Lack of match winning quality.

[graeme_4 37,391]

All credit to the boys last night (and this season so far). It’s clear we’ve a good group of lads who work hard, have a good attitude and are well organised. The issue we have in taking the next step is a real lack of quality, particularly in midfield. 

If we’re serious about a title challenge we need to invest in a quality central midfielder that can dictate a game or cut the opposition open. 

[StaunchLondonGer 1,651]

It's a work in progress. SG has made big strides and the indications are there will be movement in January to further strengthen. If we are still within reach of the scum at that point then anything can happen this season imo.

[STEPPS BOY 77,408]

At this moment we are so reliant on Tav, Candeias or Morelos to create.

Teams have actually started to load up on our right side  and are willing us to go down the left as nothing from left backs and double up on Middleton/ Kent.

2 Centre Midfielders are a must in January but i fear title challenge wise it’ll be too late.

[BlueAvenger 10,741]

We definitely need a creative midfielder but we also need another striker desperately. If Morelos gets crocked we are fucked. 

[Prso's headband 36,744]

The midfield has to be Arfield Jack and a quality player. We’re missing it so much. 

Twice in the first half Jack and Arfield both had good opportunities to hit a shot from outside the box, both times they played it back to each other. 

We need someone who can just have that dig, be brave on the ball. 

We’re honestly not far away. A defeat of the tarriers and the shackles will come right off this team. 

Not lost when playing with 10 men is immense character 

[SeparateEntityMyArse 55,282]

1 hour ago, BlueAvenger said:

We definitely need a creative midfielder but we also need another striker desperately. If Morelos gets crocked we are fucked. 

Spot on.

We've enough grafters in midfield, we need the guile. We've missed Kent's flair but it's a no10 we need. Morelos being out is a huge risk too, said it from day 1 we needed 4 forwards (3 established plus a young promising player).

I think we'll get Davis and Solanke in Jan which will help, but not enough.

More squad players going out of contract in the summer will help us invest better then. 

[ger4life_1872 30,455]

The summer budget needs too go on a cpl of quality players , if their not available in Jan 

[ShanksRFC 3,882]

Couldn't agree more about a flair player in the middle of the park. They don't come cheap though, especially in January.

I wish Dorrans could have got a run in this squad. He cut Villareal in half with one pass in the first leg, that's what we were missing last night and have been for a lot of the time this season.

[Ferris Bueller 1,569]

Grezda has still to get a decent run, think he will be good creative threat.

Also when Barasic is back fit the dynamic of having proper attacking full backs on both sides will make us more difficult to play against.

[Amato 3,094]

13 minutes ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Grezda has still to get a decent run, think he will be good creative threat.

Also when Barasic is back fit the dynamic of having proper attacking full backs on both sides will make us more difficult to play against.

Was going to post the same thing. I really think Barasic playing regularly will drastically improve us

[SeparateEntityMyArse 55,282]

15 minutes ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Grezda has still to get a decent run, think he will be good creative threat.

Also when Barasic is back fit the dynamic of having proper attacking full backs on both sides will make us more difficult to play against.

December will be full of battles, not the time to give Grezda his run of games to find consistency and flair. Think it'll be post winter break that we see more of him.

We're all holding out on Barisic being the solution on the left. He's just not shown particularly well so far. Really need him to be the player we think he can be.

[TMB 14,167]

Tavernier and Morelos create and score a ridiculous amount of our goals.  Something on the left would be good hopefully Barisic can get back in to the team ASAP.  If Grezda could get up to speed then he might add a goal threat.

I agree more attacking quality is needed but those players cost money.  Probably get another loan in January.

[STRUTH82 838]

Barasic being fit should restore balance to us in attacking sense, he offers everything flanagan doesnt. 

I do think flanagan would be more comfortable on the right, but obviously not going to happen due to Tavs ability going forward.

[.Williamson. 87,119]

Wouldn't sign Coulibaly

[.Williamson. 87,119]

3 minutes ago, STRUTH82 said:

Barasic being fit should restore balance to us in attacking sense, he offers everything flanagan doesnt. 

I do think flanagan would be more comfortable on the right, but obviously not going to happen due to Tavs ability going forward.

I'd be more comfortable with Flanagan fucking off entirely 

[DrLaudrup 5,042]

Agree with the OP but I think Gerrard and Allen know this is the type of player we need. We were never going solve all the problems in our squad in one window. We depsarstlet needed to shore up the back line and GK position as a priority which we’ve done. The types of players we need now are rarer and are not cheap. 

I don’t think creativity in itself is the issue, we do make a lot of chances, especially through Tav. We lack a regular goal scoring attacking midfielder though. And we are still light up top. 

[Dan Deacon 57,166]

1 minute ago, .Williamson. said:

Wouldn't sign Coulibaly

after his injury he has not really been that good. 

[.Williamson. 87,119]

1 minute ago, Dan Deacon said:

after his injury he has not really been that good. 

Overrated against lesser opposition. 

[Ferris Bueller 1,569]

1 minute ago, Dan Deacon said:

after his injury he has not really been that good. 

Yeah hasn't looked the same but thought he looked a lot better last night, distribution still needs to improve.

I'm on the fence about signing permanently.

[rfc1990 1,140]

Don't really want to use them as an example but a Rogic or an Armstrong is exactly the type of player we need. Someone that can play the perfect through ball and can also pop up with a goal every so often. 

[Queensferry Bear 3]

1 hour ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Grezda has still to get a decent run, think he will be good creative threat.

Also when Barasic is back fit the dynamic of having proper attacking full backs on both sides will make us more difficult to play against.

Yep agree with both points. Still a lot of question marks over Grezda but with so many games over the next month he will definitely see his fair share of playing time, hopefully he can contribute a few goals and assists. 

[Straight-Edge-Loyal 6,700]

Kevin Prince Boetang would be ideal if we could get him in or Ravel Morrison.

[Ronald de Boer 26]

15 hours ago, graeme_4 said:

All credit to the boys last night (and this season so far). It’s clear we’ve a good group of lads who work hard, have a good attitude and are well organised. The issue we have in taking the next step is a real lack of quality, particularly in midfield. 

If we’re serious about a title challenge we need to invest in a quality central midfielder that can dictate a game or cut the opposition open. 

This sums it up for me.  A quality number ten is what we need.

[Leeds_Bear 8,289]

Only so much we could really do in one transfer window, realistically we are way ahead where I expected us to be and Jan/Europa qualification gives us an opportunity to focus on creativity in the middle.

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

Honestly don’t think we can afford that standard of player in Jan or in the summer, unless Stevie is going to gamble and blow his budget on one or maybe 2 players.