Midfield

[Rookie]

OK after tonight, might be a over reaction but hey, our midfield is shocking, no creativity no pace pretty much nothing. Leon was the only one capable of putting the ball in the box all the others wanted to do was pass it amongst themselves. I'm failing to believe that Charlie is better than Nicolas. We really need somebody that can make a killer pass lot to ask i know.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

all graft no craft

works reasonably well away from home but at the fortress we need a bit of flair

playing 4 central midfielders is not the way to go

maybe play knight on the wing or even give JARRETT a chance?

 

[Beeercan]

less Oatway, more Currie like players

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

finding currie for free was a fluke

not many players like that around for cheap

 

[Scotty Mac]

maybe play knight on the wing or even give JARRETT a chance?

knight yes, jarret no way! with leons ability to whip her onto feds head, that is the way we should be playing

 

[Rookie]

The biggest problem is the middle tho sort that and we might be getting somewhere, you can't carry two out of form not very good players in the middle of the park

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Nicolas and Hammond in the centre.

 

[227 BHA]

I thought Charlie wasn't too bad tonight (although still not up to this standard).

I have to say that I thought Chippy was our worst player and I lost count of the number of times he gave the ball away and misplaced passes.

Now I'll probably get critisised as it seems fashionable to slag off Charlie every time we lose yet Chippy is always beyond critisism and can do no wrong in most peoples eyes, but that is how I saw it.

Carpenter has been a great servant and still has a role to play but it seems sometimes that he has a God-given right to the central midfield.

I think Hammond should partner Charlie (or Chippy, but not both) leaving space for Knight on the wing and either El Turo or Robinson partnering CKR up front.

Or better still, what about a central midfield partnership of Hammond and Reid with Hart & Knight wide?

 

[Brighton Breezy]

The thing with Oatway is that he is always going to put some tackles in, work hard and fight to the end. Therefore when he has a bad game it is sort of minimalised because of his work rate.

Tonight he was just chasing shadows however.

Also, if he were alongside a midfielder who pushed forward and drove the play it wouldnt be so noticable that he does not, but because Chippy likes a side ways pass as well it shows up.

Whisper it quietly for fear of being slated but Carpenter was RUBBISH tonight.

Must be time for Nicolas and Hammond to be given a go in the middle.

 

[Silent Bob]

I don't know what Alexis has done wrong, he looked a quality player at times last season.

 

[Easy 10]

I thought Charlie wasn't too bad tonight (although still not up to this standard).

I have to say that I thought Chippy was our worst player and I lost count of the number of times he gave the ball away and misplaced passes.

Now I'll probably get critisised as it seems fashionable to slag off Charlie every time we lose yet Chippy is always beyond critisism and can do no wrong in most peoples eyes, but that is how I saw it.

Carpenter has been a great servant and still has a role to play but it seems sometimes that he has a God-given right to the central midfield.

I think Hammond should partner Charlie (or Chippy, but not both) leaving space for Knight on the wing and either El Turo or Robinson partnering CKR up front.

Or better still, what about a central midfield partnership of Hammond and Reid with Hart & Knight wide?

Spot on - although I wouldn't completely write Chippy off just yet. He absolutly stank the place out tonight, but he rarely plays that poorly. I WOULD move Hammond into central midfield though - I think he's one of the best talents at the club, and he needs to be more involved in the hustle and bustle of central midfield. He's a box-to-box player, and I reckon he should be a DEFINATE starter in the middle - you then put A. N. Other next to him, but he MUST start in the middle. He's wasted otherwise.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

nicolas was brilliant at the start of the season but i think mcghee preferred the bite of oatway in a relegration scrap, and he has stuck pretty much with the side that finished last season

time for nicolas now though

 

[London Irish]

nicolas was brilliant at the start of the season but i think mcghee preferred the bite of oatway in a relegration scrap, and he has stuck pretty much with the side that finished last season

time for nicolas now though

Time for a holding defensive midfielder who never passes forward when we've identified the problem is feeding the front-line?

Nicolas and Hammond have no track record of being better, progressive passers than Chippy and Oatway. Both Nicolas and Hammond have great strengths, Hammond's is box-to-box workrate and goal-threat, Nicolas is good zonal defending and calm passing in front of the back 4 - but neither have demonstrated that they would be better options at feeding the front-line than our established pair. If someone can think of a game or instances when they've done that, please, I'm willing to be convinced because we do need players to put pressure on Chippy and Charlie for their spots.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

to be honest

i would say the wings are a greater priority than the middle

 

[the right footed denilson]

for what its worth id go with....
knight chip nicholas hammond
turienzro CKR

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Its just a shame Sidwell went to Reading.

Hammond would create more from the middle but virtue of getting himself forward, occupying defenders and creating space that way. I could see him doing a similar box to box role as Brian Robson. Arriving late in the box unmarked.

Nicolas is busy. When we play good teams like Reading we will be chasing shadows a lot. In those instances surely it is better to have someone full of energy like Nicolas doing the work then people perhaps past their best like Oatway and Chippie?

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

i don't like hammond on the wing(may be ok away from home)

get hammond in the middle where his strengths lie

 

[the right footed denilson]

and play who on the left?

 

[227 BHA]

and play who on the left?

Leon Knight - Obviously!

 

[3gulls]

OK after tonight, might be a over reaction but hey, our midfield is shocking, no creativity no pace pretty much nothing. Leon was the only one capable of putting the ball in the box all the others wanted to do was pass it amongst themselves. I'm failing to believe that Charlie is better than Nicolas. We really need somebody that can make a killer pass lot to ask i know.

What do you expect? Oatway is way out of his depth.