What do you think we will be playing next season ?
Pardew appears to have a preference for 442, but i think the real problem here will prove to be Andy Reid.
Andy is being plugged as one of our key players for next season, but i just can't see how he is going to fit in properly. Jerome picks himself on the left, he is a decent prem standard player, so that pushes Andy inside more. But i just can't see him gaining the required fitness necessary to play centre mid in the prem. We won't be able to play through the midfield as much as you can in the prem, centre mid is a lot of up and down running and i'm not sure he's got the engine or the combatative nature needed for the centre of the park.
You could play him in a centre three, sitting in front of two workers, but will we want only one up front ?
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Sadly I don't think Reid figures as highly in Pards' plans as he did in many of ours.
Reid when relatively fit last season was pretty much running our midfield single handedly either from the centre or out wide. If anyone will be the odd one out next season it will be Thomas, has been unable to beat a player for over a year, one trick pony who checks back to cross Everytime, a one decent game in seven player at best ala West Ham. Reid was far more consistent & can play both positions. My view of course...
Unless we play him on the left and JT on the right?
Like Murphy, he only looks good in a 3 man central midfield. But surely we have to start with Varney and Iwelumo/Dickson.
the only problem is that Reid only did well under Dowie and only played one game under Pards. If we get Mullins i'd like to see JT, Mullins, Reid and Ambrose, with Sam, Holland, Walton and Christensen waiting for any slip ups.
On his day will be a class above some Barnsley clogger.
However, he has no pace or central midfield engine, therefore needs someone else to do his running and give him the ball.
Also, I found that his lack of a right foot meant that he was always having to look for the left footed pass which often meant turning into danger.
I hope Pards gets the best out of him in the best position because he is vital for next season.
S.
Been on holiday so missed quite a bit. Who is Sinclair and have we signed Mullins?
I agree that Reid should only play in the middle and i think he'll be class at this level. Problem is obviously can he play 40 odd matches in a season though.
Dean Sinclair played v Welling. On trial from Barnet. Not signed Mullins.
My problem is who plays alongside? Holland is not the right balance - we still need the centre mid engine/ runner/ tackler or we'll be sunk in this league.
You could get around this like we did with Claus Jensen, you sacrifice a bit of width on one side and play someone like Graham Stuart a bit more narrow. But with the choice of the wide ones being Thomas, Ambrose or Christensen, i can't see any of them playing a more narrow role successfully.
For Reid to work effectively, it will either be at Thomas' expense (and i think Pards will prefer Thomas' greater ability to get up and down), on in the middle of a three.
Pards has got a great dilemna.
Maybe he'll play Reid central against the more footballing sides in the division and wide agaisnt the cloggers.
Not sure.
I had to work late so missed the match.
That's a touch harsh AFKA, by that reckoning we'd do the same to McLeod if we signed him. Sinclair is fancied by quite a few CCC teams and i would only be unhappy if he was the only midfielder signed.
people forget that reid has played in this division probably the most out of his career, i think we will have no probs from fitness wise, and will/can play where ever pards wants/tels him to. Good point well made rothko doooooooooooood
Darren Bent was scoring goals in the Championship, this lad has been doing little more than ok in the Conference from what i understand. Its a massive jump that would take time.