[Archived] Who Should The Midfield Pairing Be?

[tcj_jones]

Currently, 62% of voters would like to see Savage in the first team. He won't last forever, but right now I feel he should be a starter and that we should not let him go anywhere until the end of the season.

[Hasta]

I've given the Tugs/Axe pairing a bit of stick on this thread. However watching Reid and Dunn yesterday and it was a similar story albeit with more energy.

Basically the two central midfielders never get up to support the strikers, let alone bomb forward past them at any stage. It appears that they are being told to hold deeper to allow the wider men to push on. Unfortunately this leaves us a bit static and unable to pick up any second balls that come back from our forwards / their defenders.

When Derbyshire came on and Bentley was able to get in and around the front two we looked a bit more dangerous.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

NONE of the player we have in midfield are good enough in my opinion...it really is as bad as that!

[JAL]

NONE of the player we have in midfield are good enough in my opinion...it really is as bad as that!

HERE, HERE, they arent very good, David Dunn looks like hes a free transfer from Burnley.

Steven Ried i'll allow a bit of rope for he needs abit of time but the rest should have their bags packed ready for the call.

I just wonder were Mark Hughes head is at the moment we need two TOTALLY NEW central midfielders.

[Jan]

Stephen Reid said yesterday that they'd been told to "dovetail"- ie one to sit back when the other went forward. The problem is, the team is so lacking in confidence that neither is bombing forward. I saw them within feet of each other far too many times yesterday. And that was within feet of the central defenders too. I actually thought both were passing much better yesterday- it was just a pity that for the most part those had to be long passes to the front men which were telegraphed to the opposition. A few yards further on, and I think there would have been a lot more promising play yesterday.

[RevidgeBlue]

Stephen Reid said yesterday that they'd been told to "dovetail"- ie one to sit back when the other went forward. The problem is, the team is so lacking in confidence that neither is bombing forward. I saw them within feet of each other far too many times yesterday. And that was within feet of the central defenders too. I actually thought both were passing much better yesterday- it was just a pity that for the most part those had to be long passes to the front men which were telegraphed to the opposition. A few yards further on, and I think there would have been a lot more promising play yesterday.

Unlike most I didn't think Reid had a particularly good game yesterday, the reason being most of the time he was sat far too deep and there were none of the trademark surging runs we get when he is at his best.

Are our midfielders really told to play on the toes of the centre halves? If so why? Tugay looks completely ineffective and a poor player when playing that deep as well.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I think Reid's positioning was the result of 'Boro's midfield dropping back and closing the spaces in the last third.

Thought he did well.

[JAL]

Stephen Reid said yesterday that they'd been told to "dovetail"- ie one to sit back when the other went forward. The problem is, the team is so lacking in confidence that neither is bombing forward. I saw them within feet of each other far too many times yesterday. And that was within feet of the central defenders too. I actually thought both were passing much better yesterday- it was just a pity that for the most part those had to be long passes to the front men which were telegraphed to the opposition. A few yards further on, and I think there would have been a lot more promising play yesterday.

That word 'confidence' in football love it , its used to hide that fact that they arent good enough to the unsuspecting supporter.

The movement of the front two could have been better, i seem to remember Rovers breaking down a Boro attack in the last ten minutes score was one one,Reid was running seemingly out of our half with the ball as he was closed down neither of the two strikers were making a run forward, Reidy stopped and ended passing the ball sideways to the groans of the crowd whilst Boro got back in strength.

If Hughes thinks hes good then that sort of football doesnt impress me.

[Mozzer]

reid has been out 14months , give him a break..

he played well yesterday and in my opinion should of got man of the match..

when fully fit-he will be like he was before his injury(brilliant)..its good to have him back..

[JAL]

reid has been out 14months , give him a break..

he played well yesterday and in my opinion should of got man of the match..

when fully fit-he will be like he was before his injury(brilliant)..its good to have him back..

'Good to have him back' were bleeding desperate to have him back, its a scenario that we shouldnt be in.

Who said Dunny was a good signing ?

[Iceman]

My midfield pairing would be pienaar and gilberto. Lol but getting back down to earth iceman id have to say i would rather give derbs a game in midfield alongside reid and see how it goes.everybody else is shocking.we really do need 2 new midfielders.

[Brfcrule1]

hi all,

have gone for Tugay/Reid for simple reason that at the moment Reid is good at the holding midfielder but he needs someone like Tugay to spread passes about as Dunn should really pack his bags passing wise he is poor gives 100% but sometimes that is not always enough and the fact that our most creative midfielder is Tugay and he is 37 says we need someone in there who is creative and knows how to pass the ball accurately and make things happen. Koumas would be alright altho I think Bruce has lost his brains why would we want to swap Reid for Koumas we are already short on numbers but at the same token would not want Soarky to pay 3M for another ageing 28 year old midfielder either and how Bruce can expect that much is beyond beliefhe must have left his brains in the freezer food section of my local supermarket! LOL!

Laters all.

[John]

Cannot see this anywhere else, but another excellent blog post from Setanta. Some of the points made may seem obvious to some but a good read.

Hughes the man?

[Exiled_Rover]

Honestly, eighth is a decent return when you look at the quality of our squad and those around us. The big spenders have closed the gap rapidly.

[JAL]

Midfield pairing has to be,

A) Someone we havent already got along with another one we havent got.

[tony gale's mic]

Give Vogel and Dunn a go till the end of the season and see how that turns out.

[Dunnfc]

Reid and Dunn are fine, but if we adopt a 5 man midfield then Vogel should sit behind the two.

Ive got a feeling this will be our next line up.

Friedel

Emerton Samba Nelsen Warnock

Vogel

Reid Dunn

Bentley Gamst

Santa Cruz

[FourLaneBlue]

The failure to buy a midfielder in January has probably put paid to Europe in any form next season. Whether the reason was because we could not find anyone or if they were too expensive for our budget we do not know for certain. Huddlestone was mentioned but it would require big money to get a regular midfielder from a Premiership club who we compete with.

Either the club needs to splash the cash or we have to hope for another bargain bin masterstroke from Hughes.

The other alternative would be to try Bentley in the centre over a sustained period and buying a fast right winger to finally inject a bit of pace in the midfield.