I thought Koren looked very good in the middle of the park yesterday, always wanted the ball and his first thought was to always drive forward or provide a positive forward pass. I understand playing him out wide away but at home surely you must have your best midfielder dictating play in the centre of the park, shame he hasn't played there nearly all season
Totally agree.Thought Koren had a good game yesterday.I really can't understand why he's being getting a bit of a slating recently.If Danns arrives in the summer I wouldn't be surprised to see him and Koren in the middle together.
The reason Koren played well yesterday was that Palace were so poor. They sat deep and failed to press the ball. Both Koren and Belaid later, had tons of room to operate in. I have seen Koren play centrally against better sides this season and has been completely dominated. Koren's best position is at the head of a diamond just behind the strikers. But that means either playing very narrow or having the full-back bombing forward. Neither of which NP favours, unless he's playing 3 centre backs which again leaves the midfield exposed. I still think NP is experimenting with formations and tactics. It shows he and Shakespeare are flexible and knowledgeable and hopefully by next season they will have sorted Plan A, B and C. As for Koren, I love him to bits but he is a luxury player. We are in a bread and butter league and if we play him someone else needs to provide what he cannot.
I completely agree about Koren being a luxury player, is it something we can afford next season though? Probably not.
I think we should do all we can to keep him at City, out wide he looks uninterested and wanting to leave but if we promise him that he'll be a first choice CM he may want to stay and he looks much better in the middle of the park. And when he's on top form, he's one of the best playmakers (if not the best) in the league!
He was great yesterday, and put a lovely ball in for the goal. But how many times has he played centre mid this season and been ****e, disinterested and only turning up to join in a promising attack once every 20 minutes. He's taken hundreds of free kicks from that same range this season and every time he's ****ed about trying to kick it under the wall or straight through the wall or some other clever **** and he's failed every time. I was pleased to see him much better yesterday but he's been ****e in the games before that.
He had a great game yesterday, but, and I hate to bring this up again, he's 99.99% certain to leave this summer. Well, in my opinion.
