Midfield dilemna

[Geo V]

There's always a convenient reason this week's never the right one...

Indeed some people would NEVER play a single young player cos they'd never quite have the nerve.

But I've mentioned King not because he's young. He could be 30 for me. But because, at least from what I've seen, he has more aspects to his game than any of the alternatives.

It's not that I disagree about Megson playing safe mind. He'll take one look at Kishishev's 77 caps and that will be that. Newton, Chambers or Stearman will doubtless cover on the bench.

Ah well, back to my prayers.

Lighten our darkness oh Lord....

If you occasionally threw up a name from the academy lads who should be in the team due to a series of great performances, people on here would tend to believe you. However if you go on about any and every kid that does OK and from one month to the other push their name to the top of the queue for inclusion for the first team, everyone will think that you don't know much about that level of football despite being a regular spectator at the home games.

Ive been a member on here since January and in that time Ive have heard you say that players such as Sheehan, Levi, Mattock, Odhiambo, Dodds, Gradel and others should be in the team and to be honest, from I have seen, not much of that lot looks ready for a regular spot at this level and infact, had Clarke not had his terrible injury I doubt any of them would be starters.

King is the latest name to be thrown into the mix but because you are so blinkered in your opinions with all our academy players and show such a heavy bias, I actually dont believe a word you say about them all. Please try and be less biased and give a more honest and fairer assessment of these players in the future!

[Thracian]

If you occasionally threw up a name from the academy lads who should be in the team due to a series of great performances, people on here would tend to believe you. However if you go on about any and every kid that does OK and from one month to the other push their name to the top of the queue for inclusion for the first team, everyone will think that you don't know much about that level of football despite being a regular spectator at the home games.

Ive been a member on here since January and in that time Ive have heard you say that players such as Sheehan, Levi, Mattock, Odhiambo, Dodds, Gradel and others should be in the team and to be honest, from I have seen, not much of that lot looks ready for a regular spot at this level and infact, had Clarke not had his terrible injury I doubt any of them would be starters.

King is the latest name to be thrown into the mix but because you are so blinkered in your opinions with all our academy players and show such a heavy bias, I actually dont believe a word you say about them all. Please try and be less biased and give a more honest and fairer assessment of these players in the future!

Because you so often choose to exaggerate what I say to suit your own posts there's probably little point in this debate. And the fact you've rarely seen people like Gradel, Odhiambo, Dodds and Mattock anyway.

But the senior people at the club and successive managers have chosen Porter over 30 times in his first season. Dodds, Odhiambo and Gradel have never been touted for a starting spot except on the specific occasions I've mentioned and Sheehan's record with the first team, despite scepticism, hardly suggests he shouldn't be there.

He's played six times this season, scored/made more goals than Nils did all last season and we haven't lost once.

I have no intention of commenting on Clarke in the circumstances. But I certainly wouldn't use him as a stick to beat Mattock and Sheehan.

[Lillehamring]

i have seen king play and have respect enough for your opinion, thrac, and the old man's, to trust in your comments regarding king (even tho you got me to sit thru their worst performance last season!) and i really want king to fulfil his potential, sadly i don't think the time will be now...

it is nothing to do with age, but experience, king may or may not play great (like anybody) if he's given a chance, but he has precious little experience at this level and that is bound to tell on megsons mind (especially with his supposed preference for ugly hoofy defensive footy... )

fryatt got his reward for strong reserve team performances, no doubt king will too, and with weso out for at least a month or two, i would suspect that he'll get some much needed action during this time...

just so glad we have these kind of headaches now!

[Geo V]

Because you so often choose to exaggerate what I say to suit your own posts there's probably little point in this debate. And the fact you've rarely seen people like Gradel, Odhiambo, Dodds and Mattock anyway.

But the senior people at the club and successive managers have chosen Porter over 30 times in his first season. Dodds, Odhiambo and Gradel have never been touted for a starting spot except on the specific occasions I've mentioned and Sheehan's record with the first team, despite scepticism, hardly suggests he shouldn't be there.

He's played six times this season, scored/made more goals than Nils did all last season and we haven't lost once.

I have no intention of commenting on Clarke in the circumstances. But I certainly wouldn't use him as a stick to beat Mattock and Sheehan.

From the recent Gradel Watch thread....

Thracian Aug 11 2007, 09:23 PM

I never understood the decision to let him go for one minute. Gradel's got his faults but he's an infinitely greater threat than Newton. A +1 in the potential scorers list instead of +0.5 or even 0.25 if we're really honest.

I wont bother sifting through last seasons threads when you were tearing MF apart and called for Doods inclusion either as everyone knows how you felt on that one.

As for Sheehan and Mattock, the fact that Clarke came into the club in the first place is a sign of where the are now in their respective careers.

You have touted Levis inclusion in the team so strenuously that you even said that he should play in central midfield and was very critical or Clemence into the bargain and actually listed loads of points comparing the two, siding with Levi.

If you are going to post stuff at least try and remember what you are saying. You make knee-jerk reactions like you did about Clemence after two games and 6 games in all of a sudden he is quality. You have dismissed Kish despite having seen him play only a couple of times and then you have a go at me for making judgments on players in the academy because I havent seen them! Unreal

[Thracian]

From the recent Gradel Watch thread....

I wont bother sifting through last seasons threads when you were tearing MF apart and called for Doods inclusion either as everyone knows how you felt on that one.

As for Sheehan and Mattock, the fact that Clarke came into the club in the first place is a sign of where the are now in their respective careers.

You have touted Levis inclusion in the team so strenuously that you even said that he should play in central midfield and was very critical or Clemence into the bargain and actually listed loads of points comparing the two, siding with Levi.

If you are going to post stuff at least try and remember what you are saying. You make knee-jerk reactions like you did about Clemence after two games and 6 games in all of a sudden he is quality. You have dismissed Kish despite having seen him play only a couple of times and then you have a go at me for making judgments on players in the academy because I havent seen them! Unreal

You're excelling yourself tonight.

I can't be bothered with most of it but I doubt I've criticised Clemence more than twice and if I've compared Porter with Clemence, which I cannot actually recall, perhaps you'd post it and I'll happily comment.

And who's seen Kish twice? I've seen him in friendlies and in training too. He's a good player in his way. I just don't think he carries much attacking threat and wonder how match fit he'll be having played such a small part in the matches so far.

As for Matty Fryatt you cannot sensible compare his form of last season to this season and I have been more than happy to reflect that in what I've said.

Just as I've acknowedged that Porter's not been at his best. But for much of last season Fryatt was not even nearly worth his place.

Form changes dramatically sometimes. And for all sorts of reasons.

I don't judge Kishishev on how many caps, how much experience, how much he's paid. I judge him and everyone else on how they play on the day and how that relates to their general form of the time.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Has King been training with the first team Thrac? If so he has a chance, if not, I expect Megson hasn't had chance to notice him properly?

[Thracian]

Has King been training with the first team Thrac? If so he has a chance, if not, I expect Megson hasn't had chance to notice him properly?

He has trained with the firsts but I don't know about the new regime.

[Eastern Fox]

To be fair, Hellings has no more right to a place in the first team squad than King. I saw both of them play in the Cambridge Utd friendly-neither had a particularly good game, but Hellings didn't seem like a better player. From what I hear King consistently performs at Reserve/Academy level, I haven't heard much praise of Hellings performances in the Reserves so far. He has some first team experience in Holland and an (undeserved?) reputation as 'promising', that's all that separates them really.

[Thracian]

To be fair, Hellings has no more right to a place in the first team squad than King. I saw both of them play in the Cambridge Utd friendly-neither had a particularly good game, but Hellings didn't seem like a better player. From what I hear King consistently performs at Reserve/Academy level, I haven't heard much praise of Hellings performances in the Reserves so far. He has some first team experience in Holland and an (undeserved?) reputation as 'promising', that's all that separates them really.

King was played on the right wing for most of that day, and then for only part of the match.

It was quite bizarre and coincided with the only time I've seen him look dejected in all his time here.

As for Hellings I think he went off injured in his last Reserves game.

He made his contribution but no more.

People like Stearman (at centre-back) Fryatt, Kaebi, King, Beswick and Newton last time out have been the main men in the Reserves thus far.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Surely the very inclusion of a thread entitled "midfield dillema" after the injury to one (albeit, one of our best) player shows how much we lack any kind of depth in the centre of midfield. After the initial promise that Kishishev showed, the enthusiasm surrounding him has drained away. I think he's half decent but he wouldn't be in my first XI even with Weso out. If I had my way Newton wouldn't be at the club, let alone being considered for the first team, and using Stearman in that position would give the team a slightly defensive, negative if you will, feel. The same would apply with Chambers but I'd much rather opt for him because he has bursts of pace that can start moves and unnerve defenders.

As for King, well, I can't really comment because I've never seen him play, if he walked past me in the street, I wouldn't recognise him. However, if Megson does decide to bring King into the fold, I don't think it should be against Charlton, one of the stronger teams in the division. Sure, you could say that an expereince of playing against a good side would be excellent for such a young kid, but on the other hand, if City take a beating and get played off the park, his confidence will dive like the shares in Northern Rock.

I'm at sixes and sevens on this one, but one thing's for sure, we need to bring in a versatile centre mid at the peak of his career, not too old but not too young, with plenty of experience in this division, and offload the crap (Newton, Porter etc). I see on the rumours thread that we are after Glen Whelan, who fits the criteria perfectly.

PS-Sorry about the length of this bad boy...

[Thracian]

I will try Thrac!!!

But it's early days for Megson, he will have a better idea and the confidence to pick his team in the comming weeks!! But like any Manager, Megson will be judged on results, and if playing Kishishev gets wins, I don't think many will complian!!!

I'm sure they won't. But if we get draws or defeats because we've not got enough attackers they might? Second thoughts I apologise. No-one who's likely to go would criticise anyone for playing a 77-cap international and 0-0 at Plymouth was considered quite acceptable by many, perhaps even most, who were there. Silly me.