I remember not so long ago.......

[The_Green_Man]

When we attacked in 4's and 5's with players from midfield who were hungry to get up and get on the goalsheet themselves. We had two strikers in the box but the wingers cutting in and two to three players hitting the edge of the box made the opposition defenders bob themselves.

This wasn't all that long ago, in fact I seem to recall it as that first season with Danny Wilson at the helm. Not for one minute am I saying that this was all Wilson's doing I don't believe that in the slightest. It was the players that he had at his disposal.

What is the difference now? Too many clueless steady eddies in midfield! No natural width! Nobody who is willing the take the bull by the horn in Midfield and get forward to join in with the attack. I don't think we have the quality, the creativity or the athletes in Midfield who can offer us this what so ever which leaves SAS to battle it out on their own to no avail.

I saw a player capable of this on TV this lunchtime for Wolves and he scored his third goal of the season for Wolves. We sold our most recent player capable of doing this to Brighton not so long ago. If we are going to sell them we need to replace them.

The teams who get promoted from this league get forward in numbers and score goals from midfield. In Basham, Reed and Baxter we don't have this threat what so ever. Out wide in Campbell-Ryce and Woolford we don't have this threat what so ever. The only real exception is Adams but he isn't going to do it single handed.

In Dean Hammond we might have another steady eddy with the experience to come into the middle of the park and break up play and play that sensible pass. This might give Baxter the license to play in a more attacking manner but again I don't think the is the answer.

Teams with supposedly poorer squad on paper that us are far better equipped in this area than us. Burton, Coventry, Gillingham and Walsall have have midfield threats and are able to attack in numbers.

If we don't address this then we might as well give up because we need goals from all over the pitch and the only person likely to get on the scoresheet right now is Billy Sharp and he can't single handed fire us to the top. He would need 40-50 goals this season to put us in with a shout!

Make or break time. We don't have the quality going forward! This is in the middle of the park and out wide.

 

[Rodley]

Wilson's team should have walked the league. Evans was reputedly earning neck end of £20,000 per week for christ's sake.

That team had plenty players who were bona fide Championship quality (Quinn, Williamson, McDonald, Maguire, Evans, etc). Despite all the Evans business, it was still rank mismanagement from the coaching staff which led to us not winning the league that year.

Ditto Clough who signed a huge volume of players on long contracts who were either beset with injuries, physically small, or not of particularly good quality.

Adkins needs time to sort it out, but has the pedigree to do it. Despite this, I still think we have a squad capable of top 6, as its essentially the same squad which did it last season. I keep saying it, we need to make the two key loan signings.

 

[davidpinder]

When we attacked in 4's and 5's with players from midfield who were hungry to get up and get on the goalsheet themselves. We had two strikers in the box but the wingers cutting in and two to three players hitting the edge of the box made the opposition defenders bob themselves.

This wasn't all that long ago, in fact I seem to recall it as that first season with Danny Wilson at the helm. Not for one minute am I saying that this was all Wilson's doing I don't believe that in the slightest. It was the players that he had at his disposal.

What is the difference now? Too many clueless steady eddies in midfield! No natural width! Nobody who is willing the take the bull by the horn in Midfield and get forward to join in with the attack. I don't think we have the quality, the creativity or the athletes in Midfield who can offer us this what so ever which leaves SAS to battle it out on their own to no avail.

I saw a player capable of this on TV this lunchtime for Wolves and he scored his third goal of the season for Wolves. We sold our most recent player capable of doing this to Brighton not so long ago. If we are going to sell them we need to replace them.

The teams who get promoted from this league get forward in numbers and score goals from midfield. In Basham, Reed and Baxter we don't have this threat what so ever. Out wide in Campbell-Ryce and Woolford we don't have this threat what so ever. The only real exception is Adams but he isn't going to do it single handed.

In Dean Hammond we might have another steady eddy with the experience to come into the middle of the park and break up play and play that sensible pass. This might give Baxter the license to play in a more attacking manner but again I don't think the is the answer.

Teams with supposedly poorer squad on paper that us are far better equipped in this area than us. Burton, Coventry, Gillingham and Walsall have have midfield threats and are able to attack in numbers.

If we don't address this then we might as well give up because we need goals from all over the pitch and the only person likely to get on the scoresheet right now is Billy Sharp and he can't single handed fire us to the top. He would need 40-50 goals this season to put us in with a shout!

Make or break time. We don't have the quality going forward! This is in the middle of the park and out wide.

We lack a match winner, that's not a forward he picks up the scraps but when there isn't any that match winner produces a bit of magic to win the game. Murphy as you rightly say was one, McDonald was another but we refuse to spend any money. I look forward to Jims excuse come May.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

JCR (imperfectly) offers that sort of penetration along with (youthfully inconsistent) Adams, but agree with the O/P very much. The midfield lacks drive, penetration, goal threat & energy (as well as it not protecting the vulnerable back 4 adequately).

Matt Done's gonna be a boon to counter this Blades lethargy in part (albeit up front). I was only listening on the radio today, but I was struck by one passage when Buchan was describing Matty chasing a ball down on the far left, having gone over all the way from his right-sided position. I just thought: "Matty Done's back". Oh, for another nine* with his sort of attitude.

While the rest of the division's gone down the youthful, energetic, enthusiastic route, we're overstocked with older, slower, safer, don't-take-any-risks types. That youthful Colchester side who took the piss at the Lane showed just how immobile we are as a side.

Nige has got to make changes; the board have got to back him.



(*I'll exclude Billy: his attitude's fine)

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Edit

 

[Bladesman]

Midfielder and centre back are required but we have been saying that for ages.

We just keep "missing out" on the players we want as usual.

 

[The_Green_Man]

With attacking in mind and baring in mind that our success this season pretty much hangs on scoring enough goals from other areas of the pitch than just Sharp and Sammon. What does our midfield have to offer other than Che Adams?

JCR - Has a bit of pace and trickery about him still but has a tendency to beat a man and go back on himself. Alternatively he puts the ball in the box but he doesn't do this anywhere near enough and when he does the quality isn't always there.

Baxter - Technically our best central midfielder. Shows signs of real quality but nowhere near often enough. Might get one decent game from six out of him. His fitness levels and work rate are more than questionable. If we kept him fit and on form then yes he could quite easily bag a few goals but I don't think we will get this from him.

Reed - It isn't through lack of effort but he isn't ready yet and I will honestly put my hands up and say that I thought he might have been and argued this point. He is a little ankle nipper and he will chase the ball around and try and get stuck in however this is pretty much is type of game. Going forward you might get the odd decent pass but other than that he offers nothing attacking wise.

Basham - An older Reed. He will try and get stuck in and break stuff down and every now and again he might try to force the ball forward a bit but again going forward he doesn't offer much and won't score us goals.

And the same applies with any other midfielders that we have. I don't see goals!