funkyrobot

It’s a no brainer for me. As soon as Lascelles is fit, Okoli is out of the team.

I haven’t said he hasn’t. I’ve suggested that he’s played more often with James playing in his natural 6 role where James can and has literally won games for us almost single-handedly. I’m suggesting if Winks was given the opportunity to play with James next to him rather than ahead of him as a less effective ten then we’d be even better in midfield.

What games did Skipp and James play alongside each other? When Cifuentes was playing Winks early in the season he was playing JJ as the 10. Rowett has already said that he has to have Winks in his team due to his ability to retain the ball, so the choice, assuming he retains the current formation, will be between Skipp and JJ and that’s a no brainer for me. As you say though, a formation change that gets rid of a 10 and that puts Mukasa as the centre forward position could allow them all to play and I’m not against that tbh.

Yeh when he’s fit he comes in for Skipp

Winks rarely if ever has had the opportunity to play with JJ next to him. Earlier in the season JJ was used as a 10. Skipp’s had the opportunity to play James was deeper, Winks had been binned by Marti and James pretty much carried the whole team. Playing James alongside Winks as 6’s with Mukasa ahead has to be the best formula for winning games surely?

Running and effort is better when that running and effort is combined with talent. In midfield Skipp has a challenge. JJ puts as much effort in as him but is a better footballer. Same can be said about Winks since he was brought back into the team.

I am more than old enough to remember both players. 🤣Mauchlen was limited, probably more so than Skipp but an absolute animal in the tackle. Lennon was a better footballer than Skipp is. He was a natural leader, he had creativity to go with the destructive side of his game and was comfortable on the ball.

Winks alongside James with Mukasa as a 10 is top quality in The Championship. It’s so strong It will make up somewhat for the fact we are weak in the back four and have no quality striker!

MOTM last night. Not arsed with his beef with his Cifuentes or that he’s leaving at the end of the season. He absolutely has to start for me.

Bias clouding people’s judgement works both ways. I’m not alone on here in seeing that despite fabulous effort, Skipp is an issue in such a key central role in the team.

I applaud his effort, I really do but if you watch that game again, he’s beaten often in a one to one situation and from an attacking perspective he offers very little. We can’t afford a player that is so one dimensional in a central pairing of two. He has to offer more than just hustle and bustle and water carrying, particularly when a lot of that hustle and bustle other than those two great blocks at the end was unsuccessful. JJ also offers 100% but has much more to his game. When he’s fit it’s a no brainer for me. A midfield ‘6’ pairing of Winks and JJ with Skipp an impact sub.

Bassey can play a bit too. Okoli can’t.

Skipp doesn’t influence the game enough for me as a senior central midfielder, particularly in a two. In that role you’ve got to dominate. Things break up around him or pass him by.

Has Skippy ever done a reaction test? I swear he plays with lag or high ping. He so often seems to tackle or intercept a second after he the ball has gone. We desperately need James back.

Wout can at least pass a ball

Okoli can’t pass. He either needs to play a very simple ball to someone close to him or just hoof it. He’s not worked that out himself yet too which would suggest he’s brainless too.

Yeh he got the goal but he was 100% to blame for the equaliser. Terrible, terrible pass. The lad is an absolute liability when he has the ball.

The problem with Bobby on the wing is he doesn’t have pace nor is he a dribbler. To be an effective winger you need one or preferably both of these attributes.

Beggo is absolutely glued to his line.

Matt Targett is a weak link in the Boro team but unfortunately I can’t see BDCR exploiting that weakness

Bobby Reid marauding down the wing then 🥴😬

Capology are more likely to be correct than your hunch.

Vietes is on £5k more a week than Fatawu, Mavididi and Jordan James and he has another year left on his contract. He’s on £15k a week btw.

He’s easy to hate because of his body language but I saw a good connection with Mukasa that reminded me of how he played with KDH. I still believe that the system we’ve played since Maresca has left and specifically the players that have played in this system haven’t helped either winger. The lack of a quality number 8 inside Mavs and Fatawu have allowed teams to double up, and without lightning pace this particularly impacts on a trick merchant like Stephy. The number 10 when it’s BDCR doesn’t offer enough support or a diversion as he’s lightweight and is barely more than a second striker. Now we have real quality in Mukasa I think Mavididi will show up better

It’s a bit much to say he performed well at Atalanta, he only played for the first team 17 times and was loaned out 3 of the 4 years he was with them. The 17 appearances only coming when he was used sporadically in 2022. We signed him after he had finished a season long loan at Frosinone. Frosinone were relegated that season. He could be looking at 3 relegations in 3 years. Based on what I’ve seen of him, I’m not surprised relegation follows him!