Crying out for a creative midfielder!

[dixienormous]

Originally Posted by Alan Attack

I want results over entertainment. Without a shadow of doubt. It's as if you've never watched Wrexham/lower or non league football before.

Most fans are with Keates but I'm not wholly surprised you're not.

Mills tried an attractive brand of football...for about 2 months. That didn't end so well.

I suggest once we've built some momentum and confidence, the football will be much better.

I hope you're right.

I just like one of the two central midfielders to be able to possibly play a ball in behind or relaese one of our wide players? How are we going to create anything when both are sitting deep. This might improve when the ball sticks upfront.

[Alan Attack]

Originally Posted by dixienormous

You're talking bollocks again Alan. My gripe is the fact we play with two defensive midfielders at home, away from home I get it. Most fans feel exactly the same. You get this right?

My point about Kelly was I think he might be too lightweight and might go missing in a tackle, if we played him in the middle in 4-4-2.

I'm mindful to agree that Kelly would not be suited centrally in a 4-4-2 and neither is Carrington. We could do with a carbon copy of Wedgebury who seems to have the physical capabilities of playing centrally in a 2.

I wouldn't label Wedgebury or Carrington as defensive midfielders at all. I'd label them as midfielders; well Wedgebury anyway.

[Phils-an-alki]

Originally Posted by B10Red

We need to create chances, and I don't understand why Leo Smith isn't given a chance?

I have criticised Carrington in the past but he wasn't bad last night, just average (as per).

Our issue is there doesn't seem to be a link between striker and midfield, meaning Boden has to drop deep, leaving Massanka up top alone (and offside)... if we had someone in front of Wedgbury and Carra it may work

Wasn't bad? He did absolutely nothing barely touched the ball. He literally does nothing.
A Wright must be garbage if he can't get in ahead of dross like Carrington. I agree the gap between midfield and attack was massive eventually causing Bodenro drop in hunting for the ball.

[Danny Boy]

It's just not quite right at the moment, the parts (mostly) are all there but it isn't working.

I expect the idea of the two holding midfields and non overlapping of the full backs is to allow us to play a front 4 that don't need to track back much. This is working, but the front 4 isn't.

Last night, Kelly was getting bested by Wes York as he was too fast for him and didn't give him the time he needed, where as Mackreth seemed scared of Fyfield (proved IMO by Rutherford giving Fyfield a harder time even if having little more success)

I said at half time I would have changed the front 4 by putting Kelly in the middle playing behind Boden, Mackreth out wide left to challenge York with Pace and Massanka on the right to give Fyfield something different to think about.

I don't like playing two defensive midfielders at home on paper, but if we get the front 4 working better (may happen with Reid involved) then I don't necessarily think it is wrong and it does make us hard to beat.

Keates deserves credit for leaving Massanka on also, I was shocked and disappointed that he hooked Boden but he was proved right as the combination led to the goal and caused more problems then we had previously.

[Alan Attack]

Originally Posted by Phils-an-alki

Wasn't bad? He did absolutely nothing barely touched the ball. He literally does nothing.
A Wright must be garbage if he can't get in ahead of dross like Carrington. I agree the gap between midfield and attack was massive eventually causing Bodenro drop in hunting for the ball.

That's what Keates brought Holroyd in to do although being injured doesn't help.

I'm a big believer in confidence breeding confidence. Wedgebury and Carrington being somewhat conservative is making us solid if not a little one dimensional. For example on Saturday, we didn't do too well chasing the game. If Gateshead had taken one of their early chances we'd have had to have taken a few more risks; similar to the Macc game.

[moynkeepthefaith]

6 years ago we started with Mangan,Morrell and Pogba up front. A combination most on hear would kill for at present. We got beat 7-2 ....

[TomWFC]

Originally Posted by Alan Attack

I'm mindful to agree that Kelly would not be suited centrally in a 4-4-2 and neither is Carrington. We could do with a carbon copy of Wedgebury who seems to have the physical capabilities of playing centrally in a 2.

I wouldn't label Wedgebury or Carrington as defensive midfielders at all. I'd label them as midfielders; well Wedgebury anyway.

If you're going to just generalise them as 'midfielders' that would imply that they can both defend and attack, break-up play, pass well and create - that would be the attributes of all-round midfielders.

But can they pass well and create? Play incisive passes to our wingers & forwards? I'd strongly suggest they can't, hence their classification as 'defensive midfielders' in the eyes of the majority.

If we were to ever play 4-2-3-1, where would these two be better suited - in the two or in the three? In the two of course.

Their defensive attributes far outweigh their attacking, hence why when they both play we really struggle to create and open teams up.

I staggers me the lack of concern being shown by some in this regard. People have tended to go on about looking solid and not conceding, which is fine but shouldn't be at the expense of having creativity and posing a threat - the balance is the key.

If you do not create, you will rarely score. If you don't score, you don't win games.

So so fundamental.

[B10Red]

Originally Posted by Phils-an-alki

Wasn't bad? He did absolutely nothing barely touched the ball. He literally does nothing.
A Wright must be garbage if he can't get in ahead of dross like Carrington. I agree the gap between midfield and attack was massive eventually causing Bodenro drop in hunting for the ball.

To be fair, Carrington can do no right in your eyes no matter what he does. But I do think we both agree he shouldn't be starting.

Boden dropping deep is an issue. This can be resolved by either finding a player to play between the midfield and striker (in a CAM role), or by having a striker who complements Boden by making decent runs for him... Lets see if Reid can off this.

[Phils-an-alki]

Originally Posted by Alan Attack

That's what Keates brought Holroyd in to do although being injured doesn't help.

I'm a big believer in confidence breeding confidence. Wedgebury and Carrington being somewhat conservative is making us solid if not a little one dimensional. For example on Saturday, we didn't do too well chasing the game. If Gateshead had taken one of their early chances we'd have had to have taken a few more risks; similar to the Macc game.

I don't get people saying Carrington and Wedgebury are too similar. One does all the work and all the running the other does f k all. People need to start watching them closer then they will see this. I watched them last night closely and the difference between them is frightening.

If we were up against a clincal team last night the game would have been out of sight by HT.

I too think we sorely miss Holroyd, his work rate if nothing else. I think Keates has got the formation all wrong.