Are We Better With Coke In The Middle?

[Lee A]

I think we might have avoided this slump had we persisted with a central three.

I agree with that, hardly anybody plays 4-4-2 anymore anyway, but we can never persist with anything that centres around Hutchinson unfortunately

Semedo quite simply offers nothing, especially when we have the ball, Lee is tidy but doesn't exactly control the game or really move things forward, and Coke has occasional good moments but goes missing far too often

Big problem area regardless of who plays, might be time to stop replacing bodies like for like and try a whole new approach, Maguire or Maghoma in an advanced, central midfield position would be a start imo

[Kanye West]

Coke has been great the times ive seen him this season, maybe him next to lee could be an option Saturday.

[gurujuan]

We play 442 to accommodate Stevie May but don't seem to look any more threatening than when we just play Nuhiu up there. In fact, we seem to have a lot more control with five strung across the middle

[trask43]

Coke has been decent this season but we really need a new cm. Hutchinson's never going to play enough games, semedo is what he is a very useful player to have at the club but gets found out against the top teams. Lee I honestly think is a little over rated very well balanced player whos neat and tidy in the middle but is never going to score or create many goals.

 

With the players we have Id play 3 in the middle away from home and against the better teams at home, against the lesser teams coke and lee might be worth a few games together see how they do.

Edited October 22, 2014 by trask43

[Errol Flashman]

I think Coke is better used further forward than the role he often gets picked for.

 

I think he could be a goalscoring midfielder in a position higher up and given licence to support the striker/s.

[York_Owl]

Spot on Hirsty...I'd like to see him given a run of games in that position and for us as a team to play that formation.

[bigrbuk]

Our dip in form coincides with getting battered by Man City. I blame Manchester.

[Earlsfieldowl]

Not consistent enough at this level, simples - Gray knows this and this is why he is now a squad player. could work in a 3 man midfield in front of a defensive two but I doubt we'll see that sort of lineup TBH

 

was at the game last night...Midfield desperately needs sorting, we looked solid at the back last night but Semedo and a rusty Kieran Lee aren't strong enough and there isn't nearly enough going on up front.  Thought May played ok though and was a little unlucky not to score.

 

I'd also start with Drenthe on Saturday - we will need all the firepower we can muster..

Edited October 22, 2014 by Owlsofrustration

[torres]

I'd always play Coke and one other, it would be Hutchinson preferably but it's unlikely to happen.

 

For me Lee has yet to recapture the form he had when he was first played in the centre. He was outstanding against Leeds at home and then played very well for the next month or so, Got injured and he's been a bit of a passenger since then.

 

This season he's been poor.

[Guest]

In that first game at Brighton, our midfield looked as good as any in the division. Coke, Hutchinson and Lee looked well balanced and controlled play from start to finish. Still think those three represent our strongest midfield and I think we might have avoided this slump had we persisted with a central three.

 

I agree but I also think Hutchinson's tackling and energy is a major part of this. Semedo is solid enough against a robust midfield but he is too slow to keep up against an athletic midfield with fluid movement. 

I still think we would be better off playing a 3 than 4-4-2 even without Hutchinson, I'm just not sure which 3 to go with. Would Maghoma offer more than Coke as the most advanced of the 3, would Semedo offer enough mobility to allow whichever other 2 are chosen to get forward and create or take chances, would we still be too open if the 3 did not include Semedo (sadly we have to assume that Hutchinson is unlikely to feature much and if he does it will be a bonus)?

[gurujuan]

I agree but I also think Hutchinson's tackling and energy is a major part of this. Semedo is solid enough against a robust midfield but he is too slow to keep up against an athletic midfield with fluid movement. 

I still think we would be better off playing a 3 than 4-4-2 even without Hutchinson, I'm just not sure which 3 to go with. Would Maghoma offer more than Coke as the most advanced of the 3, would Semedo offer enough mobility to allow whichever other 2 are chosen to get forward and create or take chances, would we still be too open if the 3 did not include Semedo (sadly we have to assume that Hutchinson is unlikely to feature much and if he does it will be a bonus)?

In answer to your question, yes with Semedo, in the absence of Hutchinson, we should be solid enough. Sit Semedo alongside Lee, the combination that looked good last season, and play three attacking midfielders in front. We could choose any three from, Maguire, Maghoma, Coke, Helan and Drenthe, and give them licence to interchange. This gives us a solid foundation and if Gray can get this striker in, we might at last have a focal point to the attack.

[oldishowl]

I said at the beginning of the season that the challenge for Gray was to get us playing effectively and positively while playing 3 in midfield. We have neither the strikers nor the central midfielders to play 442 but mainly it is the strikers that matter.

 

The strikers are vital in 442. If you are playing 2 then they have got dominate the defence , keep getting behind them and keep scoring goals. Like Ings and Vokes last season. If you play 2 up top and they don't do anything then the opposition has all the time in the world to control midfield using their extra man. You then start compensating by asking a striker to keep dropping back, like we do with May, or asking the wide players to help in the middle.

 

Strangely it looks like Gray is happy for May to keep dropping back, in fact he moves him deeper as the game progresses and subs are made. I really don't see where Gray thinks May is best but in my view if you want somebody to play as an attacking midfielder it should be a midfielder like Coke or Maguire , not May .

[asteener1867]

Frustrating player Coke, you can see he has got the talent, but its so bloody hit and miss, 

With Semedo you get what it says on the tin, but thats only if you need whats in the tin, going forward he offers nothing

[Guest]

In answer to your question, yes with Semedo, in the absence of Hutchinson, we should be solid enough. Sit Semedo alongside Lee, the combination that looked good last season, and play three attacking midfielders in front. We could choose any three from, Maguire, Maghoma, Coke, Helan and Drenthe, and give them licence to interchange. This gives us a solid foundation and if Gray can get this striker in, we might at last have a focal point to the attack.

 

Would surely be worth a go.

 

I think the freedom of movement for the attacking players is key, with a solid base behind them they need to be allowed the fluidity to express themselves. Our current play is so easy to defend against as it is all pre-meditated with no room for creative movement, it is far too easy to predict where the next pass will be played.

[owls66]

Deserves another run in the team. The current midfield has been poor recently. 

[gurujuan]

I said at the beginning of the season that the challenge for Gray was to get us playing effectively and positively while playing 3 in midfield. We have neither the strikers nor the central midfielders to play 442 but mainly it is the strikers that matter.

 

The strikers are vital in 442. If you are playing 2 then they have got dominate the defence , keep getting behind them and keep scoring goals. Like Ings and Vokes last season. If you play 2 up top and they don't do anything then the opposition has all the time in the world to control midfield using their extra man. You then start compensating by asking a striker to keep dropping back, like we do with May, or asking the wide players to help in the middle.

 

Strangely it looks like Gray is happy for May to keep dropping back, in fact he moves him deeper as the game progresses and subs are made. I really don't see where Gray thinks May is best but in my view if you want somebody to play as an attacking midfielder it should be a midfielder like Coke or Maguire , not May .

Heaven forbid he has to play May every week to justify the outlay spent on him.

[Blue n White Rampage]

We could do with the fizz and a couple of lines for the forwards might help

 

you want us to put a bid in for chris lines? or am i reading too much into that.

[Beholder]

Coke and lee a better option.

However I have a feeling that semedo is going to become undroppable just as joc was.

Not that semedo is as bad as joc but they are the same kind of player

[WayneTheOwl]

If we are honest the midfield is a complete joke because:

 

1) The best midfielder we have is always injured

2) The one the fans love is distinctly average but looks good because the others are bad, and he is always injured

3) The most honest professional at he club just doesn't do that much

4) The Scottish over hyped one cannot get in the squad

5) The best midfielder we have cannot get a start despite coming on as a sub in the last few games and looking excellent

6) The pop named player who plays well for 5 games a season only

7) The magpie on the wing who has one trick only and cannot cross a ball regularly

8) The one that players regular at right back because the regular right back is constantly injured

9) Any others are not worth a mention

 

Oh and then there is the other who plays on the wing because no-one else can but would probably be better used in the front 2 because the front 2 are also shuffle.

 

And just for fun, the midfield & attack on Saturday should be:

 

Drenthe, Coke, Lee, Helan

Maguire, May

 

That is if Dielna can play left back? If not then who the roger knows.

Edited October 22, 2014 by WayneTheOwl

[pat blondeau]

Coke needs Lines back