One thing I've noticed clearly When Callum plays we look energetic, crisp, sharp When he doesn't, we look far more lethargic & laboured Kane can suddenly pop up with a quality goal or assist, but he is far too passive in general. Phillips is a crab this season too. What does Mcatee offer? His passing is nothing to write home about, his shooting is utterly dreadful. Luton can have hm back. Think without Styles we are ordinary to say the least
Whilst I agree Styles should be one of the first names on the team sheet I don’t get your comment on McAtee. He closes down well and can beat a man. Needs to work on taking the right option but he is way ahead of Watters and Cosgrove. Philips a bit disappointing so far this season. We should have won comfortably yesterday and have shown more lethargy in some games Styles has played
Yea, I think I quoted this a few weeks ago, when Styles plays, he can bring the ball forwards and drive at teams ..... our other midfielders have other attributes but don't carry that threat. He was a miss yesterday.
McAtee needs to play in midfield as the advanced man because Phillips offers nothing in that role and kane and Russell are far too defensive meaning there's a 30 yard gap between strikers and midfield
We created more than enough yesterday to win the game, it wasn’t the fact that we didn’t win because Styles didn’t play. We should have taken our chances and then we would have won comfortably in my eyes
I would play Kane, Styles and Connell - rotate McAtee / Phillips just off the striker , and look to introduce Jalo into the team I thought Cole was really effective yesterday when he swapped to cut in from the wing that said I think he will be sold in January disappointed to see him taking the ball off Kane for the penalty, presumably to get his figures up in anticipation of a big move …
Yea that's the fear isn't it?...That Cole and Styles go at christmas...hope we hold on to them and get the team firing.
Phillips has been anonymous this season, that’s the big problem, especially with Connell out. He had to start yesterday really but it was another chance wasted for him. Can’t recall him barely having a shot this season. They were flying in from all angles last term.
Styles is the only player we have that has the ability to get us out of our seat by going on a big run dribbling past multiple players like Hammill used to. Our team lacks excitement unless too many passes to get somewhere is your thing.
That's the trouble - we have midfielders who in footballing terms are the same - or rather too similar. Kane Benson Russell Phillips Connell Styles - they all lack the ability to drive forward i.e. attack. You could swop them round and if you brought one on for the other, you're not liable to notice any difference. Our forwards are generally woeful at holding it up if played up to them. So we spend our time having to manufacture forward progress via the wing backs. Which can be tedious to watch and frustrating in the extreme when it takes ages to create the space, and Cadden hits the other side's first man at the near post and Cotter hits their first man somewhere near the touchline. We need a midfielder to be able to drive at a defence.
I think we’ve been spoilt in recent years especially under Stendal, Val, & Duff with a high pressing team, that now this team is a bit more laid back it’s deemed less entertaining, add to that poor home form with a flat atmosphere. Luckily our away form has been good so we need to hang onto that & with Connell returning soon hopefully we can get back to pressing more intently, then the atmosphere should improve with every crunching challenge & winning balls higher up the pitch!
The last part especially. We don’t have anyone bar Cole that gives that bit of excitement it’s all slow build up that’s just not that fun to watch and doesn’t excite the crowd.
