To the Wellens doubters....

[Jimmy]

What do you want him to do? I think people overplay the role of a captain, we have enough people on the pitch with enough experience.

Maybe you blinked, I saw him shouting at people. Maybe you thought he was being abusive rather than trying to get people to do their job.

SSL isn't an 18 year old, he's an experienced international.

Looked more urgent than most out there.

you still need someone to take the lead and set the tempo of the side

Shouting isn't the same thing as encouraging

no but SSL was having a poor DEBUT and Wellens as the captain should of had a word and tried to calm him down if he was beginning to panic or lift his spirits if his head was about to drop. that is what a captain is supposed to do

If you think Wellens looked urgent last night I'd hate to see what you think is a lazy player

[marbelladave]

What do you want him to do? I think people overplay the role of a captain, we have enough people on the pitch with enough experience.

Maybe you blinked, I saw him shouting at people. Maybe you thought he was being abusive rather than trying to get people to do their job.

SSL isn't an 18 year old, he's an experienced international.

Looked more urgent than most out there.

Judging by the chaos seen in recent games, someone needs to take charge! It looks a bit like a schoolboy team to me, with everyone doing pretty much what they want with no apparent plan whatsoever.

Wellens does routinely abuse his team mates, it can be heard quite clearly on occasions. Encouragement and support seems in much shorter supply.

SSL was on debut and was clearly a bit nervous, some support would have helped.

Wellens usually tries to look involved but it is mainly for show, when things are not going our way he rarely makes an impact.

[marbelladave]

Great minds Jimmy.....

[Babylon]

you still need someone to take the lead and set the tempo of the side

The problems lie with having nobody to pass to in forward positions. PG, DN and LD were all up top with their backs to goal, they each had a man behind them, and because their midfield dropped back so deep half the time they had a man in front of them as well.

You can't set much of a tempo when you get 3/4 of the way up the pitch and then have to go backwards because there is no forward ball, or out ball.

Shouting isn't the same thing as encouraging

How do you know what was being said?

no but SSL was having a poor DEBUT and Wellens as the captain should of had a word and tried to calm him down if he was beginning to panic or lift his spirits if his head was about to drop. that is what a captain is supposed to do

Poppycock, he's not a bloody horse whisperer who will magically calm people with his dulcet tones.

If you think Wellens looked urgent last night I'd hate to see what you think is a lazy player

Opposite of urgent it not urgent, not lazy.

[Babylon]

Great minds Jimmy.....

[Ilkeston_Fox]

I think Wellens is a marmite type player. You either love him or hate him. I rate him, but I'm not however going to be as bold as say he's by far an away the best City have got - not by any stretch of the imagination.

He, like any other player has his good days and bad days. What I cannot stand about him is his persistant diving/feigning injury. He's done it on many occasions - too many to mention. I'm not saying he's the only one doing it. But it just stands out in my memory

He did it at C*v to get their player sent off, he did it again last night and as soon as the ball came near him.....oh he's much better and can see and run again. I don't care if he's our player or not, I hate this attitude in todays game!

[Babylon]

You either love him or hate him.

I don't love or hate him, he's a just a decent midfielder who people have decided is somehow responsible for all our woes. This seasons Matt Oakley.

[Jimmy]

I don't love or hate him, he's a just a decent midfielder who people have decided is somehow responsible for all our woes. This seasons Matt Oakley.

not at all but the fact remains he goes missing against the big teams and only really shows up when we are on top and comfortable yet he seems untouchable and seems to believe his own hype, if he was as good as he thinks he is he would never of been released by United

[Babylon]

not at all but the fact remains he goes missing against the big teams and only really shows up when we are on top and comfortable.

Sounds familiar... King, Gallagher, Dyer.

[Dr The Singh]

Sounds familiar... King, Gallagher, Dyer.

Barring Nugent, the rest were poor last night, Wellens included, King included, and DYer included!!

[Babylon]

Barring Nugent

Thank god for Nugent, I feel sorry for the bloke. If he actually had a team around him the lad could be a real star for us.

[marbelladave]

Sounds familiar... King, Gallagher, Dyer.

Dyer has been a peripheral player for some time, King does less and less the more forward he has to play and Gallagher was poor last night, though in his short appearance against Reading he looked ok.

As has been said elsewhere, King and Gallagher do make and score goals, but neither are currently at their best and neither are the kind of players to pull us out of our current malais.

[Corky]

Last night did nothing to dispell my doubts about him. He is our "playmaker", he's just too slow. Too many touches and not enough urgency.

King was poor too, so I'm not overlooking his performance, but I just don't see Wellens' reputation as one of the best in the league.

[Fox92]

if he was as good as he thinks he is he would never of been released by United

He chose to leave Manchester United due to lack of first team opportunities because he couldn't get in front of Scholes/Keane and all that sensational midfield.

If you put it like that, you are basically saying Taarabt isn't going because he was sold by Tottenham, Fabregas isn't good because Barcelona let him go etc...

Most of you can critisize Wellens all you like, but, players like King and Gallagher are no better. In fact, I wouldn't care less if King and Gallagher were sold.

[Thracian]

Most of you can critisize Wellens all you like, but, players like King and Gallagher are no better. In fact, I wouldn't care less if King and Gallagher were sold.

King is far better and has not reached his peak by any means. I suggested it was time for King to move once before, towards the end of last season, because, basically he's in the wrong team.

Whatever Sven wants, deep down, he just doesn't seem capable of putting a truly attacking team together, one with the movement and accuracy to benefit from the speed and consistency of King's passing.

The longer the game went on last night the faster and more accurate King's passes became. But few seemed to appreciate it and his one real chance, from which it was always hard to generate any power, was saved.

The truth is very few of our team seem capable of passing the ball quickly and safely.

Even Gallagher has to stop the ball, turn backwards, look up and pass, by which time defenders have recovered and he's under enough pressure himself to be uncomfortable.

Dyer's got his uses but passing isn't one of them. Waghorn is as bad, Konchesky and Peltier are unreliable and don't really go for the returns, Danns, Waghorn and Dyer have indifferent close control and it's all too sad for words at Championship level.

I wish I had a video analysis showing not only passing accuracy but the number of touches taken by each player up to the delivery of a pass. Because I'm quite sure King would be the fastest passer by far yet still have a pass total and accuracy rate.

But King should be with a team who can all pass and move quickly and which has players with pace. A place where he will be appreciated and where there's so much movement he'll get all the scoring chances he needs to fulfil his true potential.

You got cameo indications of this when King played with Yakubu or Vassell during the short time he appeared as a central striker - they played off one another admirably.

But they're not around right now, Nugent's not had time to build a relationship with him and Sclupp's not had chance. And without our team can pass as a unit it's never going to have the basis for a promotion challenge.

[cc_star]

King is far better and has not reached his peak by any means. I suggested it was time for King to move once before, towards the end of last season, because, basically he's in the wrong team.

Whatever Sven wants, deep down, he just doesn't seem capable of putting a truly attacking team together, one with the movement and accuracy to benefit from the speed and consistency of King's passing.

The longer the game went on last night the faster and more accurate King's passes became. But few seemed to appreciate it and his one real chance, from which it was always hard to generate any power, was saved.

The truth is very few of our team seem capable of passing the ball quickly and safely.

Even Gallagher has to stop the ball, turn backwards, look up and pass, by which time defenders have recovered and he's under enough pressure himself to be uncomfortable.

Dyer's got his uses but passing isn't one of them. Waghorn is as bad, Konchesky and Peltier are unreliable and don't really go for the returns, Danns, Waghorn and Dyer have indifferent close control and it's all too sad for words at Championship level.

I wish I had a video analysis showing not only passing accuracy but the number of touches taken by each player up to the delivery of a pass. Because I'm quite sure King would be the fastest passer by far yet still have a pass total and accuracy rate.

But King should be with a team who can all pass and move quickly and which has players with pace. A place where he will be appreciated and where there's so much movement he'll get all the scoring chances he needs to fulfil his true potential.

You got cameo indications of this when King played with Yakubu or Vassell during the short time he appeared as a central striker - they played off one another admirably.

But they're not around right now, Nugent's not had time to build a relationship with him and Sclupp's not had chance. And without our team can pass as a unit it's never going to have the basis for a promotion challenge.

Kinda like under Sven last season

This more workman like set-up isn't going to suit him, and Gally is always going to be ineffective when he's not playing centrally and taking advantage of a bigman's knock-ons or slotting the ball through for a goal scorer, whilst weighing in with a few from the edge of the 18yrd box himself.

Square pegs, round holes & all that