Do we really need a new first team right winger?

Frazier Campbell sent a message in a big way yesterday. As mentioned in other topics our football yesterday was exactly the same as what won us the league, calm composed play that saw us very difficult to break down and clinical when a chance does arrive.

Campbell in particular shone though and gave our play much more depth. He broke the defensive line to set up the pass back for Whitts stunner, he lunged in the napping defenders to score himself for the second. In the lead up to Bilbao's goal if it wasnt for a cynical (not given) foul by their left back, he probably would of gotten clean through again.

For a man considered to not be cutting it at Sunderland, he's proven consistently to be one of our most dangerous players. In my opinion cutting him out of the first team squad after his performances for the club so far would be very, very harsh.

I'll start off just by answering the question and say yes we do.

I agree with you about Campbell's performance. Even more so than at any time last season Campbell put in the kind of performance that suggested to me that he is relishing the oppertuntiy of playing Premier league football again and is more than ready for it.

He is not going to miss out on the squad though is he? Either the 25 man named squad or the 18 named on match day. I suspect what you mean is that he should be in the starting line up and on yesterdays performance i would agree with you and say that Cornelius would have to wait his turn if we were playing 4-5-1. I can even see an argument for making Campbell a wide part of the 5 if Cornelius was playing but however he might be deployed there is definitely a need for futher strengthening.

When it comes to wide players Bellamy is one of the first names on the sheet but realistically not for 38 games of the season. Noone still needs to prove himself at this level while Smith has experience but leaves me less than convinced, especially if we are looking for dynamic speed and defense breaking runs.

Conway's lack of playing time this last two games probably indicates that Malky is not thinking of him too much or at all for a starting spot while Harris for all his fantastic development squad performances pre season still has not worked his ways into Malky's plans yet.

So yes i think we do need more wing cover (i am not thinking too much about whether that is right or left - just quality) and the unfortunate thing could well be that if someone like Montero was added to the squad we may very well see him and Bellamy out wide and a fit Cornelius leading the line and Campbell sat on the bench.

I would hope that wouldn't happen while Campbell was putting in perfomances like yesterday but having quality options waiting in the wings is what it is needed. As City fans we are not used to the idea of seeing quality players not being able to get a game. It has happened a little this last season or two and will only happen more as Malky adds to the squad.

Those signings are definitely needed though in my opinion.

I meant starting 11 yes, just to clarify.

Malky's signings this season are screaming out he wants to play 4-2-3-1 next season - two holding midfielders and Kim/Whitts given the creative freedom. He hasn't showed his hand with the wingers just yet, whether they will be played as regular wingers to provide for Cornelius or whether they'll be used as inside forwards to change the formation into a 4-3-3. I think that'll be the main decider with Campbell - he could be one hell of an inside forward but there's no evidence he'd make a good pure winger.

The other wing, I feel like a Judas saying it, but I think too much reliance on Bellamy could be a downfall. Bellamy has been consistent this season, but he was by no means the league breaker we all wanted. Noone was much more sporadic, but on form was a much more threatening presence than Bellamy I feel. The already senior Bellamy is one year older and now facing a much more severe test than last year. Noone may grow into it, but as odd as it sounds considering the quantity of left wingers we have, I feel maybe that position needs a new starting 11 player, not the right.

Similar to the problem of finding good enough quality naturally left footed fullbacks is the problem of finding the their equivalent in the left wing position.

Looking through the information for our players and their natural foot it seems that Noone is the only natural left footer. Even so he has not always been deployed on the correct side. Malky has had a habit of deploying players on their seemingly wrong side and this makes me wonder whether an out and out get to the byline winger is that important to him.

If it is then i agree that a top class natural left footed winger would be the priority. If you have the knowledge to suggest some names to fill that role then i would be interested to hear who you would suggest. (No dig intended here - i just don't have that kind of knowledge of Prem or world football to suggest any myself).

If Malky is happy for our wide players to cut inside or deploys a narrower 4-2-3-1 system anyway then this would seem to be less of a problem and perhaps an emphasis on getting the highest quality regardless of being naturally right or left footed would be understandable.