Midfield

[NB GIN]

This is the biggest problem for me we create zero from midfield 

 

look ok at Livi last night midfielders who are all getting in the box and pass about very well

 

something not right with us there is no cohesion from middle of the park 

 

I get what Levein is saying regarding a lack of fight but honestly think the tactics are brutal chops and changes too much. 

 

We need to see a settled side playing a system that suits us and stop changing every week 

 

The players are lost out there 

 

 

[amadjambo]

Just now, NB GIN said:

This is the biggest problem for me we create zero from midfield 

 

look ok at Livi last night midfielders who are all getting in the box and pass about very well

 

something not right with us there is no cohesion from middle of the park 

 

I get what Levein is saying regarding a lack of fight but honestly think the tactics are brutal chops and changes too much. 

 

We need to see a settled side playing a system that suits us and stop changing every week 

 

The players are lost out there 

 

 

We don’t have any wingers, we have no presence up front, and there is still a chronic lack of pace all over the park. Brutal.

 

[upgotheheads]

CL seems to have an obsession with process when it comes to recruitment. Its all about statistics and numbers using the agency networks, which turn up players like Bozanic and Garuccio, who look good on paper but then fail to produce on the field. Technically good yes, battlers no.

Meanwhile managers like Tommy Wright and Holt seem to be able to turn journeymen into match winners.

Levein has found good players like Webster and Souttar in the past but seems to have lost the knack recently.

[Ron Burgundy]

Livi’s Pittman was everything out midfield wasn’t. Interested and energetic. Our is so pedestrian and soft it’s scary. 

 

I don’t even know if he’s a midfielder but he seemed to be everywhere. We have nothing like that in this team. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Ron Burgundy

[buzzbomb]

28 minutes ago, NB GIN said:

This is the biggest problem for me we create zero from midfield 

 

look ok at Livi last night midfielders who are all getting in the box and pass about very well

 

something not right with us there is no cohesion from middle of the park 

 

I get what Levein is saying regarding a lack of fight but honestly think the tactics are brutal chops and changes too much. 

 

We need to see a settled side playing a system that suits us and stop changing every week 

 

The players are lost out there 

 

 

Agree.

 

Also I’ve watched the wee guy Pittman in the play offs last year and last night and been impressed every time. Defends, attacks, great engine. Seems to have something our midfield completely lacks

[buzzbomb]

2 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Livi’s Pittman was everything out midfield wasn’t. Interested and energetic. Our is so pedestrian and soft it’s scary. 

 

I don’t even know if he’s a midfielder but he seemed to be everywhere. We have nothing like that in this team. 

Was just typing my reply extolling Pittman..! Said the same on a thread last night...

 

we go to Australia to sign average players and there’s a wee guy 15 miles along the road you’d get for sweeties..

[Lovecraft]

Lets see what happens with Djoum missing in the next game.

 

 

[amadjambo]

44 minutes ago, buzzbomb said:

Was just typing my reply extolling Pittman..! Said the same on a thread last night...

 

we go to Australia to sign average players and there’s a wee guy 15 miles along the road you’d get for sweeties..

Spot on and perfectly sums up our recruitment since Levein came to the club.

[TheBigO]

Midfield not the issue. Dont listen to Sutton.

 

MacLean is the issue with our midfield. Or endemic of the problem anyway. Lee can’t play without a target, be that a unit or a runner, MacLean is neither.  Djoum has been having to try to do it all alone.

 

As i said in another thread, Demi and Morrison should’ve been up front for weeks. Atleast give the defenders something to think about and give our midfield some options.

[Jambos_1874]

Midfield? What midfield?

[boag1874]

2 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Midfield not the issue. Dont listen to Sutton.

 

MacLean is the issue with our midfield. Or endemic of the problem anyway. Lee can’t play without a target, be that a unit or a runner, MacLean is neither.  Djoum has been having to try to do it all alone.

 

As i said in another thread, Demi and Morrison should’ve been up front for weeks. Atleast give the defenders something to think about and give our midfield some options.

Agree. MacLean offered absolutely nothing last night and hasn’t done for weeks, there were decent balls going in for him at times and he didn’t win a single one either because his movement was crap or because he cant win a header.

[Lovecraft]

4 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Midfield not the issue. Dont listen to Sutton.

 

MacLean is the issue with our midfield. Or endemic of the problem anyway. Lee can’t play without a target, be that a unit or a runner, MacLean is neither.  Djoum has been having to try to do it all alone.

 

As i said in another thread, Demi and Morrison should’ve been up front for weeks. Atleast give the defenders something to think about and give our midfield some options.

 

Any time Morrison got the ball last night, Livi had 2 players on him

 

Demi also seemed to be ahead of Maclean quite a few times.

 

 

[TheBigO]

4 minutes ago, Lovecraft said:

 

Any time Morrison got the ball last night, Livi had 2 players on him

 

Demi also seemed to be ahead of Maclean quite a few times.

 

 

And that was working with Demi, he gave them problems.

 

Mortison was playing on the touchline. Im talking about those 2 up top.  Or Demi and Djoum, or Demo and Wighton (so not on hos own) or Demi and me, or anyone but MacLean. MacLean hasnt linked play, held the ball up, moved a defender, or SCORED A GOAL one single time since Naismith got injured. Something else needed tried weeks ago.

 

We’re playing a man short and in a critical area, it makes winning an uphill battle from first minute and makes every single players job when in possession 10x harder.

[wavydavy]

My worry apart from that inept performance last night is will this sort of display put the likes of Naismith off joining us permanently?

 

If pople think that when he comes back that everything will be fine then they are very wrong.

 

We had some poor performances away from home when Naismith was still in the team and although he is probably the best leader we have from a playing perspective he has been out for a number of weeks and is unlikely to hit the ground running and produce his pre injury form against Aberdeen away.

 

Can we afford to play Hughes it is blatantly obvious that the guy is finished so who does that leave, Smith, Haring or one of the young guys who are still very raw so hardly an ideal time to introduce and inexperienced CB.

 

We all know that after last night CL is going to be even more desperate to NOT LOSE and will have everyone behind the ball for 90 minutes desperately playing for the draw which he will see as a victory.

 

I have said it before and been shot down before but CL wants a team full of players that do what they are told without question and can't think on the park for themselves without being told and they are all too soft and slow.

 

The problem with this is that when the plan isn't working they don't know what to do. There is no urgency about their play just look at Olly Lee every time he plays and despite CL's feeble attempts we still don't have any decent wide players who can go beyong a defender and get a decent cross in.

 

Injuries aside he never plays the same team twice that stinks of a Coach who doesn't know what his strongest team is. He keeps changing things because he hasn't got the right players for the right positions.

[Bull's-eye]

We have nothing up front, we're beaten before the game even starts. 

 

That will change soon enough thank ****.

[DVB]

I would think about moving haring back to centre back and bringing Lee back in.

[rory78]

Our midfield has been brutal for years - continually outplayed by most teams in the league, our powder puff approach to the majority of Edinburgh Derbies in recent years especially at ER has resulted in McGinn Mcgeough and Allan having the easiest of days, even when we romped the Championship our games at ER were shocking and big Ozturk rescued us from another rubbish performance 

[jambopilms]

Our midfield has been excellent but now it's not, Harring Lee and Naismith had control of many games. I don't understand Harring Lee djoum lost the ability to pass because Naismith isn't there.

[Scott980612]

1 hour ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Livi’s Pittman was everything out midfield wasn’t. Interested and energetic. Our is so pedestrian and soft it’s scary. 

 

I don’t even know if he’s a midfielder but he seemed to be everywhere. We have nothing like that in this team. 

This 

he was playing junior level a few years ago and has obviously worked hard to get to where he is.  

 

He was streets ahead ahead of anything we had in midfield last night. 

 

 

[jack D and coke]

30 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

And that was working with Demi, he gave them problems.

 

Mortison was playing on the touchline. Im talking about those 2 up top.  Or Demi and Djoum, or Demo and Wighton (so not on hos own) or Demi and me, or anyone but MacLean. MacLean hasnt linked play, held the ball up, moved a defender, or SCORED A GOAL one single time since Naismith got injured. Something else needed tried weeks ago.

 

We’re playing a man short and in a critical area, it makes winning an uphill battle from first minute and makes every single players job when in possession 10x harder.

I know he wasn’t supposed to be a regular starter but MacLean has been a ****ing woeful signing. Yet another woeful signing at that. Even with Naismith playing he was barely passable but with Naismith out jesus he’s been absolutely horrific. 

[wattie exploited]

our midfield has been shit for years ever since Rudi left !!!!!!!!!!!

[Hairybanjo]

On paper our midfield should be decent but there is no balance to it. Haring was bought as a CH but excelled early on in midfield which seems to have given us to many options in the middle. He's trying to fit too many CM players in.

[Mr Elwood P]

This is why Naismith is such a miss. He drops into midfield and then pops up in the 6 yard box, linking the two sections of the team and bringing players like Maclean into play. Uche holds the ball up and allows the midfield to get up in support. Maclean’s not the kind of player to play the role he’s been landed with. Roll on 2019.

[gedster]

3 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Livi’s Pittman was everything out midfield wasn’t. Interested and energetic. Our is so pedestrian and soft it’s scary. 

 

I don’t even know if he’s a midfielder but he seemed to be everywhere. We have nothing like that in this team. 

 They signed him from Bo'ness United FFS!! Our twinkle toed midfield superstars want to look at what he's achieved and then look at their over-paid selves and have a long hard think

[Jambo diehard]

It's pace and natural width we often lack, even if we're not crossing it all the time it stretches teams and creates space we otherwise might not get

[bairdy]

3 hours ago, rory78 said:

Our midfield has been brutal for years - continually outplayed by most teams in the league, our powder puff approach to the majority of Edinburgh Derbies in recent years especially at ER has resulted in McGinn Mcgeough and Allan having the easiest of days, even when we romped the Championship our games at ER were shocking and big Ozturk rescued us from another rubbish performance 

Absolutely spot on. You don't need to be an expert on the game to see that we've been very poor in midfield for a number of years now.

I think we need a complete new midfield. ( Apart from Naismith of course ! )

Oh...and a new goalie.

And also new full backs.

That should just about do it..

[Cruyff Turn]

We need a leader and a winner in midfield. 

[Jambo diehard]

I've no idea if he'd come but Shinnie is out of contract come the summer and as well as being a decent football player he has dig, a leader and can play a few positions, be could at least be looked at?

[DS98]

We have absolutely ZERO energy and pace in midfield. Djoum is a ‘nice’ player with a few neat touches. But that’s it. Bozanic is the epitome of a nothing player. Doesn’t protect and contributes nothing going forward. Haring has been our POTY so far however he’s basically a centre half who’s half decent on the ball but he’s probably slower than Levein!

[Jambo diehard]

DS Haring has been good? but we lack pace all over the park, he needs some creativity and speed alongside him, he might look even better with that but that's down tae CL and I'm not sure the type of player we need is his first thought? 

[GavK1012]

50 minutes ago, Jambo diehard said:

I've no idea if he'd come but Shinnie is out of contract come the summer and as well as being a decent football player he has dig, a leader and can play a few positions, be could at least be looked at?

 

#ChampyManager

[Jambo diehard]

Gav, aye maybe a wee bit??

 

Still like him everytime I see him play, having him and Naismith booting baws when it's not going so good could be a bonus? 

[wavydavy]

59 minutes ago, Jambo diehard said:

I've no idea if he'd come but Shinnie is out of contract come the summer and as well as being a decent football player he has dig, a leader and can play a few positions, be could at least be looked at?

 

I saw that but he did say that he is at an age now where this could be his best time for a decent contract. I'm not sure we could offer him the sort of money he would want at 27 his current age.

 

He's probably hoping for a move to one of the uglies or down south where he can make a few bob.

 

He is definitely the type of player that we should be signing though.

[Jambo diehard]

Wavy, fair point? he is a sore loser and competitive, we need players of that ilk, the cash would be an issue to be fair mate, better he goes down South than one of the horrors in the West?

[80bob]

There midfield play with there heads up looking for the next pass and the next space to run into .Our midfield also play with there heads up just a shame its up there  erse or watching the ball fly over it to McLean 

[Bazzas right boot]

6 hours ago, Lovecraft said:

Lets see what happens with Djoum missing in the next game.

 

 

 

 

We seen what happens in 15 minutes after he goes missing. 

[maroonlegions]

6 hours ago, Jambos_1874 said:

Midfield? What midfield?

Harry??

 

Why has this boy been dumped, he has proven he has it and can handle games, totally insane that he is left out, fecking mental, the buck stops with who???

[Bazzas right boot]

The same midfield was well balanced before our injuries and then confidence drained. 

 

Why folk aren't joining the dots on or injuries and loss of form is baffling. 

 

 

People are looking for complicated answers and ott solution's to the issues. 

 

The answer is right in front of us. 

 

No need to dig too deep. 

 

Edited December 15, 2018 by WeeChuck'sHeed

[jambali]

6 hours ago, Jambos_1874 said:

Midfield? What midfield?

Spot on

[maroonlegions]

36 minutes ago, WeeChuck'sHeed said:

 

 

We seen what happens in 15 minutes after he goes missing. 

Harry should start now, hopefully. 

Our keeper and Arron Hughes????

 

[EastSideJambo]

8 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Livi’s Pittman was everything out midfield wasn’t. Interested and energetic. Our is so pedestrian and soft it’s scary. 

 

I don’t even know if he’s a midfielder but he seemed to be everywhere. We have nothing like that in this team. 

I like the look of Pitman. First noticed him in the play offs against United. He has an eye for goal and is always on the move. He's got an engine on him. 

 

Hearts have had pedestrian midfielders for years now. This actually pre dates Levein 

 

Trouble is we're now largely pedestrian all over the park 

[Spellczech]

8 hours ago, TheBigO said:

Midfield not the issue. Dont listen to Sutton.

 

MacLean is the issue with our midfield. Or endemic of the problem anyway. Lee can’t play without a target, be that a unit or a runner, MacLean is neither.  Djoum has been having to try to do it all alone.

 

As i said in another thread, Demi and Morrison should’ve been up front for weeks. Atleast give the defenders something to think about and give our midfield some options.

I think midfield is the issue.  There is no cohesion there and a lack of both pace and bite. Individually they can all do a job but it seems like the balance that was inherent in the 18 summer signings has been lost because the player with pace - Mulraney - has been shown to only have pace, and the player with bite - Edwards - has been shown to only have bite. Thus far Clare has looked like an inexperienced young player not the Messiah. Wighton looks rustier than the Titanic. Bozanic looks tidy on the ball but not a ball winner, ditto Lee. Haring tries his best to bolster the midfield but he's not the best user of the ball when the opposition are snapping around him.

 

I think Mitchell can look dangerous going forward but he is weak and cowardly, even lazy, defensively. Morrison never looks like a threat to me. Plus Smith nevers seems to go beyond him perhaps because he knows the ball won't come to him successfull?

 

Last night Djoum looked our midfielder with the most drive, bite and craft. Then he got sent off...That left us with nothing. Nothing at all.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Spellczech

[TheBigO]

3 minutes ago, Spellczech said:

I think midfield is the issue.  There is no cohesion there and a lack of both pace and bite. Individually they can all do a job but it seems like the balance that was inherent in the 18 summer signings has been lost because the player with pace - Mulraney - has been shown to only have pace, and the player with bite - Edwards - has been shown to only have bite. Thus far Clare has looked like an inexperienced young player not the Messiah. Wighton looks rustier than the Titanic. Bozanic looks tidy on the ball but not a ball winner, ditto Lee. Haring tries his best to bolster the midfield but he's not the best user of the ball when the opposition are snapping around him.

 

Last night Djoum looked our midfielder with the most drive, bite and craft. Then he got sent off...That left us with nothing. Nothing at all.

Heres a thing, Spell, we may well both be right!!!

 

Naismith is so good he may well fix both our midfield and striker issues though. Or I’m telling myself that anyway!

[Spellczech]

6 minutes ago, TheBigO said:

Heres a thing, Spell, we may well both be right!!!

 

Naismith is so good he may well fix both our midfield and striker issues though. Or I’m telling myself that anyway!

True. He is probably the bond that provides the cohesion to the whole team... Certainly MacLean looks lost playing as a lone striker. As I said last night, he's a passenger in that role. I honestly think we'd be better just going 4-6-0 in the next game and rely on Clare and perhaps Wighton to get into the box. Neither is a proven goalscorer from midfield though...

 

I think it imperative that Hughes doesn't play and that means we need Haring at CB. This will take what little bite there is out of our midfield so let's just overload it with numbers and see if they can find a fluidity to play through the opposition...Levein is really up against it selection-wise now...If Naismith is fit enough to play then he can be the most advanced of the 6.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Spellczech

[Ray Gin]

10 hours ago, NB GIN said:

This is the biggest problem for me we create zero from midfield 

 

look ok at Livi last night midfielders who are all getting in the box and pass about very well

 

something not right with us there is no cohesion from middle of the park 

 

I get what Levein is saying regarding a lack of fight but honestly think the tactics are brutal chops and changes too much. 

 

We need to see a settled side playing a system that suits us and stop changing every week 

 

The players are lost out there 

 

 

 

Folk have been bemoaning the lack of width and playing Mitchell at left back for weeks. Levein changes it, and now we get humped it's his fault for chopping and changing to what folk were asking for.

 

[samgolden]

6 hours ago, Jambo diehard said:

It's pace and natural width we often lack, even if we're not crossing it all the time it stretches teams and creates space we otherwise might not get

Tell me when was the last time we seen any of our wingers  Morrison Macdonald 

Mitchell etc actually go to the line it is so predictable  it’s a left winger on the right and he has a chance to hit the line but stops and comes inside this must be coached into our wingers other teams have known this so counteract it by covering the full back so nullifying any threat we may gain 

 

[ramrod]

10 hours ago, Lovecraft said:

Lets see what happens with Djoum missing in the next game.

 

 

I'm looking at that as a positive