Fleck

[Grappler]

I think Lundstrum, when fully fit, will give us another option, a tank-like midfielder who can run direct at opposition.

Carruthers is a maverick type, does lovely, tricky stuff, and then a sloppy pass. Like we have all said, we will have to live with it, it seems part of his game.

Coutts is deceptively strong, very rare he loses the ball. When an opposition player closes him down, he just puts the palm of hand on the players chest and holds him off at a safe distance until he has run out of danger or made his pass, just watch him, does it all the time.

Fleck's free kick was almost a spectacular goal.

I would have maybe brought Duffy on for Carruthers, a like-for-like swap, but what do I know.

I will take a 1-0 win, every game, from now to the end of the season.

 

[robbiez666]

I thought Fleck has had a slower pre-season than Coutts. He'll be fine, but just taking longer to get up to speed. I thought he was the poorest of the three yesterday (not that he was poor).

 

[Sean Thornton]

I thought fleck did well, carruthers looked good a little frustrating at times and I think Coutts was knackered after 60 mins. I would have swapped Coutts for lundstrom instead of carruthers.

Carruthers took a knock on his thigh about ten minutes before he went off. He spoke to Wilder when it happened.

 

[raimond]

I thought first half, you could see the step up in pace straight away, Fleck, O'Connell, Carruthers all getting caught in possession.

I thought the best thing about yesterday & encouraging for the season is we learned and readjusted bloody quick, and started the 2nd half like a different side altogether.

I thought Fleck looked class in the 2nd half, the free kick, a couple of runs carrying it like he does on the counter- back to his shimmying best. Most class act we've had in years, him & Jack O'Connell will both be bloody brilliant in this league

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Excellent display yesterday. One or two wayward passes but worked his socks off.

Surprised others were getting MOM mentions after the game tbh and no mention of Fleck.

Least impressed with Carruthers. Doesn't really possess the cuteness to play the supporting role to Sharp and Clarke. Would like to have seen Brooks come on for him after an hour.

Carruthers was superb and shouldn't have been subbed unless injured. Coutts was anonymous and should have been subbed. One game,two completely different views.

 

[Benny and the Blades]

Maybe we're all making judgements on one game, let's give it four or five more before we set them in stone. It took Mr Wilder that long before he had something like the team he wanted last season and after that some never got a game again, and others came out of the shadows ...

 

[DronnieBlade]

Carruthers was superb and shouldn't have been subbed unless injured. Coutts was anonymous and should have been subbed. One game,two completely different views.

Wow.

Just wow.

Anonymous like he had the least amount of touches of the ball of any UTD player ?

UTB

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Wow.

Just wow.

Anonymous like he had the least amount of touches of the ball of any UTD player ?

UTB

And did not a lot with most of it.
Like I said. One game different views.
Coutts was the least relevant of the 3 middies IMO.

 

[IMABLADE]

Excellent display yesterday. One or two wayward passes but worked his socks off.

Surprised others were getting MOM mentions after the game tbh and no mention of Fleck.

Least impressed with Carruthers. Doesn't really possess the cuteness to play the supporting role to Sharp and Clarke. Would like to have seen Brooks come on for him after an hour.

I thought fleck was the worst of the 3 midfielders to start in the first half. But he won headers which shocked me. He seemed to be half the man he was last season at the start, but grew into the game, and finished off as the the best midfielder in the game.

 

[DronnieBlade]

And did not a lot with most of it.
Like I said. One game different views.
Coutts was the least relevant of the 3 middies IMO.

Righdo.

Opinions vary. I get that. But anonymous ??????

Just a thought. What sort of perch do you (and others) have ? Pitch level I.e. near front, or higher up at the back ? Can make a world of difference to your perception. IMHO.

UTB

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Righdo.

Opinions vary. I get that. But anonymous ??????

Just a thought. What sort of perch do you (and others) have ? Pitch level I.e. near front, or higher up at the back ? Can make a world of difference to your perception. IMHO.

UTB

I'm in BLUT mate,so a great view with perspective. Coutts playing as deep as he does reminds me of Butch Wilins,aka the crab. Always plays the easy ball,but seldom forward. Sorry if he's one of your faves mate. I think he plays ridiculously within his levels of capability. Rather see a player play to their limits and push themselves. He walks through games. Also,playing just in front of the back 3 it wouldn't hurt him to close down and tackle.
IMHO.

 

[DronnieBlade]

I'm in BLUT mate,so a great view with perspective. Coutts playing as deep as he does reminds me of Butch Wilins,aka the crab. Always plays the easy ball,but seldom forward. Sorry if he's one of your faves mate. I think he plays ridiculously within his levels of capability. Rather see a player play to their limits and push themselves. He walks through games. Also,playing just in front of the back 3 it wouldn't hurt him to close down and tackle.
IMHO.

Always maintained best view in ground up there. Certainly the steepest stand of all four sides, which I'm sure helps see things you wouldn't get at ground level.

I think he's improving in the areas you pick out. He's no Kante, that's for sure, but he is trying harder. I actually thought he put a shift in defensively yesterday and made some good timely challenges. He wafts through games because he has that air of class and arrogance about him. Deceptively quick, deliciously talented with the ball, my admiration is unequivocal.

I'll stand by my assertion that he fulfils the most important role / function of this current UTD side. And he does it well.

Fawning over !

UTB

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Always maintained best view in ground up there. Certainly the steepest stand of all four sides, which I'm sure helps see things you wouldn't get at ground level.

I think he's improving in the areas you pick out. He's no Kante, that's for sure, but he is trying harder. I actually thought he put a shift in defensively yesterday and made some good timely challenges. He wafts through games because he has that air of class and arrogance about him. Deceptively quick, deliciously talented with the ball, my admiration is unequivocal.

I'll stand by my assertion that he fulfils the most important role / function of this current UTD side. And he does it well.

Fawning over !

UTB

Respect your opinion.
TC was all you say about Coutts and tons more,but had a killer tackle in him and he played way further forward.
Coutts has a great shot but seldom lets one go. Just think he would rather take the easy options in all aspects of his game.
Your view of him describes a prem player. Why isn't he ?
Happy to coast IMHO.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Respect your opinion.
TC was all you say about Coutts and tons more,but had a killer tackle in him and he played way further forward.
Coutts has a great shot but seldom lets one go. Just think he would rather take the easy options in all aspects of his game.
Your view of him describes a prem player. Why isn't he ?
Happy to coast IMHO.

I think the same about him and have always thought he's capable of much better but often takes the easy way out. He hit a screamer yesterday after some great close passing and excellent control and you think, why not more often?

Quality player, by far the most skilfull at the club. Defensively though yesterday, I thought he looked composed.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

I think the same about him and have always thought he's capable of much better but often takes the easy way out. He hit a screamer yesterday after some great close passing and excellent control and you think, why not more often?

Quality player, by far the most skilfull at the club. Defensively though yesterday, I thought he looked composed.

Think he could do so much more at both ends of the pitch and would question why not. If a player has it in him and dosen't do it I question his worth. Sorry if I'm slashing,actually I'm not slashing nor sorry on this one.

 

[McGrath]

I thought Coutts, particularly in the first half was very important to us. Where as others were getting harried into making mistakes on the ball by Brentfords pressing, Coutts kept control, didn't give it away and kept us moving. He seemed to have an extra split second in the ball

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

I thought Coutts, particularly in the first half was very important to us. Where as others were getting harried into making mistakes on the ball by Brentfords pressing, Coutts kept control, didn't give it away and kept us moving. He seemed to have an extra split second in the ball

He isn't pacy,or hungry though.

 

[Sean Thornton]

He isn't pacy,or hungry though.

Like Higdon?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Like Higdon?

Oops, thought it said pasty and hungry!

Higgopotamus. That was one of yours wasn't it SBT?

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Oops, thought it said pasty and hungry!

Higgopotamus. That was one of yours wasn't it SBT?

It was Sean. Quite proud of that one.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

Pretty sure I was close to originating "Hammond's a wage thieving cunt" as well. But then there were plenty of others on his case so can't claim it with confidence.

 

[McGrath]

He isn't pacy,or hungry though.

He's well fed, but not overly fed. I think that's what we want

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

He's well fed, but not overly fed. I think that's what we want

Hardly black or French though.

 

[McGrath]

Hardly black or French though.

I've heard rumours to the contrary

 

[wizadry]

Fleck wasn't at his best on Saturday but he still wasn't bad, we have come to expect a great performance from him every week because that's almost what he's delivered. He'll be valuable to us this season.

Coutts was a lot better defensively on Saturday and can't believe some can't see this. He looked fitter than ever and a lot fresher than one of my favourites in John Fleck.

Carruthers looked good, always trying something which is what I like to see. Unfortunately, especially away from home I can't see us playing Carruthers, I think we'll go with a solid three of Lundstram, Coutts and Fleck with Fleck having more licence to get forward but it's going to be a very good ride and intriguing to see all the same.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Wasn't that long ago when our midfield duo was Michael Doyle and Stephen McGinn. It's nice being able to argue over which of Fleck, Coutts and Carruthers were best this week

 

[B14Nco]

Funny how we see things so different eh? For me, Carruthers was our most creative player. He ran his socks off and he's got very quick feet, can turn on a sixpence and he was all over the place with the ball. He genuinely caused Brentford some problems because they didn't know where he was going to be, when, or what he was going to do next. At the same time, he'll do a brilliant jinking run and get around several of their players then....do a right sloppy pass when it was easier to do a good one. I think some of the folks on here who were not impressed with Carruthers are completely ignoring all the positive work he did and only focusing on the three or four sloppy passes he did during the game. I'm afraid, from what I've seen of Carruthers so far, that this is him. He will do the most amazing creative things and be totally unpredictable - but he'll also make the odd careless and casual mistake as well. I can live with that - because he'll do more damage to the opposition being that type of player, than his occasional mistakes will do to us.

Coutts, for me, was anything but knackered. In fact I think it's the fittest I've ever seen Coutts - and I thought that in the pre season games too. I don't know where RMBlade has got his confidence in Lundstram from, based on the glimpse we saw of him yesterday, but I'd be very concerned about taking Coutts off at any stage of a game unless we were absolutely coasting it, because he's the cement that holds the team together. Without him we'd be back to the team that started last season with lots of effort and energy but no ability to hold onto the ball and keep possession. Said on another thread but I'll reserve judgement on Lundstrom till I've seen more of him, but initial impressions were big, strong, slow.

Fleck to me wasn't quite on the pace yesterday. Didn't have a bad game, but there have been many games when he's been unplayable and yesterday wasn't one of them. The opposition midfield were very quick.

I was impressed with that ginger haired guy in midfield for them. Ryan Woods. Looked him up in fact and he's an ex Shrewsbury Town player that won two Player of The Year awards whilst he was there. Championship side Brentford then signed him from League 1 Shrewsbury for a fee reported to be £1M. Signing players from League 1 to play in the Championship eh? But that's not supposed to work according to our friends over at S6 is it?

Agree with all this.

Sami also did a really good job seeing where Sharp and Clarke were not going to close and seamlessly fill the gap.

I was pleasantly surprised just how comfortable Coutts looked to be fair. Thought he'd be okay but looked exactly the same as last year.

Fleck I thought wasn't anywhere near what I expected 1st half... (but think that's probably a belief thing) but it was no coincidence that the better he got in the 2nd half the better we got.

Thought Enda looked class and well at home.

But I still think we desperately need a little more quality up top (no matter how well Clark played - after his initial I'm not sure if I deserve to be here 20mins).