Bazza B MotM to Mug of the Match

[Costello 77]

Just now, nevthelodgemoorowl said:

Stats have a thousand ways of saying what you may want to hear. Week after week in my own heart, I know what Wee Bazza offers our club, it is priceless ! IMO like. 

And..in the truest sense I'd like to agree to differ..so no argument from me about your opinion..

While ever I've got more approval points than you I have to go with stats...it means that I know more about football than you..

[SiJ]

I dont think he is having his best season, but he offers a creative spark which few others in our team possess. 

 

I'd imagine he has the highest amount of assists this season and has probably created the most chances. 

 

One thing he and his fellow midfielders need to start doing is getting some goals. In this respect, the contribution from midfield has been awful. 

 

 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

4 minutes ago, Costello 77 said:

And..in the truest sense I'd like to agree to differ..so no argument from me about your opinion..

While ever I've got more approval points than you I have to go with stats...it means that I know more about football than you..

Oh Costello I am so deeply upset and offended. Verdammtes Kind!

[Costello 77]

Just now, nevthelodgemoorowl said:

Oh Costello I am so deeply upset and offended. Verdammtes Kind!

The stats don't lie Nev.. it's obvious..

[Lawrie Madden]

1 hour ago, nevthelodgemoorowl said:

Stats have a thousand ways of saying what you may want to hear. Week after week in my own heart, I know what Wee Bazza offers our club, it is priceless ! IMO like. 

Spot on it’s the fact that yesterday he had such a stinker amongst his usual brilliance that made it so shocking 

 

I may have phrased my title better but I and every Wednesdayite should rejoice in the fact that we have a diamond like wee Baz at our club

[Ash77]

He was outnumbered in a 2 vs a decent mobile side, would always be hard with nuhiu up top who has no mobility to help out.

 

He's better in a 433/4231 imo where he has more possession instead of chasing around.

 

[York_Owl]

One of the problems playing 4-4-2 is that we’ll come up against sides playing three in central midfield. As a result we get outnumbered and it means they can shut down Bannan knowing he’s our main playmaker. It also means that their playmaker (Norgard, their number six) gets a lot of time on the ball and can start controlling midfield.

 

Personally, I think Bannan is more suited to a three man central midfield either in the middle of the three as the playmaker or on the left of a three with Hutchinson providing defensive cover in the middle. 

Edited December 8, 2019 by York_Owl

[Lionel Fessi]

19 hours ago, Lawrie Madden said:

I bow to no one in my admiration of Bazza but wow what a stinker he had today 

 

man of the Match to complete Mug of the match in only 7 short days 

 

Bannan has always struggled against good teams and especially against teams with a strong midfield/teams with 3 CM's...even more so when he plays in a 2.

 

I love Bannan, he's been a terrific player for us but I sometimes wonder what our glass ceiling is with him in the first XI? He's been such an integral attacking part to the team for the last 5 years but how much team success have we really had? I can't remember the stat but I know our record vs teams inside the top 8 is stand out bad and has been for the last few years...obviously there could be many reasons for this but just bare with me while I justify what could be a big one.

 

For all the good Bannan brings, quality on the ball, work rate, passing range etc when we force him into the starting XI every game I feel like we compromise ourselves in other areas. One reason I think we really struggle vs good teams is because we're so predicable to play against and so reliant on Bannan to 'pull the strings' we forget to do anything else, so tactically other teams set up to get Bannan playing a really deep quarterback type role (massively ineffective for us) or they overwhelm is the middle by sticking 3 CM's there. How we get round this is by sticking another CM of our own in there like Reach/Lee BUT this almost always come at the expensive of losing a striker so we're forced into playing a formation that usually favours 1 striker + 3 CM's....

I feel we do this to accommodate Bannan and 'get the best out of him', which I think we do successfully but as a team where has that gotten us these last few seasons? 2 failed playoff campaigns and 2 mid-table seasons...

 

Maybe too much rambling I have with my Dad coming out here but I can't help but think if Bannan was out for the season, we'd be forced to try new things and a new play style that wasn't so reliant on him playing long Hollywood balls to Fletcher or trying to get him on the ball in every situation. 

[Owls2k]

32 minutes ago, Ash77 said:

He was outnumbered in a 2 vs a decent mobile side, would always be hard with nuhiu up top who has no mobility to help out.

 

He's better in a 433/4231 imo where he has more possession instead of chasing around.

 

Spot on, can't believe it's taken this long in the thread to someone to mention the bleedin' obvious!

[Mike Hunt]

He was also holding his hamstring late on in the game 

[The only way is S6]

If BB has a stinker in a game against a good side that we fight back & win, then it could be seen as a good thing! We still got the job done.

 

Also, he could return to his best away at Derby & Forest, which in itself, bodes well. 

[Owls2k]

7 minutes ago, Lionel Fessi said:

 

Bannan has always struggled against good teams and especially against teams with a strong midfield/teams with 3 CM's...even more so when he plays in a 2.

 

I love Bannan, he's been a terrific player for us but I sometimes wonder what our glass ceiling is with him in the first XI? He's been such an integral attacking part to the team for the last 5 years but how much team success have we really had? I can't remember the stat but I know our record vs teams inside the top 8 is stand out bad and has been for the last few years...obviously there could be many reasons for this but just bare with me while I justify what could be a big one.

 

For all the good Bannan brings, quality on the ball, work rate, passing range etc when we force him into the starting XI every game I feel like we compromise ourselves in other areas. One reason I think we really struggle vs good teams is because we're so predicable to play against and so reliant on Bannan to 'pull the strings' we forget to do anything else, so tactically other teams set up to get Bannan playing a really deep quarterback type role (massively ineffective for us) or they overwhelm is the middle by sticking 3 CM's there. How we get round this is by sticking another CM of our own in there like Reach/Lee BUT this almost always come at the expensive of losing a striker so we're forced into playing a formation that usually favours 1 striker + 3 CM's....

I feel we do this to accommodate Bannan and 'get the best out of him', which I think we do successfully but as a team where has that gotten us these last few seasons? 2 failed playoff campaigns and 2 mid-table seasons...

 

Maybe too much rambling I have with my Dad coming out here but I can't help but think if Bannan was out for the season, we'd be forced to try new things and a new play style that wasn't so reliant on him playing long Hollywood balls to Fletcher or trying to get him on the ball in every situation. 

 

Be careful what you wish for. 

 

We used to bend over backwards to accommodate him under Carlos, he was often put out on the left to get in the team. 

 

Under Jos everything went through Bannan, Joey's 5 yard passes to Bannan used to drive us all insane. 

 

Bruce (who has always been a fan of Bannan) saw we needed proper pace and wingers as well as Bannan's creativity and although Monk is a bit more pragmatic he has kept that up, this gives us another creative  option other than Bannan. When we go 2 up top against a 5 man midfield it is always going to be difficult for your creative midfielder to find the space, Bannan had no time on the ball at all yesterday, he did however work his knakcers off for the cause which was great from him.  

 

Now there is an argument that in such games we have a guy in the squad Luongo who seems tailor-made for that type of challenge yesterday, but personally I'd have Bannan in there especially at home. 

 

Also interesting to see what happens re:his contract as it is up in 2021

 

 

[Dutch McLovin]

Bannan is sometimes unplayable and sometimes pathetic and today he was pathetic, I still after all this time prefer it when he doesn't play CM think he's better out wide or in front of the midfield.

 

There was a point first half where he watched his man run past him and it ended up with Hutch chasing back and making a block tackle, he turned round and bollocked him and Bannan had a go back. Then 2 mins later was having a go at someone else rather than marking his man. Very infuriating.

 

That said second half he made two very telling balls which put us on the front foot. Good player but not the great some think he is.

[OwlBiSeeinThi]

On 08/12/2019 at 15:15, Owls2k said:

 

Be careful what you wish for. 

 

We used to bend over backwards to accommodate him under Carlos, he was often put out on the left to get in the team. 

 

Under Jos everything went through Bannan, Joey's 5 yard passes to Bannan used to drive us all insane. 

 

Bruce (who has always been a fan of Bannan) saw we needed proper pace and wingers as well as Bannan's creativity and although Monk is a bit more pragmatic he has kept that up, this gives us another creative  option other than Bannan. When we go 2 up top against a 5 man midfield it is always going to be difficult for your creative midfielder to find the space, Bannan had no time on the ball at all yesterday, he did however work his knakcers off for the cause which was great from him.  

 

Now there is an argument that in such games we have a guy in the squad Luongo who seems tailor-made for that type of challenge yesterday, but personally I'd have Bannan in there especially at home. 

 

Also interesting to see what happens re:his contract as it is up in 2021

 

 

My frustration with he and Hutch is they come too deep to collect the ball. Several times either Hutch or Bannan or both were standing next to our centre backs leaving a gaping hole in midfield.

I think they both need to trust the defensive line a little more now it's more robust. At least Bannan should leave Hutch to do the mopping up to support the back line so he can be further up the pitch where he does most damage. We invite pressure unecessarily otherwise. 

[Owls2k]

5 hours ago, OwlBiSeeinThi said:

My frustration with he and Hutch is they come too deep to collect the ball. Several times either Hutch or Bannan or both were standing next to our centre backs leaving a gaping hole in midfield.

I think they both need to trust the defensive line a little more now it's more robust. At least Bannan should leave Hutch to do the mopping up to support the back line so he can be further up the pitch where he does most damage. We invite pressure unecessarily otherwise. 

That's why I could understand Carlos shoe-horning Lee into the side as he was always the one to run beyond the strikers.