That is the main problem and has been for 4 years. Until we get a couple of proper centre midfield players, we have no chance. As i said after the Notts County game - with that sort of luck, we might even stay up. Call that knee jerk if you like but we are crap.
0
Comments
I feel terrible, you lot must feel worse...
Excuse my ignorance as I've been away for a few weeks, but what has happened to Ally Mac?
I noticed he was dropped to the bench for the Tranmere match, but isn't in the match day squad at all now.
Excuse my ignorance as I've been away for a few weeks, but what has happened to Ally Mac?
I noticed he was dropped to the bench for the Tranmere match, but isn't in the match day squad at all now.[/quote]
He's injured but in his last game though was vs Notts County and for 45 minutes he was awful and I did wonder whether he had been out drinking the night before, he was so off the pace.
Racon has no discipline, wanders about across the midfield and is constantly out of position when we lose the ball, leaving Semedo in 2 v 1 situations. Semedo's default pass is sideways or backwards. Its one or the other for me.
Spot on.
Not a new comment or observation, of course, but one that seems to gaining some impetus at last.
With the squad we have, I'd go for Semedo and Martin in central midfield ... with clear, and obviously distinct, general roles for each of them.
For those 'difficult' away trips, you might want to bolster the midfield by playing five in there (three in the middle). Jackson would be the best candidate in my view.
"With the squad we have ..."
I can't read this. Seems like you need to be taught by somebody else.
;o)
Have I wondered into Appalachia? What genius are you displaying. He only played about 70-80 games in the champ as a central midfielder. Have you ever seen him there, erm by the sounds of it NO. He's not a left midfielder as Bailey wasn't, and obviously doesn't posses the goal threat that Bailey did. Having said that his passing is more reliable, and his positional play is much better than Bailey. Play him with Semedo and we'll see our wingers brought into the game quicker and more efficently.
I like McCormack but we need someone reliable, and who can pick a pass in the middle. Now Fry looks good at left back, Jackson needs to start central midfield.
Agreed Colin.
Semedo can sit in front of the back four - Racon and Jackson in the centre with Reid and Martin playing either side of Benson or Abbot. Bringing Wagstaff and Anyinsah off the bench for a bit of pace impact in the second half?
Any takers?
Why not? might save his career.
Indeed - Abbot seems to be perfect for playing the 1 up front game. Akpo seems perfect for boxing or something like that.
Neither are ideal if truth be told - Abbott is too slow to be truly effective, he'd be a solid hold up man but would struggle to get into the box in time to finsih off moves he's started. Akpo is good on his day, but his day is 25% of the time, at best, and when it ain't his day the ball just doesn't stick and we'd never be able to get the advanced midfielders anywhere near the box.
For me, we have all the tools to play 4-4-2 effectively - the players just need organising a bit better and the players themselves need to start taking more individual responsibility. Everyone was saying how well Racon and Semedo played two weeks ago, now they both need binning out - which one is it to be?
What's required now is a clear game plan and a settled side for 4 or 5 games. Constant chopping and changing of a team full of relative strangers is what got us into this bloody division in the first place and it sure as hell won't get us out of it.
For me, Racon is a luxury we cannot afford at the moment. His occasional flashes of class are not going to sustain our midfield, or provide the strikers with enough chances to score, over the season.
Racon drifts out of the game too much and his decision making is, at times, awful. His shooting/goals scored is abysmal too and I cannot think of too many assists either. All in all our attacking central midfielder is a weak link and he leaves his midfield partner (Semedo/McCormack) isolated too often too. You never really see Racon doubling up on players to help out Semedo or McCormack, it's always the other way round. It was the same last season, he doesn't seem comfortable playing League One football which requires commitment and hard graft above silky skills.
A lot of people slag off Semedo for not getting forward enough and being too defensive BUT c'mon if he didn't we'd get hammered straight through the middle. I'd like to see Jackson in the middle ASAP he did a steady job at Spurs there apparently (in the Prem).
He should offer more going forward than McCormack did and be more reliable than Racon.
Whatever everyone thinks of Racon, I don't think anyone can argue we are getting value for money for the wages he is on. Don't know how much he is on exactly but it was confirmed by the board he is one of the high earners. The high earners should be the best and most consistent players shouldn't they?
I guess I agree that the higher earners should be the best players, but now the season has started and the transfer window has closed, it doesn't really matter how much each player earns.
I would like to see Jackson given a run at centre midfield which opens up Reid to start games on the left. However, Parky said that Racon and Semedo played excellently against MK Dons last week so I can't see it happening sadly.
Let's hope it's not the debacle Utaka and Appy Arry thought was alright 'He's on no more than 40 grand at Pompey'!, after being on about 7-8 at Rennes according to French reports; Utaka claims he's on 26 grand, but why the hell did he triple his salary then? Not Utaka's fault just astonishingly bad business from 'Arry and Storrie, and according to 'Arry the increase in wages could be multiples of 5; no doubt Utaka doesn't include bonuses when talking about his wages.