I know anticlough doesn't like the references to 'animals' or 'beasts' in midfield, and maybe he's right that it's a lazy description, but I do think we're short of someone with a bit of height who can - to use the football parlance - 'put their foot in' and make a tackle.

That said, I've been surprised this season by how willing Ruben Rodrigues is to put himself about, which makes him a valuable player even on those days when his goal creating and scoring abilities aren't at their most evident. He took his goal brilliantly yesterday, but he also ratted around midfield far more than you might expect for a creative/attacking midfielder. The lad's no lightweight.

I should think the fans of most clubs in this league can see a part of their team that could be stronger, or where they're missing a certain type of player, so this isn't a season breaker. What we need to do most is play in a way that compensates for the areas where we're weakest and makes the most of our best players. I'm not sure we're doing that at present.