem.
While I’ve no problem with Bacuna signing a new contract, I do have to question the five years.
I can understand the club wanting to sign a core of players up for the long term and it’s admirable.
But what happens if things don’t go to plan and we’re faced with a “bomb squad” Mk 11?
After all, managers change and they have different views, don’t they?
It’s just a thought.
But that said, Bacuna does make at least a very good right sided utility player, which will no doubt make him useful in the depths of the season, when injuries invariably kick in.
By the way, it’s apparently Bacuna’s birthday tomorrow.
Happy birthday Leandro!
