What is Joe Ralls

I am reading we need a box to box midfielder on the same post we need a creative midfielder. Slade looks like he is playing him as the base of a shallow diamond almost a holding player.

How would you describe Joe ?

Needs to be pushed 10 yards further forward where he can create because he is excellent at playing forward passes into feet. He also gets stuck in. Not sure he will get many goals though

Needs to be pushed 10 yards further forward where he can create because he is excellent at playing forward passes into feet. He also gets stuck in. Not sure he will get many goals though

His main attributes are his energy, strength and drive coupled with technical ability.To me he is a box to box midfielder who need to add goals to his game by getting into the box more.

totally agree. Slade plays Ralls in the quarterback roll. same as he played Whitts which is wasting both their talents.
possible answer might be to play both together as it would mean 1 has a more advanced roll at least. i dont see what Gunner offers us in a more advanced role as hes not creative. could lose a but of strength then but would also improve our set pieces.

another option would be to bring Dikacoi or Okeefe into the side as a holding midfielder and free up Ralls

Joe Ralls is a box to box midfielder full of energy and legs as you say basing on the Birmingham game i would just put that one down as an off day and lets see how him and Gunnar get along with more games.

I am reading we need a box to box midfielder on the same post we need a creative midfielder. Slade looks like he is playing him as the base of a shallow diamond almost a holding player.

How would you describe Joe ?

RS has been playing Ralls in what I would describe the "Anchor" midfield role which in any team is the pivotal midfield role where the player sets the tempo of the team. The players needs to be available to receive the ball from the back four or the defensive midfield player and set up play for the attacking players with good vision and quality passing. Unfortunately for Ralls he is currently paired with Gunnarsonn who doesn't play the "Holding" or "Defensive" at all well, probably the reason why the Gunnarsonn / Whittingham partnership was so ineffective.

In contrast the Whittingham / Dickaghoi partnership earlier in the season worked so well with one breaking up play and the other setting up tempo and directing play.

Ralls, in my opinion, is a box to box midfielder who is wasted in this "Anchor" role and like Whittingham last season becomes exposed by Gunnarsonns inability to cover his back.

RS needs to find a way of getting the best out of this squad and 4-4-2 every game isn't going to do it. But there lies the problem does RS have it in him to get the right players, in the right positions, in the right formation.

Id put Whitts in between Ralls and Gunnar myself. Whitts can sit and orchestrate and Ralls and Gunnar both have the energy to press their midfield when we dont have the ball, and drive forward and get in the box when we are on the attack.

If Ralls is just going to be used in the QB role then we are better off playing Whitts there as hes better technically than Ralls.

Ralls is a box to box midfielder but I do not believe he is disciplined enough yet.
His high energy is his downfall in one way as he is running around everywhere trying to win or receive the ball.

Even though this is great to see it means he lacks real discipline in my opinion.

when he slows down and looks up he is capable of putting through a good ball as he did twice the other night against Brentford for Pilkington.

but I find he loses possession in the second half of the game when he gets tired and the opposition learn to close him down a lot quicker.

he is certainly not a left midfielder where he was playing at the start of the season and this was a big problem we had as he was constantly running to the centre of the park and even to the right hand side of the pitch at times.

For me a box to box midfielder but needs to slow down and look up a bit more

Id put Whitts in between Ralls and Gunnar myself. Whitts can sit and orchestrate and Ralls and Gunnar both have the energy to press their midfield when we dont have the ball, and drive forward and get in the box when we are on the attack.

If Ralls is just going to be used in the QB role then we are better off playing Whitts there as hes better technically than Ralls.

Agree with all of this.

Also would love to see Kennedy given a chance ahead of Noone and Ameobi