Best fullbacks in the league

I think so, and they are only just really getting going. Big future ahead for Dijksteel and Bola has really come on leaps and bounds now. That whole back 4 is brilliant!
 
Best back 4, Mcnair and Fry would walk into most sides in this league too. Didnt think we would see a better defensive side than Karankas but this must be close
 
Dijksteel has to be one of the best FBs in the league at the moment.

He's just a big powerful machine at the minute.

Nothing gets past him.

At one point last night, he ended up dribbling it past their midfield and was the most advanced player for us.

I thought he was going to take on the whole team.

What a difference a year makes. He looked awful under Woodgate.

Goes to show what a proper manager can do.
 
There was a moment last night where Sibley was on a bit of a break coming across to the left side, full speed, team a little stretched. Dijksteel came from behind him picked the ball clean and Sibley carried on for 2-3 yards, it was a light the cigar type challenge.
 
Dijksteel is such a pleasure to watch, never thought I would say that about a defender. Even under Ayala/Gibson, they were often forceful and a bit clumsy, but Dijksteel just seems to glide across the pitch, most notably during last night when he tracked one of their players from one side of the pitch to the other and won the ball back without even breaking his stride.
 
Marvanelli said:
What a difference a year makes. He looked awful under Woodgate.

Goes to show what a proper manager can do.
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Perhaps some credit to Woodgate for buying him? Or maybe our recruitment team aren't as bad as some suggest just that Woodgate was worse than we thought? Point being we only see the end result so when we pass judgement as fans it is difficult to know where blame truly lies...
 
I'm sure he was Charlton's POTY the season before we signed him? And that was in their promotion winning team.

So he must've been good! Just last season we never seen it. He looked clumsy, he gave away fouls and penalties and was a shadow of what he is now.

Our scouts clearly saw something in him. Thankfully that's now paying off in dividends.
 
I was excited when we got Dijksteel, based purely off YouTube videos of his at Charlton 😂.You could see he had something about him.
Even last year, there were glimpses that he was going to be a really good player.
I never understood over the top criticism of him and especially Bola. Guess they were easy to pick on, coming from a league lower - ‘league 1 standard!’ etc
Always going to take time to bed in and get up to speed, never easy when your own fans are on your back from the beginning.
 
If you’d have told me at the start of the season a back 4 of Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Bola would be the best in the EFL. I’d have laughed my head off.
 
Both have been excellent. Dijksteel is making it look effortless at the minute, he never looks like he breaks a sweat!

Huge well done to Bola as well. Last season must have been so difficult, and I thought he'd be nowhere near the squad this season. Really happy for him, as he comes across a top lad as well. His huge smile when we score is brilliant to see.
 
Marvanelli said:
I'm sure he was Charlton's POTY the season before we signed him?
Click to expand...
Bola was, not sure about Dijksteel.

It always looked like there was a player in there with Dijksteel, but his improvement has been huge.

Bola actually looks like a different player, I cant recall seeing a player improve so dramatically at Boro - thanks Neil!
 
I was completely wrong about Dijksteel. In my opinion he was one of the poorest right backs I had seen in a Boro shirt last season. The transformation in him is remarkable. He is a completely different player and his quality has shone. Some people are going over the top in his praise as to be a top player in the PL you need to regularly get forward and get balls into the box and he needs to improve this area but defensively he has been a rock.

Bola also appears to have improved but I think this in relation to the whole team improving as a unit and he has not been as exposed this season as he was last. He is a weak link in our back line in my opinion. Not particularly strong defensively and his crossing has been poor. I would still like to see a new left back in Jan.

Well done to them both as they have both shown they are worth a place at the club which I would not have thought possible in the summer.
 
Marvanelli said:
What a difference a year makes. He looked awful under Woodgate.
Click to expand...
I don't quite agree that he looked awful under Woodgate, I mean yes, he is better now, but there was clear potential in him, he had maybe 2 bad games, and then some mediocre ones, but even in that first run in the side he had a couple of good games. Bola however looked inept in those early performances, he now actually looks a championship footballer.
 
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