Yes it is a radical thought

[lukcour]

but does anyone believe that our management will ever think that having a midfield that actually competes and wins the ball in the centre of the pitch would turn our sorry mess around? TBH I think it is highly unlikely.

Hearing the team selection prior to the game it was obvious that once again we would have virtually no midfield. No surprise what happened in the second half. Complete capitulation once again. Really, come on did SD/NB ever conceive that Ness and Turton would in any form compete or close down our opponents. Ness goes through the motions doing the minimum possible. Turton basically does not have the physical strength to be a midfielder.

Personally I would send Ness back to Stoke on Monday, and make Turton available for loan.

We badly need an attacking/creative midfielder as asp. That is in my dreams. It will not happen. We will have to go with what we have.

So my choice for the core of our midfield would Grant, Nolan, and Inman. Give that trio at least 4

[alexmick]

[quote="lukcour"]but does anyone believe that our management will ever think that having a midfield that actually competes and wins the ball in the centre of the pitch would turn our sorry mess around? TBH I think it is highly unlikely.

Hearing the team selection prior to the game it was obvious that once again we would have virtually no midfield. No surprise what happened in the second half. Complete capitulation once again. Really, come on did SD/NB ever conceive that Ness and Turton would in any form compete or close down our opponents. Ness goes through the motions doing the minimum possible. Turton basically does not have the physical strength to be a midfielder.

Personally I would send Ness back to Stoke on Monday, and make Turton available for loan.

We badly need an attacking/creative midfielder as asp. That is in my dreams. It will not happen. We will have to go with what we have.

So my choice for the core of our midfield would Grant,

[MikeSB]

[quote="alexmick"]but does anyone believe that our management will ever think that having a midfield that actually competes and wins the ball in the centre of the pitch would turn our sorry mess around? TBH I think it is highly unlikely.

Hearing the team selection prior to the game it was obvious that once again we would have virtually no midfield. No surprise what happened in the second half. Complete capitulation once again. Really, come on did SD/NB ever conceive that Ness and Turton would in any form compete or close down our opponents. Ness goes through the motions doing the minimum possible. Turton basically does not have the physical strength to be a midfielder.

Personally I would send Ness back to Stoke on Monday, and make Turton available for loan.

We badly need an attacking/creative midfielder as asp. That is in my dreams. It will not happen. We will have to go with what we have.

So my cho

[MikeSB]

Dario has always said we need to sell a player for half a million to stay in business and that has now gone up probably with the Cat2 academy and so...

How many other clubs of our size in L1 and L2 indeed even some Conference clubs, sell a player for half a million each year? And if not, why are they still in business and many paying better wages than us?

Sorry but something has never added up here as I can't believe all these clubs have multi millionaire sugar daddies to keep them in business. And most have never had 27 million given to them either.

[bigroof]

Mike - this thread is about the midfield!

Can't agree with Lukcour about Turton. Turton, with Nolan and Grant, have had good games together this season. I wish Steve would give them a consistent run of games as a combination, so they could build the understanding necessary to be better protection for the defence, but I'm not sure that our midfield personnel and/or set-up has yet been the same two games running. That can't help.

A lot of people on here seem to think Inman should be given a chance as an attacking midfielder. I guess it would be interesting to find out; I'm not sure what the evidence is for him - he impressed out wide for us when on loan. Whenever I've seen him inside, he just doesn't seem to see the passes; I'm not sure how well coached he was at Newcastle. (Cue a MikeSB rant about coaching?)

[Crewe99]

Yesterday, Tutrton was very poor and I'm yet to be convinced that he will step up to the level we need. I don't know what type of midfielder Nolan is as I haven't seen him play in one position often enough. One thing is for sure, we get outworked in midfield as said above. My view is that we need a holding midfielder to let Grant and a.n.other chase around & close down. Whether we then play 2 forwards andan attacking midfielder or one forward and two wide attackers, that's another debate.

[alexmick]

Yesterday, Tutrton was very poor and I'm yet to be convinced that he will step up to the level we need. I don't know what type of midfielder Nolan is as I haven't seen him play in one position often enough. One thing is for sure, we get outworked in midfield as said above. My view is that we need a holding midfielder to let Grant and a.n.other chase around & close down. Whether we then play 2 forwards andan attacking midfielder or one forward and two wide attackers, that's another debate.

I cannot understand why that man Atkinson is not in the starting line-up? On the four occasions (all home league games), the former Huddersfield player has been on the bench. Is he not good enough to play in our midfield? If he is not, why did SD bring him to the club?

[Crewebeedoo]

And where is Molyneux? Davis must rate him very highly if he can't get in that poor team!

[NEVTHEDEV]

Yesterday, Tutrton was very poor and I'm yet to be convinced that he will step up to the level we need. I don't know what type of midfielder Nolan is as I haven't seen him play in one position often enough. One thing is for sure, we get outworked in midfield as said above. My view is that we need a holding midfielder to let Grant and a.n.other chase around & close down. Whether we then play 2 forwards andan attacking midfielder or one forward and two wide attackers, that's another debate.
The Sun,gave Turton 6/10(?)Tate and Haber5(5)
Did they go to the same game as me? :?

[Ryancrewefan4ever]

I'm glad someone has the same view of Turton as me! I think he's hopeless at the moment. Has the occasionally long range shot witch gets an applause, but they never go in

[bonehead]

yes need a midfield 3 min

GRANT And 2 others

shame we didnt seem to try harder to get Lowrey

he was very good in the games he played - then we need a quick midfielder who can get up the pitch and also bend in free kicks - a thing were crap at now

[jwar123]

Funny how Notts C. can sign a winger with ease while we are still waiting 6 months on!

[somersetcrewe]

Funny how Notts C. can sign a winger with ease while we are still waiting 6 months on!



Yes, but were you saying the same when we signed Mesca and Park?

[AstonAlex]

It seems to me that, whilst we all disagree on the merits of various players, we all agree on one thing - continuity of selection.

How can you expect a Back 4 or Midfield 3/4 or Front 2 to gel if you chop and change the personnel every match or every other match? Players, especially young players. need to have a run of games, preferably alongside the same players, to achieve their best.

I don't think our best Back 4 last season was Toots, Duggy, Ellis and Guthrie but, when they were thrown together after Harry's injury, they helped get us out of the mire. So let's pick a Back 4 and stick with them for several matches, accept there will be the odd error (please only the odd one) but that they get used to each other and there is some understanding there. Not difficult with the group of players we have as it just means who plays with Tate, Toots and Guthrie!!

Similarly the midfield and attack. The best performance this season by a country mile was against the Vale. . . 4-3-1-2 so

[lukcour]

In the average professional game a minimum of 60% of play is in the midfield area. Based on this fact how can our management select 2 midfielders who cannot compete on a level with their opponents. It may be a shock to SD and NB but the opposition is going to walk through the centre and we are going to lose. You do not have to be a football coach to understand that.

The combination of Grant and Nolan complement each other. Nolan is an intelligent player who reads the game well. His movement is good. He keeps it simple, and is always available for passes. In my opinion for his age Liam Nolan is more advanced than Ashley Westwood was at a similar age.

I suggested Brad Inman for the third midfield role for the simple reason who else have we got. He is a capable player who for far too long does not look if he is interested and obviously does not enjoy playing on the wing. It has to be worth a shot for 3-4 games.

I really do not think for a moment that we will sign another midfi

[VindePays2009]

I was reading Lukcour with interest, but almost expired when I came to the final paragraph.

Mackay-Steven? Here? In your dreams, son!

Why would a player in a team that's topping the Scottish Premiership want to come to Chateau Despair?

You'll be telling us next that we just missed out on Ryan Gauld over the summer.

(BTW, Abdul Osman is a regular pick for the Jags, though he did give away a pen. for handball recently. But maybe you would seize on this as evidence that proves your point.)

[lukcour]

Well I thought that the fact that when Abdul Osman was in the team we averaged 0.8 points per game, and when he was dropped we averaged 1.5 points per game proved my point. Why should I harp on about old issues?

The point about Gary MacKay-Steven is that apparently a number of Dundee Uniteds supporters are not too happy with him, and the English game profiles a player infinitely better. Added to that the fact that Scottish clubs are not known for paying their players very well.

[VindePays2009]

I threw you a bone with the parenthetical reference to Osman and you gladly took it (and during the 2012-2013 season, of course, he shone).

But let's get back to Mackay-Steven; he would come to Crewe because a few Arabs' fans don't like him. Piffle. What about transfer fee, signing-on fee and wages?

Please confine yourself to sensible and realistic comments. Because you rarely do, IMHO.

[Crewe99]

With the state of our defence, maybe SD ought to get his boots on again.
My own view is that we don't have a 'team' in the current squad. I don't think that we have a midfield combination that works. We could do with an experienced defensive midfielder who will sit in front of the back four and stay there. Grant, Ness, & Turton all want to play going forward and aren't disciplined to sit & stay.

[Gaz12]

Please stop its the whole team am sick of hearing about defence what about scoring one goal for fxxk sake

[uysapie]

Please stop its the whole team am sick of hearing about defence what about scoring one goal for fxxk sake

Sorry to intrude but the defence is the key, followed by the midfield. We leaked goals last season but Derry set out to stop the rot, on the "build from the back" premise. Not pretty but it does garner points. To be honest, this season for us is about avoiding a relegation battle, we can then build on that.
Your goals conceded after 10 games is frightening. Even if you score 2 per game, it does not look like producing points if you have a sieve for a defence.

[JastheBase]

Please stop its the whole team am sick of hearing about defence what about scoring one goal for fxxk sake

Sorry to intrude but the defence is the key, followed by the midfield. We leaked goals last season but Derry set out to stop the rot, on the "build from the back" premise. Not pretty but it does garner points. To be honest, this season for us is about avoiding a relegation battle, we can then build on that.
Your goals conceded after 10 games is frightening. Even if you score 2 per game, it does not look like producing points if you have a sieve for a defence.[/quote]
avoiding.. XD oh we have avoided it alright...we r DOWN...we have gone from half decent to pathetic..sorry...but no return for us Alex...:(

[AlexLeicester]

Last season I asked if Audel had a 'point'. Last night I asked: 'What is the point of Ness and Leigh?'
No support for Haber; punting long high balls to the shortest guy on the pitch, Waters; total lack of movement on the wings; as incisive and tough as a blancmange; and, as stated above, there's the defence.

I don't actually mind losing (I've been an Alex fan for 57 years, so I do know what that's like), but I demand to be entertained.

[BenAlex]

I don't actually mind losing (I've been an Alex fan for 57 years, so I do know what that's like), but I demand to be entertained.[/quote]

That hits the nail on the head for me, as ST holders we have paid out up front and we are not getting value for money even at 12.60 a match, you have to feel for those who are paying match day prices.

I wonder if I would get any response if I asked for a refund on the 18 remaining matches 226.60 please Mr Bowler!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever the issues within the club that being the players, the management the board it needs sorting NOW.

If this continues and we go down with a whimper playing Blue square football I for one will not purchase a season ticket next year. >:(

[lukcour]

Have to admit Vinde you are just too clever for me. Hope you overcome your problems and find happiness, and may your god go with you.

[Crewe99]

One things that used to happen and something nobody has raised is our recruitment of players released by top-flight clubs. We used to pick up players like Neil Lennon when they needed a club. If the Academy is short on talent for the first team, maybe we could look at picking up a player or two from Manchester or Merseyside.

[alexbarmy]

Never thought of that. Maybe we should have tried to sign Chuks. Or if inly we signed Brad Inman.