Guy Fawkes
The voice of treason
- Sep 29, 2007
- 8,288
I appreciate the forwards have been starved of opportunities this season, I have no doubt Bent could score a shit load for us if he was given any service, however I think where our play breaks down is in the middle of the pitch. We could have the 2 best wingers in the world ready to provide ammunition for a striker, but if they never receive the ball they can't do anything with it, likewise with the strikers. We have no ball winners in the team at the moment, we have no ball retention whatsoever, we occasionally make a foray down the flank but that's about it. Against Millwall it was clear that our players were trying to play around the middle of the pitch because we have no presence there whatsoever.
I also saw several occasions where our supporting players went wide rather than into the box when we already had the ball out wide. It was like they felt the were needed out there because they didn't think the player with the ball was capable of beating a defender and crossing it (reminiscent of the Carole / Frutos days where everyone rushed out wide to support them rather than going into the area)
Its shocking how far away the next Albion player is from our striker at times (they are in the middle of the box, you then have to go to almost the touchline outside the box and almost back to the centre circle before you find anyone)
We do also need players who can play in an advanced central role (and therefore get into the box to try to get on the end of crosses, but if the faith was there in our wide players now, surely the others will should have been going into the box rather then out wide? Too many similar players playing similar roles at the same time? And a lack of leadership in the centre of midfield, guiding our younger players through the game.