[PsalmXXIII]

Biggest area of weakness for a good 2-3 years now.

The games when we struggle the most are undeniably those where we aren't competing in midfield.

Look at the Leeds game at home where our midfield absolutely worked their socks off. Hounded and chased every ball and relieved the pressure (and work) from the defence which at the time were playing god awful kick about ball at the back. Look at the Leeds game away and our midfield was non existent. Bristol City too - we had nothing in the middle of the park and got so exposed and ended up 3 goals down after 20 minutes.

We need at least one Yacob/Mulumbu/Scharner type in the middle to stick some boots in and get ugly, and then some energy to get up and down the park. Our season was over as soon as we lost Barnes. Not being able to run it out of midfield any more meant we reverted to hoof ball and we struggled against well drilled teams because we had to hit and hope.

[Albionic]

IMO the best midfield of recent years consisted of

Yac - breaking up play
Mulumbu - doing huge amounts of work at pace
Mozza - applying the deft touches and decent link up play
Brunt out wide waving the wand

they have all long passed there best now, continuing to wear the rose tinted glasses will not turn back the clock (sadly).

Thanks CB its been great but time to move on has passed now - Tara !

[darbolina]

I'd love to see players of the ilk of Gera, Koren, Mulumbu,Yacob, Dorrans (championship season), Koumas championship under Mowbray) etc... etc...basically players comfortable on the ball and who don't mind getting stuck in a bit too. 

[smethwickw]

Watching Brunt run around chasing shadows has been pretty embarrassing this season. Perfectly highlighted against the Vile when he basically resorted to kicking people as he couldn't get near them. The only decent game he had all season was v Preston where they gave him the freedom of the park to play. Good servant but time to move on. I've always thought him to be an awful captain too. We need a real leader to come in and take the armband someone in the mould of McInnes or Fletcher.

[Standaman]

Welcome to the fifth annual "Our Midfield is Bost thread" this year it is combined with the Chris Brunt is/isn't a central midfielder thread.

Yes it is bost yes it needs sorting out and until it is we are going nowhere. Or at least we are stuck playing the sort of football that requires the midfield to chase the ball like dogs pursuing a stick and not much else.

Whoever we hire as Head Coach needs to make this the number one priority. It really does not matter how we line up we don't have a midfield that can pass the ball. Yes technically they all can pass the ball but the movement is laboured and as soon as things get a little difficult it goes into it's collective shell.

[Adder]

Welcome to the fifth annual "Our Midfield is Bost thread" this year it is combined with the Chris Brunt is/isn't a central midfielder thread.

Yes it is bost yes it needs sorting out and until it is we are going nowhere. Or at least we are stuck playing the sort of football that requires the midfield to chase the ball like dogs pursuing a stick and not much else.

Whoever we hire as Head Coach needs to make this the number one priority. It really does not matter how we line up we don't have a midfield that can pass the ball. Yes technically they all can pass the ball but the movement is laboured and as soon as things get a little difficult it goes into it's collective shell.

It gives us something to talk about I guess. This year we have the added variables of the evidence of failure to control games at Championship level, the departure of Barry and Morrison ...and the evidence of Brunt's presence in CM for sizeable chunks of the season.

You're right that movement or lack of it is a big part of the issue and the reason why players either have to knock speculative longer passes or turn and pass sideways or back....add in the lack of legs to enable us to press the opposition when we don't have the ball also.

[FallOutBoy]

You know who is to blame for the current state of the midfield don't you? Tony Pulis.

Yes, I know, it's a shock me blaming Pulis for something again. But hear me out (or read me out, whatever).

Pulis liked his two banks of four, a rigid formation, and players who could stick to his instructions. This meant that we recruited to his specifications - one-paced, defensive midfielders, with pacy wingers either side. Yacob, Fletcher, Gardner, Barry, Livermore, etc, were the kind of central midfielder he liked.

So when it came time to change the way we play, we were left with too few midfielders who had any kind of dynamism; no attacking players, no box to box players, just holding players. This goes back to what I've said all along - if Moore wanted to change the way we play, he needed to change more of the players. Somebody like Woods (Brentford, now Stoke) would have been a good start. But this is why so many of us want to see the inclusion of Field - he may not be the finished article, but he has more energy and tenacity than many of his more senior colleagues.

[GREGMT]

You know who is to blame for the current state of the midfield don't you? Tony Pulis.

Yes, I know, it's a shock me blaming Pulis for something again. But hear me out (or read me out, whatever).

Pulis liked his two banks of four, a rigid formation, and players who could stick to his instructions. This meant that we recruited to his specifications - one-paced, defensive midfielders, with pacy wingers either side. Yacob, Fletcher, Gardner, Barry, Livermore, etc, were the kind of central midfielder he liked.

So when it came time to change the way we play, we were left with too few midfielders who had any kind of dynamism; no attacking players, no box to box players, just holding players. This goes back to what I've said all along - if Moore wanted to change the way we play, he needed to change more of the players. Somebody like Woods (Brentford, now Stoke) would have been a good start. But this is why so many of us want to see the inclusion of Field - he may not be the finished article, but he has more energy and tenacity than many of his more senior colleagues.

I think that is true.  But Pulis did a job of keeping us in the league before he faded. Why then haven’t the Manager and Coaching Staff had the gumption and nous to change it it up?  Most fans have seen this problem coming for the last 3 years.

[vrabbit]

You know who is to blame for the current state of the midfield don't you? Tony Pulis.

Yes, I know, it's a shock me blaming Pulis for something again. But hear me out (or read me out, whatever).

Pulis liked his two banks of four, a rigid formation, and players who could stick to his instructions. This meant that we recruited to his specifications - one-paced, defensive midfielders, with pacy wingers either side. Yacob, Fletcher, Gardner, Barry, Livermore, etc, were the kind of central midfielder he liked.

So when it came time to change the way we play, we were left with too few midfielders who had any kind of dynamism; no attacking players, no box to box players, just holding players. This goes back to what I've said all along - if Moore wanted to change the way we play, he needed to change more of the players. Somebody like Woods (Brentford, now Stoke) would have been a good start. But this is why so many of us want to see the inclusion of Field - he may not be the finished article, but he has more energy and tenacity than many of his more senior colleagues.

not a single lie was written in the quoted post.