[Archived] The Midfield Problem

[tonyoz]

On his few forays up the park, Ooijer has looked better than any of our midfield specialists.

[mode_m]

Let's not forget Barry Ferguson. Souness also brought him in if I remember correctly.

okay let's still forget about him.

WHEN Rovers avoid relegation BFS will have an interesting summer for sure. I can see RSC leaving, hopefully Benni stays and there will be enough money for another striker, a terrific midfielder and a quality centre back.

[Robbo]

The Midfield Problem: Simple answer...we have no midfield.

Everyone is going to start (if they haven't already) to complain about the long ball....

Robinson hoof to MGP on the left to try and win a header to then get a flick on to a forward who may or may not get a strike at goal etc...

However, what is the alternative? Play it through midfield? You have got to be joking. Only Tugay is able to contol a ball and he very rarely starts. Maybe Big Sam has the right idea bypass the dross that is our midfield and get it up to our forwards who can on their day play a bit (clearly I'm thinking of RSC and McCarthy and not Roberts).

We only have two players in Diouf and MGP who will be certainties to start and MGP gets a game mainly because of his workrate and because Treacy is woeful.

With a midfield centre pairing selected from:

Dunn (looks like he running in concrete)

Grella (slower than and an injured Dunn)

Andrews (more of a middle distance runner than a footballer)

Tugay (class player but can only be used now and again)

Axe (hit and miss...)

Vogel (must have done someting pretty terrible in a previous life)

I doubt very much that any of our remaining oppsition this season will be the slightest bit worried about what they will have to face.

Lets hope some midfield combination can be found that works otherwise i see too many draws and not enough wins.

[John]

Press today saying Dunn is 'struggling for fitness'.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Robinson hoof to MGP on the left to try and win a header to then get a flick on to a forward who may or may not get a strike at goal etc...

This is what I don't get and really annoys me - we already do this in parts and have done for a while, however, no matter who hoofs the ball up front we very rarely win the headers or the knock down if we do, and given our percentage of winning second ball situations is it any wonder. The players just don't seem to react or are able to read the situation even though alot of the time is appears to be pre planned and something that they have practiced is training

[JAL]

Press today saying Dunn is 'struggling for fitness'.

Surprise, surprise

We need Dunny now more than ever before if hes not fit for the clubs most critical period then its got to be time for him to leave in the summer...... ninety minute men only please .

[CAPT KAYOS]

Surprise, surprise

We need Dunny now more than ever before if hes not fit for the clubs most critical period then its got to be time for him to leave in the summer...... ninety minute men only please .

Surprise surprise to see you responding here Jal

Anyway, thought after the first injury pre Xmas that was it for Dunn when it was advised he be out for a while - however he seemed to be on is way back but this to me just appears to be the deathknell for him at this level.

For once Jal I have to agree.

[Hughesy]

Dunn & Grella both struggling with injury again?! FFS!!

Reid, Grella & Dunn need sorting out this summer. We need to seriously look at their places at the club.

[thenodrog]

Dunn & Grella both struggling with injury again?! FFS!!

Reid, Grella & Dunn need sorting out this summer. We need to seriously look at their places at the club.

Given their history of injuries and their importance to the team as the two best cm's we have it's best to leave them out of the cup game.

[Bennisfromheaven]

Though he has soured my opinion of him since leaving us i must say, what magic dust was Mark Hughes sprinkling on our players not only to keep them fit but performing at a level above thier ability?

There was never big money spent but we always had a consistent midfield under Hughes, i realise that Hughes had a top form David Bentley but it could be argued that Hughes made Bentley the player he was!

Even Reid managed a full season under Hughes!

I feel that this was the biggest impact that the Ince regime had on our squad, systematically undoing the great work the Hughes team did with our squads fitness! I just hope Sam can get past that & restore the fitness to the squad for next year (in the premier league!)

[RevidgeBlue]

Dunn & Grella both struggling with injury again?! FFS!!

Reid, Grella & Dunn need sorting out this summer. We need to seriously look at their places at the club.

Have we any midfielders worth retaining?

Tugay is a legend but should have been released several years ago.

For Mokoena, Vogel and Andrews it's a case of don't let you the door hit you on the backside on the way out.

Dunn and Reid are super players at their best but both seem to be terminally injury prone, the same seems to apply to Grella and it's arguable whether he's that good anyway.

Villenueva has undoubted talent but represents a gamble at this stage.

That's SEVEN central midfielders with huge question marks over them. An unenviable position for whoever is in charge in the summer, no matter which division we are in.

[JAL]

Surprise surprise to see you responding here Jal

Anyway, thought after the first injury pre Xmas that was it for Dunn when it was advised he be out for a while - however he seemed to be on is way back but this to me just appears to be the deathknell for him at this level.

For once Jal I have to agree.

Dont want to say I told you so after the Everton game but having seen the lack of recruitment in the midfiled area I'm absolutely desperate for Dunny to be performing for Rovers and help save our season.

[roversmum]

I am running out of patience, and enough is enough with most of the players Rev has mentioned.

Liked the look of Vogel but no one else seems to, sorry Johann, you have to go. cheerio. Andrews thanks and good luck for the future but not at Rovers. Bye-bye.

Dunn, Grella, Reid - don't feel we should be playing big wages to players that are almost permanently injured, sorry Dunny and Reid, you are both great guys but... Grella - done nothing that inspires me yet, see you.

Tugay, oh, love him, love him, but his time has come. A legend.

Villenueva - would love to nurture him, but it's another wage we can't afford.

I never, ever thought I'd say this, but the only one I'd even consider keeping (depending on his wages and only as a back up player) is Mokoena. He is rarely injured, but I wouldn't want him in any other position than a sitter in front of the back four so in reality the door must be open for him as well.

[JAL]

Someone at work claims to have contacts at Bolton says Sam wanted Nolan in the january window and that Sam said if Nolan came he could guarantee Rovers staying up but the Rovers board said words to the effect that if you want him you'll have to sell someone to pay for him.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

We'd be guaranteed to stay up if we had Nolan, would we?

Jesus wept. Your well connected mate has been smoking the bong or is peddling falsehoods, I'd guess.

[Amo]

Why would a Bolton contact know what Sam told OUR board?

[Hughesy]

That the same guy who is suspended for the next 3 games and hasnt done anything for Newcastle so far??

[DP]

Nolan had a decent season 2 years ago when he score a load of goals playing as a support striker. Not rated by Bolton fans but had (that's HAD) the knack of scoring goals. Sounds a lot like one of our goalscoring midfielders now doesn't it.

Now we appear to have an adequate experienced left back in Givet, wouldn't be surprised to see Warnock in midfield a bit more. At least if he can run around and bite ankles it might give his crocked/aging CM partner some space on the ball. Unfortunately that's the best we can hope for.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I think a Nolan type player in central midfield would almost guarantee our top flight slot. It is negligent - along with the Ince appointment - that this hasn't been sorted out. It's also why we were relegated in 1999.

[thenodrog]

I never, ever thought I'd say this, but the only one I'd even consider keeping (depending on his wages and only as a back up player) is Mokoena. He is rarely injured, but I wouldn't want him in any other position than a sitter in front of the back four so in reality the door must be open for him as well.

I know where you are coming from but I don't understand why you don't rate Grella in that position. imo his injury problems have blinded people to his ability as midfield sitter. He has loads of quality without doubt but the jury is still out on his physical ability. If he stays fit from now until the end of the season I think people will view him in a different light.

[roversmum]

That, drog, is the burning question. Do "Grella" and "fitness" go together? We must have spent a fortune on paying injured players over the past few years.

[thenodrog]

Someone at work claims to have contacts at Bolton says Sam wanted Nolan in the january window and that Sam said if Nolan came he could guarantee Rovers staying up but the Rovers board said words to the effect that if you want him you'll have to sell someone to pay for him.

Sounds about right. Nolan would have done a good job for us. Hughes always had to sell first in order to buy. If it were down to me I'd have sold three! Mokoena, Vogel and Andrews...... if somebody would have bought em that is.

[John]

Souness summed up our obvious problem on Sky, saying none of our central midfielders can play a 'cute pass'. Souey actually named Andrews, Grella, Warnock and the Axe, and said they huff/puff but bascially their passing is poor.

Also, our main problem, is the fact Grella and Dunn cannot remain fit for any period of time whatsoever! Its getting quite ridiculous now with those two, how much they are injured.

[Amo]

Grella & Andrews... Hrrrghh *cringe*

[tchocky]

I agree with the person who said our midfield will be the reason if we go down this season.

And Souness is spot on of course.