Never Mind Skuse To Reading

[Redhyde]

Well he's rubbish really isn't he is what i'd say were i fishing.

But what he is is being out performed both on tour and on Saturday by a 34 year old in Alex Russell, and of course the new rumours of Marvin Elliot seem to suggest that his place is under threat.

I kinda had my doubts about him all last season, and he was dropped for the last 4 games of last season when the pressure was really on. He wasn't dominant, he does go missing, and he is part of a midfield that got overwhelmed under Tinnion and now with the advent of out new attacking midfielders even more responsibility will be placed on his role.

I am of course assuming that LJs place is untouchable and rightly so IMO

Does Skuse in Johnsonisms affect the game enough?

In a two man midfield with Lee Johnson, is Skuse good enough to cover the defence in the championship?

[pdgifford64]

Well he's rubbish really isn't he is what i'd say were i fishing.

But what he is is being out performed both on tour and on Saturday by a 34 year old in Alex Russell, and of course the new rumours of Marvin Elliot seem to suggest that his place is under threat.

I kinda had my doubts about him all last season, and he was dropped for the last 4 games of last season when the pressure was really on. He wasn't dominant, he does go missing, and he is part of a midfield that got overwhelmed under Tinnion and now with the advent of out new attacking midfielders even more responsibility will be placed on his role.

I am of course assuming that LJs place is untouchable and rightly so IMO

Does Skuse in Johnsonisms affect the game enough?

In a two man midfield with Lee Johnson, is Skuse good enough to cover the defence in the championship?

NO

PDG

[Barrs Court Red]

I thought he looked very tidy when he broke through playing as a defender.

I don't think he's a bad player, but he doesn't tend to have a huge impact on matches.

[pdgifford64]

I thought he looked very tidy when he broke through playing as a defender.

I don't think he's a bad player, but he doesn't tend to have a huge impact on matches.

To expand on my reply i agree. He`s not a bad player and given the chance could well develop into the role. Unfortunately we don`t have the luxury of doing that in the starting line up. So IMO no he`s not good enough to start in that position.

PDG

[East End Lad]

No I don't think he is to be totally honest. Other thing is where does Noble fit into the midfield, can him and Johnson play together in a attacking role?

[formerly known as ivan]

he will be in time, and will learn a lot in the championship and i personally think he will get better and better over the next couple of seasons.

there must be something about him to have premiership teams sniffing around

[Portishead Red]

I'm so glad somebody has brought this up.!

I know they are only friendlys but the bottom line is that we have played 2 conference teams and a league 1 side and not won a any of them. At Forest Green, they went through our midfield like it wasnt there and LJ pulled out of numerous tackles/challenges. I have also been told from friends at both Torquay and yeovil that Skuse had a poor game in both of them, which concerns me greatly. Was the priority really 2 strikers?

I think the priority should have been a tackling midfielder. I really like Russell but at 34, is he going to cope with the demands of a strong championship? Noble's best position IMHO is just behind the front 2 and LJ is more of a passing midfielder who works hard but tackling isnt his strongest asset. I do agree that skuse goes missing and doesnt get on the scoresheet enough but in all fairness, he hasnt really been given a chance to make the position his own so cover is needed urgently.

I really think that we need a tough, no nonsense midfielder to finish off what would be a strong spine and to add strength to midfield (Kevin Nichols -now gone to PNE i think - would be ideal).

Whats everbodys else's opinion on this?

[pdgifford64]

No I don't think he is to be totally honest. Other thing is where does Noble fit into the midfield, can him and Johnson play together in a attacking role?

Isn`t that the conundrum now though ? We are full to the brim with attack minded players but the worry, especially from the last 3 friendlies is that we are leaking a few more goals than is comfortable. The only one i`ve seen was at FGR where GJ fielded a surprisingly strong side. I know you can`t take too much from a friendly and i don`t want to take anything from FGR, who played exceptionally well, however, defensively the midfield was, well TBH, AWOL.

So how will GJ complete the puzzle ?

Can he have DN,LJ,IS,MM in the same starting line up. IMO, in a 4 man midfield, i don`t think he can. Now DN is yet to be match fit so may be a doubt for the opener v QPR so that means AR or CS.

I`ve tried to pick a team for a varity of formations but TBH i`m struggling to pick one that gives us a decent balance edging to a more attacking intent.

Everything we have at the moment would appear to be attack attack attack, which in itself would be highly entertaining but can we score more than we leak ?

I wasn`t sure whether we`d see any more new arrivals at the Gate before the season kicks off but now i`m not so sure. The squad is now screaming out for a decent defensive midfielder IMO.

PDG

[Ray White]

Cole Skuse would be better suited to right back IMO. Central midfield has to be Johnson and Russell against QPR.

[exiledinwatford]

CS is not slow, he's good in the air and is a good tackler. If he's not going to be a defender then he could only really be a defensive midfielder. If he is to be played then we need other midfielders to start getting into the box more often otherwise wthe strikers get too isolated.

Of the goals conceeded on Saturday, I think Carey should have put in a block whilst Basso must have been pretty disappointed to concede from that angle. The second should have been stopped by a defender sticking to Stewart.

I just wonder how long Keogh can be left out of the side.

[The Fat Controller]

No I don't think he is to be totally honest. Other thing is where does Noble fit into the midfield, can him and Johnson play together in a attacking role?

The only way i can see them playing together is like this:

------LT------

McI--------IS

---LJ---DN---

-----AR------

JM-JM-LC-BO

------AB------

But i personally wouldnt want to play one up front.

[Nibor]

I haven't seen the friendlies so far but in general I think Skuse does a hell of a lot of work off the ball which is undervalued. He rarely gives the ball away and he's got pace and good ability on the ball. What he needs to do is influence games more and get into the box more. The former is something that only comes with experience and I thought he showed signs of doing the latter towards the end of last season.

I think he will be competing with Russell for a place in a 442 or a 451 and he has a good chance of being a part of the first XI.

[bcfc_kieran]

Totally agree skuse is too light weight and has hardly any impact on a game! Gets shoved off the ball easy and doesnt seem to make many tackles!

[Bristol Boy]

GJ likes a 4-5-1 (Defending) that morphs into a 4-3-3 (Attacking) and he tried to play it unsuccesfully in his first season.Noble in the hole was the piece of the jigsaw that made it work and it became a 4-4-1-1.Chelsea have played it well with Makele in the holding role, although that's more of a 4-1-4-1.

You need pace, width & goals from your wide players and we've signed Sproule & McIndoe.

Skuse will effectively be replaced if Elliot arrives, unless GJ want's to play two holding midfielders and rely heavily on two wide players and two strikers.Russell adds more going forward, more goals than Skuse, is a better, more imaginative/creative passer than Skuse and is positionally better.Skuse is better in the air, quicker and gets around the pitch better as one would expect, than a player that's 10 years older.

I can't see him dropping LJ and the only way he can play two holding players is if he plays LJ or DN in the hole in the 4-5-1/4-3-3 that's been suggested above.

As I've posted elsewhere, keeping our six strikers happy will be an issue if we utilise one up top, home and way.

[Bristol Boy]

I haven't seen the friendlies so far but in general I think Skuse does a hell of a lot of work off the ball which is undervalued. He rarely gives the ball away and he's got pace and good ability on the ball. What he needs to do is influence games more and get into the box more. The former is something that only comes with experience and I thought he showed signs of doing the latter towards the end of last season.

I think he will be competing with Russell for a place in a 442 or a 451 and he has a good chance of being a part of the first XI.

Some players just don't get goals and I fear Skuse will always be one of them.I don't know if it's a confidence issue or just down to skill, but he's a different player outside the box than in.Makeles the same and he changed hands for millions!!

He's hard working, neat & tidy and has a great engine.As you say, he doesn't over elaborate and he's not, therefore, wasteful.A lot of what he does goes unnoticed......until he's not there and we may need his pace & energy in a higher League.

However, he should be doing more in the final third and influencing the game more than he does. He was brilliant in our 3-0 away win at Oldham but hasn't reached that standard much, if at all, since.

[Dynamite Red]

Some players just don't get goals and I fear Skuse will always be one of them.I don't know if it's a confidence issue or just down to skill, but he's a different player outside the box than in.Makeles the same and he changed hands for millions!!

He's hard working, neat & tidy and has a great engine.As you say, he doesn't over elaborate and he's not, therefore, wasteful.A lot of what he does goes unnoticed......until he's not there and we may need his pace & energy in a higher League.

However, he should be doing more in the final third and influencing the game more than he does. He was brilliant in our 3-0 away win at Oldham but hasn't reached that standard much, if at all, since.

Spot on BB

Every team needs a water carrier (even Brazil), how many goals do the likes of Makélélé, Sissoko, Viera, Hargreaves and Gilberto score, its not many.

There role in the team is to break up play and pass (often sideways) to a more attacking players and some time dictate play from a deeper position, I think Skuse currently does this quite well and will mature into this role over the next season or two, he's is only 21.

[The Fat Controller]

Does the signing of Elliot mean that Skusey is off somewhere else?

If not, then his and Artus' chances will surely be limited.

Johnson, Noble, Russell, Elliot, Skuse and Artus.

Isnt that overkill?

Unless we plan on playing 4-5-1/4-3-3

[Cyderman]

I think there are 2 types of defensive midfielder: a Makelele type who sits and breaks up the play and the Roy Keane type who is more physical. Skuse is the former and, with the signing of Elliot, Johnson has obviously decided we need the latter, probably to makeup for th more lightweight LJ/Noble in a higher division.

[sadley broke red]

its painful watching fellow city fans not having a clue about football, skuse's job is to break up play, keep the ball and fill the gap between midfield and defense and he is brilliant at it, never loses the ball, his job is not to score goals, we have enough players to do that and without cole always filling in then they wouldnt be able to go forward and score goals!

cole is the quickest player at the club and also one of the fittest! FACT!

AR cannot do the same job as cole! simply is not his game!

its good there is competition for places but i think Marvin Elliot will have a job on his hands to be better than skuse!

[bcfc seattle]

Maybe GJ is following Dunga's lead from the Copa America where he switched Brazil to playing with two holding midfielders and two midfielders in a free or creative role. though it does point to a 4-5-1 or something like that.

[pdgifford64]

its painful watching fellow city fans not having a clue about football, skuse's job is to break up play, keep the ball and fill the gap between midfield and defense and he is brilliant at it, never loses the ball, his job is not to score goals, we have enough players to do that and without cole always filling in then they wouldnt be able to go forward and score goals!

cole is the quickest player at the club and also one of the fittest! FACT!

AR cannot do the same job as cole! simply is not his game!

its good there is competition for places but i think Marvin Elliot will have a job on his hands to be better than skuse!

I think you`ll find that the majority of SUPPORTERS are aware that CS is not there to put the ball in the back of the net. If you`ve watched him as many times as you`ve posted you can be forgiven for thinking he never gives the ball away. Fact is he is too ltweight to fulfill that role in the CCC. Towards the back end of last season he DID give possesion away too easily and while he may have pace tended to implement it as a headless chicken at times.

I like the guy. As i said before he could develop into the role but can we afford to give him on the job training so to speak.

I think once Elliot is settled, sooner rather than later i hope, its CS who`s going to have the problem getting a place in the side.

PDG

[Red Ass]

I'm loathed to say it, I don't rate the guy, he doesn't boss games at all, shooting is abysmal, distribution poor, If only he could take a game by the scruff of the neck.

I think we all know he has it in him, and i expect Cole would be the the first one to admit there is more in his locker.

It's a bit like my school reports........can do hell of a lot better!!!!!

[sadley broke red]

the reason i have not posted many times is for this very reson, because i have sat back for ages just reading other peoples views on matters until i thought i would put something in, i forgot how shit this thing is, people just have not got a clue about the game! the championship is not a more physical league and cole is physical enough, he is the type of player we need in the side, we will see this season if he doesnt play just how much we miss him, and i know that he will prove you all wrong that doubt him. all people on her that don't rate cole at all obviously are those sorts of fans who can just turn up and watch but not really understand the game and just like players that score the goals or do a trick or two! more to the game than that and cole is the type of player we desperately need!

all this premiership interest is for a reason. people who understand the game have recognised his talent

[Guest]

the reason i have not posted many times is for this very reson, because i have sat back for ages just reading other peoples views on matters until i thought i would put something in, i forgot how shit this thing is, people just have not got a clue about the game! the championship is not a more physical league and cole is physical enough, he is the type of player we need in the side, we will see this season if he doesnt play just how much we miss him, and i know that he will prove you all wrong that doubt him. all people on her that don't rate cole at all obviously are those sorts of fans who can just turn up and watch but not really understand the game and just like players that score the goals or do a trick or two! more to the game than that and cole is the type of player we desperately need!

all this premiership interest is for a reason. people who understand the game have recognised his talent

With his head on the pitch there will be no room for anybody elses.

[LouieDane]

Fact is he is too light-weight to fulfill that role in the CCC.

Sorry to be picky, but in what way is this a fact?

I'd like to give him a chance because without him there is no way we would have got promoted, he isn't that strong but he's still willing to get stuck into the challenges which Johnson isn't. He did an immense job for us last season and I don't know why people are jumping to conclusions before we have even started; give it a month or so, and then we can decide if he is too light-weight to perform as a defensive midfielder in the championship

[pdgifford64]

Sorry to be picky, but in what way is this a fact?

I'd like to give him a chance because without him there is no way we would have got promoted, he isn't that strong but he's still willing to get stuck into the challenges which Johnson isn't. He did an immense job for us last season and I don't know why people are jumping to conclusions before we have even started; give it a month or so, and then we can decide if he is too light-weight to perform as a defensive midfielder in the championship

Hmm. 29 league appearances is not my idea of a vital contribution to our promotion and correct me if i`m wrong he was barely seen in the starting line up for the run in. Johnson`s job isn`t to get stuck into challenges. He`s not the ball winning midfielder this side needs and at the moment neither is CS. The first 6 weeks of this campaign are going to be vital and will to a certain degree map out how we go about the rest of the season. I don`t think we can afford to let players have a chance in the hope that they might produce the goods. Now you could say that applies to the rest of the squad too, however, the majority of the starting line up is pretty much sorted with individuals who, though they might not have CCC experience, have proved over the last couple of years that they have got enough to get us started.

Like i said, i like CS and i wouldn`t want him to leave, but he has a lot to do in my eyes to warrant that first team slot.

PDG

[beau45]

the reason i have not posted many times is for this very reson, because i have sat back for ages just reading other peoples views on matters until i thought i would put something in, i forgot how shit this thing is, people just have not got a clue about the game! the championship is not a more physical league and cole is physical enough, he is the type of player we need in the side, we will see this season if he doesnt play just how much we miss him, and i know that he will prove you all wrong that doubt him. all people on her that don't rate cole at all obviously are those sorts of fans who can just turn up and watch but not really understand the game and just like players that score the goals or do a trick or two! more to the game than that and cole is the type of player we desperately need!

all this premiership interest is for a reason. people who understand the game have recognised his talent

Well said!

[Red Ass]

the reason i have not posted many times is for this very reson, because i have sat back for ages just reading other peoples views on matters until i thought i would put something in, i forgot how shit this thing is, people just have not got a clue about the game! the championship is not a more physical league and cole is physical enough, he is the type of player we need in the side, we will see this season if he doesnt play just how much we miss him, and i know that he will prove you all wrong that doubt him. all people on her that don't rate cole at all obviously are those sorts of fans who can just turn up and watch but not really understand the game and just like players that score the goals or do a trick or two! more to the game than that and cole is the type of player we desperately need!

all this premiership interest is for a reason. people who understand the game have recognised his talent

What premiership interest? apart from Reading, which is an absolute load of bollox!!

[Bristol Boy]

its painful watching fellow city fans not having a clue about football, skuse's job is to break up play, keep the ball and fill the gap between midfield and defense and he is brilliant at it, never loses the ball, his job is not to score goals, we have enough players to do that and without cole always filling in then they wouldnt be able to go forward and score goals!

Many of the people who have commented in this thread, never mind the Forum have made the same point

cole is the quickest player at the club and also one of the fittest! FACT!

I'll go along with you on fittest but I wouldn't back him over 5/10 yards against Sproule or McIndoe and I also reckon Murray, Betsy & Wilson would give him a good run for his money over the same distance.Football isn't about being quick over 30/40 metres very often.

AR cannot do the same job as cole! simply is not his game!

Different player, as I have outlined above

its good there is competition for places but i think Marvin Elliot will have a job on his hands to be better than skuse!

So why did GJ sign him if his criteria is "better than what's already here?"

[gamon]

Cole Skuse is an excellant defensive midfielder. We are lucky to have him and we will miss him if he gets sold.

Some of you just don't have a clue or are simply looking for the wrong attributes in Cole. He doesn't warrant a lot of your negatvie comments.