Originally Posted by
Don_Corleone
We badly need someone who can take the ball in midfield and create. We've got battling, energetic midfielders in Shinnie and Ferguson who can get up and down, but they aren't the kind who can unlock defences. Someone like McLean or Christie was able to come deep, pick up the ball, go past an opponent and open the game up, or spray it wide, or play a through ball, or a one-two etc - they could make things happen between midfield and attack and were able to provide some variety - either taking it through the middle or bringing the wide players into the game in good positions.
Instead of a McLean / Christie type, we've had Stevie May playing in that position this season - who is hardworking, but most certainly not able to do any of the above, and carries less goal threat than either of the aforementioned players. The alternative has been Stewart who is too slow, saunters around cutting back on himself, and doesn't have the energy, pace or drive of the likes of McLean and Christie. We've got decent wide players in McGinn and McLennan - but we don't have the players further back or in the centre to bring them into play in dangerous positions to make the most of them. They're picking the ball up inside their own half too often, or we're booting it up to Cosgrove instead. Cosgrove has done ok when he's given decent service from wide areas etc, and the wide men do well when they're given the ball in the right areas. The problem lies in the player playing in the no10 role that McLean or Christie used to fill.
This to me is the main problem.