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Knight and Shinnie


Topram

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Anyone else think this was a much better balance as a 2? Now Rooney is Rooney and I love Bird being a young talent etc but this just feels a better balance.

One can stay one can go, Knight loves to get the ball and get forward which would benefit the likes of Lawrence Jozwaik Ibe etc and Shinnie can sit in do the dirty work although he also did get forward tonight when needed.

With Rooney and bird it’s abit Static and that leaves a gap from them too the forwards, think Both struggle to get back into this side without injuries. 
 

hopefully we stick with these 2 going forward and a win comes soon as we definitely deserve one, the players Cocu and the club need and deserve it.

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What I like about both Knight and Shinnie is that they're both ball carriers. They'd rather dribble the ball forward themselves and beat a couple of players, take chances and draw fouls. Where as Bird and Rooney like to pass their way out and not move too much.

Knight and Shinnie have the legs and the energy to burst forwards and support the attack, something we've been totally missing recently, especially when we had no fit forwards. And they have the determination to run and cover our wing backs.

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Definitely gives more energy. Bird and Rooney are technically superb, but as a pairing they are very slow. Especially in this formation, with three CB’s behind, you need to be brave and select more attacking central midfielders. We lost so much when we move Knight from CM after the Norwich game, and you saw immediately the difference moving him back there made today. Having someone to carry the ball forward makes a huge difference in your transition play. Hopefully Cocu realises his error now and doesn’t play 2 CDM’s in that formation again.

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26 minutes ago, Topram said:

Anyone else think this was a much better balance as a 2? Now Rooney is Rooney and I love Bird being a young talent etc but this just feels a better balance.

One can stay one can go, Knight loves to get the ball and get forward which would benefit the likes of Lawrence Jozwaik Ibe etc and Shinnie can sit in do the dirty work although he also did get forward tonight when needed.

With Rooney and bird it’s abit Static and that leaves a gap from them too the forwards, think Both struggle to get back into this side without injuries. 
 

hopefully we stick with these 2 going forward and a win comes soon as we definitely deserve one, the players Cocu and the club need and deserve it.

I really rate Max Bird so would like him back in midfield at some point. Whilst he's not going to be a bundle of energy, his ability to snuff out attacks is very good & underrated, allied to his (usual) high quality delivery & control of midfield tempo.

Think Shinnie & Knight really suited tonight's challenge (and will do most away fixtures) but we may need Bird or Rooney if we're dominating possession and need to break a team down. 

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I thought the energy and defensive work was fantastic from both. 

Knight to me is looking a better version of Bryson. 

If I'm being critical though I do think there are times when Shinnie gets found wanting in possession either on the ball or opening up passing angles. 

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Knight is fantastic. As well as his running and pressing, he can hit fantastic cross-field passes. 
he doesn’t have the goal threat or the occasional powerful shot of Bryson as yet.
 

shinnie is great. Every club needs a Shinnie.

we have made great progress in some areas but still have a few holes to fill. 

the central defence is still a bit rickety. 
imagine if we had a mark wright. 
 

p.s. I’d still like to see knight and Sibley. 

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Shinnie has to play right now. He is a better version of John Eustace. We need that in the team. However Bird could come back and dislodge him and be more like George and even better. One or the other - not both.

Knight is first name on team sheet. Has to play. Sibley or Holmes could also play in there to make a 3, I think we may need 3 in a there long term to control the midfield.

Bielik coming back as well!! I think you play him alongside Clarke in defence, I’d also like us to go to 4 at the back although there are signs of wisdom and Clarke getting forward in the back 3 to give us options 

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23 minutes ago, G-Ram said:

Out of the youth we have promoted Knight is the best one to come through. Needs to be playing where he played last night & not out wide 

Agreed, we have some real talent at the moment in our youth players and knight is on the top of the pile imo. 

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8 hours ago, BramcoteRam84 said:

Shinnie has to play right now. He is a better version of John Eustace. We need that in the team. However Bird could come back and dislodge him and be more like George and even better. One or the other - not both.

Knight is first name on team sheet. Has to play. Sibley or Holmes could also play in there to make a 3, I think we may need 3 in a there long term to control the midfield.

Bielik coming back as well!! I think you play him alongside Clarke in defence, I’d also like us to go to 4 at the back although there are signs of wisdom and Clarke getting forward in the back 3 to give us options 

Shinnie better than Eustace? Bit of a way to go yet in my opinion....

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I thought knight had a brilliant first half, being canny winning fouls left right and centre and being everywhere, not quite as much second half but I thought shinnie was immense. If he’d have scored would have been the perfect performance; was always ‘there’ just when we looked short and every time I wondered as he slid in whether he’d get there first and he did. Fantastic. And his delivery was alright too.

Overall the fact we mixed it up a bit; played it out of trouble but also were a bit more direct; hitting the ball into channels to chase at times, helped not always put pressure on the centre mid.

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20 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Shinnie better than Eustace? Bit of a way to go yet in my opinion....

He does the same job, he’s better on the ball and he’s more mobile. I also think he has Eustace’s positional sense. 
This is a compliment to Shinnie who is a good player, not decrying Eustace in any way as he was vital that season and gave Hendrick/Hughes Bryson the platform to wreak havoc 

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9 hours ago, Topram said:

Anyone else think this was a much better balance as a 2? Now Rooney is Rooney and I love Bird being a young talent etc but this just feels a better balance.

One can stay one can go, Knight loves to get the ball and get forward which would benefit the likes of Lawrence Jozwaik Ibe etc and Shinnie can sit in do the dirty work although he also did get forward tonight when needed.

With Rooney and bird it’s abit Static and that leaves a gap from them too the forwards, think Both struggle to get back into this side without injuries. 
 

hopefully we stick with these 2 going forward and a win comes soon as we definitely deserve one, the players Cocu and the club need and deserve it.

Totally much better balance 

this is a little bit of my gripe with cocu ... I’m not having a go ... I think we’re making very slow tentative steps in progression.

but last season

he v naively thought we could pass our way through the championship and started the the opening 5-6 games with a midfield two of hiddleston and dowell... needless to say they were absolutely run off the park. When asked he stated that shinnie wasn’t technical enough .... well the argument against that was that dowell and Huddlestone wernt Mobile, athletic or hardworking enough 

results were poor and so shinnie was brought in... things improved 

this season .... what does he do ... start with bird / Rooney ... again we are our fought, out worked and and ran .... 

shinnie Re instated and knight brought in ... more energy, more drive, more competitive 

I truly hope the Penney has now dropped with phill and that in the championship especially u can get away with Luxarys that can’t put the graft in from the centre of the park 

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