Our midfield for next season

[duncan bulgaria]

Whilst you have a point Beefy, look at the stats Chris Phillips printed in the Echo the other day. Pretty much our worst defensive record for 80 years.
The problem is not that they are bad players but that there is no organisation, especally when teams hit us on the counter. There is also a problem of a lack of pace, Francis apart and neither Clarke or Barrett have the aerial dominance needed, hence why we have let is so many from set pieces. We need more of a leader, a replacement for Spinner, who I think we will miss massively. We need at least 2 defenders in the Summer as we will not go up with that back 4 that played at Luton.

Exactly, this season we needed someone in spinners mould playing every week , someone who had been there seen it etc, someone ,who could of used their experience to lead and command our back four , as to be honest some of our defending this year has been laughable at best.


The trouble being is that a player of that mould would of cost money in terms of wages , but it would of been a good investment IMO, i also believe that even in league one we could still do with a player like that around the club.

 

[silentshrimper]

Yes I agree they will be probably the best midfield if they all stay, if any of them go then we will need big replacements, Macca and Maher should stay because of there loyalty and Macca has just joined. Gower loves the club but might be tempted if a good team comes in for him.

Only one I can see going is JCR which would be a big big loss, but if he stays I think we should expect great things, its about time he had a very good season and not a average one...we all no he can do it!

 

[Beefy]

Whilst you have a point Beefy, look at the stats Chris Phillips printed in the Echo the other day. Pretty much our worst defensive record for 80 years.
The problem is not that they are bad players but that there is no organisation, especally when teams hit us on the counter. There is also a problem of a lack of pace, Francis apart and neither Clarke or Barrett have the aerial dominance needed, hence why we have let is so many from set pieces. We need more of a leader, a replacement for Spinner, who I think we will miss massively. We need at least 2 defenders in the Summer as we will not go up with that back 4 that played at Luton.

I don't think it's just an organisational problem, it's an ability one. The whole of the back four, and the keeper, are all lower-league players and over the course of the season that has shown in the number of mistakes that we've made and the number of goals that we've conceeded. Flavs, Sodje, Barrett, Prior, Hunt, Francis, Clarke and Hammell all have a lot of good points to their games and I think whichever of those we start with next season will do well at that level but at THIS level the sorts of mistakes that they make are costly because strikers in this league don't tend to need a second invitation.

I've made the point before that so many of our key players were in League Two two seasons ago and nowhere has that cost us more than at the back.

 

[CM2 Blue]

I hope that we keep Maher, Macca, Gower and JCR as a midfield unit for next season. I agree that we need another siging to raise the levels of competition but overall there we need to regain our ability to play as a unit- as a team pulling for each other- rather than the disconnected units we have been too often this season. Signings must reflect the need to get out of League 1 but retain CCC status when we are promoted. Difficult with the money available, I know, but if Freddy moves on we could have the money to spend- it must just be spent wisely!