Never replaced Smallwood and Honeyman for their ability to break up the play. Brought in more technical players no doubt but we don’t have any midfielders near their level for breaking up play. They both led the way that season averaging 2.3 tackles a game each. Our midfielders this year are Morton on 1.7, Seri 1.3 and Slater (the supposed work horse) 1.2. You can’t get away with having a midfield like ours for an extended period or you get figured out because teams can play through you so easily
pure bullshit, utter bollocks. We were an utter collective shambles back then, now it’s individual mistakes. No where near as bad as back then. Put up the stats to back up your claim
Conceding more goals on average per game. 1.4 this season to 1.2 that season. We weren’t a shambles in the McCann/Shota season, we punched well above our weight finishing where we did. Had a bottom 3 budget finished comfortably safe
Midfield doesn’t give the defence any protection. Full backs aren’t good enough 1v1 defensively to not get help. Centre backs are fine for a top 6 push. But lack of bite and breaking up play in the middle has killed us for a good while. The first Norwich goal he should’ve been fouled on 2 occasions, and it epitomised a lot that’s wrong with our side. The midfield and then the keeper
You want different options to some extent. But Moore, from what I've seen, is purely a crossing target. He's brilliant at scoring with his head, but I suspect that his all round game isn't there, and that a progressive side like ours won't be able to carry that. Attackers in our side have to have a certain mobility. In some sense Delap is a target man, as someone else said, but he's obviously not one-dimensional like I think Moore probably is. I've only seen bits of him so I could well be wrong and he's more of a rounded player than I think. But if his game is as limited as I think it is, then I doubt we'd be interested and whilst he's not identical to Oscar, it'd be the same reason he doesn't fit in with our team.
This indeed, someone should have just hauled him down. Fouls are a legitimate tool to use. We don't have that in the team unfortunately! Not from the games I have seen.
This comes up every so often but it always ignores that we're doing quite well. We're in a better position than most people expected pre-season, and our recent poor results have obviously been down to a variety of issues which have cropped up recently. We have had this midfield for an extended period and it's not been a big problem. Second half of last year we were very tight defensively with this midfield, largely because we made it a priority to be. This year we've taken more risks and been more open, but it's got us higher up the table than previously. Obviously there are things to improve but we're in a good position and we clearly aren't very far off being a top side at this level without radical change.
We should though. You don't have to be a designated DM in a database somewhere to be able to foul someone. Tufan tried to challenge Rowe but missed. It was probably a lack of concentration from a few players and a failure to take the situation seriously enough because we'd been on top and we maybe switched off to the threat on the break. LR probably needs to work on that side of things. But if we say we have to change the midfield personnel to be able to defend then that will have other effects. We're not going to get an all-round defensive player who's also as good on the ball as Morton and Seri are. So do we sacrifice our attacking play to make room for a defensive player? And then be surprised when we don't create as much? Or can we just coach these players to recognise the danger, up the intensity and make tactical fouls where necessary?
Our defence obviously needs significant strengthening. Realistically we have one first team full back in the entire squad, and even he would probably struggle to get in to any other top half championship side. I bet most league one clubs are better equipped at full back, we are easily the weakest there in the championship.
When you have match winners in your side like Philogene and Delap, you can get away with it. When you take them away you see the imbalance in the side, which we currently are. The midfield are excellent in possession but out of it they are bottom half. Now we don’t have the top level forwards in our side we see the issues. So the arguement would be for more dynamic/defensive midfielders in the side who force more mistakes and create opportunities in transition so that the lesser forwards have fewer defenders to work around. Delap and Philogene don’t need that.
Positive stuff. Can only argue our true position in this league won’t be seen until April at least and by then it never lies. Without the missing firepower we obviously possess and the current form/run anything could happen yet though. The two week break might be a godsend for us. Lots of issues as you say. Injuries exploiting our squad perhaps. Whatever is available we Defo need a new keeper and a wingback but saying that given our best available eleven we can give most sides a proper game.
Tufan tried but because he was playing quite high, he was chasing after Rowe instead of being in front of him ahead of the back four. Slater, Seri and Morton all lack physicality and Slater and Morton especially don’t have great defensive positioning because they like to get forward which opens up space in the middle for the opposition. Stats don’t tell everything but Seri, Slater and Morton have poor defensive stats all round. Very low in successful tackles, interceptions and aerial duels. In fact, we make the fewest tackles in the whole division and are in the bottom three for tackle success rate. Watching with my own eyes City’s midfield has looked weak in defensive transitions for a year and a half now. This wouldn’t matter as much if we had a solid defence with one of the lowest goals conceded in the division but we don’t so it’s an issue that needs addressing. Any team that plays with two holding midfielders needs one of them to be a natural #6 whose job it is to sit in front of the back four and break up play, or the defence needs to be the best in the league. We don’t have the best defence in the league so the more simpler option would be to buy and play a #6 next to Seri/Slater/Morton. If he wasn’t permanently injured wherever he goes, Isaac Hayden would be ideal on loan from Newcastle.
Vinagre is at Verona to sort his move there, so at least that's one issue resolved, just need to confirm his replacement now.
Worra a waste of time and money he was I know none of us are managers on here but **** me enough said it was a big no no Especially hffp Cost a fortune too I imagine
Rubbish! He was robust, he was a bargain and no one could possibly foresee that he would pick up an unlucky injury!
please log in to view this image The Second Tier @secondtierpod · 23h Hull’s Jacob Greaves has been ranked as the 30th best centre back in world football when it comes to winning headers. The report by @CIES_Football is based on things like the number of aerial duels won per game and the percentage won and lost.
