+ Visit Cardiff FC for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 38

Thread: Central midfield

  1. #1

    Central midfield

    Can anybody confirm what they do or if any of them do anything well?

    It is ridiculous how we have let it get to this stage.

    They can't pass, can't create anything and as it showed earlier are not that great at stopping attacks coming at them. What do they do?

    Would you keep any of them if their contract was up this summer?

  2. #2

    Re: Central midfield

    Will Vaulks is only in there because of the throw ins

  3. #3

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by City123 View Post
    Will Vaulks is only in there because of the throw ins
    And the others?

  4. #4

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by blue lewj View Post
    And the others?
    We don't really have any other options. The midfield desperately needs work done to it in the summer and has done for a while, it really is the glaring weakness in our squad

  5. #5

    Re: Central midfield

    It's truly astonishing how poor they all are in possession. Same for all our centre backs aside from Morrison.

  6. #6

    Re: Central midfield

    It doesn't help that we have no width.

  7. #7

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee View Post
    It doesn't help that we have no width.
    That happens if you pick no wide midfielders or wingers.

  8. #8

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by blue lewj View Post
    That happens if you pick no wide midfielders or wingers.
    Absolutely.

    In a way we were playing some 3-4-2-1 formation where the only width was Ralls and Sang. What's happened to Ojo? Why is Hoilett out of favour? He's arguably our best choice for a left wing back. Where's Murphy? Wilson? Instead we went narrow with two centre midfielders in behind Moore. Awful formation.

  9. #9

    Re: Central midfield

    You got what you wished for.

  10. #10

    Re: Central midfield

    They really struggle when playing against individuals/a group who can move the ball quickly, intelligently, effectively (especially if on a large pitch) but are able to bully most of the midfields in the championship. Most of them are strong personalities in the dressing room, Pack is one of our more intelligent footballers and Vaulks has a good shot in him and a useful long throw.

    Having two of the four (Bacuna still seen as a CM) with two players with greater capability on the ball would be fine, but Warnock rejected need for a balanced squad and decided expensive and super-Warnock was the way to go.

    Problem is more whether we can move any of them on rather than whether we'd keep if they were out of contract.

  11. #11

    Re: Central midfield

    If he needs any reason not to be in the Welsh squad then tonight was it regardless of how much MM bulls him up

  12. #12

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by City123 View Post
    We don't really have any other options. The midfield desperately needs work done to it in the summer and has done for a while, it really is the glaring weakness in our squad
    Oh for a Barry Bannon, or even an Aidan McGeady. Johnny Williams is a show pony and always has been, Ralls is by far the best of the rest but only if doing a workhorse job not requiring any real skill, Bacuna runs about, Vaulks' ball skills are non-existent. Pack turns away from anyone near to him and passes back or risks losing the ball, which is why he is so negative.

    None of our defenders can pass, to an extent that is embarrassing.

    Ojo has proved he is not up to it on any regular basis, Wilson undoubtedly has skill but like Jason Bowen of old is only any good when we are on top. Moore could be excellent but has been overworked beyond sense.

    I am firmly of the view that this being a results game McCarthy deserved a contract, since we were on the verge of being sucked into a relegation struggle, and you can see why. Sheffield Wednesday have a squad that is far more talented than ours, apart from Patterson who just happened to hit an unbelievable volley (for him) and played a very good pass today, which it took him about a dozen games to achieve when he was with us.

    I am encouraged by the use of younger players, but disconcerted by McCarthy's overall approach especially to substitutions and shape.

    I am glad it is the end of the season and will be hoping for the best.


  13. #13

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by rich munn View Post
    None of our defenders can pass, to an extent that is embarrassing.
    Ciaron Brown is taking this aspect of City's play to new levels. He is so poor with the ball at his feet that it's genuinely incredible he's playing at Championship level.

  14. #14

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman View Post
    Ciaron Brown is taking this aspect of City's play to new levels. He is so poor with the ball at his feet that it's genuinely incredible he's playing at Championship level.
    Glen Williams of Wales Online always singles Brown out for criticism on that front, but I don’t get it, he’s no worse than two or three of his team mates (eg Flint and Nelson, while Vaulks, Ralls and Bacuna’s first touch has been way below what you’d expect from a Championship midfield player this season.

  15. #15

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    Glen Williams of Wales Online always singles Brown out for criticism on that front, but I don’t get it.
    It’s simple. He’s consistently awful in terms of controlling and passing the football. It’s no more complicated than that.

    Others are also poor in those respects but, to me at least, Brown looks comfortably the worst of the current crop. He appears outclassed at this level.

  16. #16

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman View Post
    It’s simple. He’s consistently awful in terms of controlling and passing the football. It’s no more complicated than that.

    Others are also poor in those respects but, to me at least, Brown looks comfortably the worst of the current crop. He appears outclassed at this level.
    He did last night, but I don't see too much difference between him and others in his position before that - we've had the 19/20 version of Flint playing for us lately and Nelson's played poorly since he came back. I just think that the deep rooted problems among the senior squad are too widespread for us to be singling one individual out as being worse than everyone else,

  17. #17

    Re: Central midfield

    n/a

  18. #18

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
    He did last night, but I don't see too much difference between him and others in his position before that - we've had the 19/20 version of Flint playing for us lately and Nelson's played poorly since he came back. I just think that the deep rooted problems among the senior squad are too widespread for us to be singling one individual out as being worse than everyone else,
    They were all very poor last night, but in Brown’s case I haven’t seen anything in any of his performances so far to suggest he’s going to be good enough for this level. He’s big and his defending is reasonably competent but that’s about it. He can’t seem to do anything constructive with the ball at his feet.

  19. #19

    Re: Central midfield

    His use of the open space 50 yards ahead of him was brilliant
    Shame really as I'd heard good things about him from pals north of the border, I was hoping he was going to come back and really grab his chance.
    From what I've seen I can't see how he's likely to be here for next season

  20. #20

    Re: Central midfield

    I think the OP is a little harsh. Id say that Vaulks, Bacuna and Ralls are all perfectly good Championship midfielders, the problem is that they are all more or less of a type (grafters) so playing them together is a recipe for a lack of creativity and inability to keep possession.

    Theoretically that's where Pack should come. He should be the one playing the Joe Allen / Stephen McPhail role, the play should flow through him and he should be the be the link between defence and attack. In truth though weve seen precious little of that from him.

    Personally I hate the 3-4-3 formation. It neutralises the wingers because they have to tuck in to accommodate the wing backs and doesn't give you the option of playing a number ten. I can see why McCarthys gone with it because the only creative midfielder we have thats worth anything is Tomlin who's had a dreadful run with injuries but playing Bacuna as one of the from three? **** right off.

    That though had been a glaring problem at the club for literally years. Weve barely signed any creative midfielders, probably due to the types of manager that weve had and the fact that we dont have a director football. Perhaps the systemic problems at the club need addressing before the endless hiring and firing of managers.

  21. #21
    International jon1959's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Sheffield - out of Roath
    Posts
    15,892

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by olderblue View Post
    His use of the open space 50 yards ahead of him was brilliant
    Shame really as I'd heard good things about him from pals north of the border, I was hoping he was going to come back and really grab his chance.
    From what I've seen I can't see how he's likely to be here for next season
    https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ex...over-new-deal/

  22. #22

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by Cardiff Ultra View Post
    I think the OP is a little harsh. Id say that Vaulks, Bacuna and Ralls are all perfectly good Championship midfielders, the problem is that they are all more or less of a type (grafters) so playing them together is a recipe for a lack of creativity and inability to keep possession.

    Theoretically that's where Pack should come. He should be the one playing the Joe Allen / Stephen McPhail role, the play should flow through him and he should be the be the link between defence and attack. In truth though weve seen precious little of that from him.

    Personally I hate the 3-4-3 formation. It neutralises the wingers because they have to tuck in to accommodate the wing backs and doesn't give you the option of playing a number ten. I can see why McCarthys gone with it because the only creative midfielder we have thats worth anything is Tomlin who's had a dreadful run with injuries but playing Bacuna as one of the from three? **** right off.

    That though had been a glaring problem at the club for literally years. Weve barely signed any creative midfielders, probably due to the types of manager that weve had and the fact that we dont have a director football. Perhaps the systemic problems at the club need addressing before the endless hiring and firing of managers.
    In my opinion, even if we had two ball playing Bannan types in our midfield then any of the others we have as a holding midfielder would still stand out as a weak link, they simply cannot pass the ball

  23. #23

    Re: Central midfield

    I think a lot of the stuff levelled at Ralls is pretty harsh, he's played a lot of games at this level and generally been pretty successful. If he were shit he wouldn't have been an important part of a side that's been top half Championship at least throughout his time here

    That being said, this has certainly not been his best season

  24. #24

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by City123 View Post
    I think a lot of the stuff levelled at Ralls is pretty harsh, he's played a lot of games at this level and generally been pretty successful. If he were shit he wouldn't have been an important part of a side that's been top half Championship at least throughout his time here

    That being said, this has certainly not been his best season
    He's one-paced, poor at passing, erratic when in possession, and isn't blessed with a good footballing brain... apart from that I agree with you.

  25. #25

    Re: Central midfield

    Quote Originally Posted by The Lone Gunman View Post
    Ciaron Brown is taking this aspect of City's play to new levels. He is so poor with the ball at his feet that it's genuinely incredible he's playing at Championship level.
    I watch Shrewsbuy Town play occasionally and I have no doubt Ciaron Brown would not get in their team and they are 17th in league one. For him to be doing well in Scotland the mind boggles at what the standard is like outside the big two up there. You would think to be a professional footballer even a centre half you should be able to make a simple pass to a player in your own team.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •