[Archived] Leon Best Injury

[callumrovers]

Seeing as we are coming close to Christmas, I'm sure I heard Best would be back for New Years?

May just be making it up, but I'm pretty sure I've heard this.

he will be a new signing, him and Rhodes upfront would be awesome.

Best to do all donkey work,strong, holding players off etc and Rhodes for finishing.

They both need playing together upfront.

[LeChuck]

he will be a new signing, him and Rhodes upfront would be awesome.

I don't think our midfield is strong enough to play with 4 every week. We'll constantly be coming against teams with 5 in there.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but until we have a central midfield that can compete and wingers that can run and cross the ball, I don't see how 4-4-2 can work.

[Kamy100]

He has started running and kick the ball about BUT rightly Rovers are going to take it very gently with him. He is ahead of schedule but Rovers are being sensible about his recovery so probably mid-January before he is back in contention.

[Oklahoma]

I hope that when he returns, there will also be new midfield players to help the team change to a reall 4-4-2

[ada2020]

This will be a welcome return to the squad, as others mentioned previously though its difficult to see where he will play baring some serious movement in the transfer window in January to improve the midfield.

[Mike E]

Frig me, I thought he'd suffered a set-back! Don't scare me like that! I reckon we could be relying on him, come Jan, to give us some steel up front and allow Rhodes to focus on poaching chances.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I don't think our midfield is strong enough to play with 4 every week. We'll constantly be coming against teams with 5 in there.

I'm not sure what the solution is, but until we have a central midfield that can compete and wingers that can run and cross the ball, I don't see how 4-4-2 can work.

Will we? Genuine question but a lot of teams in this division seem to play 4-4-2.

Vukcevic--Murphy--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Kazim--Vukcevic--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Vukcevic--Formica--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Nunes can also play on the left.

These are all 4 across the middle options that I feel could work.

Formica does a lot of defensive work so he could definitely play as part of a 2 I feel.

[Oklahoma]

Will we? Genuine question but a lot of teams in this division seem to play 4-4-2.

Vukcevic--Murphy--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Kazim--Vukcevic--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Vukcevic--Formica--Lowe--Martin Olsson

Nunes can also play on the left.

I think we need a hard working midfield with 4 players. It would be necessary to have a defensive midfielder and Lowe. Murphy and Etuhu don't have it.

[roversfan99]

Formica and Vukcevic are not central midfielders. They don't have the positional awareness, the discipline nor the physicality to cope in there.

Both of them are players who play in the hole, but they need 2 players behind them in order to give them the freedom they require.

Formica has played well recently down the right, although we could do with a quicker winger who can simply cross accurately, no fancy dans.

Vukcevic can play on the right too but he is clearly not rated for whatever reason, if Formica and a new right winger are the main options we have in the second half of the season, then that would be fine and maybe time to cut our losses on Vukcevic.

I would go: Formica - Lowe - Murphy - Martin Olsson/Nunes

[Salgado Is A Hero]

I think Vukcevic played in the middle for clubs before coming here....I think he just plays in the hole for Montenegro because he's one of their best players.

In the case of Formica, the only times I've seen him play in the middle were under Kean....he's still pretty young so will be learning a lot anyway and Berg/our coaching staff could make him more suited to playing there.

I'd play Kazim over Formica on the right wing....he isn't fast enough and doesn't provide enough width.

[Guest]

He has started running and kick the ball about BUT rightly Rovers are going to take it very gently with him. He is ahead of schedule but Rovers are being sensible about his recovery so probably mid-January before he is back in contention.

+1

[Amo]

I think Vukcevic played in the middle for clubs before coming here....I think he just plays in the hole for Montenegro because he's one of their best players.

I believe Simon's played in attacking midfield for the reserve side more than once, too.

[roversfan99]

I think Vukcevic played in the middle for clubs before coming here....I think he just plays in the hole for Montenegro because he's one of their best players.

In the case of Formica, the only times I've seen him play in the middle were under Kean....he's still pretty young so will be learning a lot anyway and Berg/our coaching staff could make him more suited to playing there.

I'd play Kazim over Formica on the right wing....he isn't fast enough and doesn't provide enough width.

But neither of these players have the savvy and discipline to be part of a two in midfield, their instinct is to link up with the attack.

Formica used to play off Yakubu under Kean and in the hole is his best position, but I don't think Rhodes is as suited yet to playing with someone just off him as Yakubu was. I don't think it is a wise move to just stick him alongside only Lowe in the centre of midfield and hope he adapts, Murphy will at least be able to help Lowe in terms of positioning by using his experience.

And I understand Formica isn't always the best winger but I feel he is our best option there at the moment. He has played well in front of Adam Henley who overlaps him, he will always put in a shift and ask for the ball even if he isn't playing well, and he can assist the strikers as proved by his cross v Burnley. We just need a Nunes or a Martin Olsson on the other side to provide a more direct alternative.

[USABlue]

But neither of these players have the savvy and discipline to be part of a two in midfield, their instinct is to link up with the attack.

Formica used to play off Yakubu under Kean and in the hole is his best position, but I don't think Rhodes is as suited yet to playing with someone just off him as Yakubu was. I don't think it is a wise move to just stick him alongside only Lowe in the centre of midfield and hope he adapts, Murphy will at least be able to help Lowe in terms of positioning by using his experience.

And I understand Formica isn't always the best winger but I feel he is our best option there at the moment. He has played well in front of Adam Henley who overlaps him, he will always put in a shift and ask for the ball even if he isn't playing well, and he can assist the strikers as proved by his cross v Burnley. We just need a Nunes or a Martin Olsson on the other side to provide a more direct alternative.

MAybe I didn't see it right but wasn't Gomes doing that with Rhodes to pretty good effect?

[Hughesy]

Problem with our midfield is that most dont really have an out and out position, and also we have too many players who dont seem to fit with others. We also lack creativity for our strikers, they are pretty much expected to work there own chances.

In the same team:

Rochina/ Formica/ Vukcevic - I only see that one at a time really fits. Can have a great game, and can then easily go missing for an entire game.

Murphy/ Etuhu - lack of energy, both very deep, struggle to dominate midfield on there own.

Best Positions:

Rochina/ Formica - Probably best position is in 'the hole', neither are really out and out wingers.

Lowe - Is he a defensive mid? Is he box to box?

Pedersen - Not really a winger who can beat a man, and doesnt like to get stuck in....can deliver a great ball however.

Dunn - Too injury prone to play in the hole? Not got enough energy to play in centre mid?

Olsson - Is he good enough to play on the left wing? Would Nunes when fit be a better option?

If we had a winger with pace on the right who could beat a man and deliver a ball, and a centre mid in the mould of J Jones, who could get up and down and get involved, aswell as creating chances then we would be a much better side.....those for me are key to us improving, both offensively and defensively.

[EWOODACE1]

any idea when he is due back. i heard jan but havnt heard anything in a while

[Gally]

As far as I can tell he's been running for a while. Still expect that that he won't be risked til mid January at the earliest