Opinion: Will Caddis Fit Into A Zola-Style Team?

In the right fullback position this season, we have seen two centre backs and a 20 year old youth team player. I know I exaggerated considering Shotton was brought in initially as a right back, but the point that I am trying to make is that we are a bit sparse in that region of the pitch. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Cogley has the potential to really make it at Birmingham City and both Spector and Shotton have done well. But surely considering the board have made it clear that Zola will have money to spend and that he will do a better job of recruiting players than Rowett; it’s hard to understand why we are not being linked with right backs or even bought one as the transfer window is certainly ticking along.

Believe it or not, I have had people tell me that we do not need to recruit a right back as we have Robinson. I don’t know about you, but he is neither a Zola style player or a spring chicken therefore I think you can appreciate why I am moving on swiftly. Another suggestion is that he will have Caddis. The fullback has recently returned from injury and featured in the least U23 match which included the likes of Harding and Brown. Under Rowett, he was the type of player that we needed. He was a safe player as was Grounds on the other side. But Zola doesn’t do safe fullbacks. All of his teams have fullbacks that are pacy and like to bomb forward in order to overlap wingers. They are more like wingbacks. In my personal opinion, Caddis doesn’t have the pace or stamina to fulfill this role so either Zola changes or Caddis is left out of the side.

This opinion may sound harsh and it probably is. Caddis has a lot of good qualities that we need at fullback and he is of course crucial in terms of popping up with goals. But I have noticed that a few players such as Davis are adapting to the ‘Zola Way’ whereas a few players don’t seem to have the capacity to adapt. They’re too limited and too set in their own styles. This is one of the reasons why I think he likes Cogley. Josh trained as a winger in his youth before being converted to fullback so he loves to get forward and has pace and trickery; all things that Zola admires.

If we do not buy a right back in January, then I very much hope that we keep Caddis. This may seem contradictory to what I have just said, but we are lacking in this department and he is a pretty decent fullback to have. I just don’t believe that in the longer term he will fit into a more attacking and flowing side. I just can’t see it working out under Zola. But the lack of action in the window so far may mean that the transition period will take longer than most of us have been hoping for.