The 3 games I think we've looked a soft touch and really struggled in this season Niall was Sunday's game at Aberdeen and the last 2 games against Sevco.
On all 3 occasions we lost the central midfield battles because both the Sevvies and the Sheep identified a bit of a weak spot in our set up, they knew if they closed us down quickly enough in the centre of the pitch while using just enough brute force they could nullify the effectiveness of both Broony and CalMac. It's both Broony and CalMac who are in the engine room driving and linking up our play most of the time and if you take them 2 out the game then you disrupt our entire set-up and that's exactly what the Sevvies and the Sheep did with the latter using their height as an added advantage. Granted we won in the League Cup and at Pittodrie but it was by the skin of our teeth and against the run of play. I'm convinced if we don't address this issue in these type of games then just like the 29th Dec we'll come unstuck again.
I think in games like this we'd benefit hugely pairing Ajer up with Broony in CM while pushing CalMac a little further forward. That way you can better deal with the physical/height threat without losing the intelligent play/passing of CalMac.
Like I said earlier in the thread, I'm not saying Ajer is an awful CB because he's not and he's performed admirably wherever he's been asked to play across the back line, but he does have certain deficiencies as a CB that leave our defence overly exposed and even more so in a back 3.
For me at least, we look in danger of losing out on a top CM enforcer for the sake of having a 'decent' CB. His physicality, his ability to drive forward with the ball and the added advantage of his height makes him the only player in our entire squad that looks like a natural successor to Broony. What I'd love to see is Lenny bringing in another CB of the same quality as Julien in the next transfer window and start preparing big Ajer to step into Broony's role when he finally decides to hang up his boots.
Interesting stats but not that surprising tbh, no argument Julien and Ajer are our best most consistent CB pairing but as always stats don't tell the whole story as a certain Mr Congerton has already proved
HH Niall great debate as always