Souza out? Choudhury vs Brooks

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

If Souza's out who would you rather see in midfield alongside Peck.. Choudhury or Brooks?

For me it's Brooks all day long, Choudhury is a very limited player as I can tell. Must be incredibly frustrating for Brooks to see us playing so poorly and still not get a sniff of action... sure he's not brilliant every game, but neither are the others. Definitely think he's been under utilised.

 

[Dark muffy]

I'm concerned Peck won't be fit for sunday, looked like he was feeling his right groin for the last ten mins and constantly looking at the clock to see how long he had to last.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Brooks has very little experience in playing in a central midfield duo. Choudhury is a good defensive midfielder, but we need to make sure we don't play with a two man midfield, i.e they need help from the front four.

 

[DI36O]

When has Brooks ever played in the middle? Sounds like another Burrows square peg in round hole job.

 

[joe casey]

Wilder does not trust Brooks - he's barely featured since early on in the season. I even recall Wilder was calling out his effort in training - there is zero chance he starts in a two with Peck on Sunday

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

Billy blacker it is

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

When has Brooks ever played in the middle? Sounds like another Burrows square peg in round hole job.

He played central last season. Was one of our better players after Wilder took over.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Last time Brooks played centre mid we were 4-0 down in 30 minutes

 

[Shawy24]

I’d be happy with Choudhury if he actually played in midfield rather than as an auxiliary centre back. Brooks is too lightweight for the dirty work.

 

[SwissBlade]

If Souza's out who would you rather see in midfield alongside Peck.. Choudhury or Brooks?

For me it's Brooks all day long, Choudhury is a very limited player as I can tell. Must be incredibly frustrating for Brooks to see us playing so poorly and still not get a sniff of action... sure he's not brilliant every game, but neither are the others. Definitely think he's been under utilised.

Choudhury. Has Brooks played Defensive midfield? Hamer will also start Sunday

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Wilder does not trust Brooks - he's barely featured since early on in the season. I even recall Wilder was calling out his effort in training - there is zero chance he starts in a two with Peck on Sunday

He played central last season. Was one of our better players after Wilder took over.

He really wasn't that good he just ran with the ball a bit before losing it but standards were so low at that point. His dribbling is his strong point. He isn't a center mid.

 

[robbiez666]

Is this actually a genuine question?

A DM to replace a DM or a winger/wide midfielder who hasn't played for I don't know how long to play in a position he can't play?

CM will be crucial against Wednesday. Charles is their best player. Then there's Bannon.

 

[Badger Blade]

Not 100% sold on Choudhury but he gets the nod over Brooks.

I think Burrows might have ended up in the middle last night by the end and isn't an experiment I want to see continuing.

I'm not against putting Hamer in there and doing more of a Christmas tree type job with him and O'Hare alongside Choudhury and pushing on to support whoever plays up front in the old Fleck/Lundstram-type scenario with Rak Sakyi wide one side and maybe Brooks on the other.

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

Brooks all time appearance stats by position played according to transfermarkt:

 

[MayorOJC]

Hamer was a full time CM/DM at Coventry and was regularly one of the best players in the league. No reason why we can't play him central (when needed) and rely on BBD and JRS on the wings.

 

[robbiez666]

Not 100% sold on Choudhury but he gets the nod over Brooks.

I think Burrows might have ended up in the middle last night by the end and isn't an experiment I want to see continuing.

I'm not against putting Hamer in there and doing more of a Christmas tree type job with him and O'Hare alongside Choudhury and pushing on to support whoever plays up front in the old Fleck/Lundstram-type scenario with Rak Sakyi wide one side and maybe Brooks on the other.

Hamer was noticeably dropping deeper last night and slotting into a deep lying playmaker role. I presume this was to do with his fitness, but I think playing 3 in midfield against Wednesday might be a better idea that expecting Choudhury and Peck to boss it alone.

something like:

-----------------Cooper
--Seriki-------Anel------Robbo------Burrows
-------Choudhury---Hamer----Peck
-------JRS--------Campbell-------O'Hare

I do think Wilder will be worried about their aerial danger so BBD and Moore might start.

 

[joe casey]

Brooks all time appearance stats by position played according to transfermarkt:

View attachment 206014

All those "central" midfield appearances will have been on the right or left of a three though I'd imagine - never in a two

 

[Champagneblade]

Brooks all time appearance stats by position played according to transfermarkt:

View attachment 206014

That’s when we played a 4-3-3 last season and he was on the left of three but because it’s a flat 3 and there are wide players further forward it’s counted as central midfield.

Played as part of a double pivot isn’t a role we’ve really seen him in, thought Choudhury needs to push further up or else we looks like we have an additional centre back and have Peck on his own.

 

[Badger Blade]

That’s when we played a 4-3-3 last season and he was on the left of three but because it’s a flat 3 and there are wide players further forward it’s counted as central midfield.

Played as part of a double pivot isn’t a role we’ve really seen him in, thought Choudhury needs to push further up or else we looks like we have an additional centre back and have Peck on his own.

Choudhury basically played the Norwood role without any 50 yard balls put on a sixpence for anybody.

 

[Shawy24]

Hamer was a full time CM/DM at Coventry and was regularly one of the best players in the league. No reason why we can't play him central (when needed) and rely on BBD and JRS on the wings.

There is a reason we can’t play him central and that is unfortunately down to CW the tactical genius and king of the bizarre substitution.

 

[FTPE]

Hamer was noticeably dropping deeper last night and slotting into a deep lying playmaker role. I presume this was to do with his fitness, but I think playing 3 in midfield against Wednesday might be a better idea that expecting Choudhury and Peck to boss it alone.

something like:

-----------------Cooper
--Seriki-------Anel------Robbo------Burrows
-------Choudhury---Hamer----Peck
-------JRS--------Campbell-------O'Hare

I do think Wilder will be worried about their aerial danger so BBD and Moore might start.

I honestly don't know much about them, I certainly don't watch their goals. I know the have a tricky winger and two donkeys up top, are they good in the air and at set pieces then?

 

[Nick Jansky]

I honestly don't know much about them, I certainly don't watch their goals. I know the have a tricky winger and two donkeys up top, are they good in the air and at set pieces then?

Not particularly, Smith doesn’t get a lot of game time, but they do deliver a lot of balls into the box.

 

[FTPE]

Not particularly, Smith doesn’t get a lot of game time, but they do deliver a lot of balls into the box.

We defending the box well to be fair, we don't stop crosses much but if they want to whip balls in Cooper, anel and (hopefully) Holding should mop those up

 

[FTPE]

I'm just winding myself up already at the thought of Bannan running the midfield if Souza, Blaster, Davies and Gus aren't in there.

 

[RMBlade]

I think Choudhury was poor and way off the pace last night. Sat far too deep and never closed down his man. If theres no Souza I would go Hamer and Peck. We have BBD now so no need to play Hamer on the LW. My line up (assuming to Souza):

----------Campbell----------
BBD-------O'Hare-------JRS
------Hamer-----Peck------
Burrows Robbo Anel Seriki
----------Cooper-----------

 

[Nick Jansky]

We defending the box well to be fair, we don't stop crosses much but if they want to whip balls in Cooper, anel and (hopefully) Holding should mop those up

They tend to play low balls into the box rather than high ones. We need to be stopping those balls coming in from Gassama & Valery. Both of them are very good at running at & going past defenders, usually fed by Bannan. That is why a much poorer squad has scored more goals than us. We need to pin them back as far as possible. If we sit back & let them come on to us at any point we’re asking for trouble.

 

[FTPE]

They tend to play low balls into the box rather than high ones. We need to be stopping those balls coming in from Gassama & Valery. Both of them are very good at running at & going past defenders, usually fed by Bannan. That is why a much poorer squad has scored more goals than us. We need to pin them back as far as possible. If we sit back & let them come on to us at any point we’re asking for trouble.

Well, I'd pick Gilchrist over all 3 of the others at RB then. Especially with the help JRS gives.
Burrows might struggle too, but with the formation we play, that's the chance we take. We have to make them worry about our strengths ie we need to get the most out of the 3 attacking midfielders.

 

[Ned the Donkey]

Wilder does not trust Brooks - he's barely featured since early on in the season. I even recall Wilder was calling out his effort in training - there is zero chance he starts in a two with Peck on Sunday

From memory Brooks scored a great goal in an away game (Watford?), but totally lost his man when they scored. I imagine he's being told he needs to work on both sides of the game if he's going to play at a high level.

 

[wizadry]

Is this actually a genuine question?

A DM to replace a DM or a winger/wide midfielder who hasn't played for I don't know how long to play in a position he can't play?

CM will be crucial against Wednesday. Charles is their best player. Then there's Bannon.

Charles, their midfield maestro, who went off last night at half time against Norwich away, 2-0 down, whose side then went on to win 3-2, that Charles? He gets booked so often because he lacks positional awareness, we need to exploit this in between the lines because this is where we will catch the wankers out.

We must get this area right, I agree with that.