The Midfield

[SamTheMouse]

Herd is better in midfield. Let's give him a try with Westwood when we have someone else to play at the back with Clark.
Herd isn't a very good footballer, but he gives us a bit of legs and bite in the middle. Like Delph is meant too. But often doesn't.

I thought Herd played well last season in MF (covered well, intercepted, put the foot in, read the game, etc., and can pick a pass), whereas in central defence he's a bit of a loose cannon.

He's also 5' 8'', which is nothing like tall enough for a centre half in the Premier League.

[ozzjim]

I don't think Clark's technique is good enough for him to play in midfield. He's cost us several goals recently with incredibly bad first touches, and his passing isn't all it's cracked up to be either. I think he's better in defence, but he can't be the senior defender, he needs someone with more experience alongside him so he can just concentrate on his own job.

I think he was improving really well up to the Liverpool game, where he was all over the shop first 20 minutes, and has not really improved since!

You are right, he needs hand holding. Baker and Vlaar are more aware of organisation.

[Dave Clark Five]

It may be that Clark is not the ideal midfielder but it depends who we get in. Two new central defenders is a priority, unless we have knowledge that Vlaar and Baker will soon be ready and that the former is not injury prone as is believed. Will we still find room in the side for Clark after that?

I think we will.

[paul_e]

Clark is a central defender, and is better than he's looking at the minute.  The Chelsea game has destroyed his confidence so he's currently totally down on confidence whilst also having to be the senior member of a makeshift back 4, it's pretty unfair on him to judge him too harshly at this point, particularly given the fact that for all of those games he's also had no one winning the ball in front of him as there should be.  Yes he's been drawn out a little but that's mainly due to the midfield not winning the ball back in that area.

He really needs a few games out of the side to get his head right but with him being the only fit  central defender we have that isn't an option.  We really need Vlaar, Baker and Dunne back fit.  With them all available our central defence looks strong enough to handle itself.  We will need a new option for when Dunne leaves in the summer but for me it's only a priority to sign someone now if it's clear that none of them are going to be back for the southampton game.

I'd rather we concentrate our time and cash on getting a midfielder who can win the ball whilst also bringing a bit of drive to the team.  When we play at a higher tempo we look a good side, we need a signing to push Bannan and Westwood to keep that up.

[Matt Collins]

I agree almost entirely Paul e

[Monty]

Agreed Paul (this is becoming a habit!). It's Clark's first season as a main man and his confidence has been clearly hit for six - well, for eight - and if we didn't have the injuries, he'd have been taken out of the firing line for a few games.

As for the midfield, I think we need a more scruff-of-the-neck player in there with Westwood, push Bannan forward to a kind of inside-right and sign a better Zog - Marin on loan anyone? - to provide incisiveness and allow the Weimann-Benteke movement space to operate in.

[Ad@m]

This...

Herd is better in midfield. Let's give him a try with Westwood when we have someone else to play at the back with Clark.
Herd isn't a very good footballer, but he gives us a bit of legs and bite in the middle. Like Delph is meant too. But often doesn't.

I thought Herd played well last season in MF (covered well, intercepted, put the foot in, read the game, etc., and can pick a pass), whereas in central defence he's a bit of a loose cannon.

and this...

I don't think Clark's technique is good enough for him to play in midfield. He's cost us several goals recently with incredibly bad first touches, and his passing isn't all it's cracked up to be either. I think he's better in defence, but he can't be the senior defender, he needs someone with more experience alongside him so he can just concentrate on his own job.

Herd scares the crap out of me in defence.  He just can't tackle well enough - midfield is much more his bag where he can just run around and make a nuisance of himself.

Clark's not good enough for midfield, not even as the holding midfielder and Lambert saw and announced that within weeks of arriving.  I do think however that he has more to his game than Baker and that long term, with someone decent alongside him, Clark will be good enough to be in central defence for us, whilst Baker will end up in the Championship.

[pauliewalnuts]

In fairness to Herd, he's playing in defence because we have no other options at the moment.

Shame Baker got injured, he was looking more impressive with every game for a while.

[Ad@m]

In fairness to Herd, he's playing in defence because we have no other options at the moment.

Shame Baker got injured, he was looking more impressive with every game for a while.

I know he's the most viable option but it's still frightening to see him playing centre half in the Premier League.  I'd much rather have Lowton there for stability but then that stuffs Lambert's wingbacks idea.

[SoccerHQ]

Herd's a decent squad player.

He played well in midfield at times and also in his one game at Right back against Jarvis.

He's a bit like Lichaj, they can come in for one or two games and do a job but the worry is when they played 5 games in a row as then the weaknesses start to become apparent.

Clark? Well I applaud Lambert for giving him a run at centre back as I was calling for that for most of last season. But at times we've seen why that hasn't happended before. Some games he's been good, some really really poor.

It's fair to say he dosen't really have the defenders instinct that Baker certainly has and I'm not really sure he's advanced from his early few games when bar the Newcastle disaster he looked excellent.

Still a big question mark to me, looking likely Baker will overtake him before too long in the pecking order.

[Ad@m]

Clark? Well I applaud Lambert for giving him a run at centre back as I was calling for that for most of last season. But at times we've seen why that hasn't happended before. Some games he's been good, some really really poor.

It's fair to say he dosen't really have the defenders instinct that Baker certainly has and I'm not really sure he's advanced from his early few games when bar the Newcastle disaster he looked excellent.

Still a big question mark to me, looking likely Baker will overtake him before too long in the pecking order.

I'd say it's easier to teach Clark to defend than it is to teach Baker to control or pass a ball.  I think Lambert sees the future as being that all players will need a certain base level of technical ability (see Barcelona for example - they've played plenty of games without any defenders on the pitch but stuck defensive midfielders at centre half and wingers at full back; Rodgers is attempting similar at Liverpool with Downing at left back).  Clark has that base level of technical ability and Baker doesn't unfortunately.  Yes, Baker's a real crowd favourite with his last ditch blocks and his crunching challenges but that's not the way football's going and I think that in time he'll end up at Championship level.

[PaulWinch again]

Herd is reasonable as a back up player around the squad, but never one you want playing an extended run of games especially at centre half.

[paul_e]

Clark? Well I applaud Lambert for giving him a run at centre back as I was calling for that for most of last season. But at times we've seen why that hasn't happended before. Some games he's been good, some really really poor.

It's fair to say he dosen't really have the defenders instinct that Baker certainly has and I'm not really sure he's advanced from his early few games when bar the Newcastle disaster he looked excellent.

Still a big question mark to me, looking likely Baker will overtake him before too long in the pecking order.

I'd say it's easier to teach Clark to defend than it is to teach Baker to control or pass a ball.  I think Lambert sees the future as being that all players will need a certain base level of technical ability (see Barcelona for example - they've played plenty of games without any defenders on the pitch but stuck defensive midfielders at centre half and wingers at full back; Rodgers is attempting similar at Liverpool with Downing at left back).  Clark has that base level of technical ability and Baker doesn't unfortunately.  Yes, Baker's a real crowd favourite with his last ditch blocks and his crunching challenges but that's not the way football's going and I think that in time he'll end up at Championship level.

I don't agree regarding Baker I think he's a better player than you're giving him credit for.

Clark's issues in recent games started, obviously, against Chelsea where he spent a lot of time trying to cover for other people but ended up leaving bigger holes by doing it.  He was trying to take on the responsibility of leading the defence but doesn't have the experience needed to do it.