Who are the best team you've seen the Withdean this season?

[Olliebha]

Personally for me Leeds played the best football and were much better than Charlton.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Leeds. Easily.

Their two centrebacks are the best I've seen at this level, and the same can be said for their pressing in midfield. Twas exceptional. We should look to replicate that sort of midfield performance. Intelligent and fully commited. Do that every week and you'll get out of this division; espicially with quality up front.

The frustrating thing is I don't think we're that far off being a complete side like Leeds, though clearly not having the individual talents they possess. Our front two are quality, our defence is one player away from looking very solid (though we've started to look better their recently) and our keeper is better than most in the division. The midfield, bar not having a genuine left winger, in theory, looks good; I just don't think as a unit its effective defensively, although again, the last few games have shown signs of improvement. Learn to pressure and hassle at a high tempo for ninety minutes by next season - like Leeds did against us - and I'll be more confident in our side, as with the ball we are starting to look a real threat.

 

[Simon Morgan]

Leeds. Easily.

Their two centrebacks are the best I've seen at this level, and the same can be said for their pressing in midfield. Twas exceptional. We should look to replicate that sort of midfield performance. Intelligent and fully commited. Do that every week and you'll get out of this division; espicially with quality up front.

The frustrating thing is I don't think we're that far off being a complete side like Leeds, though clearly not having the individual talents they possess. Our front two are quality, our defence is one player away from looking very solid (though we've started to look better their recently) and our keeper is better than most in the division. The midfield, bar not having a genuine left winger, in theory, looks good; I just don't think as a unit its effective defensively, although again, the last few games have shown signs of improvement. Learn to pressure and hassle at a high tempo for ninety minutes by next season - like Leeds did against us - and I'll be more confident in our side, as with the ball we are starting to look a real threat.

Don't be ridiculous, they're all pricks and should be ashamed of themselves. Another mass clearout needed.

 

[Simon Morgan]

This is very true. I hope Gus is thinking along the same lines, and not truly believing what he says to the press. We clearly need a centre back but really the BIG problem with us is midfield. We don't have that creative spark and nor, as you say, do we have people who can stop the other team playing. How often this season have teams scored easy goals against us because the midfield just isn't there? We've definitely got some good players but I think by August we need to pretty much rip the midfield apart.

Surely even in your mind Dicker and Bennett are good enough?

 

[Simon Morgan]

Bennett will do as long as we get someone of at least equal quality on the left. He's not good enough to be relied upon as our sole creative player, but if we had a left-sided player bringing some to the offensive party then he's fine.

Dicker is a strange one. Unlike Crofts and Navarro I do like him and he's a talented player. I just can't help but feel he goes missing a bit too much. When he's good he's very good, but he's not the Richard Carpenter/Paul Rogers type we need to take control of games. He's quite young so that may be why. So again, if we get that dominant type of player in to play alongside him then Dicker is fine, but if we don't then I think we'll continue to struggle in that position.

I kind of agree with the Dicker assessment, he is a great player at this level, but even more effective next to a more strident midfielder. Unlike you, I think Crofts has done well this season, but we are a little bit lacking in the middle sometimes. The real problem position for us is the left wing, and we need to get a decent one in this window IMO.

 

[Spider]

We have some decent midfielders but we need one who is truly a class above other players in this division to be anywhere near as good as Leeds. Dicker looked like he couild be, but I don't really think he affects a game enough to be such an important player. Crofts is good but there's a Crofts in every team.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

What worries me about Dicker is that against a reasonably smart centre midfielder he gets stifled and often caught out position when defending. He has talent, that's evident in his close ball control and composure, but he doesnt implement himself on the game enough. He just needs to learn to play against opposition who have brains. As TCB says that will probably come with age. He is a very useful player and the closest we have had to Carpenter.

 

[KneeOn]

Leeds.

Or the Ref, since they seem to be a team on their own in some games, but thats a whole other can of worms...

 

[Billy the Fish]

Leeds by a distance.


On the midfield subject I agree in principal with what everyone is saying, to be a top 6 side we need a midfield player who can impose himself on the game and do things that change the result. At the moment our midfield is functional and works but it doesn't change results.

This season I'm more than happy with that because last season the midfield wasn't fit for purpose, we got overrun every game and team just walked the ball through the massive holes in the middle of the park. For me this a stepping stone to finding that one quality CM that is able to take charge of a game, once we have that (+ a few other improvements) we will be able to challenge.

TCB - I do think you're overly harsh on the midfield, your criticsms are akin to what happened last season when they were truely annonymous both defensively and when attacking. What we've got at the moment does a job of protecting the back four and keeps posession, we need to be a level up from that but at least it's something solid to build on.

 

[SNOOBS]

Leeds so far, but I fear we may be torn apart by Wes Hoolahan and Norwich soon.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

What worries me about Dicker is that against a reasonably smart centre midfielder he gets stifled and often caught out position when defending. He has talent, that's evident in his close ball control and composure, but he doesnt implement himself on the game enough. He just needs to learn to play against opposition who have brains. As TCB says that will probably come with age. He is a very useful player and the closest we have had to Carpenter.

Did you ever watch Carpenter?

 

[jordanseagull]

Walsall

.

 

[Scotty Mac]

some mentalist walsall fan on the train back from the bescott claimed WE were the best side they had played at home this season

 

[The Oldman]

Leeds for me by a mile.

 

[trancing]

leeds by a mile

 

[Paxton Dazo]

Did you ever watch Carpenter?

That's like asking me if I watched Pethick miss a penalty at Stoke Away.

 

[mona]

Leeds.
The best that can be said about most of the others is that they adapted to the narrow, small pitch much better than the home team did.