Midfield Again Will Cost Us

By all accounts we wasted plenty of chances and only one shot on goal.

Totally agree we are way short up front, but the blatantly obvious for which has existed for the last three/four seasons is our lack of leader, orchestrator in the middle of the park.

The first Q&A session Warnock gave at the stadium he identified the lack of pace and lack of a leader in the middle of the park.

Warnock will get the best out of what we have but without the extra striker and midfield leader I think we will come up short this season.

More importantly did we look fit?

its way too early to tell.

It's a friendly. Means next to nothing.

My assumption is not based on a friendly and one game it's based on the last 2/3 seasons.

Fair enough but your opening line gave the impression it was more to do with last night.
Many doom & gloom merchants on here work that way - I'm not suggesting you are one of them.
I think a lot will depend on how the new signing Loic progresses. It's a lot to ask for him to step up and be the midfield player we need and lack but if he does then I think we will be ok in midfield.
I'm not a big fan of Ralls personally and Gunnar just does what he does fairly well. Personally, I'd like to keep O'Keef.

I am with LLantwit Blue...we have been lacking there since McPhail went we need someone to control our midfield and create. I would like to see someone like that alongside Darmour and Gunnarsson. Ralls has never impressed me too much when we are under pressure he just sits and passes side ways.
My opinion is we need that midfield leader and a goal poacher...both not easy to get..but other clubs have done well in the loan market before!!!!

I see Oliver Norwood is going to Fulam on loan from Brighton
and
Lewis GRABBAN TO SUNDERLAND ON LOAN!

It's a friendly. Means next to nothing.

Problem is, that it was a friendly for our opponents, and a fitness exercise for them also.

We have no skill or vision in our midfield players. It's a pity we didn't have a Peter Whittingham or Emyr Huws to provide that.

It's a friendly. Means next to nothing.

Problem is, that it was a friendly for our opponents, and a fitness exercise for them also.

We have no skill or vision in our midfield players. It's a pity we didn't have a Peter Whittingham or Emyr Huws to provide that.

id have liked to keep whitts or emyr too but NW is going a different way..honestly dont see any issues with losing a friendly in fact think our management team might get more things to work on out of that defeat than if we had rolled them over 6 nill.

It's a friendly. Means next to nothing.

Problem is, that it was a friendly for our opponents, and a fitness exercise for them also.

We have no skill or vision in our midfield players. It's a pity we didn't have a Peter Whittingham or Emyr Huws to provide that.

Yes that's why the result means nothing.
I agree with your second statement although, hopefully, Tomlin will supply some creativity.

Imho Gunnar along with Tomlin should now provide the bite that's been missing, between them.
I wonder if the guile of Damour will also provide the missing link that our midfield has been lacking.

I think we all agree in what we need,but we have no idea what Neil Warnock thinks we need.
As he has mentioned more than once, he is happy with what he has. We don't know which way he plans to play , he may just want two DM and the spark from Wingers/No 10 ?
We will have to wait and see, I hope we can just convert more chances and defend well and then, the midfield will take care of itself.
We may just have a little more money to spend , if the rumours are correct and Craig Noone will be leaving us by the weekend ? Then maybe NW will fetch another creative player in ?

i am hopeful that the sale of saaidi will signal a move for another striker and noone going means we can get another midfield player

i am hopeful that the sale of saaidi will signal a move for another striker and noone going means we can get another midfield player

pretty sure the club and manager were banking on Saadi, Noone,John,O keefe, Huws ,Lambert and Whitts all leaving and some of those moves having to be incentified and was part of the budget.
Warnocks unless something happens remark i took to meaning a big offer coming in and someone unexpected leaving.

Ive got a sneaky feeling we'll bring a midfielder in before the end of the window. Warnock said after last nights game that an area which he has wondered if we would have deficiencies was highlighted last night, he went on to say we weren't great in midfield. I personally think we're 1 player short of being able to have a good crack at the play offs and that's in midfield, nobody ever enjoys losing but last night has raised a few questions for Warnock. Something he sounded quite pleased about because it gives him time to answer them.

I'm always underwhelmed by Gunnar if i'm honest, I know he is a big fans fav because of the type of player he is but I just don't think he does enough in either box.

I totally agree with this. Gunnar is better as a destroyer, Tomlin as a number 10.
We really need a player to control midfield and, after shifting a few more players out of the club, I sincerely hope Warnock addresses this.
Don't think Damour will step up yet, though he may well be one for the future.

I'm always underwhelmed by Gunnar if i'm honest, I know he is a big fans fav because of the type of player he is but I just don't think he does enough in either box.

You're not alone on this. Gunnarsson hufs and he puffs but he never quite manages to blow the house down.

Is this a record for earliest doom and gloom post??

I mean come on season hasn't even started and we have "fans" writing the team off.

Certainly not doom and gloom, Again without stating the obvious our midfield has lacked quality/leadership for the last three four seasons, even Warnock agreed.
So your confident this has been addressed with our summer signings,I hope your right.

I'm confident going into this season yes and with several new players in I'm reasonable enough not to pass judgment on them already. But hey you carry on judging this forthcoming season on the last 3 if you like.

I think Gunnar is a type of players to be a fans favourite because fans love 110% but on technical ability he is one of the worst players I have ever seen for us who is a constant first team starter. Can't shoot, terrible passer.. I do like him but he is more of a rigid and just breaks up play and covers one area of the field which is in front of the defence..

No way would I be pessimistic. What I'm saying is that we have one glaring weakness, the lack of a dominant midfielder.

It's a friendly. Means next to nothing.

Problem is, that it was a friendly for our opponents, and a fitness exercise for them also.

We have no skill or vision in our midfield players. It's a pity we didn't have a Peter Whittingham or Emyr Huws to provide that.

Plymouth beat wolves and villa too, anything in that?
We also lost plenty of pre season friendlies in promotion and play off seasons. It's a training match.


But in response to the OP, it's the creativity but also keeping possession that worries me. Ralls and gunnar haven't been able to do it for a few years so what's changed? Hopefuly this new guy Loïc knows how to pass a ball.

i actually think it could be the strongest we've had it for a while.
Tomlin and Damour good signings.
But we still have 1/2 players coming in. potentially 1 striker 1 midfielder

i actually think it could be the strongest we've had it for a while.
Tomlin and Damour good signings.
But we still have 1/2 players coming in. potentially 1 striker 1 midfielder

Damour?
he MIGHT be a good signing ...but lets wait until he at least has the 20 minutes that most fans judged Saadi on before deciding.