| Central Midfield "crisis"? 21:59 - Dec 29 with 1683 views | davman |
Early for this I know, but Cousins and Scowen doesn't look to be a great double act as the heartbeat of our team, does it?
But, what are the options?
Grant Hall could have been, but I reckon we've got a sum total of 23 minutes playing time for the rest of this season from him, so he is not going to help fill the January gap.
Geoff Cameron hasn't had an op as far as I can see and there has been no news on how long he'll be out for, but surely it' ll be a minimum of 4 weeks.
Sean Goss - hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Ryan Manning - can the club really p him off by bringing him back to play until Cameron and Luongo are back and then leaving him out for the rest of the season? Maybe, just maybe, he' s better off where he is? <tin helmet on>.
Luke Freeman, Eze, Chair - surely these guys can only play as a 10 and not one of a two in a 4-4-2?
Do we actually have anyone else who can play in a two at the heart of our team? Surely, they have to bring Ryan back don't they? This might be a long next few weeks if we have to see Jermaine Jenas' little brother next to Scowen each week...
I like Jordan and I want him to succeed, but a big improvement is going to be needed to avoid a battering at Big Racist John's on Tuesday... |  |
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| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 22:09 - Dec 29 with 1646 views | smegma |
A crisis ?? |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 23:48 - Dec 29 with 1457 views | davman |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 22:09 - Dec 29 by smegma |
A crisis ?? |
  
Just trying to fit in with the mild hysteria on here following a third straight clean sheet and fourth game without defeat...
... although one injury or a ban could get us to that stage, couldn't it??? | |
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| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 00:40 - Dec 30 with 1390 views | TacticalR |
One man's crisis is another man's unbeaten run. |  |
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| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 04:39 - Dec 30 with 1292 views | timcocking |
Hardly a crisis, but i'd agree, they don't seem a great combination. I'd love them to prove me wrong, but that's two good ball winners who aren't that good with the ball. We struggle to retain possession at the best of times.
Freeman could go in there, plenty of options to replace him further up the field. Or Grant Hall, but he's probably not the answer just now. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 05:35 - Dec 30 with 1277 views | Churchie |
Ryan's our player and we need him now if only for choices for selection or tactics.
No crisis no panic and no brainer | | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 07:45 - Dec 30 with 1173 views | jonno |
To be fair to Cousins he was having a very good game in midfield recently against Boro when he had to be switched to full back due to Lynch's "injury". But of course, that was alongside Luongo and not Scowen. Very annoying that we now have to go without Luongo for so long (and I hope that Australia are reimbursing us for his wages during that period whilst he is unavailable to play for us, but I bet they aren't) so given that we are a midfield player down then bringing back Manning would seem to be a no brainer. Not a crisis though, because we aren't going up this season and we certainly are not getting relegated. Neither Scowen or Cousins has had regular game time in midfield this season so I'm sure they would need games there to get up to speed in any case. What concerns me a little more is our approach to yesterday's game. The coaching staff must have known that Reading have very pacy front players yet we started the game with Leistner and Lynch at centre back who are both pretty slow. Inevitably they will stay deep against pacy opponents to prevent being caught out with a through ball in behind them. Which of course means that there is a much larger area in midfield for the midfield players to have to cover and this made Cousins and Scowens jobs a lot more difficult, and had the effect of isolating both Eze and Wells. I really don't know why we couldn't have started with say Furlong alongside Leistner and leave Lynch out. Cousins could have played at right back, maybe Chair could have played in midfield, then we could have played further up the pitch to stop Reading dominating possession for the first half. This is a concern because Reading won't be the only team we play that have fast front players so we need to work out a way to deal with that. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 09:55 - Dec 30 with 1016 views | PinnerPaul |
IT WAS 55 MINS OF POOR FOOTBALL!
Blimey!
As SMc said, once Scowen and Cousins sorted themselves out, the team got going - we hit the bar, their GK made a worldy save and we had at least 3 other very good chances - all in 35 mins.
3 cleans sheets in a row, sitting in the top 10, 10 points from 12, doesn't feel much like a 'crisis' to me!
Where ARE all the people who were just 'happy' to avoid relegation this season - we would have to lose 17 from 22 now to go down so there should be lots of 'happy' people- all I can see is lots of moaning because we haven't won 4 in a row! | | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 10:22 - Dec 30 with 978 views | Esox_Lucius |
Thank God we aren't at the fag end of a six defeats in a row run, I would imagine that it could get a bit hostile if we just lose another game between no and May.
#McClarenoutnow! |  |
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| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 10:28 - Dec 30 with 963 views | bosh67 |
I think he will give Cousins the nod at Villa. If we lose he may rethink. If we don't I guess that will be it until Cameron and Luongo are back. I'd prefer Freeman central and BOS left because we would be far more creative but I also guess that may possibly compromise the clean sheet factor. |  |
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| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 10:31 - Dec 30 with 959 views | WatfordR |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 10:28 - Dec 30 by bosh67 |
I think he will give Cousins the nod at Villa. If we lose he may rethink. If we don't I guess that will be it until Cameron and Luongo are back. I'd prefer Freeman central and BOS left because we would be far more creative but I also guess that may possibly compromise the clean sheet factor. |
Perhaps worth bearing in mind that yesterday was the first game of a series where he has a big chance to stake a claim for a permanent role, and therefore maybe not surprising that he was a little "hesitant". Hopefully he'll settle down over the next few games. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 11:03 - Dec 30 with 921 views | Snipper |
Regarding Ryan Manning, but wasn’t the real reason he was sent on loan a financial one?
His freed up wages helping towards our loan signings.
Don’t get me wrong though, I’d love him back here. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 11:17 - Dec 30 with 901 views | rsonist |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 11:03 - Dec 30 by Snipper |
Regarding Ryan Manning, but wasn’t the real reason he was sent on loan a financial one?
His freed up wages helping towards our loan signings.
Don’t get me wrong though, I’d love him back here. |
Wages that Rotherham could afford allowed us to sign three experienced Prem players. Makes sense to me. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 11:49 - Dec 30 with 844 views | FDC |
I'll hold my hand up. Through my blurred vision I read that as "central midlife crisis?" and nodded grimly. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 12:04 - Dec 30 with 811 views | BklynRanger |
The problem with Luongo going is we don't appear to have another player who can carry it forward through the middle in the same way. We had Eze drop deeper in the second half to make up for that (also to wake him from his first half slumber). It worked ok, and I imagine it could work even better with fresher players.
But I do agree that bringing Manning back in this situation seems the obvious move in terms of increasing our options. |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 15:38 - Dec 30 with 717 views | daveB |
I'd recall Manning but give Cousins a couple of games to see what he can do, i don't think he's ever had more than 2 games in a row in central midfield. He was poor in the first half yesterday but I thought he was better second half |  | | |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 15:52 - Dec 30 with 695 views | CiderwithRsie |
| Central Midfield "crisis"? on 05:35 - Dec 30 by Churchie |
Ryan's our player and we need him now if only for choices for selection or tactics.
No crisis no panic and no brainer |
Also: don't see why it should pee him off to recall him, it's a chance for him.
We don't know if either Cameron or Luongo will still be here next year, and Hall's doubtful. Chances are there's an opening. | | | |
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