The idea of Gardner at central midfield scares me senseless!

hisroyalgingerness wrote:

FD wrote: The first half was very cagey...what were these options you speak of? Gardner can be great, but he can also be a liabilty. Weiss and Wilshere have hardly played and we really don't know if they'll do the job for us yet. Elmander...I'm not gonna go there, suffice to say that the end of February seems a long time to wait for Klasnic to be fit again. Yeah there were options, but you have to "realise" that Coyle put out what he believed was the best eleven for the job. Technically speaking, he got it right. We won that game fair and square but for incompetent biased refereeing!! The options were plenty: Wilshere for Cohen - and let two ball players roam the middle of the park trying to thread play, in particular trying to get Lee free Elmo for Cohen/M Davies and go 4-4-2 Gardner/Weiss for Taylor - who was struggling and would have given us some balance and pace Gardner for Cohen - Ricky's proved a few times that he can offer some ball carrying pace and movement through the middle

Weiss for Taylor, try him against Shorey who gave Lee nothing, with Lee switiching to the left where he has done well at times in the past. If Lee didn't improve on the left, throw Gardner/Wilshere on for him.

Thinking back, the injury to AOB possibly delayed the timing of the final substitution, but I still think it should have been made earlier.

FD wrote:

The idea of Gardner at central midfield scares me senseless!

He's done it in the past fairly well. He wouldn't have been worse than Cohen yesterday anyway.

FD wrote:

The idea of Gardner at central midfield scares me senseless!

In a 4-4-2 formation I agree, but I think he'd be more than adequate in a 5

jimbo wrote:

FD wrote: The idea of Gardner at central midfield scares me senseless! He's done it in the past fairly well. He wouldn't have been worse than Cohen yesterday anyway.

Refresh my memory...?

FD wrote:

Devon White wrote: muamba needs hours of shooting practice No he doesn't, it's not his job to shoot.

????? you saying one of our midfield players who gets into '' range'' does not need to be able to hit the target ! he has been in positions this season that if he had at least hit the target we could have been in a different position to the dire state we are in at the moment.
pls dont quote if my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle

FD wrote:

jimbo wrote: FD wrote: The idea of Gardner at central midfield scares me senseless! He's done it in the past fairly well. He wouldn't have been worse than Cohen yesterday anyway. Refresh my memory...?

I can't think of games off the top of my head, but Megson moved him there half way through last season. He got himself a few goals and showed pace and ball carrying ability in the middle. His touch is nowhere near good enough for him to do it permamently, but for a half and to change things, he can do a job.

You could teach him technique til the cows came home, the boy just doesn't have a shot on him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try and improve him, but we do have to accept that he's been that way since he came to us, and it's hard to imagine it's been totally ignored, yet there's been no improvement!

However, what he does do is break up play and give the ball to someone who can do something with it, well, that last part is in theory.

FD wrote:

You could teach him technique til the cows came home, the boy just doesn't have a shot on him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try and improve him, but we do have to accept that he's been that way since he came to us, and it's hard to imagine it's been totally ignored, yet there's been no improvement! However, what he does do is break up play and give the ball to someone who can do something with it, well, that last part is in theory.

Aye, Makelele and Mascherano are ruthless infront of goal....................

FD wrote:

You could teach him technique til the cows came home, the boy just doesn't have a shot on him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try and improve him, but we do have to accept that he's been that way since he came to us, and it's hard to imagine it's been totally ignored, yet there's been no improvement! However, what he does do is break up play and give the ball to someone who can do something with it, well, that last part is in theory.

yep, agree with you their, i took your reply the wrong way, thought you meant midfield players didnt need to shoot.
I know muamba does'nt have many friends on here but for man to man marking and speed to get the tackle in and get goal side i like him.
just wish he could hit the target.

Devon White wrote:

FD wrote: You could teach him technique til the cows came home, the boy just doesn't have a shot on him. I'm not saying that we shouldn't try and improve him, but we do have to accept that he's been that way since he came to us, and it's hard to imagine it's been totally ignored, yet there's been no improvement! However, what he does do is break up play and give the ball to someone who can do something with it, well, that last part is in theory. yep, agree with you their, i took your reply the wrong way, thought you meant midfield players didnt need to shoot. I know muamba does'nt have many friends on here but for man to man marking and speed to get the tackle in and get goal side i like him. just wish he could hit the target.

Indeed, there was a point late in the game yesterday when one of their midfielders was breaking and Muamba tracked back 50 yards and made the tackle, got up and then started an attack. Not many others in the side could do that late on in a game. He needs to gain consistency but he is far from the worst player in that squad.

Muamba was Motm yesterday by a country mile. The problem is, theres no-one at the club capable of playing next to him in a 4-4-2 that doesn't leave us exposed. Or anyone with sufficient attcking potency. Add to that a pedestrian left side, and its clear where the trouble lies. In a better team, he'd be pushing whispers of an England call up.

Anyone remember Muamba's first goal for us in a preseason friendly? that indicated he could shoot, what happened?

Lord Kangana wrote:

Muamba was Motm yesterday by a country mile. The problem is, theres no-one at the club capable of playing next to him in a 4-4-2 that doesn't leave us exposed. Or anyone with sufficient attcking potency. Add to that a pedestrian left side, and its clear where the trouble lies. In a better team, he'd be pushing whispers of an England call up.

Something that was glaringly obvious in the summer TW, and indeed this one, though you can forgive OC giving the existing squad a chance.

Nevertheless, Muamba's performance yesterday, combined with the performances of Knight are reasons to be cheerful IMO.

markakamark wrote:

Anyone remember Muamba's first goal for us in a preseason friendly? that indicated he could shoot, what happened?

a ginger prick called Megson who coached it out of him and told him not to cross the half way line...

One thing that had a massive effect on the game yesterday but has not been mentioned at all on here is Fulhams tactics or should I say tactic, SPOIL they spent the whole game stopping any football being played well done it worked, now where trying this aginst a top four side full of confidence often works for 70 or so mins the quality and confidence eventually wins through.
Unfortunatley we are not a top 4 side and are lacking confidence, in a relegation scrap which puts more pressure on the players oh and we had lost 2 first pick defenders in the 24 hours preceding the game so the weeks work on the training pitch almost wasted and probably had an efect on the rest of the squad.

the first half was like head tennis and a lot of cruching tackles from fulham butb as the second half wore on we did start to dominate and then had a perfectly good goal ruled out hey Ho.
How anybody can crtisise Muamba's man of the match performance yesterday amazes me. defence for patched up did well Fulham had ONE shot on target.
Elmander played some pretty nifty football when he came on good touches and a neat flip over the top of a defnder hashed his chance but that has to be confidence, he may never come good but he is looking better.

I never really critisised meggo for his initial selections, but gormless substitutions(Mcann at the Hull game for example) we need points "Priority" the same is dictating Coyles selections a few wins and that may change as will the players confidence.
I still maintain that if a teams only tactic is to stop you playing you end up with what we had for the first 45 mins yesterday.

Also the only booing i noticed yesterday was for the ref, the crowd did not get behind the team until wiess came on and livened things up - We as fans really need to get behind the team from the off - it might just help

jaffka wrote:

markakamark wrote: Anyone remember Muamba's first goal for us in a preseason friendly? that indicated he could shoot, what happened? a ginger prick called Megson who coached it out of him and told him not to cross the half way line...

Megson's reaction to that goal was to laugh and say "we didn't buy him for that, but if he can do it, it's a big bonus". Turns out he can't do it and got one freak of nature shot against a poor team

hisroyalgingerness wrote:

jaffka wrote: markakamark wrote: Anyone remember Muamba's first goal for us in a preseason friendly? that indicated he could shoot, what happened? a ginger prick called Megson who coached it out of him and told him not to cross the half way line... Megson's reaction to that goal was to laugh and say "we didn't buy him for that, but if he can do it, it's a big bonus". Turns out he can't do it and got one freak of nature shot against a poor team

I'm sure the ever supportive Bolton public haven't affected his confidence

FWIW, that miss at OT would mess with anybodies head when next in front of goal

jaffka wrote:

markakamark wrote: Anyone remember Muamba's first goal for us in a preseason friendly? that indicated he could shoot, what happened? a ginger prick called Megson who coached it out of him and told him not to cross the half way line...

No, that is what Megson should have done.

Instead he was left to wander all over the pitch, displaying his lack of shooting technique for all to see, and leaving the DM area exposed.

We are probably going to get relegated.
The team do not play well enough consistently to escape this.
The time for caution has gone and yet OC appears unlikely/unwilling to make radical change. The best opportunity for this was the aways against Arsenal and Liverpool as only the most deluded thought we had a chance of winning. Taylor could have been replaced; Gardner or Weiss would be better, Jussi rested for Al Habsi, Cohen out/Basham in and Kevin Davies position could also have been put up for auction to the highest bidder (we ain't got a proper forward so why not try someone else; David Blunkett would be good).
Seriously, someone fearless up front would be better than the inhibited. So why not take the pressure off the forward(s) by telling them they are part of a 6/7 man midfield? Someone like Vaz Te would be thick enough to swallow that.
More balls needed, I'm afraid.