Midfield - looking forward

[nvager 498]

Although we played a much better game today in the second half versus Dundee United, the midfield has struggled a bit of late.

Davis it appears is best at Right Mid and that leaves McCulloch and Edu in the centre and Weiss/Naismith/Lafferty out left.

Can we improve on the centre pair? Both are great workhorses, strong and mostly reliable, but a tad slow and predictable.

Kerkar if signed may add something out wide ( I have never seen him play)and Davis could go back in the middle, but can Ness or Hutton add anything in the middle? Are these youngsters capable of helping this year?

[ScottBF2 3,540]

I have no problem with a McCulloch/Edu partnership as long as we're playing good players wide (Weiss/Davis/Naismith) and good players in front of them (Miller/Beattie/Jelavic).

Davis hasn't convinced me he's a CM this season so far.

[ryan_rfc 24]

I have no problem with a McCulloch/Edu partnership as long as we're playing good players wide (Weiss/Davis/Naismith) and good players in front of them (Miller/Beattie/Jelavic).

Davis hasn't convinced me he's a CM this season so far.

This.

[supermac 115]

I go through spells of cursing and praising Edu, sometimes he can be too casual

[delamonty 992]

I go through spells of cursing and praising Edu, sometimes he can be too casual

I'd change the 'casual' to 'slow thinker' when he;' on the ball. How many times does he have the ball in space, only for an opponent to nick it off him. He seems somewhat confused at times. Unsure of where the pass should go, unsure of how the play is developing.

I've read where he is a late comer to the beautiful game. A great athlete? No doubt. But he lacks the lifelong experience of playing football imho. It shows.

No doubting the man's effort though.

[docspiderman 1,122]

Although we played a much better game today in the second half versus Dundee United, the midfield has struggled a bit of late.

Davis it appears is best at Right Mid and that leaves McCulloch and Edu in the centre and Weiss/Naismith/Lafferty out left.

Can we improve on the centre pair? Both are great workhorses, strong and mostly reliable, but a tad slow and predictable.

Kerkar if signed may add something out wide ( I have never seen him play)and Davis could go back in the middle, but can Ness or Hutton add anything in the middle? Are these youngsters capable of helping this year?

I doubt that we will see Ness and Hutton prove any thing this season other than that they are under 21 and can sit on the bench.I still worry about the time and freedom our central midfield affords the opposition in the spl and fear what may happen against teams in europe with decent movement and quick passing.

[GaryMc 2,394]

We are in dire need of a Barry Ferguson (pre-blackburn) type player. If we had someone like that I'd be more than happy to have either McCulloch or Edu protecting our back four. As it stands though we don't have a player of that quality and by that I mean a CM who always wants the ball, can drag the game forward, has natural ability and positional sense to play CM and will score and create goals.

The problem is though a player of that ilk wil cost a fortune and that we do not have.If only we had another Barry Ferguson amongst our ranks.

[delamonty 992]

I doubt that we will see Ness and Hutton prove any thing this season other than that they are under 21 and can sit on the bench.I still worry about the time and freedom our central midfield affords the opposition in the spl and fear what may happen against teams in europe with decent movement and quick passing.

Like ManU?

[nvager 498]

Like ManU?

I think he means at home games when we may have to open up a bit.

[rfc_no1fan 13]

Maybe its time to give Fleck a shot in his natural midfield role.

Starting with 45-60 mins on Tuesday night.

[nvager 498]

Maybe its time to give Fleck a shot in his natural midfield role.

Starting with 45-60 mins on Tuesday night.

Fleck is out injured for about another month after reinjuring his hamstring in training.

[docspiderman 1,122]

Like ManU?

I thought, along with most others, that Man Utd were pedestrian in their build up and pretty devoid of guile and movement off the ball. Now if you mean the usual Man Utd first team the answer would be yes

[nvager 498]

I doubt that we will see Ness and Hutton prove any thing this season other than that they are under 21 and can sit on the bench.I still worry about the time and freedom our central midfield affords the opposition in the spl and fear what may happen against teams in europe with decent movement and quick passing.

Yes I agree in home games in the CL we may indeed be vulnerable. Is it not time to see if any of those two can be a good fit in the centre?

Maybe the Dunfermiline game will give us a clue.

[Davie2909 21]

I would love to see Ness get a run of games personally

[Clemdog 39,388]

I don't know what it is with Edu, he gave away the ball for fun today. He does the hard part in winning the ball, or holding off a player, then just gives it away. It's really frustrating to watch him as we all know he has the capablilty, but he just seems to 'dilly dally' too much.

:weiss: :davis: :mcculloch:

Is still our strongest midfield in my opinion. But I'd love for Ness to make a mark on the team this season, if he gets his chance is a different story.