Midfield

[Shuffle]

Why of why knowing that Korey was out for months did we not sign a CM on loan? Whilst tonight Pack/Brownhill were poor, it’s unrealistic to expect them to stay fit and suspension free. Clearly doesn’t trust Walsh and then we have Morell who doesn’t even make the squad.

This smacks of the right back problem last year which we still haven’t addressed as paying £1.7m we really should have better than Hunt.

I know that O’Dowda can play centrallybut in a 3 so we are massively light and we all knew that! 

[Lew-T]

Said this in the matchday thread...

Sam Morsy got MOTM tonight and that for me was where the game was won. They won every 1st and 2nd ball in amongst it and we failed to compete with it. 

Thought that was Brownhill’s worst game probably in a City shirt, he couldn’t do a single thing right. Pack gave away silly fouls too.

Weimann and Diedhiou had nothing from the midfield all game and were both coming deeper for the ball, only for the defenders to lump the ball in the channels for them to chase back.

 Just so frustrating to watch. So poor.

[RobintheRed Red]

2 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

Said this in the matchday thread...

Sam Morsy got MOTM tonight and that for me was where the game was won. They won every 1st and 2nd ball in amongst it and we failed to compete with it. 

Thought that was Brownhill’s worst game probably in a City shirt, he couldn’t do a single thing right. Pack gave away silly fouls too.

Weimann and Diedhiou had nothing from the midfield all game and were both coming deeper for the ball, only for the defenders to lump the ball in the channels for them to chase back.

 Just so frustrating to watch. So poor.

Good post sums it up

[Harry]

Agree with this thread so far. 

I’ve been saying that CM is the new Right Back issue from last year. We are one injury away from a total struggle in there. 

Pack (whom I have always highly rated) has been off the boil the last few games and I attribute this to the Brownhill factor. 

Pack has some very good qualities but also some deficiencies, for which he needs a midfield partner who complements him. Brownhill does not. 

We can get away with it for a lot of games but when up against a more physical midfield 2 who don’t necessarily break forward themselves but who rely on regular movement up front, the Pack/Brownhill partnership struggles. 

Look at WBA Tuesday. 2 CM’s who prefer to maintain ground and rely on swift runners infield and lots of forward interchange (ref Barnes, Gayle, Rodriguez). Same tonight. Morsy & Evans just hold the ship steady and battle and scrap for everything, but don’t offer any forward breaks, relying instead on Jacobs, Powell, Windass & Garner all continually moving and changing and switching, causing problems to our shape. 

This midfield partnership struggles with this type of football. It’s where Smith complements Pack, because Smith puts out a lot of those fires. Brownhill doesn’t. Meaning Pack is trying to do more donkey work than he ought to be, which results in his passing game suffering. 

Said it for a long time - Brownhill is not suited to a midfield 2. He can play as a 3rd CM, or a wide, floating player as we’ve mostly seen him contribute. But as a 2, not for me. 

We are very close to a midfield crisis. If Pack suffers an injury we are totally screwed with Smith also out. This is the position that needed more strengthening. 

[old_eastender]

I'm not sure why Walsh is not 

7 hours ago, Shuffle said:

Why of why knowing that Korey was out for months did we not sign a CM on loan? Whilst tonight Pack/Brownhill were poor, it’s unrealistic to expect them to stay fit and suspension free. Clearly doesn’t trust Walsh and then we have Morell who doesn’t even make the squad.

This smacks of the right back problem last year which we still haven’t addressed as paying £1.7m we really should have better than Hunt.

I know that O’Dowda can play centrallybut in a 3 so we are massively light and we all knew that! 

I think you may be right, but I don't know why. He was one of few players who played against Plymouth in the 0-1 defeat that emerged with any credit, his range of passing was really good and he was prepared to tackle!  

 

[McNasty Filth]

Been thinking exactly this for the last couple of months. Could hamper what could be a good season if one of them gets injured. Walsh for sure ain’t nowhere near ready to step up, although I hope he would surprise me.

[JoeAman08]

32 minutes ago, jaydee=inspiration said:

Been thinking exactly this for the last couple of months. Could hamper what could be a good season if one of them gets injured. Walsh for sure ain’t nowhere near ready to step up, although I hope he would surprise me.

Walsh is good enough to get minutes just not in a two. If LJ wants to rest Pack or Brownhill(evidence last night that it was needed) then he needs to play a 3 at times. Not sure why we don’t do this away from home. I know he has a style and it can be easy on the eye but the work he is asking Pack and Brownhill to do for at least 25-26 matches(until Jany) is absurd. Drop Brownhill and play Pack, Walsh and COD. Last night would have been perfect for that as Wigan aren’t world beaters. We were that poor and they only got one. I can excuse not recruiting because you could not find the right player for the right price. I can’t excuse not using the tools you have been given to rotate and rest players from time to time. We don’t have many options in CM but with a bit of creativity we can give someone a night off here and there. 

Maenpaa

Hunt Kalas Webster Kelly

          Pack Walsh

 Weimann COD Eliasson

              Diedhiou

Something like that can work on a one off basis against a bottom half side. Especially away from home where Weimann, COD and Eliasson can get forward on the counter. Also needs to rest Weimann from time to time. Bigger squad but same LJ. At least he is rotating the wide players though! 

     

[leadman]

24 minutes ago, JoeAman08 said:

Walsh is good enough to get minutes just not in a two. If LJ wants to rest Pack or Brownhill(evidence last night that it was needed) then he needs to play a 3 at times. Not sure why we don’t do this away from home. I know he has a style and it can be easy on the eye but the work he is asking Pack and Brownhill to do for at least 25-26 matches(until Jany) is absurd. Drop Brownhill and play Pack, Walsh and COD. Last night would have been perfect for that as Wigan aren’t world beaters. We were that poor and they only got one. I can excuse not recruiting because you could not find the right player for the right price. I can’t excuse not using the tools you have been given to rotate and rest players from time to time. We don’t have many options in CM but with a bit of creativity we can give someone a night off here and there. 

Maenpaa

Hunt Kalas Webster Kelly

          Pack Walsh

 Weimann COD Eliasson

              Diedhiou

Something like that can work on a one off basis against a bottom half side. Especially away from home where Weimann, COD and Eliasson can get forward on the counter. Also needs to rest Weimann from time to time. Bigger squad but same LJ. At least he is rotating the wide players though! 

     

i would rather see bailey wright at right back after seeing the last 2 games, hoolihan was a free agent until wba picked him up, he would have been the type we need, brownhill couldnt pass a ball 5 yards last night, pak was the same.

[JoeAman08]

3 minutes ago, leadman said:

i would rather see bailey wright at right back after seeing the last 2 games, hoolihan was a free agent until wba picked him up, he would have been the type we need, brownhill couldnt pass a ball 5 yards last night, pak was the same.

Agree conpletely about Wright. I’d have him start every away game against top half sides and every home game against top 6. Maybe not that simplistically but as a rough scope of how I would use him. Hunt should have been good enough last night though. 

Hoolahan probably a bit old for my liking. Even WBA only signed him until Jan. More of a creator too. So not convinced he would have fit us. In a 3 another option but we have fringe options for a 3 as it is. Even Joe Morrell is still around and has about as much experience in the football league as Walsh.