Quote:
Originally Posted by Redraine
I agree with most of what you say, Choirboy, but no combativeness in midfield? Come on, you had better not let Joyce and Proccy hear you saying that! I think your dislike of Luke Joyce is clouding your judgement. He is an absolute dynamo in midfield, makes more ball winning tackles than any other of our players and is the fulcrum of most of our attacks. No, in my opinion, our biggest failing is in the last quarter of the field where we time and again waste possession in and around the box. How many times did we test the York keeper yesterday in spite of all our pressing? I can't think of one shot he had to save. From what I have seen Bruna has the quality to unlock defences but never gets the nod. Maybe he doesn't understand Scouse? McCarten too isn't afraid to run at defenders with real venom and finish, but giving him only 3 minutes on the pitch is ludicrous.
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Mike, I do not dislike Luke Joyce. I just don't think he is as good a player as you think.
It is precisely our lack of comativeness in midfield which exposes our back line far too many times during a match and why we give so many goals away. Luke defends far too deep and Procky is not the player that he used to be. Also neither contribute much going forward. How many goals have they scored between this season and in previous seasons? I would expect my best midfield players to be scoring seven or eight goals a season. The lack of threat 'up front' on saturday was because of a lack of support and creativity from midfield. Also because our 'wingers' are being asked to come from far too deep as they are asked to play as 'wing backs'.
You know that my favourite move is for midfield players to get the ball to the wingers who then get to the 'goal line' and then pull the ball back towards the penalty spot, where the midfield players have followed up in support of our front players. Unstoppable! We have only achieved this about 3 or 4 times this season!
So often, when I watch the replay of goals against us on TV, opposing players have run straight through our midfield! Luke Joyce was beaten in a heading duel and then left for pace for York's second goal on saturday by one of their players running with the ball, who then laid the ball off to their right winger, our central defence was stretched and exposed yet again.....some neat York passing .......goal against!!
It is so glaringly obvious to me that we need to 'beef' up our midfield and press a higher line. We probably need to get back to playing a regular formation with proper full backs and wingers in order to do this though.