Depends what you mean by box-to-box. I think his strength is definitely his tackling, determination and stamina. He's never going to be the type who gets into the box, and gets a few assists and goals now and then is he? That's what a box-to-box type is for me. For example Marney in 2007/08, I know he was **** in the PL but that season he was a proper box-to-box type, he helped out at both ends and got 5 or 6 goals as well as a few assists.
Said it at the end of his first season here, in time he's going to make a really tidy midfielder, great tackling and reading of the game, ok passer and shooter when he's calm and doesn't snatch and rush. We really need to get him playing and training in a creative role for a bit to build that side of his game up. There's no reason for him to be just an enforcer because he has the control, technique and vision to do and be a lot more, he just needs time to grind down, smooth and polish those very rough edges in the attacking aspect of his game.
Not at the moment he isn't no, because he's not playing that role, but given the chance in a 4-4-2 say in centre midfield with Ashbee, he would. In his first season for us I seem to remember him scoring quite a few goals to be honest when he was playing box to box.
He's a long way off that though. His passing and shooting can't be described as OK, some of the chances he missed last year were McLean-esque from incredible distances. I think it was against Middlesbrough at home when he missed twice from inside the 6 yard box. I know that isn't hit job really, but if he wants to be an all round midfielder he needs to be able to do that. I think there's a value in knowing how much you can actually do. That was one thing Ashbee had, he didn't try 50-yard balls all the time because he knew it wasn't his game and he'd be better off knocking it 10 yards to another midfielder. McKenna is the same, he doesn't waste possession anywhere near as much as Evans even though he's no more talented, because he keeps it simple. Evans will probably get better with experience as he learns to do that kind of thing. He played there all season last year alongside McKenna, it was set up for him to go and be the box-to-box man and we always lacked an extra man in the box, which I said at the time was his responsibility in that system. I think he's only ever scored three goals for us, two of which were basically tackles.
We played with 2 holding midfielders, I don't think Barmby will have ever told Evans to get into the box more to be honest.
We'll never know really, but he'd be mad if he thought Koren and Fryatt were going to score loads with no support.
Could of just been that Evans didn't really quite get his role in the side, alongside Mckenna though he should of been playing box to box.
Simpson Evans Elmo Koren/Quinn/Aluko/Bruce/Chester/Rosie and Faye all near by but for me these three were stand out. Elmo's running down the right wing was phenominal and some of the crosses he put in were top notch. Dick of the Day has to go to Amos again mind - awful kicking and calamitous ball to their player for their goal; oh and that includes a hazardous Paul McShane moment. Welcome back to the starting 11 Big Abdou
I've stopped being surprised by Elmo's crosses, they're just expected to be spot on now, a bit like Chester. I don't blame Amos that much for last night. His kicking went wrong but I thought it was more down to our crap backpasses constantly putting him under pressure, they were all at it, we just kept twatting awkward balls at him all night. It probably sounds like I'm Amos' dad or something the way I'm always the only one defending him, but I really haven't seen anything that wrong with him. Every game McShane seems to be doing something silly and it gets brushed under the carpet and people still say he's playing well, yet as soon as Amos makes a dodgy kick from a bobbly backpass to his left foot he's a **** keeper, or as the guy next to me always says "****ing liability."
Truth is, they're both a ****ing liability, both weak links in an otherwise strong side. It's not just mcshanes calamity through balls to the opposition either too often he let's the ball bounce and ****s about when he should be clearing danger, he invites pressure onto himself, he's got away with it pretty much so far but it's only a matter of time before opposition strikers take advantage and those typical mcshane gift wrapped and ribboned scoring chances start flooding in.
Amos does have a bad kick on him. It's not him under performing he just isn't good at kicking at all, except for his kicking I don't think he has done a lot wrong think people just find it easy to blame the keeper, any keeper is going to struggle to get the fans on their side after Bo and Mannone, because we all would love one of those two in goal now.
I always thought Bo's kicking was ****. He seemed to have a knack of putting it out for a throw in (both from his hands and from a dead ball)
I agree it was, but obviously Bo was unbelievable at shot stopping and stayed with us through the promotions which made him a fans favourite and rightly so, Amos is young, keepers mature a lot later as players think he deserves a bit of slack, who changes their goalkeeper when you've won 5 out of 6?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Bo - he was a fantastic servant to the club. I just think that people think he was better than he actually was. He was a very good shot stopper, but his kicking and commanding of his area were not that good. Amos is young, at a new club and, as has been said, hasn't done anything to cost us games. When keepers make mistakes (which all footballers do) it invariably leads to a goal. People suggesting that he is a liability are way off the mark in my view.
Rosenior Evans Chester I thought Evans was excellent personally, best game for us, however i thought Rosenior was excellent all game and Chester was his usual self for me.
