Basham

[Esablade]

Generally regarded as one of our better performers, I'm still not really convinced with Bash in midfield.
Yep, he's had the odd good game in midfield but I reckon he brings a lot more to the team at CB and could make a good pairing with Egan/Collins IMO ...

Time for a poll/thoughts!

 

[Blade for Sale]

I think this really boils down to Wallace's fitness. IF Wallace is going to be able to play regularly at CM, move Basham back to CB alongside Edgar.

I just cringe every time I see Wallace go in for a challenge though!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Generally regarded as one of our better performers, I'm still not really convinced with Bash in midfield.
Yep, he's had the odd good game in midfield but I reckon he brings a lot more to the team at CB and could make a good pairing with Egan/Collins IMO ...

Time for a poll/thoughts!

nah, neither - Basham for Labour leader

Midfield for me.
Like him at centre half also - does a great job, reads the game very early, but can't head a ball to save his life in a defensive situation. (Same with Mceveley)
England has the perfect partnership with Ferdinand and Terry and Basham is our "Rio" - but, if I had a choice at L1 level, you need 2 x John Terry players to get out of this division.

UTB

 

[Esablade]

nah, neither - Basham for Labour leader

Midfield for me.
Like him at centre half also - does a great job, reads the game very early, but can't head a ball to save his life in a defensive situation. (Same with Mceveley)
England has the perfect partnership with Ferdinand and Terry and Basham is our "Rio" - but, if I had a choice at L1 level, you need 2 x John Terry players to get out of this division.

UTB

I take your point about heading, he's got a bit of ten-bob head...but his reading of the game and marking at the back make up for it for me.

In midfield he sometimes looks a bit lost, rarely bosses games as play/players often pass him by...and crunching tackles/breaking up play aren't his game...

 

[billyblademan]

I don't think he can hack it as part of a midfield 2. As a third midfielder, we've seen what he can do - Barnsley away was one of the best team performances of the season, in no small part thanks to Bash the destroyer.

As a 2 I think he gets lost a bit.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

We say that about so many central midfielders (Baxter, Coutts, Scougall, Reed, Doyle etc). Is it because our central midfielders aren't good enough or because so many teams pack midfield these days that a 2 man midfield get played around too easily. I think Bash and Wallace would be decent but if Bash was to move back to CB, I think we'd need to bring in another defensive midfielder to partner Wallace. I only really see 442 work when you've for 2 physical box to box midfielders (like Bash and Wallace) or, one box to box midfielder and one deep central midfielder (think McCall and Brown, Jags and Monty etc). If you have 2 central midfielders looking to get forward, they need to be quick and fit to keep getting up and down the pitch and they will still sometimes get exposed. Therefore, I'd like us to either sign a new CB to partner Edgar or a defensive midfielder to partner Wallace and put Basham at centre half.
If the signing is good enough, either of those positions would be fine for me.

 

[Fiery Blade]

I think he can play either role effectively but given the dirth of decent Centre Backs at the club he does need to play there at present - keeping fingers crossed as to James Wallace's fitness - Alongside Edgar - Anything preferable to a Collins / McEveley option !

 

[Wards]

Would really like to see Basham and Wallace together. Two big, strong, athletic players could be just what we need - not to mention that Wallace can play a fair bit when he gets on the ball.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Great OP.

Personally, and assuming we can get the likes of Wallace/Coutts/Baxter/Reed et al to somehow form a decent CM pairing between the lot of em, I would be inclined to try Edgar and Bash at the back.

UTB

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I take your point about heading, he's got a bit of ten-bob head...but his reading of the game and marking at the back make up for it for me.

In midfield he sometimes looks a bit lost, rarely bosses games as play/players often pass him by...and crunching tackles/breaking up play aren't his game...

Unfortunately for Basham he is the ideal utility player and believe he played a total of 5 different positions last season.

It looks as though Adkins will not play him at CB unless there is a dire emergency. All our players have to settle on a position and form relationships with someone - ie: Wallce/Basham.

We have to bring some stability to the team which leads me onto a recent post of Brayford for CH.

Just staggers me that we KEEP discussing square pegs in round holes - it is what you see in Graves Park, not in a professional football team.

UTB

 

[sheffielder]

Shows what most fans know on here, because he is not a very good midfielder who chases shadows and offers nothing. At the back he does, and offers us that opportunity to bring the ball out from the back, bit like Maguire. Something needed for home games. Oh let Collins do it hey

 

[Barney]

CM, because if he doesn't play there who will? him and possibly wallace are the only ones good enough to play there and wallace has his injury issues as we all know.

I think as we're short at CB anyway, he'll be best off at centre mid.

 

[jt64]

Part of a midfield three for me, if someone had done their job and bought centre backs this thread wouldn't have been made

 

[secretchief]

Always looks a bit lost positionally in midfield when I've seen him.

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

Right now: CB

After we sign a decent CB: CM

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Midfield. He'd be a fixture there, as far as I'm concerned.

Not always that composed (but certainly a footballer when he wants to be, even so). Makes up for it with his superb dynamism though.

Really needs to be scoring more goals, however.

 

[wesleysnipesmen]

Got to be midfield for me. As some have mentioned, he's not convincing in the air. When that's where we concede the most, what use is it putting a centre back in who's no better in the air than our current ones.
I agree that he gives us the option of bringing it out from the back, but I'd rather stop conceding from every set piece first.

 

[The_Green_Man]

Am I right in saying that somebody asked Adkins this question at the Q&A session and Adkins replied that he was both a Defender and a Midfielder which was a great asset to have however in the immediate future he views him more useful in midfield?

For me his effort and desire to win the ball at the back makes him ideal however I do worry about how cumbersome and clumsy he can be in the challenge at times. I guess what I am trying to say is that yes I agree that he is decent enough at the back but doesn't come without his faults.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

We say that about so many central midfielders (Baxter, Coutts, Scougall, Reed, Doyle etc). Is it because our central midfielders aren't good enough or because so many teams pack midfield these days that a 2 man midfield get played around too easily. I think Bash and Wallace would be decent but if Bash was to move back to CB, I think we'd need to bring in another defensive midfielder to partner Wallace. I only really see 442 work when you've for 2 physical box to box midfielders (like Bash and Wallace) or, one box to box midfielder and one deep central midfielder (think McCall and Brown, Jags and Monty etc). If you have 2 central midfielders looking to get forward, they need to be quick and fit to keep getting up and down the pitch and they will still sometimes get exposed. Therefore, I'd like us to either sign a new CB to partner Edgar or a defensive midfielder to partner Wallace and put Basham at centre half.
If the signing is good enough, either of those positions would be fine for me.

You are posting some really good, thoughtful stuff 1danewhitehouse

Agree with you and your references make perfect sense.

If only Baxter would keep fit; I think he could fulfill one of the roles in either a two or three man midfield - some will disagree of course

Oh and Basham in midfield for me

 

[Maidenhead]

Shows what most fans know on here, because he is not a very good midfielder who chases shadows and offers nothing. At the back he does, and offers us that opportunity to bring the ball out from the back, bit like Maguire. Something needed for home games. Oh let Collins do it hey

Bit arrogant don't you think?

I know nothing because I could have sworn that all of our very few decent performances in the league last year cam with Basham in midfield.

Give him a run of games there, which he has never had, even the know it alls may have second thoughts

 

[sheffielder]

Bit arrogant don't you think?

I know nothing because I could have sworn that all of our very few decent performances in the league last year cam with Basham in midfield.

Give him a run of games there, which he has never had, even the know it alls may have second thoughts

Yep. Seems everyone can say what they want about Long, Collins, mceverley etc but god forbid nobody rates basham in midfield. Baxter was a striker before we got him too but let's keep him there too hey