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Central midfield

Discussion in 'City Talk' started by borderlescott, Aug 13, 2019.

  1. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    THE most important area on the pitch.

    f you don't control games in midfield you have absolutely no chance of winning football matches.

    In the last 25 years or so the two most successful City sides we've seen had McCall/Whalley and Jones/Doyle in them.

    We don't have a McCall or Jones in this team right now and unless we go out and find one before the transfer window shuts we can kiss goodbye to promotion right now.

    Anderson and Devine were offered extended deals over the summer, having been bit-part players last season. Akpan flattered to deceive ever since he arrived and Reeves remains crocked. As back-up options, fair enough, but are we suddenly expecting these lads to become the ever-dependable central options we can rely on every week? None of them are nailed on starters.

    Can anyone think of a successful side, at any level, in which the central midfield area was so badly neglected by the manager with their resources relative to other areas of the side?

    Someone in another thread tonight (sorry, can't remember who said it) suggested we'd allocated our budget too heavily on the strikers and left other areas short and that is bang on.

    Please, Gary, find us our McCall/Jones before the window shuts!
     
  2. Keefly Bantam

    Keefly Bantam Important Player
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    Agree 100% after watching tonights debacle. We had no one who could get on the ball and make anything happen...at all. Omari Patrick was the only one to actually get the ball and run at PNE tonight.
     
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  3. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    I do agree with the general view we need to switch to 4-4-2 but, in terms of recruitment, I think Scannell is more than up to the job in league 2 and would be happy with Ismael and Gibson to be his backup. We don't really have a decent left winger on the books but would be happy for Bowyer to use a more defensive minded player on the left, like the Will Atkinson if you like.

    Whatever resources we have available surely have to go into getting in that midfield enforcer, who will drag his teammates off the ground when we are behind.

    Vaughan seems to be that sort of man but we need a similar character in CM too. The others we have in there too timid. We need a hard bastard that will crunch for fun.
     
  4. How

    How Knows Football
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    A midfield 2 in a 4-4-2 of who? It would be car crash
     
  5. bantamdave41

    bantamdave41 Regular Starter
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    Scannell Imo has not done very much since he has been at the club. No goals and the 1 assist. Pace but not enough end product, so often cutting back than whipping the ball in. I'll be honest, I wouldn't be overly sad if he left and we could utilise his wages. If the first two league matches are to go by, he could be an expensive bench warmer for L2
     
  6. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    O'Donnell, Longridge, Richards-Everton/A. O'Connor, Paudie, Mellor, Wood/Ismael/GibsonAN OTHER loanee, Palmer, New midfield enforcer, Scannell, Vaughan, Donaldson would be my preferred XI in a 4-4-2.

    With the options we have now, I'd possibly play Wood over Ismael or Gibson on the left, to give a bit more defensive protection and allow Scannell to rampage on on the right, like Kyel Reid used to do (albeit on the other flank) when balanced out by Will Atkinson on the other side. In the games where we used to use Hines and go for it with two wingers under Parky, I'd then use the likes of Ismael or Gibson in the current set up under Bowyer.
     
  7. Rogered Tart

    Rogered Tart Regular Starter
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    It was obvious when O'Brien went back to Town how badly we would miss that type of player. just like we badly missed Josh Cullen. We knew it in pre season, we knew it when the first game started and we still know it three games in. that midfield was and is a disaster waiting to happen. Its killing us and will continue to do so unless new recruits are brought in to rectify it. Reeves ain't gonna change, Akpan ain't, Anderson ain't, Devine most definitely ain't, Colville ain't. palmer has hardly set the world on fire but he gets the benefit of the doubt since he's the new kid on the block. Worse thing is i can't see it changing.
     
  8. Disillusioned of Bingley

    Disillusioned of Bingley Fringe Player

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    Corrected for you
     
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  9. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    That's my fear too. When we added Vaughan and Donaldson to the squad everyone was, quite rightly buzzing, and so many fans said then, all we needed now was that enforcer. The weeks have passed, the season has started, and we still haven't brought in that midfield enforcer.

    To be honest, if we could have brought in one of Donaldson or Vaughan in the summer I think most fans would have been delighted. I just wonder if we expected Doyle to move on (given the strong rumours linking him with Swindon and Blackpool at the time) and it has thrown a spanner in the works him still sticking around?

    Our only hope is Bowyer pleads to Stefan to free up more funds to strengthen but Stefan would be well within his rights to refuse, of course, having already agreed to see to the 2.5m deficit (before the McBurnie sell on arrived).
     
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  10. Biker

    Biker Impact Sub

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    We should be getting a decent centre midfield general loan in asap, perhaps a couple. Todays result was expected but doesnt excuse the previous two poor results.

    Loosen the purse strings mr chairman, distinct lack of quality that needs addressing asap.
     
  11. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    We clearly have too many squad makeweights and not enough first choice midfielders. Any one of Anderson, Devine or Wood might just be ok at L2 level with a couple of clever/hard/experienced players alongside them. But relied upon together they are woefully inadequate, especially against the Championship players they faced tonight. Totally outclassed.

    But the one who really gets my goat is Akpan. With his experience and physique he should be leading by example and bossing the midfield. Instead he wanders around, pointing at others, never breaking sweat, shirking challenges, avoiding the action as much as posible and looking completely uninterested. He clearly has talent - I've seen it - but he just isn't using it.

    I'm puzzled as to what he wants. If he wants to be in the first team he's doing nothing to warrant it. If he wants away he's doing nothing to attract other clubs to come for him. If he's happy to just sit out his contract on the bench then that's appalling.

    I'm really not one for slagging players, but this guy is totally stealing a wage and I'm happy to call him a disgrace. I'd honestly rather we just paid him off now and waved goodbye than have him hanging around for another season doing the square root of feck all.
     
  12. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    Totally agree.

    When we first signed Akpan I asked a Blackburn fan I know what he made of the signing. Given Akpan had been at Burton, as well as Blackburn in the Championship, I expected he'd say "good, solid signing for L1" but instead he said something along the lines of "he'll flatter to deceive. Big unit but doesn't put himself about....you'll expect more".......this seems to be exactly what has happened to him here (and no doubt why Burton got shut?).
     
  13. YungNath

    YungNath Impact Sub

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    Akpan infuriates me almost as much as Doyle does. At least Doyle looks like he's trying but Akpan plays like a fecking fairy. For such a big lad he might as well be Jack Payne's size for the amount he's imposed himself on games. Once him and Doyle go I'll be such a happy man.
     
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  14. Inspector

    Inspector Squad Player
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    You have to be patient with the arrival of loanees.

    I know someone who plays for a championship club (U23’s last season) and is well thought of. He had 3 or 4 league one clubs wanting to take him on loan. Firstly his manager didn’t tell him if he’d be letting him go until after the window closed, then once he said he would, he had the other managers ringing him with information on their systems of play, how much he’d feature etc etc. He then spoke to various people in the game about each club, then went back to his manager. Once he’d decided, the two clubs had to agree how much of his wages would be paid (he wasn’t involved in this bit). After all that, which took 2/3 weeks, he signed on loan.

    This could be what Bowyer means when he says he has plates spinning. It’s out of his and the clubs hands. It’s a waiting game unless we actually buy somebody. If it’s anything like what I know, the players will be doing their due diligence and will want to play, for as high a club and as stable a club as possible, amongst other things.

    Unless we stop with the constant chopping and changing (take heed those wanting or thinking about ditching Bowyer), we’ll always be labelled as a basket case club, where players of any real potential will avoid like the plague.
     
  15. Fordy117

    Fordy117 Just call me Mr Flip-Flop!
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    Bowyer created this problem.

    No way should Devine, Anderson and Colville all been offered new contracts.

    We'll know Anderson isn't good enough but Bowyer seems to like him.

    I don't know but I said it since the transfer window opened that we need a decent midfielder and with 2 weeks or so left of the transfer window we still need this it's embarrassing.
     
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    #15 Fordy117, Aug 14, 2019
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2019
  16. Captain Black Adder

    Captain Black Adder Fringe Player

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    Excellent and spot on.
     
  17. Tyneside

    Tyneside Fringe Player

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    Akpan seems to think he’s some kind of Yaya Toure type.....yet he’s more Darren Morgan

    The recruitment this summer has been as lopsided as last summers so far. It was clear to everyone last summer that if Wyke left we’d need a physical centre forward yet we didn’t bother. This summer it’s been obvious we need a stronger midfield....yet we haven’t bothered.

    The fact that a midfield kid from Huddersfield was our best player by a country mile last season in a shit team should have made that even more obvious.

    If we are relying on Devine, Colville, Gibson, Akpan and Anderson we may as well give up, they are conference players. We need 2-3 midfielders urgently, 2 who can play in the middle and a left sider.

    However, what do I know I’m just some idiot that pays to watch
     
  18. alex

    alex Fringe Player

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    I don’t think the contracts given to Anderson, Devine and Colville will be impacting us signing a better quality CM. I can’t believe they will be earning much of a salary between them and they provide some much needed depth to the squad. The issue is we are currently relying on 1 or 2 of them to be in the starting XI when they aren’t good enough for a team aiming for top 3. What we need is a quality CM to play alongside Palmer in the starting XI.
     
  19. Fordy117

    Fordy117 Just call me Mr Flip-Flop!
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    We can't moan about money then waste it on players that are not good enough to make the 1st or the squad in my mind.

    Think you're underestimating how much Bowyer rates Anderson. He won't be near the lowest paid member of our squad.

    It's all about spots. 3 midfielders, all 3 not good enough, so we need to add to them with quality but now have to worry about budget.

    I would of offered 1 a contract and let 2 go then put the wages/budget towards a better quality midfielder myself.
     
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  20. Idlebantam

    Idlebantam Squad Player
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    Doesnt matter what they are earning, they simply are not good enough and Devine and Anderson should not be here even if playing for free. Still dont know what hold Colville has on Bowyer to be allowed to take the pi55 all summer
     

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