We don’t miss energy, we miss presence in the middle. Morton and Seri get about the pitch but they don’t add that edge you need in this division.
They're doing OK so far. A Smallwood type would be easily bypassed in this championship anyway. I've said before, if we could get the physical with the engine and technical aspect then I'm sure we'd be interested. But so would most of this division and the bottom half of the prem.
Every team above us has a Smallwood type. Leicester have Ndidi, Ipswich have Morsy, Leeds have Ampadu, Southampton have Downes, West Brom have Yoksulu and Preston have Whiteman. If we had one of those players partnering Morton/Seri we’d be in the top 4
Whiteman has only just come back in, and their form was better before he did. But I'd take Whiteman all day long. Just feel if he moves from Preston he'll be taking a step up, not sideways.
1.8 interceptions and 2.1 tackles a game. Height has nothing to do with it Morton 0.6 and 0.9 per game, Seri 0.7 and 1.5. He can do what our midfielders can and miles more. That’s what we are missing in the middle.
Tbf his tackles were better than that as the deeper of a pair at Blackburn. Think it was 1.9. on one site I looked at in summer. But then he's added goal contributions with us, which were maybe less of a feature.
It’s just a glaring hole in our side others have. Over the course of the season it’ll catch up with us. We are looking likely for mid table mediocrity which I’m fine with but I just feel the squad goes up a level with a dynamic midfielder. Not Slater though he can’t do it.
Are we? We've got through our tough run of fixtures and have a brilliant run over the next 6-8 weeks. With a couple of additions in January I think we're as good a chance as a few of making the top 6.
At the minute I think we are yeah, don’t score enough. We are only a few good additions away though from properly pushing. I just think as it stands mid table is what we will get. Obviously all changes in Jan tho
I think you'll be proven wrong. Were good for 6/8th currently having had a tougher start than most. We have money in the budget for Jan. There's no reason why the next run of fixtures shouldn't put us in the playoff mix. But remember were not a top 6 budget yet. So solid top 10 represents progress this year.
I think there needs to be a debate around letting Tufan go in January. 18 months in now and we don’t have his best position, he’s near enough invisible in every game. Take away the hat trick against the massive and he’s arguably been one of our worst players. Wages he getting and the fee we could get, I’d cash in.
He did. But again shoe horned back in next to Delap where he’s just bypassed. Too expensive to be an impact sub.
I wouldn't mind seeing all of Sinik, Ally and Tufan go in Jan which would be all of our 'bought' (i.e. for a big fee) players from Acun's first summer. Put that mess behind us, recoup what we can.