[Archived] The Lowe / Williamson Midfield

[Hasta]

We have conceded 3 or more goals in a game 6 times this year. On every occasion we started with our 'defensive midfield kingpins' Lowe and Williamson. When you consider they have only started together 14 times this season that's a fairly damning statistic.

Of those 14 starts together we have only won 3 games which equates to a 22% win ratio. Our seasons average in the Championship this year is 37%.

I know it is slightly biased as Bowyer uses them together in 'tougher' games in which he thinks we will get put under persistent pressure, but they simply do not work together.

Neither are particularly good footballers. Neither can pass great and neither has great control or technique. Watching Burnley/Derby on the computer this afternoon, and thinking back to our last two encounters with Burnley, it is obviously that Burnley press the midfield players quickly and at high tempo. Last year at Ewood we lost possession countless times in dangerous areas. If these two play together next week in order to 'protect' our probably weakened defence, we are screwed.

[tomphil]

This logic doesn't apply in Gary Bowyer land. It seems it's ok as long as it works once in every blue moon. He spent the week talking them up after Reading and saying how they will have top stop Boltons (deep sitting?) midfield. Sick of this subject now, even in the absence of Evans there has been options to alter the midfield at times. Same again next week and it doesn;t work he'll know about it. It's friggin ameture to keep plodding with something that is universally obvious to most watching whether Rovers fan or not that it doesn't work !

[rovers11]

This is one topic I agree with entirely. Williamson/Lowe combination is not good enough and not sure why GB persists with it. Hope he sells Williamson in the summer.

[Stuart]

This is one topic I agree with entirely. Williamson/Lowe combination is not good enough and not sure why GB persists with it. Hope he sells Williamson in the summer.

Who is going to BUY Williamson?

[G Somerset Rover]

Those statistics are very damning. Bowyer can't see through his rose tinted specs though.

[tomphil]

Don't mind either player as a squad man but together it just does not work apart from the stuck clock syndrome. Apart from always inviting the oppo forward by playing 2 deep lying these two just don't suit each other as a partnership. It's getting quite pathetic now.

[DE.]

With Evans fit there is no reason for this pairing to persist. I don't think it necessarily matters who Evans replaces but at least one of the terrible twosome must make way.

[Amo]

Cairney & Evans should be our midfield duo, preferably with an attacking midfielder/no.10 in front of them in a 4-5-1. Lowe or Williamson can then come on when Cairney starts to burnout around the hour mark. I can't see Bowyer dropping both of them unless his hand is forced. There really is no sense playing the two of them together when they demonstrably fail at making us harder to break down.

[RevidgeBlue]

As I said before the start of the season Lowe is not good enough for a team with any aspirations of promotion and we will never get anywhere with him in central midfield. Long term prospects are bleak if Bowyer sees him as the way forward.

Williamson exacerbates the problem as he is too similar in style and is slightly past his best.

[K-Hod]

If we start with this midfield next Sunday, we'll be lambs to the slaughter. We deserve to get slapped if we start with these two sh1t houses.

[Jock]

is w_nk

[K-Hod]

It's a disgrace it's even possible to start with these two. It's like playing with 10. They're so immobile.

[West Yorks Rover]

If he starts with these 2 next Sunday, I will have no sympathy if he is sacked.

Neither of them are good enough, playing them together is idiotic.

[K-Hod]

Quite right. It has to stop, he has to learn from his (repeated) mistakes.

We're overloaded with midfielders are under-stocked with defenders.

Quite right. It has to stop, he has to learn from his (repeated) mistakes.

Definition if insanity and all that....

We're overloaded with midfielders are under-stocked with defenders.

[darrenrover]

Lowe should be right back, working the line. He'd be great in midfield where the remainder consisted of ball players.

Williamson would be ok at Gigg Lane or Globe Arena.

[G Somerset Rover]

If we do enter administration the likes of Williamson will find their level soon enough.

[Stuart]

I genuinely believe that Bowyer thinks he has the centre of midfield boxed off with these two, and that his main worry is who to pick on the wings and 'in the hole'.

[McClarky]

Evans seems to have been fit for weeks and hasn't started yet. Well there's only one way to get match fit. This is a proper midfield player who can sit at the back and pass the ball. Get him in for God's sake.

[JAL]

For hasta and everyone else what the Kean took you this long to start this thread ?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

For me Williamson is too slow - Lowe is good with the right players alongside him, he will never be an imaginative ball playing midfield player - but is usually good at breaking up play and keeping it simple. Our best midfield this season consisted of Lowe, Cairney and Evans - get them together again against the dingles and we may have a chance.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

For me Williamson is too slow - Lowe is good with the right players alongside him, he will never be an imaginative ball playing midfield player - but is usually good at breaking up play and keeping it simple. Our best midfield this season consisted of Lowe, Cairney and Evans - get them together again against the dingles and we may have a chance.

and Dunn.

It took Williamson over 6 months to find a club after finishing his contract from a 3rd division club. This tells you his standard. Should not be playing for this great club. End of story.

The guy has gained hero status for a 10 second cameo appearance ending in a sending off.

His partnership with Lowe is dragging an average at best midfielder in Lowe to even lower standards.

[Hasta]

For hasta and everyone else what the Kean took you this long to start this thread ?

Because I had never been @#/? off enough to work out the stats till 5pm yesterday and, unbelievably, they are worse than I expected.

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and Dunn.

It took Williamson over 6 months to find a club after finishing his contract from a 3rd division club. This tells you his standard. Should not be playing for this great club. End of story.

The guy has gained hero status for a 10 second cameo appearance ending in a sending off.

His partnership with Lowe is dragging an average at best midfielder in Lowe to even lower standards.

Lowe is a better athlete. Williamson a better footballer. Neither are very good.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Because I had never been keaned off enough to work out the stats till 5pm yesterday and, unbelievably, they are worse than I expected.

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Lowe is a better athlete. Williamson a better footballer. Neither are very good.

IMO I've yet to see what Williamson brings in any guise. You say hes a better footballer but I don't see it. The way I see it is Williamson wasn't good enough for Sheff Utd and nobody in the professional game bar Appleton thought he was worth giving a contract.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Because I had never been keaned off enough to work out the stats till 5pm yesterday and, unbelievably, they are worse than I expected.

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Lowe is a better athlete. Williamson a better footballer. Neither are very good.

If you could roll them both into one you wouldn't have a player good enough to be in the top six in this league never mind anything else.

Sent with my piece of paper wrapped around half a house brick.

[Riverside67]

El Tombro it is not just about yesterday.

Their stats in win percentages is truly awful as the starting CM's.