How fcukin bad was Enzio today!

[queenslandpie]

He's had unwarranted criticism pretty much since he arrived, especially last season. All clubs need a player to boo, and Doyle has fitted that role whilst in NL.

Our midfield is our weak link this season and last but he's not the weak link of the midfield group. He's our best central midfielder.

Really? He's fairly one dimensional but other players such as Enzio, Turner, Rose for example have come in for far worse criticism than him. Our midfield isn't really the weak link either. It's the injury to our best player and our most natural goal scorer leaving and being replaced with a loan signing who gets almost no game time. Plus a drop in conversions so to speak by Kyle and Thomas making his corona decision. You might want to review what games you watch! There are few goals in this team currently.

[laddo]

Yeah really.

Turner did receive very harsh criticism for his performance and mistakes in 2 or 3 games in total. Bar that he's been solid and at times very impressive. Doyle has had regular criticism throughout on here QLD. Rose last season deserved it as he was the worst of our central midfield options IMO. I wonder how he's doing at Boston?

Enzio is the only one who is debatable, he's a polarising player without a doubt and that creates strong views at each end of the spectrum. He was also in last season's NL team of the season. I suspect his fee and wages play a role as well as his obvious talent.

Just to clarify I was talking about our weakest link being the midfield excluding the unexpected injury to Roberts and covid related absence of Thomas. Naturally losing two attackers like that has a huge impact on the goals column.

[queenslandpie]

Yeah really.

Turner did receive very harsh criticism for his performance and mistakes in 2 or 3 games in total. Bar that he's been solid and at times very impressive. Doyle has had regular criticism throughout on here QLD. Rose last season deserved it as he was the worst of our central midfield options IMO. I wonder how he's doing at Boston?

Enzio is the only one who is debatable, he's a polarising player without a doubt and that creates strong views at each end of the spectrum. He was also in last season's NL team of the season. I suspect his fee and wages play a role as well as his obvious talent.

Just to clarify I was talking about our weakest link being the midfield excluding the unexpected injury to Roberts and covid related absence of Thomas. Naturally losing two attackers like that has a huge impact on the goals column.

So just to clarify then it is the attack that is the weak link ( currently)? Our midfield has in Doyle, Reeves and Rodrigues 3 players who could have played in L2 this season I am sure of it. Only debatable one is Doyle. I don't think its weak. It's a bit thin but its not weak.

[laddo]

With the unfortunate long term absences of two key players you mention then yes currently the attack. Without its the Midfield, same as last season. Defence being the strongest.

Rúben da Rocha Rodrigues has impressed which is a great sign going forward.

[queenslandpie]

Hes getting there. Will go for a princely sum at some stage with roberts I am sure.

[laddo]

I sure do hope so. We've not had many first team players that have gone for decent fees for a long time. We've cashed in better from Youth players rather than from the main squad.

Recruitment and profiting from recruitment has been badly neglected for far too long. It's about time we caught up with the rest and it now looks like we have a clear definite plan. We don't need many signings to come off for it to be very profitable.

[Mapperleypie]

Enzio is completely wasted by Ardley. We have seen how good he can be when he has license to attack, he's certainly a luxury at this level but it's up to the manager to get the best out of him and he rarely is able to.

[laddo]

It's interesting the long standing criticism of Enzio varies between blaming the player himself for some of his performances and others who point the finger at the manager and blame him for the way he uses him.

He's certainly got more defensive responsibility this season, offers noticeably less attacking threat than last season. Overall his individual performance has dropped off without a doubt, but is it to the betterment of the team as a whole or not?

Clearly Ardley's approach is to be very solid, have good shape with and without the ball and be defensively sound. The aim to not concede many and rely on the natural individual ability of Wootton, Enzio, Roberts and Rodders to go win him the game. Rather than attacking with those 4 and going toe to toe with the opposition relying on our superior attacking flair and accepting we will concede far more goals.

Neal was a defensive player all his career so no surprises with his above choice even if it's far less spectacular. I don't think anyone is going to change his approach no matter how much NCM armchair moaning occurs.

[Mapperleypie]

Neal was a defensive player all his career so no surprises with his above choice even if it's far less spectacular. I don't think anyone is going to change his approach no matter how much NCM armchair moaning occurs.

When we get 3 points nobody is going to complain. When we don't we watch a side lose or draw 0-0 in a dull match without so much as a whimper which is wholly unacceptable given we have an embarrassment of attacking riches for this division. That's why Ardley is extremely frustrating as a manager.

The insistence of playing O'Brien, Doyle and Reeves in the same midfield is on a par with O'Brien, Doyle and Rose - it simply does not work and yet the manager persists.

[Old_pie]

It's interesting the long standing criticism of Enzio varies between blaming the player himself for some of his performances and others who point the finger at the manager and blame him for the way he uses him.

He's certainly got more defensive responsibility this season, offers noticeably less attacking threat than last season. Overall his individual performance has dropped off without a doubt, but is it to the betterment of the team as a whole or not?

Clearly Ardley's approach is to be very solid, have good shape with and without the ball and be defensively sound. The aim to not concede many and rely on the natural individual ability of Wootton, Enzio, Roberts and Rodders to go win him the game. Rather than attacking with those 4 and going toe to toe with the opposition relying on our superior attacking flair and accepting we will concede far more goals.

Neal was a defensive player all his career so no surprises with his above choice even if it's far less spectacular. I don't think anyone is going to change his approach no matter how much NCM armchair moaning occurs.

I was wondering this morning (before I was fully awake - should have better things to do!!) whether lower league football had really advanced so much to have such study of formations. In his interview NA was on how premier league teams have footballers with the skill to work their way through a packed defence (well two or three might). He also said something recently about Knowles (I think) needing to learn the craft of his back-tracking. In contrast when Tommy Johnson was being interviewed on The Circle he said that Warnock would set all the side up as he wanted except for himself, explaining "I don't know what to do with you - so just go out there and do your thing" or words to that effect. Not for one minute can I imagine NA saying that.

Listening to some of the interviews I can't help feel that the level five players need a simpler role than the one NA demands. But as I said, maybe National League is really sophisticated and you can't tell Enzio "just run at them whenever and shoot if you see any sight of the net".