well 7 of the "first 10"games now under our belts [ consensus on here has always been 10 games to see …. ] and things are settling down now. There is a few at the top, unexpected, and a few at the bottom unexpected. However this season start does seem to have all 3 relegated in the top 1/3rd of the table! On points Luton an expected bottom 1/3rd is in contention also. Starting to warm up whilst trolling around in the bottom 1/3rd is Florest and Derby along with Barnsley who have secured a number of new players and new mananger. Sheff Wed arbitorally still in Championship with a 12 point penalty just a couple games away from being back in the black, top 6? would be a miracle! City have managed a reasonable start, sitting 2nd simply because 5 of the surrounding teams have in the last 5 match's dropped a similar number of points 6 or 7. Are we better than last season? On paper we have it seems a better squad, albeit cursed with injuries but also the last 2 games has shown a lack of goals against the " teams of better quality" and at home to boot! After the next 3 games we should see a Championship settled down and likely contenders for honours [ top 12?] slotted into position. Will our injured players be our salvation? as at the moment I feel we have a B team representing us. Will the young 'uns actually step up a notch as Joe and co did a few seasons ago? Will our "so called new strikers, CM, NW step up to the mark with a dozen goals apiece …. + …… Fammy come good with a dozen and Weiman continue his good work in his new role and pop in half a dozen! …. CLOCKS GONE BACK and winter now upon us, funny how sometimes that changes football form!
After a poor first hour against Coventry, Holden brought on Bakinson and suddenly things clicked and we suddenly looked better in midfield for the first time in years and that form seemed to carry on for the next 3 games. What was noticeable was we were keeping teams at distance, containing them to long shots. It all changed at Barnsley, we got found out, press us in midfield and bully us and Weimann begins to show why he is not a midfielder, Bakinson fights on manfully but now Paterson is a passenger and suddenly our midfield is back to the bad old days of last season. So drop Bakinson replace him with Brunt but keep Weimann and Paterson and here we are same old, same old, a weak midfield that is easy to set up against and play against, tell your team to be patient and as the game goes on and as we become more desperate, chances will come their way, it really is that simple. Yes there is an improvement and I can see the temptation to play Weimann because he might score and Paterson he might provide a flash of inspiration, but that as we have seen in the last 2/3 games is unlikely to happen if we are being out muscled in midfield and we are. We played ok at Barnsley and maybe deserved the 3 points, but we deserved nothing against Middlesborough and got lucky with a debatable late penalty against Swansea. The conundrum is going to be yet again sort the midfield out and make it competitive again.
I pretty much agree, we cannot play Weimann and Paterson together, it's an either-or for me. I think right now it's a case of having to though due to injuries and needing to protect Bakinson from burn out (think Massengo last season). Although he does have Brunt, Massengo and Nagy as well as Bakinson so why not put two of those in to beef up the midfield, and either Paterson or Weimann, allowing those two to rotate, and be impact subs? Easy being an armchair manager, isn't it...
I get what you are saying. The problem was there when Morrell was still our player and yet presumably knowing how long Williams and Walsh were going to be out for, it was short sighted to sell him. It's nothing to with armchair manager and everything to do with seeing exactly what a majority of fans saw throughout Johnson's tenure and being the key to any challenge this season and that is making sure that the midfield is as fit for purpose as it can be, I suspect that the Mawson injury has prevented Holden playing Vyner in midfield which would have been an option. I would Bring Bakinson back for Wednesday night and monitor him on a game to game basis. As for Paterson Martin can play his role with ease.
