The Midfield

[Guest imported_Jamie_Beatson]

I'm pretty sure that no-one will disagree with the following statement - our midfield is gash.

Today Sheridan was the only person who a) looked like he had a clue what he was doing and looked interested.

Paul Sheerin is going back to his worst. A few nice touches aside he hides and shirks tackles. John Henry was simply anonymous. Janczyk wasn't too bad and I'd be tempted to give him a couple of starts in the near future.

However, we definitely need to invest in this area over the January transfer window. In the meantime though, why not give the likes of McManus and Mooner a chance? I've heard the Davester might be back in place of Sheridan next week. This is a man who hasn't played a first team game since the last Dundee game and who has barely played in the reserves since then. Why play him in some important games we have coming up?!

Jamie

[Shaggy Jenkins]

Midfield......wots one of them then??

[Davey]

non exsistent!!!

It wasnt just the midfield full/wing backs couldnt put to passes together!

TOTAL PISH

[Jimbo]

as radford said, i think they are too often at the end of the pitch, when 1 goes forward then the other holds position so that we arent left open. too often you see 2 or 3 of the midfield bombing it forward when maybe 1 of them should assess the situation and hold back incase we lose the ball. I am not saying they shouldnt get forward to support the stikers but they need to play a midfield position more often than pretending to be strikers,

likewise when we defend, we dont have any outlets to pass the ball out, if the defence is in the box then the midfield should be infront of them not level with them, so when we get the ball we can keep it and pass it.

I admit i havent see much of saints this season but there were times today when players just ran out of puff as radford said, if the tactic are to attack AND defend then they need to get between the boxes better. Otherwise we need to play an attacking midfielder (eg.lampard) and a holding player (eg.makele) and the other 2 should play around them. and assess the situation. its not rocket science

[templeofsaints]

likewise when we defend, we dont have any outlets to pass the ball out, if the defence is in the box then the midfield should be infront of them not level with them, so when we get the ball we can keep it and pass it.

That's a real bugbear with me as well - why on earth do we only leave one person up the park when defending corners etc. Surely we should be able to leave 2 or 3 spare to give us some outlets when the defence humps the ball up the park?

As for the midfield, I thought Stevenson's service was abysmal (and part of the reason Anderson was getting so much stick). Sheridan was solid and Scrabble at least tried a couple of things. Henry should be dropped though - he's too slow in the middle alongside Dazza and certainly doesn't have the engine for 90 minutes.

[dave mc]

Totally agree that the midfield is inadequate,if we have promotional aspirations,not enough of todays have decent engines or turn of pace.Can cope with Sheridan being the holding role but really need better players around him,who can play instinctive balls instead of having to take extra touches and thinking what to do next.County were all buzzing about with good movement and vision for each other,whilst we plodded about for 60 minutes.We also let 2 better right full backs go,than we have now.

[dunblanemike]

As i said to you at the game Dave mc, I reckon the movement we really need from our midfield can be drilled into them in training. It is not rocket science. If our current squad do not have the ability to take in and learn this then we need new 'uns, however, I suspect they are not getting this basic guidance in training. I really hope I'm wrong though.

[TheBigCheese]

Totally agree, the midfield were honking - they are far to often posted missing when we're trying to attack leaving Jason and Savo to do all the work, when we do attack through the middle it's so slow that the opposition can get back and defend before they can play a decent pass forward. Down the right the service to Stevo was poor (that said his positioning sometimes leaves a lot to be desired), we had nothing down the left until Scrabble came on (I'd play him over Sheerin on Saturday) and Henry was rank awful in the centre. I'd give pass marks to Sheridan who again did a lot of work and played in some better dead balls today.

For Saturday I'd play Scotland in Henry's position, bring in The Davester in place of Sheridan and play Jancyck and Stevo (if fit) down the wings, with Savo and Dobbie up front.

[mainstand]

As i said to you at the game Dave mc, I reckon the movement we really need from our midfield can be drilled into them in training. It is not rocket science. If our current squad do not have the ability to take in and learn this then we need new 'uns, however, I suspect they are not getting this basic guidance in training. I really hope I'm wrong though.

Mike movement and dropping off and picking up from the defence is a basic that they do in training, as is keep ball. It really bugs me that folk continually go on about things that the players should be getting in training and how they can't be getting the basics etc.

What folk seem to forget is that in a game you have popposition and they are trying their best to disrupt what we are trying to do. Training is not held in private at Saints go and watch them and see what they are doing.

[Broon]

Agree the Midfield is pretty gash at times but that should not excuse some of the rest of the team.

People can praise Milne all they want for his effort but to be honest he does not produce the goods in the league. Its probably not his fault - our style does not suit him but there goes another game without a shot (on or off target) from him. Doris livened things up when he came on. I think he needs a break from the side to be honest.

[dave mc]

Mainstand wrote

"What folk seem to forget is that in a game you have popposition and they are trying their best to disrupt what we are trying to do."

I think we're well aware that there's an opponent on the park,but how do they seem to cope so much better than our midfield,who after all are there to disrupt their tactics etc.Saints midfield has been lacking all season ,especially against the more mobile and inventive teams,we want to dwell too long on the ball when a quick incisive bit of play would be more productive,and struggle to support the defence when teams attack in numbers,too many are one paced and lack stamina.

[blueheaven]

I've heard the Davester might be back in place of Sheridan next week. This is a man who hasn't played a first team game since the last Dundee game and who has barely played in the reserves since then. Why play him in some important games we have coming up?!

If not The Davester, then who? That defensive midfield role is one of the most important on the park, and these are vital games coming up as you say - so there's no way I'd be throwing the likes of Moon or McManus into that position at the moment. Perhaps Fotheringham could do it, but is he fit enough? I just think picking Hannah would be the smallest gamble.

I think our midfield in general suffers a bit from the formation Coyle chooses to play. Sheerin's no winger by any stretch of the imagination. Stevenson has a good engine on him and is a better bet at wide right than anyone else in the squad, but even he isn't exactly a natural there. It would be nice to think that McAnespie, as the only real winger in the squad, might be able to come back in and make a difference, but I have my doubts that that will happen.

As for Henry, he's too slow, has no bite, and just doesn't do enough to warrant his place - but IMHO his standard replacement, McCann, isn't good enough either. Personally I'd be looking to offload both of them and either find someone new or use Scotland in the attacking midfield role instead.

Having said all of that though, I don't think it's as bad as some seem to be making out. Dave Mc commented above that other teams' midfields seem to cope much better than ours, but that's just not the case - we're above most teams in the league, and Ross County weren't exactly scintillating in the middle of the park today either. We're obviously going to be more critical of our own team because they're the ones we pay more attention to, but that doesn't mean other teams aren't having similar problems. I think that, generally, most of the teams in the league at the moment are of a fairly similar standard and the nature of the level we're playing at means these criticisms are pretty much unavoidable.

[stanley saint]

we need another Sheridan type player

[Steve Maskrey]

I thought OC took the wrong player off yesterday when he brought off Sheerin. Ok he wasn't outstanding but the way the game was going in the second half, he would've been more creative than Henry and more likely to get a decent cross in

[templeofsaints]

I thought OC took the wrong player off yesterday when he brought off Sheerin. Ok he wasn't outstanding but the way the game was going in the second half, he would've been more creative than Henry and more likely to get a decent cross in

Agreed about Sheerin being a better option than Henry. But Scrabble is also a left-sided player and that would only have left Jason to go wide right leaving us with perhaps a bit less punch through the middle. IMHO though Henry shouldn't be in the side just now - he's not contributing enough.

[Broon]

So it's all down to him he had no shots on goal? He's not the same sort of player as Jason who will take shots from everywhere, he's the sort of player that needs the ball in front of him and he will, more often than not, get a good effort on goal. For the last few weeks, despite him working as hard as ever for the team, his team-mates have badly let him down by creating nothing for him.

Any criticism of Milne I feel is totally unfair, the blame lies fully at the feet of the midfield. Rudd van Nistelrooy would struggle up front for us at the moment.

No its not all down to him, hence why I said its not his fault. However, because of the transfer window we could not fix the team. So why play a player who does not work in our system? His cup goals are impressive but we have struggled to get him to score in the league. He also struggles to hold onto the ball, link with others or beat players.

When the ball is played through for him to run on to there is noone better but the rest of his game is poor. If we don't play to suit him then I don't see why we play him.

[Shaggy Jenkins]

Yup. I dont think him and Jase work together either.

It was a thing that worried me when we got Jase, and I am not sure how to put it, but we seem to be adapting our style to fit in with Scotland and not the other way about. Jase adds something to the team but he can add so much more if he can bring others into the game as well

I know some folk will say he can unlock a game with his mazy runs, I tend to think if you try it 20 times in a match you are bound to get something once. Unfortunatly the other 19 times where he did not pass or ran up a blind ally passes up good chances. I like him dont get me wrong but he needs to become a team player.

We had a settled forward line playing some decent football at times then we jumped in got Scotland and seemed to have no plan asto how to play him, ie up front in the hole out wide? Personally from speaking to some united fans I would play him on the wing and let him take folk on. Least that way he can be a greedy as he likes out there, and he will still be a goal threat. We desperatly need someone who can take a back on and get behind a team

[gc7969]

The lack of pace and support from the midfield has been highlighted in the various forums for at least 5 years and we still have none. The two Polish trialists showed two things Saints lack, a midfield creative player and a finisher. We can only hope Santa brought some cheer in the form of a sugar daddy for Coyle.

Throughout this season, Coyle has continued to play the usual culprits in midfield and not tried the squad players. I wanted change but having viewed the reserves no one is playing in a way that says I MUST BE PICKED. Is that because they do not believe they will get a chance no matter how well they play or are they incapable of making a step up into a poor midfield and improve it.