Lightweight midfield

[Brend'Watkins]

Do we miss Reo-Coker?

Yes.

No.

Yes, he will win more battles than the current midfield but there's little point when as soon as he wins the ball he gives it straight back to the opposition.

We need to be more slick in midfield and there were signs for 20 or so minutes on Sunday that we can be.  Having Jenas to come in will give us more options as an an adequate replacement for Petrov when he tires or a direct replacement for Delph.

[Concrete John]

NRC didn't give the ball away as much as some seem to think, and his stats prove that, but he was guilty of giving us very little going forward and had a habit of running into deadends when he did.

As always, we need someone than can give us his strength, energy and tackling, but also more on the ball.  Unfortunately, those type of players are few and far between, plus they do not come cheap.

[theleftside]

yes the midfield is lightweight, but what we gonna do ....go out and buy a driving midfield player, gets you 5-10 PL goals a year?? no we are not because that will cost us £10-15m.
We got to work with what we got.  This will be AM biggest challenge at Villa and one in my view which will keep or lose him his job.
Petrov, Clarke, BB, JJ, Delph & Ireland have got to work because people.....we ain't gonna get anymore!

[Greg N'Ash]

I'd like to see 3 in there.

Playmaker - Ireland/Bannon. probably Ireland if he doesn't have another breakdown

Grafter - Jenas, petrov can't do it anymore

Defensive midfielder - Petrov/Clarke

Fuck the wingers off and play N'Zogbia in a free role behind Gabby and Bent

[Dave Cooper please]

Why is he being homophobic ?

I thought moderators were above being so judgmental - they should be.

He meant a bit of a weakling in a non rugby playing sort of way ( i.e. not overly physical and not using his body strength) it doesn't take massive amounts of intelligence to see that.

I guess we would expect more, but hey ho.

Using the word 'poof', a word generally associated with homosexual males, to describe someone being not very physical, thereby implying that gay men cannot be strong and athletic.
We don't accept casual racism on here, why should we accept casual homophobia.

[Dave]

Why is he being homophobic ?

I thought moderators were above being so judgmental - they should be.

He meant a bit of a weakling in a non rugby playing sort of way ( i.e. not overly physical and not using his body strength) it doesn't take massive amounts of intelligence to see that.

I guess we would expect more, but hey ho.

Yes, perish the thought that we should be allowed opinions as well. If he means 'poof' as 'a bit of a weakling', then yes, that is being homophobic. In the same that if he had said 'faggot' to mean 'a bit of a weakling' or 'queer' to mean 'a bit of a weakling'. Their all pejorative terms for homosexuals so he is either being homophobic or extremely stupid. I don't really see any middle ground.

Sorry if that's too opinionated from your fragile and sensitive mind Tim.

[TimTheVillain]

Why is he being homophobic ?

I thought moderators were above being so judgmental - they should be.

He meant a bit of a weakling in a non rugby playing sort of way ( i.e. not overly physical and not using his body strength) it doesn't take massive amounts of intelligence to see that.

I guess we would expect more, but hey ho.

Yes, perish the thought that we should be allowed opinions as well. If he means 'poof' as 'a bit of a weakling', then yes, that is being homophobic. In the same that if he had said 'faggot' to mean 'a bit of a weakling' or 'queer' to mean 'a bit of a weakling'. Their all pejorative terms for homosexuals so he is either being homophobic or extremely stupid. I don't really see any middle ground.

Sorry if that's too opinionated from your fragile and sensitive mind Tim.

It's you, yes YOU with the fragile and sensitive mind Dave, taking someone on a football fanzine who uses a word like that to be interpreted as being homophobic.

It's you with a rather insular state of mind that's the issue ( with you).

That and being derogatory - your specialism.

[Dave]

Yeah, silly me taking issue with casual bigotry. It's obviously me that has the problem.

[TheSandman]

Why is he being homophobic ?

I thought moderators were above being so judgmental - they should be.

He meant a bit of a weakling in a non rugby playing sort of way ( i.e. not overly physical and not using his body strength) it doesn't take massive amounts of intelligence to see that.

I guess we would expect more, but hey ho.

I'm sure there are plenty of big strapping blokes out there that are brave and strong who just happen to be gay. It doesn't take massive amounts of intelligence to see that using gayness in a manner linked to a negative connotation is being somewhat homophobic. Indeed using the word poof at all is being homophobic in much the same way as referring to black people as niggers is being racist.

[TimTheVillain]

Any road up, back to our lightweight midfield.

A midfield needs a mix of aggression and creativity, one of my all time favourite midfield players was Johnny Giles in his Leeds days specially, he could both create and destroy and was excellent at both.

Dennis Mortimer ditto, he could win the ball and carry it, we need someone like that ideally.

Caveat - refs don't let much go these days !

[eamonn]

I asked on another thread last week if a midfield with Ireland and Bannan could work. Most of us thought not - more powder puff than the Power Puff Girls.
 Now it looks like the best (only?!) football we'll play requires both in the team.

[Ryu]

As long as delph et al. Aren't wasteful in possession and are sensible with their positional play then I think we can get by with our lightweight midfield.

Peoples favourite power puff girl, is that its own thread?

[IRISHPHIL]

i think petrov, delph and jenas will compete for all round box  to box player in midfield, and ireland and bannon wil compete for creative midfield ( to play off the striker )

[SoccerHQ]

Imagine Fellaini in our midfield instead of Petrov, a big, pretty intimidating guy who can pass and also score the odd goal.

That's the kind of player we need.

I find him one of the most overrated players in the league tbh.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

i think petrov, delph and jenas will compete for all round box  to box player in midfield, and ireland and bannon wil compete for creative midfield ( to play off the striker )

The thing is with Petrov, when he's made the box to box run, he's knackered and can't do it again the whole match.

He slows things down far too much.