Liam Rosenior was part and parcel of a pretty decent football team during his tenure with us.He was well liked by the fans and you never got anything less than 100% from him during a game. He,of all people,knows the nature of our fan base,our desire to see reasonable entertainment,our desire to put one over on specific Clubs. I'd hate to think he'd risk the fans ire and dissent in his pursuit of becoming the Championships answer to Man City,even though we don't have the players,nous or skill to facilitate it...
Says a lot about the rest of the squad last season when he won player of the season by a country mile. Voted player of the season by the other players also.
Yes it does. For what it’s worth I think he was a worthy winner, just a fan base wide hype about him, catchy chant helps. But I always feel he could be doing more
Slater’s your typical box-to-box player. A bit like Docherty but better technically on the ball and lacks physicality. He’s improved slowly but surely since being here. What he can’t do, through no fault of his own, is provide consistent defensive cover in midfield next to Seri. Rosenior could develop him as a #6 by improving his ball-winning skills like positioning, tackling, reading the game etc. but that would be a waste of time and a waste of his abilities. What Rosenior should do is sign a decent, proper #6 to make the midfield more well-rounded and transform it from a 15th-placed team that can pick up the odd win and churn out draws into one that could seriously challenge for the play-offs. Or he could trust in Simons to be a regular starter. Those are his only real options because a midfield pairing of Seri and Slater hurts both Slater’s development as a player and the team as a whole.
We probably do have players that can play at a higher tempo and more attacking and keep posssession more, but for some reason they are not able to show it if we bring players in with natural skill/flair then just let them use there own judgement and vision to play the game the players more then anyone else know what the fans want.
We definitely do have the players. All our (whilst very few) opportunities at the weekend came from 3/4 fast forward passes. Norwich just had those phases for the full 90, we did it about 5/6 times all game
Well, I've been reading this thread daily and I'm suprised that no-one has thought/ mentioned that it might be a good idea to possibly get in a defensive midfielder to help out the defence and possibly be able to pick out an attacking pass. Doesn't need to be a meathead, although you can never rule this out, just someone to break up the play. But doing so would cause massive issues with team selection as there would be a clash with the 'undropables' and fitting them in.
That's what i mean if they are told to play one way don't listen play the game that made you so good in the first place it's why you was brought to the club, i understand the manager tells you how to play and what to do but you get where you are because you can play the game and know what your doing so just all go out and play the game. Sometimes well most times being told what to do and how to do it restricts the players natural ability which got them where they are,LR should just say we done fitness all week you are ready now just go play the game of football the way you all want to play it so it does not restrict the players ability.
Exactly. Most defensive midfielders have to be good on the ball these days anyway so the old ‘bruiser’ type is being replaced by a ball-winner who is quite technical. If we could afford him and he wanted to come, I’d be putting in bids for Ben Whiteman at Preston. He’s the exact sort of player we need in midfield. Good passer, good tackler, reads the game well and cuts out the opposition. Would be the perfect defensive mid for any possession-based Championship team. Given Preston’s reputation for selling players for peanuts, he’d probably cost less than what Derby want for Bird. But even if we couldn’t get him, there must be others of that ilk we could sign to improve the midfield.
Trying to find a midfielder who can pass as well as play enforcer at this level ain't always easy though. Surely someone with both sides to his game would probably end up in the prem on a lot more money. Whiteman would absolutely be top of my wishlist, but I can't imagine that if he is moving it won't be to a prem or parachute side.
I don’t know how much Sunderland paid for Bellingham Jr, but he looks a very good prospect with everything in his locker just like his brother Jude.
And we brought in a winger who is seemingly fit, who they bought because thats his position who isn't getting chance to show what he can do, unless they now dont like what they see and he will be another one year and out...
