Our Midfield

flyingkiwiDK

Seems to have been a huge area of concern for some time now. I am trying to keep things in perspective in that it is still only our 2nd league match of the season but two more losses in the next two games and I will start to really dread the season ahead.

What is the solution though? With the apparent lack of funds, a board who don't seem to give a shit about our beloved club anymore (if the latest votv is to be believed) and real quality midfielders few and far between it seems we will just have to get used to it.

Worrying times ahead if these problems are not addressed soon!

AdTheAddicK

Personally think it should be
Harriott Stephens. Hollands. Wilson

I-SAW-POUSO-PLAY

Josh machecran on loan from chels?

AdTheAddicK

I-SAW-POUSO-PLAY said:

Josh machecran on loan from chels?

No bale

ForeverAddickted

For me it should be... Pritchard - Hughes - Jackson - Harriott

After their performances against Oxford it should then be Stephens / Hollands / Cousins as backup

ShootersHillGuru

Forget all of the above and get two players in. If we don't this will be a train crash of a season. Midfield we have is either too old, too slow or just too useless.

ISawLeaburnScore

Got to go 4-5-1 in my opinion. No other option. That central midfield cant go on as it is. Decent enough collection of players but I can't see who can play together.

Budington

4-5-1 wont work unless you cement Kermogant to the box, he drifts far to much for that

DamoNorthStand

Wilson, new cm, stephens, harriot

flyingkiwiDK

DamoNorthStand said:

Wilson, new cm, stephens, harriot

No room for Jackson or Prichard then?

CrayAddick

Palace lose there first 3 last season. Some players are clearly not quite up to speed yet... I think another midfielder is needed though...

Rob

At least with Pritchard he has the engine. Didn't seem like we had that today. The worrying thing is that Chris has had the same group of midfielders now for over a season (excluding Gower) but still doesn't seem to know the best way to play them. maybe that means they just aren't good enough

MattD

Rob said:

At least with Pritchard he has the engine. Didn't seem like we had that today. The worrying thing is that Chris has had the same group of midfielders now for over a season (excluding Gower) but still doesn't seem to know the best way to play them. maybe that means they just aren't good enough

Its quite clear they are not good enough, no amount of SCP magic is going to make them better.

ShootersHillGuru

I have been generally resistant to throwing youngsters in before their time but I see no alternative but to get Cousins involved. No energy or enough quality in what we have. If we don't sort it out before the window closes we could be in bother come January.

Bedsaddick

I central midfield is a major problem. Hughes and Gower are aged. Jackson blows hot and cold. Pritchard works hard but struggles at times and Stephens & Hollands are league one players. None of then have the quality to put their foot on the ball and then play the killer pass.

Nicholas

Gower looks shockingly poor. His passing is awful. Those 60 yard diagnal passes are just awful. His fault for the goal. The only good thing about him is his always looking for the ball. Just a shame when he gets it he normally messes it up.

harveys_gardener

Midfield is weak because we defend deep. Too much space to cover. Can work if we can break at pace. Hughes Jackson Gower can't. Has been since Rufus days. Defence push up and create more options. Can't do that with slow CBs.

Rob

How easy will it be for CP to get the person in who he needs though. He couldn't get Judge when it looked like we had it in the bag. We probably lost out on that one because of money.

ShootersHillGuru

Rob said:

How easy will it be for CP to get the person in who he needs though. He couldn't get Judge when it looked like we had it in the bag. We probably lost out on that one because of money.

Read VOTV

se9addick

Jackson clearly wasn't fit today and it (and the showing at Bournemouth) proved what a key player he is. When he is then him and cousins pleases with Danny Green no where near the first team.

flyingkiwiDK

ShootersHillGuru said:

I have been generally resistant to throwing youngsters in before their time but I see no alternative but to get Cousins involved. No energy or enough quality in what we have. If we don't sort it out before the window closes we could be in bother come January.

This

tangoflash

Nicholas said:

Gower looks shockingly poor. His passing is awful. Those 60 yard diagnal passes are just awful. His fault for the goal. The only good thing about him is his always looking for the ball. Just a shame when he gets it he normally messes it up.

His fault? Nothing to do with the clown of a keeper that couldn't claim jobseekers, let alone a ball.............

Mendonca In Asdas

To many spaces appearing in the midfield , I hope Gower will improve, how fit is JJ?

Seemed like Boro had an extra man today, Stephens played his best game in a while , we don't seem to have anyone who can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate the play, is Jordan Cousins ready?

If he's good enough then what do we have to lose, zilch points on the board thus far is not an encouraging start , positives for me were Church , who looked lively when he came on , and also the fact we didn't get beat 4-1 this time.

Nicholas

tangoflash said:

Nicholas said:

Gower looks shockingly poor. His passing is awful. Those 60 yard diagnal passes are just awful. His fault for the goal. The only good thing about him is his always looking for the ball. Just a shame when he gets it he normally messes it up.

His fault? Nothing to do with the clown of a keeper that couldn't claim jobseekers, let alone a ball.............

Or nothing to do with gower pissing about on the edge of the area which led to the corner which they scored from. Yes Hamer was to blame as well. But Gower was shower all game like he was at Bournemouth.

Addickted4life

To be fair to Stephens he did really well for about 15 minutes when he came on today, picking up the ball and driving forward as well as getting back and getting stuck in. He looked like a box-to-box midfielder that we badly needed and it showed as this coincided with our best spell of the game at the start of the 2nd half.

But as usual he probably won't be like that next game, it really is strange how inconsistent he is. He even faded towards the end of today.

hoof_it_up_to_benty

Have finally given up on Danny Green - don't want him to start again.

Sillybilly

The thing is, listening to TalkShyte phone in show during my journey home tonight, every fan of every club is bemoaning the lack of a creative midfielder in their team. There is a dearth of decent creative midfielders around and we are a long way back in the queue for those who do exist. Long hard season methinks.

North Lower Neil

Sillybilly said:

The thing is, listening to TalkShyte phone in show during my journey home tonight, every fan of every club is bemoaning the lack of a creative midfielder in their team. There is a dearth of decent creative midfielders around and we are a long way back in the queue for those who do exist.

Agreed, which is why as that'll that will be hard to find, I think we at least need to get some energy in there - Wilson, Pritchard, Jackson/Stephens and Harriott?

shirty5

3 vs 2 in centre midfield makes it tough for Gower and Jackson. I could see that after 5 mins.

MaginotAddick

Sad to say it, but I doubt we will get anything out of any permutation of Jackson, Gower and Hughes this season. Ditto "the saviour" Pritchard when he returns. The first three dont have the legs, the latter is technically average at best.

Boro's midfield today kept the ball so much better than ours, won it back quicker, and passed it short and accurate.

We just dont have the players.