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Author Topic: Midfield  (Read 22121 times)

Offline onje_villa

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Midfield
« on: October 07, 2012, 05:09:07 PM »
Suggestions to improve our porous midfield?
451?
Revert to using wingers?
Find a midfield general from a hidden cupboard at Bodymoor Heath?
Stop kidding ourselves El Ahmadi is the new Lothat Mattheus?
Get Lambert on the pitch?

Online Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2012, 05:30:53 PM »
Get Morty and Sid to impregnate every woman in Birmingham of child bearing age, then pray that for the next 20 odd years we carry on just flirting with relegation without dropping through the door.

Offline Rip Van We Go Again

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2012, 05:31:24 PM »
Suggestions to improve our porous midfield?

Sign some decent players.
We all knew the midfield was simply not good enough, as we approached the end of the transfer window we signed Ashley Westwood - Enough said.

Offline Matt Collins

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2012, 05:32:53 PM »
I thought el ahmadi has done well in recent games and didn't think our midfield was porous until the subs

But I do agree that el ahmadi isn't really a defensive midfielder and I'd be trying to get one in; moreso if he goes to the African nations

Offline PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2012, 05:35:25 PM »
When N'Zonzi was available at the end of the season we should have got him. We lack height and physical prescence in the middle of the pitch, he would have done a job for us in certain games and wouldn't have cost us a fortune.

Offline Olof's Beard

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2012, 05:40:26 PM »
I thought the midfield looked good against Newcastle and Swansea but he has changed it since, bringing in a not-yet-fully fit Albrighton and now bringing back Delph who is too similar to El Ahmadi but not as good as him (I appreciated we lost Ireland to injury).  We therefore rely a lot on Holman's energy but when his performance is a little flat like it was today, you see that without it he is not the most technically gifted footballer and we start to look unbalanced.  I think Lambert needs to go back to basics, Bannan played well last week when he came on and is versatile - he should play ahead of Delph for me at the moment.

Online Villan For Life

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2012, 05:45:22 PM »
Get Morty and Sid to impregnate every woman in Birmingham of child bearing age, then pray that for the next 20 odd years we carry on just flirting with relegation without dropping through the door.

I'll nominate my missus and make Sir Dennis or Sid a cuppa after.

Offline Rip Van We Go Again

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2012, 05:53:52 PM »
El Ahmadi is ok-ish, you could imagine him playing for Wigan.
Holman is a hard worker, a Bremner/Carrodus clone, but needs some talent around him.
Ireland is supposed to be talented, but we've seen precious little of it.
Delph just isn't good enough for the Premiership.
N'Zogbia is erratic.
Albrighton - Oh dear.
Bannan - Ish don't think so.

Offline Lee

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    • http://astonvilla.blogfootball.com/BlackCountryVilla/
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Re: Midfield
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2012, 06:01:03 PM »
There seems little width at all in the side (not having seen today's proceedings). I was hoping that buying attacking fullbacks this would be our outlet, but they are not getting forward enough for me

Offline villa `cross the mersey

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2012, 06:16:17 PM »
Which is why Bent ain`t playing - they are not creating chances from the flanks - Lambert does not favour this type of play so we have to get used to it  :(

Offline Irish villain

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2012, 06:28:34 PM »
I despair when I think of our central  midfield options. Too many squad fillers, no stand out quality. Delph, Bannan, Herd even Ireland to an extent aren't really first eleven quality midfielders at this level.

Offline onje_villa

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2012, 06:46:57 PM »
I'm not even sure the midfield looks that bad on paper.

El Ahmadi certainly has good technique.
Bannan's technique alone could probably see him play for one of the top clubs.
Holman on a good day has a phenomenal engine and decent quality.
I don't think Delph is good enough but to be fair to the bloke he's been far better the last couple of games.

The problem is the shape at times, like so many have said, teams can just seem to run through us at times and going forward sometimes they get in each other's way. Could be just getting used to each other, though we do lack real presence as others have said.

What about this for a midfield?

Bannan     El Ahmadi     Herd     Holman

Could that work?

Offline barrysleftfoot

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2012, 06:52:03 PM »


  We are looking at the guy from Wolves apparently.

  Did'nt think KEA and Delph were too bad today tbh.For me we missed Ireland, are carrying Albrighton, and Gabby is an enigma, doesn't look like scoring to me.

  Hes filled the squad with good squad players, the next couple of signings need to be 6/7 million quality players.If that means selling Bent then so be it.

Offline fredm

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2012, 07:09:47 PM »
From the bits I saw on my feed, El Ahmadi does not seem strong enough physically.  Several times he seemed to be eased off the ball by a Spurs player.  Needs to get some bulk training done.

Also we don't seem to have anyone taking command in midfield, directing operations, telling players what to do etc.  An opponent passes the ball then makes a run for the return and we just let him go and look at the others to see if they are going to pick him up. Nobody seems to be shouting at each other as to who to pick up etc. We are not getting near enough to them in midfield at all, letting them have far too much space.

Offline DB

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Re: Midfield
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2012, 07:46:17 PM »
El Ahmadi is ok-ish, you could imagine him playing for Wigan.
Holman is a hard worker, a Bremner/Carrodus clone, but needs some talent around him.
Ireland is supposed to be talented, but we've seen precious little of it.
Delph just isn't good enough for the Premiership.
N'Zogbia is erratic.
Albrighton - Oh dear.
Bannan - Ish don't think so.

I agree with all that. From that list it does show a lack of back-bone, too many light-weights, if some of them do have the skill /potential, they get pushed of the ball too much.

 


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