Midfield, whats going on?

[Les Biehn]

I really don't get it, Carpenter is a seasoned pro bit a fair amount of quality, Hammond was great last season and Reid should be the ball playing midfielder we need but it was real men against boys stuff on Saturday.

I think Chippy and Hammond both need a rest while Reid needs to be given the chance to settle into his midfield role. What concerns me more is how bad we look tactically in that area, and not just when we have 3 against 4. We are constantly second to the ball and it doesn't seem to be because of a lack of effort. It seems very disorganised in the middle, Carpenter often goes unnoticed and Hammond runs around to no effect. My intention is more to ask people ways of solving these problems (that I feel are tactical) not slag players off.

 

[Seagullible]

I brought this up as the last caller on Harty's phone in. We have at least 3 others who can easily fit into the centre so why stick with 2 players who have quality but have been very incosistant this season

 

[blockhseagull]

I actually thought Reid was just getting into the game on saturday when he got put back to right back.... maybe Hart should have been dropped back.

I don't think Hammond and Carpenter work as a midfield pairing, as maybe they are too similar, they seem to attracted to the same areas and are quite often right on top of each other.

For me Reid should play and be allowed to attack as he that is when he looks at his best.....and have either Oatway or Nicolas sit behind him and let him get forward.

Would have Hammond on the right and Fruity on the left.... think Hammond looks better when he isn't worrying about sitting back and had his best games last season playing on the left

 

[Tom Bombadil]

To be fair to them, they were outnumbered in the middle first half Saturday.
I'm interested to know who the 3 others are that would be better than Hammond/Carpenter, Seagullible.

 

[Les Biehn]

Chaplow is quite dynamic so the hustle and bussle suits him (it also helps that he has a lot of quality) whereas I don't believe this is the game of our current centre midfield. They often get by passed by long balls meaning they either sit back to soak up pressure and get bunched or get pulled apart by one attempting to push forward. Chippy and Reid can both play it on the deck while Hammond is a player whose game relies on his movement off the ball. If the ball does drop in the midfield Chippy is not mobile enough to compete, Reid is not dominant enough and it is not Hammonds game. We either need to play people like Nicolas or Mayo who do a lot of runnng and tackling or play it on the ground more. Our current midfield can compete physically but not if it is asked to play in a way that doesn't suit it. Strangely I thought (with hindsight, I am not slagging anyone off) that it might have been worth sticking Butters on Rasiak and pushing McShane into the centre of midfield, he has quality, tenacity and very much pushes the team on from this area when he moves up form defence.

 

[Seagullible]

To be fair to them, they were outnumbered in the middle first half Saturday.
I'm interested to know who the 3 others are that would be better than Hammond/Carpenter, Seagullible.

Mayo, Reid and Nicolas can all play centre midfield. Also I didn't say they were better players but do wonder if they would add something different to what Chippie and Hammond offer.

 

[Hadlee]

We miss Oatway ! Chippy has been well below par since his injury.

I would play Reid with Hammond, although Deano has not come on as much as I would haveliked this season he gives us some height which would be lacking if you put Nicholas in there. Also is he not our second highest scorer ?

 

[Jim D]

Are we talking about Carole, Frutos and Nicholas? In that case I can only see Nicholas as centre-midfield and he's coming back from injury. I would like to see more of Loft - he looked good in the reserves.

There was a suggestion some time ago that Hammond might be best off on the left side - that's where he was scoring goals last season. In that case we could swap him for Reid, with Hart on the right. The real problem we have though is that, with Chippy out of form and Hammond not able to tackle, we don't have a ballwinner. We really miss Oatway.

 

[The Large One]

Hammond was little more than a poser in the middle of the park. That boy needs a kick up the backside. Chippie is struggling to regain form. His second touch nowadays is always a tackle. Know what I mean? I have always been a fan of Kerry Mayo's, especially where his commitment and tenacity often outshines his talent. I would have no problem with him playing in central midfield.

I know he hasn't played for a while, but I've always felt Nicolas a bit lightweight. Just a perception I suppose.

I don't know one way or the other, but I fear the worst for the Chippie and Alexis in the next round of contract negotiations, which will be a shame.

 

[Igor Gurinovich?]

agree that we were overrun in midfield saturday, Chaplow was the complete opposite of Hammond/Chippy out there, all action, box to box and involved in most things...

personally dont think the current midfield cominbation works..obviously Oatway would be in the team if fit and maybe the combo of him and 1 other would make us a bit more competitive..

what worries me more is how slow we are in getting to the ball or putting a challenge in... its a sad state of affairs when Jermaine Wright looks half decent...

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I am not going to slate Mcghee for his starting line up on sat as I wanted the same side to start.

However after a short while it needed to be changed as it clearly wasnt working and by the time he did i feel the result was already decided.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

We were over run in midfield for most of the first half, the 4-3-3 was just not working and it seemed obvious to everyone except the man that matters most. It was also an illogical descision to move Reid to right back as he was starting to provide some good forward balls looking for our strikers. I would have kept El Abd on and taken off either Hammond or Chippy and had Hart on the right and Carole on the left. There is no point in having our most creative midfielder at right back.

 

[London Irish]

Iand not just when we have 3 against 4.

Well that was the reason on Saturday.

Proof was when we moved back to a 4 in the second half, the game evened out and you wouldn't have known we were playing against a team of 9 ex-Prem players.

 

[blockhseagull]

We were over run in midfield for most of the first half, the 4-3-3 was just not working and it seemed obvious to everyone except the man that matters most. It was also an illogical descision to move Reid to right back as he was starting to provide some good forward balls looking for our strikers. I would have kept El Abd on and taken off either Hammond or Chippy and had Hart on the right and Carole on the left. There is no point in having our most creative midfielder at right back.

Think he was right to bring of El-Abd as were losing and needed to score.... just think OGH should have dropped back and given us some width pushing forward from right back and Reid left in the middle of the park

 

[London Irish]

I am not going to slate Mcghee for his starting line up on sat as I wanted the same side to start.

However after a short while it needed to be changed as it clearly wasnt working and by the time he did i feel the result was already decided.

The first tactical adjustments were made after 20 minutes when he began swapping the players around.

 

[Les Biehn]

I think it is interesting if you look at a lot of teams in this league they usually have a fairly tall athletic winger, Little, Ainsworth, Ifill, Edwards, Sedgwick whilst ours are small and tricky. We really need to play it on the floor more and perhaps it would also work to have Hammond on one of the wings, his offensive movement is good and he can put a cross in. Say him on the right or left with one of the french boys on the other wing and Reid with Mayo in the middle, passing ability and tenacity.

 

[Harold]

Carpenter is too slow in his legs, and Hammond is too slow in his brain. Chippy has given decent service to the Albion, but this level is too pacy and skilful for him. Hammond (IMHO) simply hasn't got it. He just about earnt his last contract after an improvement warning (and 3 month probation) from McGhee, and has not carried his pre-season form (against poor opposition) into this level of football. He simply isn't sharp enough in his mental reading of this level of football. His lack of alertness in finishing has cost us a few points as well. It's a shame don't get me wrong, I've nothing against either of them, but they weren't good enough for the challenge of the Championship this season. But as for someone saying better central midfield players have been kept out of the squad, tosh and piffle. I presume that's another cheap and easy pop at McGhee's management. Anyone better would have forced their way in this season no problem, like Oatway did before injury.

 

[Turkey]

Reid Nicolas Hammond Mayo

 

[Arrid]

I really don't get it, Carpenter is a seasoned pro bit a fair amount of quality, Hammond was great last season and Reid should be the ball playing midfielder we need but it was real men against boys stuff on Saturday.

I think Chippy and Hammond both need a rest while Reid needs to be given the chance to settle into his midfield role. What concerns me more is how bad we look tactically in that area, and not just when we have 3 against 4. We are constantly second to the ball and it doesn't seem to be because of a lack of effort. It seems very disorganised in the middle, Carpenter often goes unnoticed and Hammond runs around to no effect. My intention is more to ask people ways of solving these problems (that I feel are tactical) not slag players off.

Spot on,
Chippy (a fine servant) just takes too long to get over injuries now and he has had a few this season. Dean Hammond god only knows, confidence and too much footy and responsibility in the centre seemed to have taken there toll, lad needs a holiday (hope he comes back strong next season). He barely gets in to the opposition penalty area now, was doing it regularly early season.

 

[goldstone]

I actually thought Reid was just getting into the game on saturday when he got put back to right back.... maybe Hart should have been dropped back.

I don't think Hammond and Carpenter work as a midfield pairing, as maybe they are too similar, they seem to attracted to the same areas and are quite often right on top of each other.

For me Reid should play and be allowed to attack as he that is when he looks at his best.....and have either Oatway or Nicolas sit behind him and let him get forward.

Would have Hammond on the right and Fruity on the left.... think Hammond looks better when he isn't worrying about sitting back and had his best games last season playing on the left

Agree with almost all that. Some sensible ideas.