Totally agree. Gardner needs time in the middle, enough time to actually make that role his, and he gets goals from midfield too.
also maclean only has one mode - "run at, and hopefully past, opposition fullback". this is often followed by "kick ball into opposition fullback's shin, lose ball", and then "scowl". he can't pass well enough to be playmaker in the middle. nor can gardner imo.
yes it is true about McClean he is a total kick and run footballer and I really like the lad but he needs to add more to his game if he wants to continue progressing.
I think it's unfair to look too closely at how we are performing in midfield until we start playing with "real fullbacks" on the field. Although Gardner and Colbeck have done a decent job standing in, they lack the link play and ability to support the wide men. Hopefully Rose and when fit Bardo, will push up when we have the ball, providing support and overlapping runs. This in turn will allow Adam and Jimmy to have more of an impact. The knock on effect of this is that it then releases the center mid players to play with a bit more freedom, having more options available when we have the ball, it should also allow Sess to be more effective, as defences are stretched, giving him room to work in. As its some way till the January window, MON will need to find someone to boss the middle of the park....we have plenty of options as you've all mentioned and given the better balance now in the side, I am hopeful that someone will step up and perhaps surprise us all. If this doesn't happen. I'm confident MON will be the first to identify whats wrong and put it right in the transfer market. Lets not forget "Rome wasn't built in a day" MON has only just started putting together HIS team and it may well take until this time next year for him to get close to where he wants us to be, In the meantime, KEEP THE FAITH.
We all knew we needed a CM playmaker type of player but, other areas were in more dire straits than that. Think by January if things are not as expected then we'll see a re shuffle even a new face but, bit too early to decide yet.
I think Larsson will come good. He is a very good player and just needs a little time. Catts has more to prove for me. Someone like Fellaini next to Larsson is what we really need. I was hoping Meyer might be that man. But he looks like he is still struggling a bit since his bad injury.
I think this is how MON has set the team up to play, especially away from home. Balls into Sess & Fletcher with the aim of say 2 passes and releasing mclean, Johnson or fletcher on a run or through ball. he likes to break away quick in a very direct way. I don't agree we should be playing like this but we did it a lot last season, and I don't believe for one minute we play barcelona passing in training then all of a sudden play a direct style of play come match day. Colback is probably our best midfield player when it comes to ball retention and that's what we lacked on Saturday (massively). Last season I thought seb was ideal for central midfield as he would burst into the box and get goals but away from home i think we need to play Colback or Vaughan in the centre.
My god there are some Sunderland fans who are really hard to please. We have just started the new season with two very difficult away games and remain unbeaten, our first choice right back is injured and we have no left back yet (Rose has been bought for that and will fit in nicely) so we are playing two midfielders in those positions.We have Wes Brown to return to CD which will allow Cuellor to play at RB and also JoS in that position although I'm not keen on him as a RB. We have bought two very exciting players in SF and AJ and they need time to bed in and as for Sess he quickly needs to get fit and return to last season's form, which he will. I think we have enough in our squad to quell the concerns expressed by the OP without adding expensive midfielders in January, just give what we have a bloody chance. If after ten games which most feel is the yardstick for form and how the league is forming then we might start feeling uneasy if all is not well but IMO we are doing OK at the moment and will have a top ten finish with ease if we stay injury free, afterall old saggy chops and Shearer think we have the makings of a good side and think what you like about those two they know football inside out. KTF.
