Craig Bryson

[Jourdan]

To be honest, we have decent options in midfield but no-one outstanding. If you were to pick our best XI, unlike say the centre back pairing, the central midfield pairing doesn't pick itself. When all of them are fit, you look at Green, Bryson, Hendrick and Bailey and there is no obvious first name on the team sheet because all four are very limited.

Bryson and Hendrick, much like Bailey and Green in previous years, look all-conquering in one game but anonymous in the next. I think we need someone in there to help them out, just someone with a bit of presence really. Someone that adds something different. That doesn't necessarily have to be someone who is powerful and athletic and would break you in half with the faintest touch. It could be a player who is comfortable in possession and can pick a pass and dictate play. But there's definitely something missing that's for sure.

Far too often, the midfield gets overrun or bypassed altogether. When the midfield can't hold its own, we surrender to negative punt-it-long football from the back (hands up O'Brien and Fielding) and it takes players like the four mentioned out of the game because very rarely are they going to either win a header in the centre circle or bring down a flick-on and carry the ball to the edge of the box before playing in the striker with a defence-splitting pass.

All four would look better in footballing sides, which we're not, so it would help if we were a bit more adaptable and more balanced in midfield.

[dabber]

Exactly. Our forwards last night were far too ineffective. Not blaming the young lad Bennett but it showed why Maguire has not been in the team/squad regularly.

Cloughie concurred Scarlet, it seems Maguire will be back on the naughty step, he said "Mason(sic) didn't get much help up there from Chris Maguire but more from Jamie Ward in the second half."