[Archived] Central Midfield

[Riverside67]

When oh when will Bowyer address this issue.

It is the key area of the pitch and has been a problem all season for us.

We have had defensive minded players here most of the season but they have been unable to protect the back four. Because they are not creative players our threat going forward is diminished as well so Rhodes gets little service.

The game is controlled from this part of the team. We have failed this season because midfield has been a continual weak link

We appear to go to Montpelier which is a long way to sign a French midfielder. That tells me Bowyer knoews there is a unresolved issue but then does not play this guy. Either he is not fit or not good enough. Again this is por management.

We have umpteen ineffective or unfit wide men who cannot provid ethe service to Rhodes/Gestede and we go and buy another in Feeney.

The resources spent on Feeney, Varney, Conway, King are significant never mind Dabo. These signings have failed to reolve the issue.

Can we now sort this problem area out? If Bowyer thinks there isn't a problem here then we are in serious trouble.

[thenodrog]

4-4-2 and battered at bolton, 7 days later a 4-5-1 and leading Burnley we replaced the man in the hole with a winger and conceded two goals in 20 mins and lost the match. Everyone can see that Dunny is incapable of playing even half a match every week and should have been replaced with a like for like player. Unfortunately he hasn't. The nearest were rochina and judge but they have been binned off and replaced with any number off fairly ordinary out and out wingers best suited to the outdated 4-4-2 haven't they? What is in their thinking down there ?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

When oh when will Bowyer address this issue.

It is the key area of the pitch and has been a problem all season for us.

We have had defensive minded players here most of the season but they have been unable to protect the back four. Because they are not creative players our threat going forward is diminished as well so Rhodes gets little service.

The game is controlled from this part of the team. We have failed this season because midfield has been a continual weak link

We appear to go to Montpelier which is a long way to sign a French midfielder. That tells me Bowyer knoews there is a unresolved issue but then does not play this guy. Either he is not fit or not good enough. Again this is por management.

We have umpteen ineffective or unfit wide men who cannot provid ethe service to Rhodes/Gestede and we go and buy another in Feeney.

The resources spent on Feeney, Varney, Conway, King are significant never mind Dabo. These signings have failed to reolve the issue.

Can we now sort this problem area out? If Bowyer thinks there isn't a problem here then we are in serious trouble.

I find your choice of players interesting - Conway has been a good buy - Varney has only just started his career but I thought played well against Burnley and offers something different. King wasn't his signing - but prior to injury was having one of his best spells at the club. Dabo - agree don't know what he has brought - Feeney will wait and see, but was surprised we signed him for the rest of the season.

If everyone is fit this isn't a problem area - Evans, Lowe and Cairney are more than capable - add to this Marshall, Conway or King, and we aren't too badly off. Personally I would prefer to see Williamson replaced by somebody younger - but at the moment he is a decentish squad player (but not for the extended periods he has had to play this season).

[mattjansen]

I think it was strange that Bowyer replaced Dunn with Feeney, the most normal thing would be to put Taylor in there or even put Williamson on and put him with Lowe and Evans. Why on earth throw on a winger thats been with the team for 24 hours at most.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

4-4-2 and battered at bolton, 7 days later a 4-5-1 and leading Burnley we replaced the man in the hole with a winger and conceded two goals in 20 mins and lost the match. Everyone can see that Dunny is incapable of playing even half a match every week and should have been replaced with a like for like player. Unfortunately he hasn't. The nearest were rochina and judge but they have been binned off and replaced with any number off fairly ordinary out and out wingers best suited to the outdated 4-4-2 haven't they? What is in their thinking down there ?

Which had the biggest impact on the Burnley game - Dunn going off or two minutes later Burnley scoring from a set play that Dunn would have been nowhere near. I am amazed how many people think that the Dunn sub was the defining moment of the derby - when he had been largely ineffective in the second half (except for the pass to Rhodes) - and had lost the ball on numerous occasions throughout the match. I do agree about Rochina and Judge - but both players wanted to play on a regular basis and wanted to leave.

I think it was strange that Bowyer replaced Dunn with Feeney, the most normal thing would be to put Taylor in there or even put Williamson on and put him with Lowe and Evans. Why on earth throw on a winger thats been with the team for 24 hours at most.

Pace

[thenodrog]

Which had the biggest impact on the Burnley game - Dunn going off or two minutes later Burnley scoring from a set play that Dunn would have been nowhere near. I am amazed how many people think that the Dunn sub was the defining moment of the derby - when he had been largely ineffective in the second half (except for the pass to Rhodes) - and had lost the ball on numerous occasions throughout the match. I do agree about Rochina and Judge - but both players wanted to play on a regular basis and wanted to leave.

Pace

Neither.... but the tactical disruption caused by having a gazillion bog ordinary wide men and no specialist attacking midfielder might have.

However don't underestimate the psychological boost Burnley and their fans must have had when their nemesis walked off. Burnley went onto the front foot proper when that happened.

[McClarky]

For me the main thing we are lacking is leadership on the pitch and centre midfield is the place you need your leader. We need to bring someone in who can lead the team from the centre. In the last 2 games when something has gone against us we have fallen away badly and that's when you need someone out there to pull the team together. I don't think any of our curent players can do this so we need to clear out some bits and pieces wingers and bring in someone to captain the side properly.

[1864roverite]

As sad and bad as it may seem, there is one player who I think Rovers could do with.

Joey Barton.

Yes he is a pain, hes a knob and he is a gob on sticks however he is box to box, can set up can defend and can propel a team forward.

[ABBEY]

And Barton could smack porn venky over the head with a golf club and put a cigar out in the fat owd hag bints eyes. .. Allegedly

[thenodrog]

As sad and bad as it may seem, there is one player who I think Rovers could do with.

Joey Barton.

Yes he is a pain, hes a knob and he is a gob on sticks however he is box to box, can set up can defend and can propel a team forward.

Too expensive and imo not all that good a player. He has a reputation as a 'player' but like Danny Murphy I've no idea why.

btw Abbey, any golf club antics were down to Bellamy and Paton weren't they?.... allegedly.

[arbitro]

Which had the biggest impact on the Burnley game - Dunn going off or two minutes later Burnley scoring from a set play that Dunn would have been nowhere near. I am amazed how many people think that the Dunn sub was the defining moment of the derby - when he had been largely ineffective in the second half (except for the pass to Rhodes) - and had lost the ball on numerous occasions throughout the match. I do agree about Rochina and Judge - but both players wanted to play on a regular basis and wanted to leave.

Pace

The game changed because Dunn was tired and during the second half that Marney and Jones began to take control of the game. They were under very little pressure as they advanced into our half as we sat back. Bowyer must have seen this but went (once again) with the wrong man and changed a few positions to accommodate this debutant who he couldn't have known too much about. Taylor (who has nowhere near the skill level of Dunn) should have gone into the hole for his energy alone. I thnik Bowyer and his staff see things that are wrong but don't have the football nous to fix them.

[thenodrog]

The game changed because Dunn was tired and during the second half that Marney and Jones began to take control of the game. They were under very little pressure as they advanced into our half as we sat back. Bowyer must have seen this but went (once again) with the wrong man and changed a few positions to accommodate this debutant who he couldn't have known too much about. Taylor (who has nowhere near the skill level of Dunn) should have gone into the hole for his energy alone. I thnik Bowyer and his staff see things that are wrong but don't have the football nous to fix them.

Correct. Taylor doesn't impress me in a 4 man midfield but looks neat and tidy, fills up the gaps and puts a hard shift in a 4-5-1 variation. Not only that but Feeney simply hasn't been here long enough to include in such a match. Big error there by the management.

[ABBEY]

Too expensive and imo not all that good a player. He has a reputation as a 'player' but like Danny Murphy I've no idea why.

btw Abbey, any golf club antics were down to Bellamy and Paton weren't they?.... allegedly.

I know .. Same kind of human beings

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I am a huge fan of Dunn - but I am amazed that people think Burnley got more of a boost from him going off than scoring a goal just after he was subbed

[dingles staying down 4ever]

The game changed because Dunn was tired and during the second half that Marney and Jones began to take control of the game. They were under very little pressure as they advanced into our half as we sat back. Bowyer must have seen this but went (once again) with the wrong man and changed a few positions to accommodate this debutant who he couldn't have known too much about. Taylor (who has nowhere near the skill level of Dunn) should have gone into the hole for his energy alone. I thnik Bowyer and his staff see things that are wrong but don't have the football nous to fix them.

IMO it was not just Dunn who tired. Evans also became tired. It is a problem our midfield has had all season. It appears that as well as Dunn neither Evans, Williamson nor Cairney can last a full 90 minutes. As these players tire this tends to Rovers conceding space which in turn causes them to drop further and further back and invite the opposotion to attack.

[Ray-Von]

Correct. Taylor doesn't impress me in a 4 man midfield but looks neat and tidy, fills up the gaps and puts a hard shift in a 4-5-1 variation. Not only that but Feeney simply hasn't been here long enough to include in such a match. Big error there by the management.

Taylor's best game for us by miles was the Leeds home game where he was behind the striker. I thought he was the obvious choice to replace Dunn on Sunday.

[K-Hod]

Said it before, but it always helps when players are picked in their correct positions. Bowyer (and many managers before him) have brought in and moved on so many players, Bunleh showed exactly the power of consistency in selection.

[broadsword]

Why was feeney signed? Don't we have enough midfielders? The subs on Sunday were very strange. just total despair, really.

[john browning]

Unfortunately, once we scored the attitude seems to have been "we hold what we have", keep a clean sheet, and with any luck Jordan may get another chance. We surrendered the initiative and the ball, and we weren't good enough to pull it off.

I agree with what's been said about the formation but in my view it was attitude that was the defining factor in our defeat.

[LDRover]

For me the main thing we are lacking is leadership on the pitch and centre midfield is the place you need your leader. We need to bring someone in who can lead the team from the centre. In the last 2 games when something has gone against us we have fallen away badly and that's when you need someone out there to pull the team together. I don't think any of our curent players can do this so we need to clear out some bits and pieces wingers and bring in someone to captain the side properly.

Exactly.

If we're talking 'bits and pieces' players you have to include Lowe who is the ultimate of that breed. He's been made into the lynchpin of that midfield (no idea why) who's only positive attribute is that he is fit and works hard. However, when it gets on top and we're inevitably defending a one goal lead he retreats onto the toes of the centre half and hides from the ball when we have possession. I want my central midfielders demanding the ball and leading us through the tough parts of games not shrinking and bottling it - Lowe is as much as a culprit for this as any in a rovers shirt and it's been happening all season.

[Neil Weaver]

IMO it was not just Dunn who tired. Evans also became tired. It is a problem our midfield has had all season. It appears that as well as Dunn neither Evans, Williamson nor Cairney can last a full 90 minutes. As these players tire this tends to Rovers conceding space which in turn causes them to drop further and further back and invite the opposotion to attack.

Agreed about Evans, thought he had a really good first half but ran out of energy in the second. Not entirely surprising for his first full game back, but given that and Dunn being knackered even more reason to put Taylor on for a bit of energy (when Dunny came off).

[thenodrog]

Exactly.

If we're talking 'bits and pieces' players you have to include Lowe who is the ultimate of that breed. He's been made into the lynchpin of that midfield (no idea why) who's only positive attribute is that he is fit and works hard. However, when it gets on top and we're inevitably defending a one goal lead he retreats onto the toes of the centre half and hides from the ball when we have possession. I want my central midfielders demanding the ball and leading us through the tough parts of games not shrinking and bottling it - Lowe is as much as a culprit for this as any in a rovers shirt and it's been happening all season.

In fairness he had a cracking shot turned over the bar just before the end.

Also to consider is that as soon as they went in front Burnley did exactly what we had been doing and retreated to guard their area.

[CAPT KAYOS]

In fairness he had a cracking shot turned over the bar just before the end.

Also scuffed the one cleared of the line imo though - should have been buried with a left foot shot

[LDRover]

In fairness he had a cracking shot turned over the bar just before the end.

Also to consider is that as soon as they went in front Burnley did exactly what we had been doing and retreated to guard their area.

Agreed, but understandable given the chance to break a 34 year old record and gain the win that makes promotion look more than likely.

Not only that, both Jones and Marney never hid, they were always in the thick of it and worked like trojans until the end. This, despite being outnumbered 3 to 2 in there.

[SoldierMo]

Apparently Judge having another brilliant game tonight how is feeney better than him