Jose Enrique - Invention Ahead Of Industry!
By Nu Mad
Updated Friday, 31st October 2008
Joe Kinnear pointed out that what the majority of Toon fans could have told HIM a year ago - Jose Enrique can be a liability at left-back, but he creates openings when he goes forward.
The problem is ... I don't believe the Spaniard IS a left-back. To be a defender you have to be able to defend, otherwise stick anyone back there, and watch them struggle.
Joe Kinnear: "To be honest, I just decided to go for broke against West Brom on Tuesday night.
"Jose Enrique's best attribute is getting forward. I don't think he's the best defender in the world, but we can work on that.
"I've got to educate him on that, and put him in that frame of mind.
"He probably gives us better options in the final third of the pitch. He likes to get forward, and we've just got to brush up on his defending.
"We'll have to make sure we put that right, because his first priority should be to defend."
Personally I don't think Jose Enrique is any better in defence than Charles N'Zogbia, but the French kid is a lot more comfortable in the opponent's half of the pitch that the Spaniard.
N'Zogbia can produce goals ... but is that what we expect from a left-back?
Personally ... just like Kevin Keegan (before the uproar) ... I'd say signing a left-back has been our number one priority since the end of the season.
Sadly, Dennis Wise (who was making the signings), didn't see it that way.
Jose Enrique 'got away' with it on Tuesday because we were playing a side destined for relegation.
Every man and his dog knows the weakness in that back-line, and you don't have to be Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger.
