Steve Sidwell

[sussex_guy2k2]

Our midfield back up to Kayal and Stephens has shown itself to not be good enough, not sure whether Sidwell would improve it. We must give Towell time to try to be the answer..

Not good enough for what? To be back up Championship players? To play at a good Championship level when given a run of games?

The only one who really hasn't proven himself to be good enough for us at the moment is Towell, and that's because he hasn't played games to prove it yet. The others are all good Championship players, particularly when their role is as back up to the first choice pairing.

 

[BensGrandad]

Not good enough for what? To be back up Championship players? To play at a good Championship level when given a run of games?

The only one who really hasn't proven himself to be good enough for us at the moment is Towell, and that's because he hasn't played games to prove it yet. The others are all good Championship players, particularly when their role is as back up to the first choice pairing.[/QUOTE


That is personal opinion wih which I do not agree Towell is an unknown so we shall have to wait and see how he progresses. Ince has shown he isnt good enough and possibly never will be, again we shall have to see. Holla may have been in the past but is now about Lge 1 or 2 standard. JFC has shown he could be but something is not right when he plays for us. Crofts was Championship standard but injuries have taken their toll but now he is onlycapable and best used as a late sub. This is of course my opion hich some may agree with or not.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Not good enough for what? To be back up Championship players? To play at a good Championship level when given a run of games?

The only one who really hasn't proven himself to be good enough for us at the moment is Towell, and that's because he hasn't played games to prove it yet. The others are all good Championship players, particularly when their role is as back up to the first choice pairing.[/QUOTE


That is personal opinion wih which I do not agree Towell is an unknown so we shall have to wait and see how he progresses. Ince has shown he isnt good enough and possibly never will be, again we shall have to see. Holla may have been in the past but is now about Lge 1 or 2 standard. JFC has shown he could be but something is not right when he plays for us. Crofts was Championship standard but injuries have taken their toll but now he is onlycapable and best used as a late sub. This is of course my opion hich some may agree with or not.

You're right insofar as some of this is subjective. But the conversation has only come about because you've claimed that the players you're discussing aren't good enough for us (nor have you defined what is "good enough" for us, nor have you classified what Championship, League 1 or League 2 standard is).

So the only thing that you've really got any justification in saying so far is that Towell is an unknown quantity (which no one has disagreed with you on).

Crofts proved himself prior to his injury to be as good as Stephens and it's hard to really justify saying he's no longer good enough when he's only really played 3 games this season, 2 of which were out of position on the right (one of which was in a massively changed side in the cup) and the other of which was as a holding midfielder which he himself said after that game that he'd barely played in years, although he was happy to do so.

Ince will always split opinions, I get that, partly because people don't seem to be able to work out whether he's a holding players/breaker up of play or a box to box player. However, what most people will agree with is that when he's been given a run in the side in the past 2 years (not the odd game here and there) he's proven himself to be capable at Championship level.

As for Holla, I don't get where you're getting the opinion from that he's become "League 1 or 2 standard". It certainly can't have been on the games he played last year... and he's certainly not played regularly enough this year in a consistent role to be judged upon. He's had 11 minutes of league football after all!

Basically, all of your opinions equate to "these players aren't as good as Kayal or Stephens and therefore they're not good enough for us" - which forgets that a) football is a squad game, and b) these players aren't being given regular football because of the outstanding form of the other two, not because they're not good enough for us.

Which all goes back to the original post. Maybe Sidwell is better than those players. But what's his current salary? £30k a week? More? Would he bring enough to our side to warrant a change in formation to include him alongside Kayal and Stephens? Would he be happy being back up to those two? Would he be able to do that much more in 11 minutes than Holla's done in the 11 minutes he's been given? Would his form equally slide if he was only given 10 minutes here and there from the subs bench...?

 

[NooBHA]

Ok BG so we don't need a striker? Lets start a new trend in footy tactics a I-4-6-0 lineup.

Chelsea won the Champions League playing that formation in the 2 leg semi final and then again in the final

 

[BensGrandad]

I do not see the players in training and can only jusge like most on what they produce on the field whether it be 90 mins for 3 games or 10 ins in late in a game and I believe that what I have seen tells me that Holla and Crofts are not playing as well as both have in the paattacking midfield playerst and the mediocre performnce when played by Hollas as opposed to his great game at Ipswich last season is that for whatever reason he would be best suited to another club in possibly a lower division.

As regards Crofts he was prior to his injury a very effective attacking midfielder who would get into the box and score goals but alo get back and defend but he seems unable to do the same when called upon this season.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

People forget the reality of the situation. Crofts may have lost his edge due to injuries but prior to injury was thought of more fondly than Stephens and he's someone who was getting regular games as an international prior to injury.

Holla's come from Holland where he played a lot of games for decent sides and he didn't exactly disgrace himself last year.

These are good players who could play for us comfortably. Are they as good as Stephens and Kayal? Well probably not, but they're very very capable Championship back up, as is Ince, plus we have Towell who's only just come into the squad who, at 24, will probably be expecting to play a fair portion of games.

We are not short of players who are very capable back up in central midfield and it's a myth that we are - if anything, we have too much back up that is proven at Championship level and much of it is stagnating due to the lack of game time it's being afforded by CH. Don't get me wrong, the players you mention could be improved upon, but so could Kayal and Stephens in an ideal world.

So my point... The idea that we lack quality back up in central midfield areas is a myth. Steven Sidwell wouldn't add enough to our squad to justify the huge wages we'd have to pay him and there are other areas where we could get players in who would cover areas we are actually short in - we aren't Derby or Hull either, and the likelihood is we have to be much more concerned with how we spend our money than either of these two clubs at present, so we need to focus on areas where we don't have adequate back up.

I admit I wasn't there, but from the radio commentary Holla and Ince didn't sound at all impressive at Hull, and have probably blown their opportunities to be the back up to Kayal and Stephens. Ince's only contribution this season has been a poor back pass to concede a goal (Derby or QPR?), and we looked very poor against Preston when both Kayal and Stephens were out. Crofts seems to have lost a fair bit from his game from his two injuries, and so we probably do need a decent cover midfielder. Presumably this is why Richie Towell has been signed. Bens Granddad said Sidwell wanted game time. He won't get that while Kayal and Stephens are fit. I guess we have to hope Kayal and Stephens stay fit. Otherwise, perhaps Knockaert, Murphy or Towell will play at the forward end of a diamond.

 

[fat old seagull]

Chelsea won the Champions League playing that formation in the 2 leg semi final and then again in the final

Maybe so, but I trust you understand I wasn't serious. And also trust we won't be playing without forwards.

 

[NooBHA]

Maybe so, but I trust you understand I wasn't serious. And also trust we won't be playing without forwards.

Yeh I knew it was a joke. And Yes i know we won't be playing without forwards

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I do not see the players in training and can only jusge like most on what they produce on the field whether it be 90 mins for 3 games or 10 ins in late in a game and I believe that what I have seen tells me that Holla and Crofts are not playing as well as both have in the paattacking midfield playerst and the mediocre performnce when played by Hollas as opposed to his great game at Ipswich last season is that for whatever reason he would be best suited to another club in possibly a lower division.

As regards Crofts he was prior to his injury a very effective attacking midfielder who would get into the box and score goals but alo get back and defend but he seems unable to do the same when called upon this season.

so you have just admitted to judging Holla on the 11 minutes he's had this season in the league?

Just to further my point, Crofts has played 500 minutes this season according to whoscored.com. That's about 100 minutes a month, or just over 1 game. I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter what level you play at, if that's all the game time you've had in a season you're not going to perform to the best of your ability as you're unlikely to be match fit, you're not in rhythm with your team mates, you're less in tune with the manager's instructions and you've not had a chance to build up your confidence. If you're judging Crofts on that so far, especially when 3 games of that have been out of position, then that's more a sign of your ignorance than their ability to play for our football club.

P.s. You know Crofts played as a defensive midfielder against Ipswich right? It's hard to be an attacking midfielder when your role is to sit in front of the back four ��

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

so you have just admitted to judging Holla on the 11 minutes he's had this season in the league?

Just to further my point, Crofts has played 500 minutes this season according to whoscored.com. That's about 100 minutes a month, or just over 1 game. I'm sorry, but it doesn't matter what level you play at, if that's all the game time you've had in a season you're not going to perform to the best of your ability as you're unlikely to be match fit, you're not in rhythm with your team mates, you're less in tune with the manager's instructions and you've not had a chance to build up your confidence. If you're judging Crofts on that so far, especially when 3 games of that have been out of position, then that's more a sign of your ignorance than their ability to play for our football club.

P.s. You know Crofts played as a defensive midfielder against Ipswich right? It's hard to be an attacking midfielder when your role is to sit in front of the back four ��

Crofts has done okay this season.

Based on last year Holla is simply too slow for the championship and needs to get back to Holland.

 

[BensGrandad]

The Star on Sunday says he is prepared to drop a division from Stoke to get games Fulham and Reading interested, Could he be the man to get between Kayal and Stephens to l.ink with the strikers? My first thought was Yes but on reflection I wondeer if he is too similar to what we have

I couldnt resist bouncing this from 11th Jan

 

[Da Man Clay]

I couldnt resist bouncing this from 11th Jan

Well done. One of the 658 players you have suggested has actually signed for us.

 

[Albumen]

The Star on Sunday says he is prepared to drop a division from Stoke to get games Fulham and Reading interested, Could he be the man to get between Kayal and Stephens to l.ink with the strikers? My first thought was Yes but on reflection I wondeer if he is too similar to what we have

He's GOT OOOONNNNEEEEEE!

 

[Acker79]

The Star on Sunday says he is prepared to drop a division from Stoke to get games Fulham and Reading interested, Could he be the man to get between Kayal and Stephens to l.ink with the strikers? My first thought was Yes but on reflection I wondeer if he is too similar to what we have

It looks like you were wrong. He is not too similar to what we have. Bad luck, you almost got one.

 

[BensGrandad]

It looks like you were wrong. He is not too similar to what we have. Bad luck, you almost got one.

Some people have to find a negative even in a positive. But do I care?

 

[sdmartin1]

 

[Postman Pat]

Should we be expecting Jlloyd to be pitching up soon?

 

[Paul Reids Sock]

I couldnt resist bouncing this from 11th Jan

haha, fair play BG

The amount of grief you get on here for suggesting players I bet you couldn't wait to bounce this. I am also kid of wishing we sign Jlloyd Samuel and he turns out to be amazing. So peoples heads would explode they would get that angry

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I couldnt resist bouncing this from 11th Jan

I must say, I don't particularly get the logic behind the signing unless he's going to replace Stephens, particularly at the cost of getting him in which is no doubt rather high and particularly as we have other priority areas and we're stacked with midfielders, but may as well get behind the guy. He'll brighten up the AMEX for sure.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I must say, I don't particularly get the logic behind the signing unless he's going to replace Stephens, particularly at the cost of getting him in which is no doubt rather high and particularly as we have other priority areas and we're stacked with midfielders, but may as well get behind the guy. He'll brighten up the AMEX for sure.

It gives us flexibilty, the ability to rest Kayal or Stephens, and the possibility of going up to Hull etc. with a Kayal-Stephens-Sidwell central midfield, which may just help bring back 3 points.