Mark Duffy We keep thinking we will have a player that might push him out of the team but after a number of options and signings were tried in this area; we all keep coming back to Duff. He is a huge part of what we do. When he plays in that number 10 and he is on song; we were tough to stop. We started with an odd workmanlike, methodical midfield but he was put back in at QPR and then after this was near enough a regular when fit. Woodburn did not really push him at all so he continued to be the key man in this area. Having McGoldrick helped as he had another great ball player that would also come deep and allow him to move into different areas. He has played 32 games for us this season and despite a few injuries or a bit of loss of form at times; he has continued to be a key man. He scored six goals which may not seem great but is double the three he got last year. He scored a few crackers too. The ones v Villa and Forest were great finishes from range but he also scored some one on one goals with deft footwork in one on one situations at Rotherham and Wigan.
He was not always on his game but even when he had poor games (Rotherham at home) he would still give you that moment of piece of magic. It showed the drop off when he did not play and even Dowell who did ok was a drop off. There is not really a player quite like him and when we look for that player that can rival him and maybe replace him; it will not be easy. He lacks pace but has never been that quick so not sure it will make that much difference at a higher level. He never seemed to play a long stretch and Wilder maybe managed his minutes and when we went on the run winning at Leeds and WBA he did not play. However, after a few so-so games in late March, we were desperate to get him back and after he came back in, we never looked back.
Still lovely on the ball, he moves out of tight openings, probes and finds little pockets of space as he moves us forward. Sometimes his passing was sloppy and it did not work but he never hid at all. He always wants to get on it and find those little moves and runners who advance and he just find gaps when there does not seem to be any. Another player I love watching and even when you think he maybe is getting on and won’t be such an important player, he keeps coming back and showing what a big part of what we do. Without him we do look a different team and there is a drop off. The story Wilder tells of him coming from Prescott Cables is one that has been repeated but what a moment for him if he can play at Anfield against his boyhood club next season.
Grade B+ (Last season B+)
Paul Coutts His injury played a huge part in the previous season slipping away. He had been superb to start the season and was our best player up to when he got injured. He battled back but must have looked at the likes of Evans, Leonard and Lundstram and felt he could definitely improve us if he got back fit. Norwood came in and two of the above moved on and the new signing did fantastically. A player that like Coutts, was a quarterback, player maker type, if meant Coutts could take his time coming back. He had a surprise appearance against Villa on the bench and this buoyed the crowd. He then played at Sheffield FC on the Monday night and did ok. He was mostly on the bench and made his bow at Blackburn as we helped see things out and his ball retention, passing was shown to the fore. He did seem to lack mobility and was quite slow at times in the limited action we saw. A few times players burst away from him and when he had it, could not quite accelerate away from people (I know he was never fast but was doing that previously just over a few yards and using good upper body strength to get away but this seemed to have gone). When he did play off the bench you would hope he would start to get to the pace but it never really happened. He played at Forest, with Norwood, but it did not work and he was off the pace. He then had a few other sub games and did against Blackburn in the win but was awful in the game against Barnet. He came on in the game against Millwall and really struggled again with the pace and seemed to completely lack mobility. Wilder then preferred Lundstram in the run in as cover or a late sub to give some defensive play/physicality to see things out.
I watched him play a full game for the u23’s against Wednesday and I worried after this if we would ever be the same player after watching him carefully even at this level. The injury maybe has taken more out of him than we thought. Even against kids at this level, he struggled and whilst he could still pass, he could not get up and down the pitch and was hassled out of it a lot. He lacked the mobility, strength and stamina that means unless the stands in a small area of the pitch then his skills are rendered mostly useless. In the sub games that is all he has done, stayed in a 10-15-yard circumference and just played wall passed. Norwood is not the most mobile but runs around a lot and cover a lot of ground compared to what we have seen of Coutts. May be harsh as he has not started games but then you wonder why – the team were doing well but have had drop off and he still was not turned to.
He maybe needs a proper preseason and needs more games but he is not going to get it here. Norwood and Fleck are clearly better players at the current time. Many want him back in the team but he had to earn it and who are you leaving out? It is sad to see him move on but Wilder will have seen him train, play and make that decision (contract up). I think after everything he went through and what a key player, he was for us, that makes it so sad but there is no room for sentiment in this game and as I have alluded to with the likes of Moore, Wright, Freeman, Stearman, Clarke, we have to keep progressing. Are we really in a position to wait another 6 to 12 months for a player the wrong side of 30 and one that has had lots of injures before especially at a higher level? If Wilder felt he was going to be an asset for us he would have played him a lot more but only seemed to trust him for the odd 5-10 minute cameo to see games out. He did not use him to try and change games or give him a start alongside the other midfielder; even preferring Bash (Leeds) and sometimes Lundstram (Brentford) rather than Coutts. I kind of felt that he knew he was leaving when I saw him celebrate with the team. He was part of it and right at the front and up there with Stearman for amount he was drinking but maybe he knew that he may not be here longer term and wanted one last hurrah! We have to remember for a season and a half he was a big part of this three-season progression. He was one of our top 3 players in League One and then maybe our best player for the first 4 months of the 17/18 season.
Grade C- (Last season A-)
Lee Evans I have to say I was never convinced by Evans. He played regularly the previous season and after a few decent early games; I felt he showed more deficiencies than strengths. He was decent on the ball at times and could take a good free kick/corner but all too often he gave it away and lacked consistency. He was also very one paced and quite weak physically for a big guy. Many games he was quite anonymous with the two goals v Boro his big highlights. As the season started, I felt he carried on this form and was not influential in the first two league games as we did not control this key area of the field. He was just very average and could see why Wolves had moved him on.
Wilder received a bid and with the chance to get Norwood in; he made the decision to let him go. It was interesting that he asked to go apparently too. Since he joined Wigan, I read that their fans have also seen the same lack of aggression, consistency or real stand out skill that I saw. Wigan have plummeted and whilst he had played most of the games, I think we did really well to get our money back (and some) for a player that is League One at best in my opinion. He did at least assist in a goal in a big game at Elland Road which of course helped us.
Grade D (Last season C+)