Bring on the - Preston

Gerks has been decent this season but seeing defenders in a state of near panic game after game as they wait for him to take the ball off them resulting in a desperate clearance because he hasn't moved isn't very reassuring, he doesn't take crosses, and he doesn't command his area and knowing other teams have worse keepers than we do doesn't make us stronger at the back.

 

I'm far more worried about us having two of the most negative central midfielders in the Division which leaves the GK or defence the only option of the pannicked hoof up field!How often do we see Skuse or Douglas drop back for the ball and then just ping it straight back to where it came from rather than turning and looking for a forward pass themself?

 

Is it being negative or are they told to play this way?

 

I have very little doubt they are instructed by Mick to play that way.

 

" I'm far more worried about us having two of the most negative central midfielders in the Division "

I wouldn't go that far. They perform what Mick likes in the strong base in the middle ( in theory ) so the wide men can push on and we have four attacking players around them. Skuse isn't there to be mr attacking, he's there to sit. Douglas makes late runs. If we had say Bru instead of Douglas in the middle, Skuse would have to cover 5 attack based players. Not for me, suicide.

 

I'm not asking Skuse to be an attacking player.I ''get'' his role is to break up play and allow the more attacking players to function.I just find it very frustrated that when he receives the ball his default option is to send it straight back to where it came from without the slightest thought of trying to find a forward(or even sideways!)pass.Invariably his involvement leads to the ball being launched forward and more than 50% of the time it comes straight back.We had the same problem with Knudsen's long throws,more recently though I've noticed Fraser or someone else will take the ball off him and throw it short to a blue shirt.

 

I noticed Fraser grabbing the ball for a quick throw in too, and I only saw highlights!!

 

I also saw him a bit earlier in that highlights reel looking thoroughly annoyed when he gave the ball to Knudsen just for him to waste seconds with a towel etc. You could tell Fraser just wanted to get on with it instead of slowing the game down and allowing the opposition to set themselves.