Midfield

[lake district canary 0]

Why is an obsession from Hughton and some of our fans to have ''combative'' midfielders? They may be able to get ''stuck in'' but they offer very little in creative terms.

The reason we''re not scoring goals is because no chances are being created. Johnson is a good battler, but most of his passing is woeful. He''s not a Premier League player.

I think we should have been going for a passer alongside a battler for most of the season; Johnson/Tettey + another. Johnson and Tettey is overkill.

The problem we have is who to play as the creative central player, have to rule out David Fox; it''s too late for him now and clearly not rated by CH. Howson has been poor for most of the season. Surs is injured.

Personally I''m of the opinion you could play Wes in central midfield, which of course would give you the option to play two up top, Wes is a little battler and works hard, which is often overlooked by a lot of our fans. Plus he''s the only player in the first team picture who can create and try something different.

[Greg 0]

Unfortunately, yes it probably is too late for fox to come into the team. But the lack of creativity yesterday was dreadful. Wes might be able to play there but be able to play there but next season we need either fox back or a new midfielder who can keep the ball.

[Canary Willo 0]

Wes is essentially playing there and creating nowt. We need a pair of forwards working together to create a threat. We do not have a good enough midfield and 1 forward to allow us to play 4-5-1, we have to revert to 4-4-2 and play the ball wide, in the hope that Snodgrass, Bennett, Pilks will be able to play the ball in early to create more threat.

Playing this 1 up, Wes behind shape is only going to mean part of the score line will continue to read ''Norwich City 0'' so we have to hope and prey for 4 more clean sheets as we look no threat with current formation.

It amazes me we still think Wes and 1 other is our best option when we have only scored 28 goals this season.... 

Lets go 4-4-2 next week, Holt and Kamara, Snoddy and Pilks hopefully, maybe unknown Murphy on the left, Christ they are left wingers and good enough for England, then lets go for it. We can always revert knowing we are solid under the 4-5-1.

[York Canary 29]

We need a f*cker who can actually shoot as well as carry the ball and create. I know CH denied what RvW said about transfer targets, but I believe RvW over CH and his cheeky little deflective comments tbh. I mean he isn''t going to want to tell everyone who he''s after and unsettle the current players is he? I just want a positive end to the current season and a solid/safe finish then get onto those targets asap and give the attack more edge and speed. That''s the priority for summer methinks. It''ll be nice to concentrate our budget on those kinds of players. Even in defence where we need a permanent LB I think we''ll look at someone who can get up and down the flanks better. We may get Garrido, but we still need another.

[Stig 0]

I disagree, to pull Hoolahan away from his position is just asking for trouble. He was brilliant yesterday, setting up a few possibilities but Snodgrass reacting slowly and Kamara not getting on the end of a few ruined it. Unfortunately the rigidness of Hoolahan''s position complicates the matters of fitting in other players. For me it would just have to be Johnson/Tettey/Snodgrass/Pilkington - Hoolahan - Holt. That way, they are all in there and playing in their respective best positions. It''s like putting Hoolahan on the left, it just never works. At a push I''d put Kamara on the left, so Snodgrass doesn''t have to move over for E.Bennet. Fox... he had his chance and I think his lack of appearances has effected our memory as to just how good he was.

[Canary Willo 0]

Sorry Stig we all see things differently and I thought Hoolahan was at best average, lightweight on ball and did all his good things 40 yards from goal. Infuriates me as passes when he should travel and visa versa.

Happy to respect others views, unlike some, but for me, we need to be up at ''em now from start of games and only way for me is 4-4-2 and Wes ready when or if we can get in front....

[Gingerpele 0]

We are getting in many many positions to create goal scoring opportunities, and it''s got nothing (or very little) to do with Tettey/Johnson/Howson as to why we aren''t creating. Poor crossing, lack of decent movement in the box, no killer through ball from Hoolahan. Fox has set up about four goals in his whole time here by crossing or playing a through ball.

[ZLF 335]

sorry GP - I disagree with you.   Due to Howson & BJs poor passing we dont get the ball to the better players enough,  meaning its more noticable when a poor cross happens as its too infrequent.   added to that none of tetty bj and howson get forward often enough - yest we attacked with 3 - wigan regularly had 5 blue shirts in range.

 

When BJ got forward he had probably our best actual shot yest - more of that needed  .Simply need better passing and playing higher up the pitch and we will win games.      However our CM  limitations encourage defensive tactics.

 

Get the ball to pilkington wes and snodgrass more often and we will win games.    Kei will thrive off decent crosses.

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

We clearly don''t need Johnson and Tettey playing at the same time.  The goals against column is not a problem even with Howson and Johnson, and Howson is an attacking midfielder.What we would lose out on slightly with Fox defensively would be more than made up for by his intelligent passing.

Fox also was the most accurate crosser of the ball in the premiership last season.

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

[quote user="Gingerpele"]We are getting in many many positions to create goal scoring opportunities, and it''s got nothing (or very little) to do with Tettey/Johnson/Howson as to why we aren''t creating. Poor crossing, lack of decent movement in the box, no killer through ball from Hoolahan. Fox has set up about four goals in his whole time here by crossing or playing a through ball.[/quote]Incredible how someone can be so completely inaccurate.  It has everything to do with the central midfield''s inability to pass the ball and our dreadfully slow build up play.  Johnson, Tettey and Howson''s range of passing is incredibly limited, and even then Johnson and Howson''s passing success rate is not exactly inspiring.Fox has the ability to dictate play, he often knows where he is going to pass the ball before he receives it.  His range of passing is great, and his accuracy fantastic.  When we sit watching the game, and pilks is all alone on the left...  you just watch BJ dally on the ball put the easy short pass to Howson, who dallies and plays it to the full back then finally to pilks...Fox would have put the ball nicely in front of Pilks from the off getting our attack moving right away.

[Gingerpele 0]

We haven''t even been passing for build up play most of the time, more long ball.

And last season our build up was incredibly slow, the amount of loaning from the crowd after the 11th pass between the back five...

[Gingerpele 0]

And the game I watched yesterday. Snod and Hoolahan had plenty of the ball...

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

We haven''t even been passing for build up play most of the time, more long ball.You are not wrong!  We play a similar amount of long balls to West Ham,  not too far off Stoke. And I certainly don''t think David Fox is the messiah, but the likes of BJ with a 70% passing success rate from mainly simple passes is dismal.  The easiest way of defending is to not let the opposition have the ball.

[Gingerpele 0]

I''d be perfectly happy for Fox to play alongside Johnson, but I can''t really see Hughton doing that. No idea why he got a new contract under Hughton and despite Tettey injured and fairly annoymouse performances from Howson Fox still doesn''t even get any time off the bench.