Matty James (Merged many many times)

[Lew-T]

18 minutes ago, Greedo said:

Williams put him to shame when he came on. Has to start over him every game if fit enough 

Made a huge difference. Just need that consistently

[lenred]

7 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

Made a huge difference. Just need that consistently

20 minutes doesn’t excuse some of his recent performances but it’s a start.    
 

Thought James did well today. Was awful against West Brom as was Williams but was ok at Cov and better today.   

[Shuffle]

James was the least of our worries as was one of the players that significantly improved as game went on.    I do question his mobility but we are a better side with him in it with what we have available. 

[Jeez]

James was decent although not outstanding but certainly doesn’t justify being called out in his own thread. 

[Lew-T]

6 minutes ago, Shuffle said:

James was the least of our worries as was one of the players that significantly improved as game went on.    I do question his mobility but we are a better side with him in it with what we have available. 

His mobility first half was the part of the problem. Not the main, as like others said, the majority of the players were not in the game.

Joe Allen was running the show.

[REDOXO]

1 hour ago, Greedo said:

Williams put him to shame when he came on. Has to start over him every game if fit enough 

Williams can be shocking too. Good twenty minutes today mind you 

[David Brent]

1 hour ago, Greedo said:

Williams put him to shame when he came on. Has to start over him every game if fit enough 

Hardly. Different game at that point. Williams doesn’t play like that from kick off. 

You sum Williams up with your last line I’m afraid. 

[Super]

1 hour ago, Greedo said:

Williams put him to shame when he came on. Has to start over him every game if fit enough 

Williams is good for 20 mins. Not fit enough for 90.

[Davefevs]

1st half…everyone pretty much poor.  Swansea CMs splitting wide meant a lot of running (unnecessary running  imho) for too many players.  We never really got close.

2nd half…I though James was excellent. Interceptions, picking up loose balls, passing it simply.

[bcfc01]

15 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

1st half…everyone pretty much poor.  Swansea CMs splitting wide meant a lot of running (unnecessary running  imho) for too many players.  We never really got close.

2nd half…I though James was excellent. Interceptions, picking up loose balls, passing it simply.

I thought Vyner and Scott (despite some misplaced passes) played well first half.

They carried that on in the second with Pring also playing well.

Thought James did ok first half tbh, but better in the second half - very reliable for us and rarely has a bad game imo, consistent 6 or 7.

[Shuffle]

50 minutes ago, Lew-T said:

His mobility first half was the part of the problem. Not the main, as like others said, the majority of the players were not in the game.

Joe Allen was running the show.

The problem was not the personnel but was the formation in that Swans had extra man in midfield.  It was crying out for a change & thankfully Pearson made it but why move Naismith into the midfield when Williams was on the bench.

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Shuffle said:

The problem was not the personnel but was the formation in that Swans had extra man in midfield.  It was crying out for a change & thankfully Pearson made it but why move Naismith into the midfield when Williams was on the bench.

…because OTIB demanded it and he listened just like he did with Atkinson and King.  It’s not Nige’s fault it’s OTIB’s

[mozo]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

1st half…everyone pretty much poor.  Swansea CMs splitting wide meant a lot of running (unnecessary running  imho) for too many players.  We never really got close.

2nd half…I though James was excellent. Interceptions, picking up loose balls, passing it simply.

He's still got decent endurance, James. Often still doing the hard yards late on.

[real_bristol]

2 hours ago, Percy Pig said:

Thought he looked fine. Noticed him telling his partners to pick up the interchanging midfielders of Swansea quite often. Trouble is, if Williams, Scott, Naismith or Weimann ignore that instruction it looks like the passage of play has passed him. He's not all action, but he was marking the space well and conducting the defensive movements those around him should have been making. When it clicked you could see it was as a result of his guidance. 

 

Off the ball defending is one of the areas of football that very few understand or recognise. In a game against a very fluid side like Swansea it's absolutely vital that everyone is aware of their jobs and responsibilities. Every time they created space in the attacking half space you could pin point an error on our part. Think James was the least culpable on that front. 

Williams will get a lot of praise, but without James covering space he wouldnt be able to vacate the midfield to engage the opposition. It's a team game and every role is important whether it's fashionable and entertaining or not. 

Incredible post this. Tried playing centre mid once, ended up running around in circles not having a clue where I was supposed to be. Out wide was much more my comfort zone. Different breed players like James, and yourself based on the way this is written. 

[real_bristol]

2 hours ago, Shuffle said:

The problem was not the personnel but was the formation in that Swans had extra man in midfield.  It was crying out for a change & thankfully Pearson made it but why move Naismith into the midfield when Williams was on the bench.

Why not try Naismith in midfield. He’s a good ball carrier after all. When we were going through our leaky spell I often wondered what it would be like having him at holding mid or vyner for that matter. Either way good that Nige spotted it but should have seen it before HT

[Johnr1986]

James as a 6 in 3 works but certainly not as a 2 simply not mobile enough to close the space.

[Shuffle]

We all moaned when King was played out of position, so we do the same with Naismith. He is a decent footballer as you say and technically very good.  We haven’t got time to experiment and personal view is that game is too quick and congested for him to play there.  All about opinions though and worrying thing is we have very little options as squad threadbare.

[Shuffle]

2 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

He's played central midfield plenty in his career. 

Not disputing that but imo it’s not right for us.

[Rocking Red Cyril]

33 minutes ago, real_bristol said:

Why not try Naismith in midfield. He’s a good ball carrier after all. When we were going through our leaky spell I often wondered what it would be like having him at holding mid or vyner for that matter. Either way good that Nige spotted it but should have seen it before HT

I do not see if you moving Naismith out of defence into midfield . He not replaced immediately by Williams . 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Shuffle said:

We all moaned when King was played out of position, so we do the same with Naismith. He is a decent footballer as you say and technically very good.  We haven’t got time to experiment and personal view is that game is too quick and congested for him to play there.  All about opinions though and worrying thing is we have very little options as squad threadbare.

38 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

He's played central midfield plenty in his career. 

He has, but I it depends what you want him to do.  I’d rather he continued LCB3 or CB3 if we persist with a three.  Until I see how Nige would set up with him in midfield with James (I’m assuming it’s not at the expense of James) I’m not seeing a good fit.  But will remain open minded.

[Simon bristol]

1 hour ago, Johnr1986 said:

James as a 6 in 3 works but certainly not as a 2 simply not mobile enough to close the space.

agreed, he needs someone around him to give the energy, and as the years pass thats not going to improve! Dunno if williams could have been an upgrade, but injuries have done for him. James seems like a good lad but thats part of the team where we would ideally upgrade.

[real_bristol]

6 hours ago, Percy Pig said:

Absolutely not, my one game in Central midfield was much as you describe. I played off the shoulder and then missed whatever chance I managed to make for myself.

 

It was coaching academy standard players and working with a few really excellent coaches that opened my eyes to what real football entails, rather than the ball watching simplicity of being a spectator. If not for kids and the necessity of a real job to keep food on the table I would have loved to have gone into video analysis and scouting- (team rather than individual). Alas, the friends I started out with have coached at three prem academies in London and appeared on the Palace documentary and I spend my week days staring a spreadsheets and P6 schedules... 

The boys and wife have a lot to answer for. One of them better make it pro so I can live vicariously through them...

Based on 30 minutes? 

Okay  

I could tell you were involved somehow. Really interesting insight to midfield dynamics. Hope you get chance to further pursue your interests. I too am interested in coaching. I see friends coaching their kids and am very tempted to give it a whirl someday.

[Son of Fred]

13 hours ago, real_bristol said:

Why not try Naismith in midfield. He’s a good ball carrier after all. When we were going through our leaky spell I often wondered what it would be like having him at holding mid or vyner for that matter. Either way good that Nige spotted it but should have seen it before HT

Holding mid may well become a regular spot for Naismith.

[Cityboy1954]

23 hours ago, Lew-T said:

Is he fit? Ball and the game was just bypassing him with ease. 
 

He’s been so poor since the restart. 

Yes mate even though Massengo will leave with scott he would add more energy to the midfield you cant play him and williams they are too slow thats why scotts game is suffering .james i mean.

Edited January 9, 2023 by Cityboy1954

[Steve Watts]

21 hours ago, Davefevs said:

1st half…everyone pretty much poor.  Swansea CMs splitting wide meant a lot of running (unnecessary running  imho) for too many players.  We never really got close.

2nd half…I though James was excellent. Interceptions, picking up loose balls, passing it simply.

He plays a similar role to Lee Johnson.  Unfortunately that's a thankless task for many in the crowd.  He's noticed when he's not there doing the things that some don't notice him doing when he is there!  I still maintain that had LJ not gotten injured in the Watford game in that play-off season then we would not have needed the play-offs in the first place.  He left Marv free to do what he did, much as James does for Alex Scott.  When he was out of the side our form tanked and we were 45 mins away from automatic (away at Stoke) rather than play-off heartache.  We'd have been over the line before the Stoke game imo.

Long story short, he plays a role that is unappreciated or unnoticed by many and will be one of those who divides the fan base for years to come I'm sure.

[glynriley]

On 28/08/2021 at 20:10, glynriley said:

I might have missed a thread on MJ.  But what a player.

 Everything we've missed since Marlon left. Very clever player. 

Different gravy. 

[glynriley]

 

[Dolman Block B]

He was excellent today

 

Long may it continue 

[Redtucks]

 

2 hours ago, glynriley said:

Different gravy. 

Shouldn't that be "jus"?

It's classier than gravy!!!

 

 

[Kolsch]

Excellent performance from Matty today. Similarly to Casemiro at Man U, I think we’d notice it considerably if he missed a game.

Credit to Williams as well, he put in a great shift.