Midfield 3

[Ricky]

They bossed that game.

Lundstram was as comfortable on the ball as I've seen him, on a difficult pitch. He had an excellent game and will be very unlucky if he doesn't play on Tuesday.

Fleck, not for the first time this season, was the best player on the pitch. He bossed that second half. He barely gave it away once and they couldn't get near him. He's a joy to watch when he's playing like that.

Evans was decent too, and together they were first to the ball more often than not and didn't give Ipswich a sniff.

They were so much better than their midfield 3 and as a result we had them under control the entire game. They provided what really should have been a winning platform, but we didn't have the cutting edge in the final third.

Wilder wasted a substitution by bringing Wilson on IMO and that messed things up for us. Although if his shot goes in we're praising the substitution... fine margins. We still had the chances to win though - why the fuck Lundstram didn't just shoot I don't know. Brooks was guilty of the same.

It should've really been a solid 2-0 win. It's pleasing to keep a clean sheet away but I see that as 2 points dropped, and the kind of result that will probably cost us.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Needed somebody running past the front 2 though. As a group they didn't do much wrong but with that front 2 we needed the link between mf and attack.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Ipswich were terrible and we weren’t good enough to capitalise on it. Fleck was MOTM by a mile. Lundstram was the best of the rest. Sharp worked his socks off. Other than those three...oh dear! Not good I’m afraid.

 

[Ricky]

Nobody played badly. Stearman was a bit shaky. Stevens was a bit wasteful. But I can't fault them too much.

 

[FTPE]

I didn't see a below 7 performance today from our lads, I don't know what game some of these miserable gits were watching

 

[Bladezz]

We just needed that bit of brilliance or luck. Wasn’t out Day but like you say some good performances.

Fleck for me MoM good performance also for Lundstram.

 

[sitwell]

So the midfield controlled the game ,but apparently that was only because Ipswich are shit. Unless we win some people just cant give our players any praise. Like spoilt babies.

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

As soon as we bought Evans it was obvious Tufty had identified we needed a solid 3 in there for these dogged Away games. Coutts for Lundstram and that looks like a decent set up to me.

With a better final ball, a bit more movement upfront, an unlucky post - then we win today and we're singing Wilders praises for making us more solid and able to win these kind of games.

 

[SwissBlade]

They bossed that game.

Lundstram was as comfortable on the ball as I've seen him, on a difficult pitch. He had an excellent game and will be very unlucky if he doesn't play on Tuesday.

Fleck, not for the first time this season, was the best player on the pitch. He bossed that second half. He barely gave it away once and they couldn't get near him. He's a joy to watch when he's playing like that.

Evans was decent too, and together they were first to the ball more often than not and didn't give Ipswich a sniff.

They were so much better than their midfield 3 and as a result we had them under control the entire game. They provided what really should have been a winning platform, but we didn't have the cutting edge in the final third.

Wilder wasted a substitution by bringing Wilson on IMO and that messed things up for us. Although if his shot goes in we're praising the substitution... fine margins. We still had the chances to win though - why the fuck Lundstram didn't just shoot I don't know. Brooks was guilty of the same.

It should've really been a solid 2-0 win. It's pleasing to keep a clean sheet away but I see that as 2 points dropped, and the kind of result that will probably cost us.

Thanks for that, i was quite busy at work yesterday so didn't really get to watch the match, from what i saw in the first half we didn't really seem to be getting the Wingbacks forward enough and Ched was sat quite deep, leaving Billy a little bit isolated up top. Was that a theme throughout the game? Did Wilson manage to get closer to Billy for the 10 mins they were on together?

 

[Grizzly blade]

Strikers.
Pure and simple.

I understand that Wilson is from Man U, and has ability. I just wonder if he has the fight in him for a battle outside Man U, where you are protected and get the decisions.
Evans- I’m sorry I just don’t see him getting it back. Looks doomed never to score again for us. Perhaps he’s trying too hard or putting too much reassure on himself.
Sharp- grafter, finisher.
Clarke- our best striker missing
Don- inconsistent at best and never a top class player.

Seriously, the difference we need is outright pace, power and quality up front. Midfield is decent, defence decent but we need strikers who don’t rely solely on a perfect final ball.

 

[Woodwardfan]

We miss Clarke, no focus and line-leader when he's missing. Nobody else to play that role.

 

[Woodwardfan]

Need to give Holmes a run and play him with Duffy in certain games. Holmes is a player.

Freeman will add a lot going forward.

Brooks has to deliver if he is actually fit to play yet.

Wilson will get better.

 

[Edinblade]

Ipswich were terrible and we weren’t good enough to capitalise on it. Fleck was MOTM by a mile. Lundstram was the best of the rest. Sharp worked his socks off. Other than those three...oh dear! Not good I’m afraid.

I have to disagree totally. We dominated away from home for the whole 90mins. Every player put a shift in. We could easily have won.

 

[Ricky]

Thanks for that, i was quite busy at work yesterday so didn't really get to watch the match, from what i saw in the first half we didn't really seem to be getting the Wingbacks forward enough and Ched was sat quite deep, leaving Billy a little bit isolated up top. Was that a theme throughout the game? Did Wilson manage to get closer to Billy for the 10 mins they were on together?

The difference with the wing backs, mainly Stevens and our left side in general, is that we had much more good possession in the second half. We battered them down the left with Fleck bossing it and should've had a goal from it.

I wouldn't say the strikers were ever too far apart. One of them has to drop deep and try to link things up sometimes in that formation. Ched did that better than Wilson.

 

[Roygbiv]

I didn't see or hear any of the game which is maybe why I am not as frustrated as a lot but I can't quite work out how we dominated midfield, missed supposed open goals and yet were rubbish!

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Our best 3 remain as Duffy, Fleck and Coutts - it's as simple as that. The former two have been superb all season and in Fleck, I'd be worried about bids this summer. We haven't replaced Coutts, that much is simple. Of the trio: Lundstram, Leonard and Evans, they have strengths (and areas for improvement) and they have qualities that I like, but none are a like-for-like replacement.

If I had to choose now, I'd go with Evans - his quality will come through and he's always busy and covers a lot of ground. I think Leonard will come good eventually too.

 

[Bergen Blade]

That midfield trio is well suited for difficult away games, and I think Wilder regrets he didn't play them at Fulham.

Ipswich didn't seem like such a tough opposition and maybe the inverted triangle with Holmes straight in for Duffy would have seen us create even more?

Holmes hasn't really been able to take his chances so far though, and the pitch was poor, which may have influenced his decision. Wilder also seems to speak respectfully of McCarthy, so we may have expected Ipswich to be better than what they were yesterday.

 

[Trafford]

I didn't see or hear any of the game which is maybe why I am not as frustrated as a lot but I can't quite work out how we dominated midfield, missed supposed open goals and yet were rubbish!

I didn’t see it either and the 2 minute highlights on the OS present a completely different picture than the one portrayed on S24SU, you’d think they bossed us, not the other way round. Sack the video man!!

 

[Maidenhead]

Ipswich were terrible and we weren’t good enough to capitalise on it. Fleck was MOTM by a mile. Lundstram was the best of the rest. Sharp worked his socks off. Other than those three...oh dear! Not good I’m afraid.

Maybe Ipswich were terrible because we did a good job of closing them down and stopping them from playing?

The league table and the fact that they have only lost 1 of their last 6 (v Cardiff) and won away at Preston and Pigs in their last 2 games would suggest that they are not actually generically "terrible"

 

[FinchleyBlade]

Maybe Ipswich were terrible because we did a good job of closing them down and stopping them from playing?

The league table and the fact that they have only lost 1 of their last 6 (v Cardiff) and won away at Preston and Pigs in their last 2 games would suggest that they are not actually generically "terrible"

No they were just terrible. Really really awful.

 

[Maidenhead]

No they were just terrible. Really really awful.

Nothing to do with us then?

Wednesday and Preston must be absolutely diabolical at the moment.

Well actually Wednesday are, I'll give you that one

 

[dc_blade]

We started cautiously or passively and grew into it. By 30 mins in we looked more like our old selves and in the second half we were quite dominant. You really got the feeling that a very poor Ipswich team were there for the taking, but we suffered from our usual problem of bossing possession and territory without having a final ball. On another day we took our two or three excellent chances and this looked like a top performance, though. It's fine margins. We're a very good footballing side who occasionally get in our own way.

As for the midfield three, Fleck and Lunny were excellent. After half time, Lundstram drove forward with the ball in a way he's seemed reluctant to at times. But Lee Evans, whilst looking a more technically gifted player, is quite frustrating at times. He does what Lunny used to, which is slow us down, over-complicate the transition from defence to midfield, and always look sideways or backwards. I think this problem, a mentality problem that goes beyond Evans and Lunny, is what has kept us out of the play offs, where we probably deserve to be otherwise.

 

[metalblade]

Ipswich havn't been doing bad recently so maybe they were only as good as we allowed them to be. We dominated most of the game but still created very little in the way of chances for the strikers which seems to be a reoccurring problem and the midfield are not chipping in with many goals either.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Ipswich havn't been doing bad recently so maybe they were only as good as we allowed them to be. We dominated most of the game but still created very little in the way of chances for the strikers which seems to be a reoccurring problem and the midfield are not chipping in with many goals either.

You are 100% correct - I fail to see why SOME of our posters think other posters are on meltdown.

They aren't - we have a massive problem turning possession into something tangible in the final third.

It's not rocket science to see and only the management team can resolve it with what we have.

Other than that - and has been posted many many many times - we NEED to buy some quality.

If we don't buy quality we may become just another Ipswich.

As for the last 10 games - we need to find a way of winning games.

UTB

 

[Stretch]

We have done so well with this system because we normally have one midfielder who constantly and relentlessly takes the game to opposition with the strikers and essentially is the focal point of the team. That player is usually Duffy and if he isn't there then we need someone else in the team who defaults to attack. The midfield yesterday played well but none of them perform that role, even though Fleck probably could.
Said a few times already, leaving Brooks and Holmes on the bench was a ballsup imo.

 

[8lade]

I thought Blackman was shaky, put a couple of soft shots out for corners and did I imagine or did he take it past one of their players but not comfortably (on that pitch).
As for the strikers we kept pulling the ball back but not to them.
Final word on the ref, he was generally ok but Ipswich seem to play a game of pushing the opposition players which on that surface generally sends them down, and generally the ref called them but not the 2 in their box!

 

[Dnblade]

For me,Evans is still finding his feet with us,and hopefully there's a lot more to come...i like his ability to knock the ball off first time to a red and white shirt...i think he's got a decent shot on him but rarely gets far enough forward...seems to pass it off and it's like job done at times.. doesn't join in further up the pitch enough,unlike Coutts...maybe that's still to come.
Lundstram...Still work in progress,he's got a goal in him and a good range of passing,but often dwells on the ball to long,or gives possesion away to easy...should have buried the chance yesterday.
Fleck..The main man in there along with Duffy if he plays...Our of the 3 yesterday,he's really the only one who drives forward and links up with the strikers...first name on the team sheet at the moment for me.
We need to start moving the ball far quicker,it's to laboured...we work the ball well,but the opposition are in their shape behind the ball,and it far to often breaks down and we lose possesion...Fulham the other night moved the ball quickly,loads of one touch passing and people running on and off the ball.
Another thing I've noticed,not to do with the midfield 3 particularly,but do we have to punt it forward from the back as often...it never sticks...it just gives the ball back to the opposition.
I'm don't want to sound over critical...just how I see it in recent games...Apart from Hull,we're not playing that bad...it will help to get Duffy and Clarke back,get Brooks back up to speed along with getting more out of the likes of Wilson and Holmes...we also seem to lack a bit of confidence to earlier in the season...understandable i suppose,we'd have battered that Ipswich team earlier in the season.

 

[loyalblade95]

Need to give Holmes a run and play him with Duffy in certain games. Holmes is a player.

Freeman will add a lot going forward.

Brooks has to deliver if he is actually fit to play yet.

Wilson will get better.

Wilson will get better i know some people say he's a selfish striker and doesn't look for a teammate sometimes but we need a selfish striker who will have a go at goal with any chance he gets. It also annoys me when some people (not on here) complaining when he says that he's completely focused on getting back into Man Utd's team, I'd be questioning his ambition if he was saying the opposite at his age its arguably the biggest club in the world who wouldn't want to play for them

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Maybe Ipswich were terrible because we did a good job of closing them down and stopping them from playing?

The league table and the fact that they have only lost 1 of their last 6 (v Cardiff) and won away at Preston and Pigs in their last 2 games would suggest that they are not actually generically "terrible"

Personally I thought Ipswich did a good job of closing us down!
Although our pedestrian play and poor pasding tactics didn't help!

 

[joe casey]

Need to give Holmes a run and play him with Duffy in certain games. Holmes is a player.

Freeman will add a lot going forward.

Brooks has to deliver if he is actually fit to play yet.

Wilson will get better.

I think Baldock has been great this season and his pace a real asset, but I do sometimes think 'if only he had Freemans final ball' or 'Freeman would have scored there'...as I say Baldock has been class but having Freeman back will make for strong competition and a slightly different approach from RWB