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I think he's going backwards (literally).
I think he's playing rugby with his unwillingness to go forward under any circumstances.
When he first came into the squad he used to carry the ball and commit defenders but now he just wants to play safety first and pass the ball back to the defenders.
Whittingham will get away with any poor performance. His pass to declan was decent though.
Gunnarsson tried hard but isnt effective.
None of our central midfielders do anything other than pass sideways or backwards.
Ralls should be allowed to go forward.
We are relying on the wing backs for everything.
According to the line ups last night, gunnarsson was the one of the midfield three pushed forwards, and whitts isn't a holding midfielder, si ralls will have had to be more disciplined with his role so as not to leave us exposed.
I'm not asking him to necessarily get beyond the striker, I'm asking him to be braver on the ball and actually pass the ball forward occasionally!
Thats the issue here is that we are having a go at a player for doing the job that is being asked of him.
He is being asked to break up play and distribute quickly, where as people want him to attack, in that instance you really want a midfield 5, with a flat back four, then ultimately freeing up one of you CM to attack.
Maybe we are working towards the wing backs acting as extra midfielders during attack and extra defenders without the ball, and what we are in now is a period of adjustment where the players are learning the positions.
Ralls hasnt been on form in the first few games and should have come off saturday and last night. He isnt getting into the box or supporting the front 2. John looks to get crosses in but Ralls keep going behind him to cover when that is Connolly job. Gunnerson did a good job on the right and both him, Pettier and Harris all got crosses in while hardly anything came in on the other side. Drop Ralls for a couple of games and hopefully he can come back stronger.
That is ralls job in this formation, protect the 3 defenders and recycle the ball quickly. Sounds like he did exactly what he would have been asked to do.
Gunnarsson was pushed forward out of the 3 and whitts as a deep lying playmaker.
Without some one doing that simple role in a very disciplined way we would have been torn to shreds through the centre of the park.
If you had ralls and gunnarsson attacking and we lose possession suddenly they have a break through the middle with only whittingham protecting the defence?
The players are adjust to this system, and Ralls is being told to do a job.
You would expect him to get better as he goes, but it would be foolish to have 5 players bombing forward leaving Whittingham as the only cover for the back 3 especially when Whittingham's defense is not his best quality.
I think we have no pace in midfield, and rely on passing the ball back to Manga and Connolly to be the 'playmakers'! It seems a 4-5-1 would suit our players better, especially Ralls and Whitts, who'd have a bit of pace either side of them. Mind you we have a manager now who has signed 2 strikers and then played Pilks up front last night.
Players will attack when the game and the position dictates. 5 attackers is plenty sometimes, sometimes an extra midfielder will come into the box.
My point is Ralls is currently under instruction to do the role he is doing, down to the system and the defensive issues of his other midfielders, he is not stopping back because he doesnt feel like it.
You could argue that this system only suits John and Richards in this squad and the other members in the squad are being shoe-horned into it.
I think people in this thread are watching too much champions league football. If we were gonna hit on the counter by Real Madrid then maybe I would sympathise with their view but Blackburn couldn't string too passes together so all they were gonna do is welt the ball out to touch