Doesn't matter how good they are as Big Sam doesn't use them properly. The ball just goes straight over their heads.
So my twist is- who from Saints and West Ham would your midfield be, mix and match . Mine would still be Chappers, Spidey, Cork and Lallana. Biast maybe but as a unit I think that is the best. Nolan has obvious talent but is a right little c&$t, Lansburystill learning, Diop I like, Bentley never rated and don`t know much about the others
Looking at it from a different angle. What would be your midfield if given the choice of all mid-fielders in the Championship?
Evolution - Maybe class however as sfc says. Midfield is not a word that Big Sam understands. That list also looks more like you are detailing the waiting list outside the West Ham Physio's office.............in other words, not many of those are even playing Home midfield (if available) Chappers Cork Schneiderlin Lallana Away Midfield (if available) Chappers Cork Hammond Lallana If Lallana unavailble then Morgan has to play to keep hold of the ball more. AC
Merrington Right? Adkins wrong? I don't get to every away game so occassionally I have to listen to solent and Mr. Merrington. Since the injury to Chaplow he has been banging on about our lack of width. Adkins puts round pegs in round holes with De Ridder on the right and Schneidelin in the middle and Morgan has one of his best games for the club and De Ridder grabs an assist. Perhaps Palace did not press us as much as other teams but if we're to break teams down at home and the vast majority of our home opponents left will come looking for a point then this has been an encouraging development.
True, and Martin Keown mentioned it several times in the match against Portsmouth. We have lacked width a bit since Chaplow has been injured. IMO, we lacked a bit of width anyway. Having Morgan playing right was not ideal, as he's no winger or right sided midfielder, if you prefer. It was rather forced on Adkins to a certain extent to play Morgan on the right, such was his preference, over De Ridder, in that Saints are less likely to lose with Morgan playing. At home, he played De Ridder AND Schneiderlin, so as to give Deano a break. It worked.
I don't think it's a coincidence that our poor(-ish) run of form coincided with Chaplow's injury at Bristol City.
We'll have to adapt as he's likely to be out a while and can't be rushed back. This sort of thing happens to all teams...the reason we need 2 or 3 players in the January window.
Listen to Nigel. We don't have a "best" midfield. We have a squad. He picks the right one for each game. Apart from a few, it amazes me how Saint fans don't value a grafter. All pre-season Deano was battered on here as not food enough. He is hugely undervalued and again on this thread, the majority have overlooke him.
Deano is rated and is good enough however he ain't as good as Chaplow, Cork or Schneiderlin and never gonna take Lallana out of the midfield. Only way I can see him making a 'preferred' starting midfield would be in a 3-5-2 and I don't think Nigel is going to go that way. Even if he did I bet it would mean a midfield of Chaplow and Lallana with either Cork or Schneiderlin in behind with Fox and Richardson as Wing back. So unfortunately much as Hammond has shown his worth to the squad and proved he is good enough for the division he still finds himself as 3rd choice centre midfield (in my eyes) although probs equal 2nd in away games due to his 'graftmanship'
