Killie Roll Call

[thebeachend]

Christie should play every week.

[afc_1983]

Christie should play every week.

Christie should play every week, but the earlier question posed by Mason is a bit of a moot one.

On Saturday it wasn't McLean keeping Christie out the team - no one can tell me even Del, with his tendencies for experimenting, would have selected Christie ahead of McLean in a deep lying midfield role.

Christie was kept out the team by May, who played in behind the main striker, and he in turn was kept from playing as the main striker by Maynard. Equally as mystifying was that our top scorer in recent times was 3rd choice of the 3 and only appeared with 10 minutes to play.

Then we had another option for 'number 10' - Greg Stewart - out wide, while a genuine winger in GMS was sat on the bench.

It was a complete muddle.

We can get away with it because if the players perform to their capabilities we can make up for this tactical nonsense, but if the players have an off day, which they did on Saturday, then we look a shambles.

Comparing our squad in SPFL terms with F1 for a minute, it's the equivalent of trying to drive a Ferrari with the hand brake on. Utterly infuriating.

[Mason89]

I wouldn't play either in a deep lying midfield role but what attributes do you think McLean has, that makes him better suited to it?

[afc_1983]

I wouldn't play either in a deep lying midfield role but what attributes do you think McLean has, that makes him better suited to it?

I probably wouldn't either, unless we played a proper ball winning, sitting midfielder alongside him. Shinnie, to my mind, is more a box-to-box player, which has its benefits but it does expose McLean and the defence when he gets caught ahead of the ball.

McLean isn't a great deep lying midfielder, don't get me wrong, but he is a better option there than Christie would be. It is all relative, but:

1. He is less likely to be pushed off the ball.
2. He has a better range of passing.
3. He is more tactically aware at the moment.
4. He is a better tackler.

I repeat, it's all relative. I don't think, other than perhaps on point 2, McLean has the attributes required to be a top player in that position.

But let's just be clear about this, he's not a bad player. None of them are. The debate is more about how you best utilise the assets we've got. I don't think we're maximising our chances at the moment because the balance of the team isn't quite right. And I think the centre of the park is where the majority of our issues ultimately can be traced back to. Shinnie isn't beyond criticism here by the way.