Fleck and Coutts

[zablade]

Are they up to it at this level?

Perhaps the question is can they play together at this level?

We looked wide open in midfield at times tonight. We were a little fortunate in the first half that their new players were still fitting in together otherwise they could have been out of sight, the second half we looked better once Coutts had been told to play deeper, but it didn't look a natural position for him.

A re think may be needed in selection and crucially perhaps transfer policy before the month is out.

 

[PokerBlade]

Fleck definitely is. My concern with Coutts is that we may need to replace him someone quicker and better defensively. We clearly aren't going to dominate possession like we did last season and that means we need to be stronger off the ball. It's not so much a criticism of Coutts as much as I'm not sure if we'll get away with both him and Fleck, and Fleck is the better player.

 

[Ricky]

Both were decent today, they got better as the match went on.

Yes they can play together at this level. But perhaps not every game. That'll be a reason why Wilder still wants another midfielder.

It'll be interesting to see how he lines up the midfield on Tuesday.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Are they up to it at this level?

Perhaps the question is can they play together at this level?

We looked wide open in midfield at times tonight. We were a little fortunate in the first half that their new players were still fitting in together otherwise they could have been out of sight, the second half we looked better once Coutts had been told to play deeper, but it didn't look a natural position for him.

A re think may be needed in selection and crucially perhaps transfer policy before the month is out.

We got away with having no screen for the back 3 last season ,teams are cleverer in championship and maybe we need a more natural defensive midfielder ,I think Wilder has this in mind with the midfielders we are bidding to sign.Would have made a big difference today.
It's a learning curve for the management as well as the players

 

[TONY_TONY_AGANA]

We were pressing high first half, Carruthers extremely high. Bamford was able to find space in the hole as we didn't have a holding player. This was the biggest issue first half.

They can play together, just got outnumbered at times.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Whilst Coutts did well at a good number of times he isnt a defensive player which,when played deep has to be. He lets players run past him. Fleck IMO had a very good game today,one of our better players.
We need a destroyer in midfield. We also need a fuck of a lot more pace in midfield.

 

[northsomersetblade]

Early doors. Mboro were never going to lie down and let their tummies be tickled.

Life in the fast(er) lane. We'll be alright

 

[AdamSufc1997]

they can but the problem i think is the formation as some teams play with more midfield than us and it causes us problems

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Come on we are a newly promoted team, Coutts hasn't played championship level for years, players need time to adapt, we can't be thinking about righting off players this early.

 

[Baxters left nostril]

Fleck definitely is. My concern with Coutts is that we may need to replace him someone quicker and better defensively. We clearly aren't going to dominate possession like we did last season and that means we need to be stronger off the ball. It's not so much a criticism of Coutts as much as I'm not sure if we'll get away with both him and Fleck, and Fleck is the better player.

Thought coutts had a good game, of the two he definitely had more involvement in the game. Been the better of the pair in the two games so far in my opinion.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Thought Coutts ran the show 2nd half, don't remember him making many mistakes at all.
Seems as though Wilder agrees given his post match interview.

 

[Harry's Game]

Coutts had the better game tonight.

I wouldn't want to drop either and I would like to see Fleck playing further forward, almost in the Duffy role from last season, with Coutts behind him and a new holding midfielder behind both.

I think Carruthers is a luxury player, ideal to come on late in games against tied opponents. Duffy I am not sure about at this level, he's failed to impress at it in the past.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

It would be unfair to say that they can't play at this level, however.....

I did think that we were overrun in midfield at times today and that man for man we were second best. It shouldn't be a surprise given the quality of the opposition but it does perhaps highlight why Wilder is looking for midfielders.

We need different qualities in there that we don't currently have and probably didn't need in the league below.

 

[Stretch]

Coutts is looking the better of the two at the moment, which is a surprise to me as I consider Fleck to be the best player we have.

Whilst I would love to see them blossom again as a duo again, I would also like us to prepare properly just in case they do not.

As Patrick Suffaux says, we might need something a bit different in there. Jackson Irvine must be gettable, especially with Brayford as leverage? Surely?

 

[Champagneblade]

I thought Duffy did better than Carruthers but it also highlighted to me how the squad would benefit from a proper combattive defensive midfielder.

Setting Duffy and Carruthers aside, a game like this away? against an ex-Prem big spending team would have been best served with a defensive midfielder and Coutts and Fleck.

 

[Wards]

I think Couttseh has been a level above Fleck so far.

 

[sheffielder]

Some real idiots creating posts tonight

 

[BanbridgeBlade]

How much of this shit do I have to read??

We lose 1 game in 6 months, away to the favourites for the league & we get people questioning if 2 of our best players are "up to it" We didn't proclaim them as world beaters after last weeks win so I'm certainly not questioning them after 1 loss.

Get a fucking grip it's 1 game. Yes by all means question the reasons we lost but come on, suggesting they aren't good enough after 1 game!!

Had we scored in the last minute this and many other ridiculous posts would not have been created so calm the fuck down.

Did you bother watching the 2nd half? Did you see how we grew into the game? Did you see how Coutts in particular was all across the field looking for the ball?

Reality check, we just played the favourites, away & didn't look out of our depth. Thank you Mr OTT but I think we'll be just fine this season.

 

[Bladezz]

Is this what it's going to be like after every loss?

Deservedly we should have had a point against one of the best squads away from home. Now is the not the time to dissect the team.

If you believe we can get a better player than Fleck or Coutts on our budge you are crazy.

 

[SwissBlade]

I think we struggle with Coutts and Fleck deep and carruthers in the attacking role. Coutts and Fleck were poor first half. Really poor. Carruthers didn't get on the ball enough, but when he did he was too far away from them( or they were too far away from him)

Stevens and Freeman were also poor In the first half. Boro did a job on Freeman.

But Boro played us perfectly in that first half, closed us down quickly and gave us no time to settle.

Second half they backed off and allowed us to play but not penetrate the final third so we looked better and had more possession.

Duffy made a big difference as he has a lot of movement but even so we still didn't get in behind them enough.

Our passing was very slow

 

[Caseh]

Coutts had the better game tonight.

I wouldn't want to drop either and I would like to see Fleck playing further forward, almost in the Duffy role from last season, with Coutts behind him and a new holding midfielder behind both.

I think Carruthers is a luxury player, ideal to come on late in games against tied opponents. Duffy I am not sure about at this level, he's failed to impress at it in the past.

If we manage to get Coady I wouldn't be surprised if you get to see your wish. Coady in Flecks position with Fleck further up would be a great change IMO.

 

[McGrath]

I think Coutts has done better than Fleck so far. He looks like he can handle being pressed harder by more physical players

 

[SHOREHAMST.com]

Our very attacking formation (and fair fucks to him after the amount of negative stuff we've seen over the years) left us exposed against much higher quality opposition - even if it was more on an individual basis than a team. That could have been a pasting if Middlesbrough had clicked already as a team. Thankfully, for confidence, it wasn't. And in the end we should have had a point.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[FTPE]

I think Coutts has done better than Fleck so far. He looks like he can handle being pressed harder by more physical players

Seriously!???
I think it's the complete opposite.

 

[McGrath]

Seriously!???
I think it's the complete opposite.

Yes seriously

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Are they up to it at this level?

Perhaps the question is can they play together at this level?

We looked wide open in midfield at times tonight. We were a little fortunate in the first half that their new players were still fitting in together otherwise they could have been out of sight, the second half we looked better once Coutts had been told to play deeper, but it didn't look a natural position for him.

A re think may be needed in selection and crucially perhaps transfer policy before the month is out.

This guy is as thick as a brick or just an out and out shit-stirrer. Both are bad. One's excusable.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Coutts and Fleck together is fine.

Boro did their homework and stifled them both well. Lesser teams will not.

Zero concerns here.

UTB

 

[Kimmy Blade]

Yes seriously

I agree

Both cracking players but Fleck seems to have struggled the first two games this season. Coutts looks very good, fully deserving of the Rolls Royce analogy.

 

[Yewsman]

I think both can clearly play at this level. However they and particularly the rest of the team need to get used to the fact that at this level you get closed down much quicker. Sadly at Boro and also against Brentford we made too many mistakes giving the ball away. Even Coutts and Fleck. We need to try and stop that. Overall however we lost 1-0 to the team everyone's saying are favourites for promotion. But more importantly they created hardly any chances - one shot on target in the whole of second half wasn't it and even in the first half it was mainly hopeful crosses into the box not slick one twos opening up the defence. As others have said however and Wilder obviously thinks we do need to strengthen midfield with different options. I am sure Coutts and Fleck will get stronger as they play more at this level.

 

[robbiez666]

They were both poor first half, but it was Carruthers who was the main problem. What was he doing? He was pressing so high he was playing as a third striker at times?

Fleck has been off the pace all pre-season, but I assume he'll settle. They were almost zero protection for our defence first half. What didn't help is that we were just lobbing long hopeless balls up after they scored. We panicked, they closed us down and we saw the difference in quality of their players to ours.

I'll put my hand up and admit that I didn't think Fleck and Coutts would be good enough to dominate midfield last season. I was obviously wrong.

I think the same can be said again. If they had someone else in there with them, which looks to be Wilder's plan with these attempted signings, they'd be fine.

I really don't think we can get away with a Fleck, Coutts and Carruthers midfield three unless the wing backs are dominant and the strikers come back and help out.

I think Tuesday will be a huge test.