Leandro Bacuna + selected midfield stats

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

But does he get beyond the striker, does he continue his run? I don't think that he does, he carries the ball and invariably gives the ball to a wide man, then stops. If he's going to get goals then it's a simple case of continuing to run after making the pass. I don't think that we play like that.

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Perhaps that's the issue he plays one way , we play another is he given licence to do that or is he following a tactical instruction and others are not in the right channels or positions , its not easy to establish, In my humble view he's better than the statistic we have debating

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Originally Posted by life on mars

Perhaps that's the issue he plays one way , we play another is he given licence to do that or is he following a tactical instruction and others are not in the right channels or positions , its not easy to establish, In my humble view he's better than the statistic we have debating

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It's how we play if Tomlin isn't in the side.

I think it is becoming quite clear that opposing teams believe that with a ccoordinated press they can win the ball off us. the reason, in my view, is that our passing is still not fast or precise enough. If you put pressure on our defensive midfielders they will make errors.

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Originally Posted by Garth Blue

I think it is becoming quite clear that opposing teams believe that with a ccoordinated press they can win the ball off us. the reason, in my view, is that our passing is still not fast or precise enough. If you put pressure on our defensive midfielders they will make errors.

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Spot on mate.

I think it is becoming quite clear that opposing teams believe that with a ccoordinated press they can win the ball off us. the reason, in my view, is that our passing is still not fast or precise enough. If you put pressure on our defensive midfielders they will make errors.

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Originally Posted by Garth Blue

I think it is becoming quite clear that opposing teams believe that with a ccoordinated press they can win the ball off us. the reason, in my view, is that our passing is still not fast or precise enough. If you put pressure on our defensive midfielders they will make errors.

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Spot on again :hehe:

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Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

If we're referring to Bacuna, perhaps we need to define what Bacuna actually does and compare him like for like. My feeling on Bacuna is that he's got a good energy, isn't too bad a passer but likes getting forward and is often in and around the opposition's penalty area. A Medel or Arter he is not, which is why I find his goal and assist stats very poor. If he hardly got forward at all and was a holding midfielder, then issue over.

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I'm not sure about this. Bacuna has been the holding midfielder when he's played with Ralls and Vaulks.

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Originally Posted by LeningradCowboy

I'm not sure about this. Bacuna has been the holding midfielder when he's played with Ralls and Vaulks.

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I've just been looking at heat maps and chalkboards on whoscored (exciting life lol) of our fixtures since the return after lockdown. There's not a great deal of difference between Bacuna, Ralls and Vaulks when it comes to being around the edge of the box. Bacuna has less touches of the ball in advanced positions, where Vaulks generally has lots, even out on both wings.

I don't see anything to suggest Bacuna is the one who is always the holding midfielder - they all do their share of defensive work. It appears that even Marlon Pack is marginally more adventurous in the final third than Bacuna. Bacuna does have the 3rd most number of shots from outside the box per game rate of everyone last season, but precious little inside the box.

One thing that Bacuna is not, and that's a Gary Medel or Harry Arter type player. All of these are just observations, I'm not suggesting Bacuna is rubbish as he certainly is not.

So what is the answer to the midfield pick based on what we have

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Originally Posted by life on mars

So what is the answer to the midfield pick based on what we have

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Any midfield two with Tomlin ahead of them. A midfield three won't work with the players we have

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Originally Posted by Llandaff Blue

Any midfield two with Tomlin ahead of them. A midfield three won't work with the players we have

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Yes, I'd agree with that. Ralls is a poor man's Tomlin in that position.

I think we've got better to come from Vaulks. He can score goals and has the best engine of our centre midfielders. Of the others, you can make arguments for and against Ralls, Bacuna and Pack. Pack is the best passer of the ball and better at set pieces than the others. If you look at stats, Bacuna doesn't come out on top in any of them, even tackling or making interceptions; we know he's no good in an attacking sense, yet there's something about him that's tidy and his work rate is good. Ralls has more ability than Bacuna.

Nothing fills me with great optimism there, sadly.

Id say our best 3 are Ralls Tomlin Bacuna. The one hope from our shambolic performance on the weekend is that Ralls and Tomlin were not match fit. In Tomlins case probably nowhere near it.