Required Additions

[Rampage]

4 hours ago, tomsdubs said:

The problem I have with Buchanan is he's never actually in defence, majority of the Blackburn turnover attacks I couldn't even see him in the camera shot. He seems OK when he's back there but his judgement of when to go forward or hold back is miles off. Made worse by his inability to find Derby players with even the simplest pull back when he went forward. Got something about him but I'd rather have Forsyth just defending on Sat because he'll just get exposed again against their attackers..

New defensive LB please.

[Barney1991]

Everyone bangs on about the defence but the glaring issue is the centre mid  

We play 2 in front of the back 4 in bird and rooney. Bird is going to be a great player in 3 years time but he's too lightweight to protect the defence. At the moment he's to sideways and sometimes holds onto it to long. Rooney has no legs and yoi can't expect people to carry him. Both great in possession when they have options. The 2 of rhem for me nulify our attacks. They both just sit and not one thinks ill join in and will bomb on and give the opposition anything to think about. Sibley us being played a little to high up for me as well. Holmes great runner but no end product. 

Sorry to go back to it but look at the 3 we had in 13 14 compared to now. We had Thorne sitting. We then had bryson hendrick and hughes. For me bielik is the Thorne when be gets back. We then need the other 2 to be the legs. Sibley can play the bryson role and if bird can get box to box then give it him or knight. 

At the momebt all we have is bird and rooney 2 yards from each other sibely is to far forward and marriott is marked out of the game. All it takes is the dm to sit on sibley the 2 centre backs to sit on marriott and you nulify us. Instead drop sibley into the 8 and bird in the 6 and they can't do the sitting on as they will dragged out if position. 

[Comrade 86]

Barry Douglas and Keinan Davis. Other than that, the return of Lawrence, Waggy, Bielik and Holmes to fitness and the matchday squad. The only other addition required is some patience from us fans but I fear that's hoping for rather too much. 

[neil62uk]

27 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Barry Douglas and Keinan Davis. Other than that, the return of Lawrence, Waggy, Bielik and Holmes to fitness and the matchday squad. The only other addition required is some patience from us fans but I fear that's hoping for rather too much. 

Well said ,  personally  I like to see  the incoming  of a big robust forward  to go along with what you've said 

[ramsbottom]

16 hours ago, Jourdan said:

My point is everyone is talking about improving the defence or getting in wingers or strikers, but there is complete silence on us bringing in a midfielder.

It has been and will continue to be a massive oversight from the club.

Everton was just an example of how decisive it can be if you get your midfield right. As clubs, there are very few parallels. We are obviously planets apart in terms of infrastructure, resources and pull. That wasn't what I was getting at, obviously.

It was simply that Everton had a similar fundamental problem - an unbalanced and ineffective midfield - and look what happened when they solved it.

Maybe if we sign a midfielder, it could have a similar effect.

That's probably because as far as Cocu is concerned he has the right personnel in midfield.  Once he have a striker who can hold the ball up, whether that's a new one, or Waghorn once he's fit and the wingers are fit, he'll play a 3 in there without a number 10.  So it will more than likely be 

-----------------Bielik/Bird

Rooney/Shinnie------------Holmes/Knight

Bielik or Bird to protect the back 4, Rooney/Shinnie to stitch things together and Holmes/Knight to be the box to box.  I personally think Knights wasted out wide, but with his eye for goal and willingness to get into the box, I can see him notching 10 a season from there.

[Barney1991]

2 hours ago, ramsbottom said:

That's probably because as far as Cocu is concerned he has the right personnel in midfield.  Once he have a striker who can hold the ball up, whether that's a new one, or Waghorn once he's fit and the wingers are fit, he'll play a 3 in there without a number 10.  So it will more than likely be 

-----------------Bielik/Bird

Rooney/Shinnie------------Holmes/Knight

Bielik or Bird to protect the back 4, Rooney/Shinnie to stitch things together and Holmes/Knight to be the box to box.  I personally think Knights wasted out wide, but with his eye for goal and willingness to get into the box, I can see him notching 10 a season from there.

Fully agree although I wouldn't want rooney to be in there tbh I know that's a weird thing to say as he is rooney but rooney ain't going to get up and down so really you want rooney as the one screening but I'd rather have bielik in there. Knight will be the perfect new bryson for me very similar style. Woukd stick holmes or even sibley in there as well. 

[Rample]

Depends on the aims, and the tactics.

Despite 6 players coming in I still feel we need to upgrade 4 players - centre half, left back, centre midfielder and centre forward - to be a decent team, if tactics stay as they are.

The key word there is centre - we have partlally competent players in these positions but when you are talking about 3 of the spine of a side it's no wonder we're struggling.

Wisdom/Clarke could be okay with the right players ahead of them but Rooney/Bird need someone next to them. Shinnie (like Forsyth) isn't really up to it, and Marriott/Waggy don't fit the system. Land the Turk and a left back and I still worry about that midfield at least until Bielik comes back. It's a bit like writing the next few months off. By January we might actually get PCs chosen XI, but will it be too late?

Kids need to be integrated/rotated not seen as key players -  there's more to developing players than giving them minutes. I honestly expected PC to be better at this.